Hickenlooper short five key hires for new Cabinet

Weeks before his second term starts, Gov. John Hickenlooper's administration is far from complete.

The Democrat is missing a chief of staff and scrambling to fill five Cabinet positions in an administration that looks far different from the close-knit team that helped propel his first term.

Half of the Cabinet that took office with Hickenlooper in 2011 is gone, along with a number of key aides.

The transition of key officials between terms is not unusual, but the delays in filling the positions may prove problematic. Hickenlooper initially hoped to fill the significant hole left by the departure of Chief of Staff Roxane White by the first week in December, but the post remains open. Kevin Patterson, a longtime adviser, is currently serving as interim chief of staff.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper talks about the recent elections, and his second term from his office at the state capitol on Monday, November 24, 2014. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

The void is troublesome for the governor ahead of a wild-card legislative session where budget questions, controversial issues such as fracking and split partisan control of the chamber will create complications.

"The start of the legislative session is not much more than two weeks away, and the governor's office is missing its key person," said Eric Sondermann, a Denver-based political analyst.

White, who was Hickenlooper's closest aide and a holdover from his Denver mayoral administration, announced her resignation in June and left in November.

Ben Davis, a Democratic consultant close to the administration, said White "had a direct impact on every accomplishment."

"She is the most hands-on chief of staff I've ever worked with," he said. "She was a huge, huge part of the first four years, and I think this change is significant."

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Hickenlooper short five key hires for new Cabinet