AURORA | State Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, announced Thursday she would step down as senate minority leader. State Sen. Lucia Guzman, D-Denver, is expected to take over that position when Democratic caucus members meet next week.

Colorado Democratic state Sen. Morgan Carroll speaks at the podium on the closing day of the 2015 Colorado legislative session, Wednesday May 6, 2015, at the Capitol in Denver. Colorado lawmakers began the final mad dash to end of the legislative session Wednesday with plenty of major proposals pending in a divided Legislature, where Republicans run the Senate and Democrats control the House. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Carroll filed federal election forms Tuesday, making official her race for Colorado’s 6th Congressional District seat, currently held by Republican Mike Coffman. Though she is stepping down from a leadership role with the Senate, Carroll — who is term-limited — plans to serve through the end of her term ending in 2016.

She told the Aurora Sentinel in an interview Monday that she didn’t feel it was fair to the state’s Democratic caucus to not be able to devote her full attention to the role while running a competitive campaign.