Sen. Pat Steadman, a former lobbyist, says his constituents are now his only clients, according to the Colorado Statesman newspaper.

The first out gay man sworn in as a Colorado state senator last week was elected by a vacancy committee to fill the seat of former Sen. Jennifer Veiga, an out lesbian who resigned earlier this year to move to Australia with her partner.

The Statesman reports:

“I am really looking forward to my new role at the Capitol,” Steadman said. “I’ve spent 15 years under this dome fighting for change and civil rights. Now I get to work on a broader array of issues to advance the interests of my constituents and the state as a whole. I look forward to continuing to fight for what’s right and to be a voice for our values.”

Steadman said he has sold his interests in Mendez Steadman & Associates since being selected for the Senate and acknowledged that — unlike many lawyers who have come into the Legislature — his transition will require a clear and distinct line between his new job and his old one.

“I am here to serve the interests of my constituents,” he said. “They are my clients now.”