Gail Schwartz

Gail Sheridan Schwartz[1] is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado State Senate as a Democrat in 2006, Schwartz represented Senate District 5, which covers a large section of south-central Colorado, ranging from Aspen, and Delta, Colorado through the San Luis Valley to the New Mexico border.[2] Schwartz left office in 2015 after serving two terms and unsuccessfully ran for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 3rd congressional district.

Gail Schwartz
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 5th district
In office
January 10, 2007 – January 7, 2015
Preceded byLewis Entz
Succeeded byKerry Donovan
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAlan E. Schwartz
Alma materUniversity of Colorado

Biography

Born and raised in Chicago, Schwartz holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Colorado. Schwartz has worked as Director of Development, and later Acting Director for the Pitkin County Housing Authority. She has also worked as a real estate and marketing consultant and as an executive for Sno-Engineering, Inc.[1]

Schwartz was involved in education issues in the Aspen School District, including campaigning for a $4 million local bond election for technology in local schools. She received the Aspen School District's "Outstanding Service Award." She was appointed by Governor Roy Romer to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education as a representative of the Western Slope from 1995 to 1999.[1]

In 2000, Schwartz was nominated as the Democratic candidate for the Board of Regents of the University of Colorado from Colorado's 3rd congressional district.[3] She faced Republican incumbent Hank Anton and campaigned on increasing accessibility to higher education, particularly for the largely rural and underserved Western Slope of Colorado.[4] She was elected with roughly 51 percent of the popular vote, becoming the third Democrat on the nine-member board.[5] After being elected, Schwartz supported adding sexual orientation to the university's nondiscrimination policy.[6] Schwartz also served as vice-chair of the Board of Regents.[7]

Schwartz is married; she and her husband, Alan, have three daughters.[1] As of 2016, her family resides in Crested Butte, Colorado.[8]

Electoral history

2006
2006 Colorado State Senate election, District 5[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gail Schwartz 24,677 51.0%
Republican Lewis Entz (incumbent) 23,691 49.0%
Total votes 48,368 100
Democratic gain from Republican

2010
2010 Colorado State Senate election, District 5[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gail Schwartz (incumbent) 26,355 51.5%
Republican Bob Rankin 25,269 48.5%
Total votes 51,624 100
Democratic hold

2016
Colorado's 3rd congressional district, 2016 [11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Scott Tipton (incumbent) 204,220 54.6
Democratic Gail Schwartz 150,914 40.4
Libertarian Gaylon Kent 18,903 5.0
Total votes 374,037 100.0
Republican hold

Legislative career

2006 election

In the 2006 Colorado legislative elections, Schwartz defeated incumbent Republican Lewis Entz with less than 51 percent of the popular vote. Schwartz was elected to represent Senate District 5, which includes Alamosa, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Mineral, Pitkin, Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties.[2]

2007 legislative session

In the 2007 session of the General Assembly, Schwartz was vice-chair of the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources & Energy Committee, vice-chair of the Senate Local Government Committee, and sat on the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee.[12]

Following the regular session, Schwartz chaired the legislature's interim committee on allocation of severance tax and federal mineral lease revenues[13] and served on the Water Resources Review Committee.[14]

2008 legislative session

In the 2008 session of the General Assembly, Schwartz serves as vice-chair of the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources & Energy Committee, vice-chair of the Senate Local Government Committee, and sits on the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee and the Legislative Audit Committee.[15]

During the 2008 session, Schwartz sponsored legislation to require Colorado's chief information officer to map broadband internet access in Colorado,[16] and legislation to require greater public disclosure about prospective mining activities.[17] In total, Schwartz sponsored 16 House and Senate bills, 14 of which were passed into law.[18]

2009 legislative session

Following the legislative session, Schwartz was appointed to a seat on the legislature's Capital Development Committee, replacing term-limited Sen. Sue Windels.[19] For the 2009 session of the Colorado General Assembly, she was named chair of the Senate Local Government and Energy Committee[20] and a member of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.[21]

Schwartz voted yes for Senate Bill 170 would have allowed students who are in the country illegally and who have graduated from Colorado high schools to pay in-state tuition plus the cost of a state stipend that other Colorado students receive. The bill was rejected.

In November 2008, Schwartz was named chair of a special legislative Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth, tasked with developing recommendations on bolstering Colorado's economy before the 2009 legislative session.[22][23] The committee developed some 30 proposals, ranging from public works projects to tax incentives, designed to spur job creation in Colorado, for consideration during the 2009 legislative session.[24]

Schwartz was one of a handful of Colorado legislators who attended the January 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama in person.[25]

2016 Congressional candidacy

Schwartz unsuccessfully sought to represent Colorado's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.[26] The Cook Political Report described Schwartz as the "top potential" recruit for Democrats for the race, citing Schwartz's previous successful campaigns in tough elections.[26] Schwartz won the Democratic primary for the seat, but lost to Republican incumbent Scott Tipton in the general election.[8]

References
  1. "About Gail". Archived from the original on January 5, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "State Senate District 5". COMaps. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
  3. McAvoy, Tom (June 3, 2000). "Dennises selected delegates to the Republican Convention". Pueblo Chieftain. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  4. Nadzam, Bonnie (October 22, 2000). "Aspen resident stresses higher education while campaigning for CU seat". Steamboat Pilot & Today. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  5. Poppen, Julie (November 8, 2000). "Democrat looks like winner in CU Regent race". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved September 26, 2023 – via Gale.
  6. Dodge, Jefferson (November 30, 2000). "Regent: Add sexual orientation to policy". Silver & Gold Record. Archived from the original on September 22, 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  7. "Senator Schwartz". Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
  8. Essex, Randy (June 28, 2016). "Tipton coasts to primary victory; will face Schwartz". The Aspen Times. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  9. Coffman, Mike. "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2005 Coordinated 2006 Primary 2006 General" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  10. Gessler, Scott. "2010 abstract of votes cast" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  11. "Official Results November 8, 2016 General Election". Colorado Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  12. "Senate Committees of Reference". Colorado General Assembly. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  13. "Allocation of Severance Tax and Federal Mineral Lease Revenues". Colorado Legislative Council. Archived from the original on December 26, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  14. "Water Resources Review Committee". Colorado Legislative Council. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  15. "Senate Committees of Reference". Colorado General Assembly. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  16. Weiser, Phil (April 11, 2008). "SPEAKOUT: Broadband for all". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on April 17, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
  17. Staff Reports (April 30, 2008). "Schwartz/Curry push mining reform bill". Crested Butte News. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2008.
  18. Saccone, Mike (June 14, 2008). "Lawmakers largely successful with bills". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Retrieved June 19, 2008 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. Ashby, Charles (June 14, 2008). "Area adds muscle on state construction committee". Pueblo Chieftain. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  20. Mook, Bob (November 18, 2008). "Rice to chair House business committee". Denver Business Journal. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  21. Jensen, Erika (November 13, 2008). "Senate Democrats Announce Committee Assignments". The Cherry Creek News. Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  22. "Legislative Leaders Convene Committee On Job Creation & Economic Growth" (Press release). Colorado House Democrats. November 20, 2008. Archived from the original on May 11, 2010.
  23. Ingold, John (November 24, 2008). "JStatehouse jobs panel convenes, given sobering outlook". Denver Post. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
  24. Ingold, John (January 27, 2009). "Panel considers 30 bills to boost state's budget". Denver Post. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  25. Saccone, Mike (January 21, 2009). "The Inauguration: Historic moment inspires Colorado political leaders". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. p. 5. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  26. Matthews, Mark (April 8, 2016). "Gail Schwartz looks to unseat Scott Tipton". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
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