Jerry Sonnenberg

Jerry Sonnenberg (born May 1958) is an American farmer and politician who serves on the Logan County commission. He served in the Colorado Senate from the 1st district as a member of the Republican Party. During his tenure in the state senate he served as the President pro tempore. Prior to his tenure in the state senate he served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 65th district.

Jerry Sonnenberg
Member of the Logan County Commission
Assumed office
January 10, 2023
Preceded byJane Bauder
President pro tempore of the Colorado Senate
In office
January 11, 2017 – January 4, 2019
Preceded byEllen Roberts
Succeeded byLois Court
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 1st district
In office
January 7, 2015 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byGreg Brophy
Succeeded byByron Pelton
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 65th district
In office
January 10, 2007 – November 4, 2014
Preceded byDiane Hoppe
Succeeded byJon Becker
Personal details
Born1958 (age 64–65)
Sterling, Colorado, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseVonnie Constance
Children4
EducationNortheastern Junior College

Sonnenberg was born in Sterling, Colorado, and was educated at Sterling High School and Northeastern Junior College. He started farming in 1979, worked as a cattle rancher, and served on the board of the Colorado Farm Bureau. He managed one of Representative Don Ament's campaigns and served as a precinct chair in Logan County, Colorado. He was elected to the state house in the 2006 election and served until he was elected to the state senate in the 2014 election.

Early life and education

Jerry Sonnenberg was born in Sterling, Colorado, and graduated from Sterling High School and Northeastern Junior College.[1][2][3] He started farming his family's 7,000 acre farm in 1979, and worked as a cattle rancher, but had to sell his herd of sixty cattle due to a drought in 2002.[4][5] He married Vonnie Constance, with whom he had four children.[1][2]

He served on the board of the Colorado Farm Bureau and was later the only farmer in the Colorado House of Representatives.[6][7] He managed one of Representative Don Ament's campaigns.[8] He served as a precinct chair for the Republican Party in Logan County, Colorado.[5]

Career

State legislature

Sonnenberg won the Republican nomination and was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives from the 65th district without opposition in the 2006 election.[9] He won reelection in the 2008 election against Dan Conn's write-in candidacy.[10] He faced no opposition in the 2010 and 2012 elections.[11][12][13] Sonnenberg and Jon Becker were redistricted into the same district for the 2012 election, but Becker chose to not seek reelection.[14] He defeated American Constitution Party nominee Doug Aden for a seat in the Colorado Senate from the 1st district.[15][16] He defeated Democratic nominee Debra Gustafson in the 2018 election.[17][18]

During his tenure in the state house he served on the Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources committee.[19] Sonnenberg served as the vice-chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs committee and as the chair of the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy committee in the state senate.[20][21][22] On November 10, 2016, he was selected to serve as the President pro tempore of the Senate.[23]

Sonnenberg supported Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election.[24]

Local politics

Jane Bauder, a member of the Logan County commission from the 3rd district, declined to run for reelection. Sonnenberg won in the 2022 election.[25][26]

Political positions

Sonnenberg supported Initiative 31 in the 2022 election which would reduce the income tax rate from 4.63% to 4.55%.[27] He opposed repealing the death penalty stating that "I believe that the Bible tells me the direction that I need to go, and why the death penalty is important to society."[28] He voted against allowing civil unions for same-sex couples.[29] He received a F rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.[30] His scores from the American Civil Liberties Union ranged from 44% in 2013, 28.6% in 2014, 60% in 2015, 33.3% in 2016, 66.6% in 2017, 20% in 2018, and 0% in 2019.[31]

Electoral history
2006 Colorado House of Representatives 65th district Republican primary[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg 5,085 100.00%
Total votes 5,085 100.00%
2006 Colorado House of Representatives 65th district election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg 19,245 100.00%
Total votes 19,245 100.00%
2008 Colorado House of Representatives 65th district Republican primary[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg (incumbent) 4,697 100.00%
Total votes 4,697 100.00%
2008 Colorado House of Representatives 65th district election[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg (incumbent) 25,685 98.56%
Write-In Dan Conn 375 1.44%
Total votes 26,060 100.00%
2010 Colorado House of Representatives 65th district Republican primary[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg (incumbent) 7,872 100.00%
Total votes 7,872 100.00%
2010 Colorado House of Representatives 65th district election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg (incumbent) 21,951 100.00%
Total votes 21,951 100.00%
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 65th district Republican primary[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg (incumbent) 7,252 100.00%
Total votes 7,252 100.00%
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 65th district election[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg (incumbent) 26,545 100.00%
Total votes 26,545 100.00%
2014 Colorado Senate 1st district Republican primary[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg 17,965 100.00%
Total votes 17,965 100.00%
2014 Colorado Senate 1st district election[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg 45,689 85.30%
Constitution Doug Aden 7,876 14.70%
Total votes 53,565 100.00%
2018 Colorado Senate 1st district Republican primary[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg (incumbent) 23,879 100.00%
Total votes 23,879 100.00%
2018 Colorado Senate 1st district election[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg 52,311 79.01%
Democratic Debra Gustafson 13,894 20.99%
Total votes 66,205 100.00%
2022 Logan County Commission 3rd district Republican primary[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jerry Sonnenberg 3,475 100.00%
Total votes 3,475 100.00%

References
  1. "Senator Jerry Sonnenberg". Colorado Senate Republicans. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021.
  2. "Jerry Sonnenberg Colorado State Representative, District 65". Colorado General Assembly. Archived from the original on January 12, 2010.
  3. "Jerry Sonnenberg's Biography". Vote Smart. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  4. "Voters to decide on water projects". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. June 6, 2003. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Q&A with Jerry Sonnenberg Speaking up for rural Colorado". Colorado Politics. January 6, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  6. "Rally: Public-private partnerships would finance the projects". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. October 14, 2003. p. 5. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Rural lawmakers struggle to make themselves heard". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. March 11, 2014. p. 5. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Don Ament searches for ag chief and finds himself". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. January 3, 1999. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2006 Primary 2006 General" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 28, 2021.
  10. "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2008 Primary 2008 General" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 18, 2022.
  11. "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2010 Primary 2010 General" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2021.
  12. "2012 Primary Election Results - Republican Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  13. "2012 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  14. "Colorado state Rep. Jon Becker announces he won't seek re-election". Colorado Politics. February 5, 2018. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  15. "2014 Primary Election Results - Republican Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022.
  16. "2014 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  17. "2018 Primary Election Results - Republican Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  18. "2018 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  19. "Plan to take water from agriculture will do irreparable harm to Colorado". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. August 3, 2014. p. 13. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Rolling-coal bill stalls in state Senate". Fort Collins Coloradoan. March 9, 2017. p. A9. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Senate panel delays vote on rain-barrel bill". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. April 17, 2015. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Colorado Senate Republicans announce committee chairs". The Denver Post. November 18, 2014. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  23. "Western Slope lawmakers get leadership posts". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. November 11, 2016. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. "Less than half of the Colorado's GOP lawmakers have signed a letter supporting Donald Trump". The Denver Post. October 13, 2016. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  25. "New commissioners among Logan County Officials sworn in Tuesday". Journal-Advocate. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023.
  26. "Logan County Commissioner - District 3 - Republican Party". Logan County, Colorado. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023.
  27. "Colorado voters to decide on whether to cut income taxes on the 2022 ballot". The Denver Post. November 18, 2021. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  28. "Senate on verge of advancing Colorado death penalty repeal". Colorado Politics. January 30, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  29. "House Democrats still hoping to find a Republican sponsor for civil unions bill". Colorado Politics. April 14, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  30. "Jerry Sonnenberg". NARAL Pro-Choice America. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021.
  31. "2013 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2013. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.;
    "2014 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2014. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.;
    "2015 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2015. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.;
    "2016 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.;
    "2017 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2017. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.;
    "2018 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.;
    "2019 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2019. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
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