Michael L. Strang
Michael Lathrop "Mike" Strang (June 17, 1929 – January 12, 2014) was an American politician who was a one-term Republican U.S. Representative from Colorado from 1985 to 1987.
Michael L. Strang | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 3rd district | |
| In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Ray Kogovsek |
| Succeeded by | Ben Nighthorse Campbell |
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives | |
| In office 1971–1975 | |
| Preceded by | John D. Vanderhoof |
| Succeeded by | Nancy E. Dick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 17, 1929 New Hope, Pennsylvania |
| Died | January 12, 2014 (aged 84) Carbondale, Colorado |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kathleen "Kit" Sherry |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Princeton University (A.B.) |
| Occupation | investment banker, rancher |
Early life
Born in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Strang was the grandson of landscape painter William Langson Lathrop. His family moved to Colorado in 1932, where he was raised and homeschooled at their ranch near Golden.[1][2]
Korean War
He served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army from 1950 to 1953.
Education
Strang graduated with an A.B. in history from Princeton University in 1956 after completing a senior thesis titled "Law, Politics and Religion: The Mercury View."[3] He then did graduate work at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
Career
He was a rancher and investment banker from 1957 to 1985.[4]
Strang served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1970 to 1974, where he notably introduced legislation to legalize and regulate the sale and consumption of marijuana.[1][5]
Congress
In 1984, he was elected as a Republican to the Ninety-ninth Congress, defeating W Mitchell. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1986, losing to Ben Nighthorse Campbell.
Later career and death
He resumed horse and cattle ranching and worked as a consultant on natural resources and taxes. He was a resident of Carbondale, Colorado until his death there on January 12, 2014.[1][4]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael L. Strang | 122,669 | 57% | |||
| Democratic | W. Mitchell | 90,963 | 42% | |||
| Libertarian | Robert Jahelka | 1,358 | 0.5% | |||
| Independent | Henry John Olshaw | 880 | 0.5% | |||
| Total votes | 215,870 | 100% | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Nighthorse Campbell | 95,353 | 52% | |||
| Republican | Michael L. Strang (Incumbent) | 88,508 | 48% | |||
| Total votes | 183,861 | 100% | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
References
- The Associated Press (14 January 2014). "Former Colorado congressman Mike Strang dies". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
- "Michael L. Strang '51". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
- Strang, Michael Lathrop (1956). "Law, Politics and Religion: The Mercury View".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - United States Congress. "Michael L. Strang (id: S000991)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- "Michael L. Strang 1929 - 2014" (PDF). Pony Club. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
- "1984 Election Results" (PDF).
- "1986 Election Results" (PDF).
Further reading
- United States Congress. "Michael L. Strang (id: S000991)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
