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Mike Coffman
| Mike Coffman | ||
| U.S. House, Colorado, District 6 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2009-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 4 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Predecessor | Tom Tancredo (R) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | November 4, 2008 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $5,813,461 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Prior offices | ||
| Treasurer, State of Colorado | ||
| 1998-2006 | ||
| Colorado State Senate | ||
| 1994-1998 | ||
| Colorado House of Representatives | ||
| 1988-1994 | ||
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of Colorado, 1979 | |
| Military service | ||
| Service/branch | United States Army | |
| Years of service | 1972-1974 | |
| Service branch | United States Marine Corps | |
| Years of service | 1979-1983, 1990-1994, 2005-2006 | |
| Personal | ||
| Place of birth | Fort Leonard Wood, MO | |
| Net worth | $750,003 | |
| Religion | Methodist | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Coffman was re-elected in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Colorado's 6th District.[1]
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Coffman is a "far-right Republican".[2]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Coffman's academic, professional and political career:[3]
- 1979: Graduated from University of Colorado, Boulder with B.A.
- 1972-1974: United States Army
- 1975-1978: United States Army Reserve
- 1979-1982: United States Marine Corps
- 1983-1994, 2005-2006: United States Marine Corps Reserve
- 1989-1994: Colorado House of Representatives
- 1994-1998: Colorado State Senate
- 1997-2007: Colorado state treasurer
- 2007-2008: Colorado Secretary of State
- 2009-Present: U.S Representative from Colorado
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Coffman serves on the following committees:[4]
- Armed Services Committee
- Subcommittee on Seapower & Projection Forces
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
- Small Business Committee
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
- Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology
- United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations - Chair
2011-2012
- Armed Services Committee
- Subcommittee on Military Personnel
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
- Natural Resources Committee
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
- Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
- Small Business Committee
- Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
- Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations, Chair
Issues
Presidential preference
2012
Mike Coffman endorsed Rick Perry in the 2012 presidential election. [5]
Redistricting
Under a new state congressional map approved in 2011, Coffman's 6th District became much more competitive. Under the old map the district had a Republican edge, while the new map is nearly even in Republican and Democratic voter registration numbers.[6]
According to the Washington Post, redistricting has transformed the 6th district from a safe seat into a swing district. While the 6th formerly went safely for Coffman, the newly drawn district will be a battleground for Republicans and Democrats fighting for control of the House.[7]
Campaign themes
2012
Coffman's campaign website lists the following issues:[8]
- Jobs and the Economy
- Excerpt: "The last four years have taught us what Coloradoans have known for a long time—more taxes, more government spending, and more regulations do not create jobs. It’s time we move away from these failed economic policies, and instead, move forward on a responsible course to give American businesses the certainty they need to create jobs and help get our economy back on track."
- Federal Debt and Spending
- Excerpt: "The greatest threat to our national security is our growing debt brought about by decades of out-of-control spending by both parties in Washington, D.C. Congress needs to pass a balanced budget amendment to the constitution and refer it to the states for ratification in order to strip the power away from Washington, D.C. politicians to continually spend money that we don’t have."
- Reforming Congress
- Excerpt: "The culture of Washington D.C. must change and to that Congress must repeal the system of automatic pay raises, abolish Congressional pensions, and pass a constitutional amendment, to be referred to the states, for mandatory term limits for every Member of Congress."
- Healthcare
- Excerpt: "Health insurance is far too expensive but mandated health insurance is not the answer."
- National Security
- Excerpt: "A key responsibility of the federal government is to defend our nation. Keeping the peace by maintaining a strong military is essential to deterring those who would wish to attack the United States. While funding for our military is always essential, we must work harder to cut wasteful defense spending."
Specific votes
Fiscal Cliff
Coffman voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.[9]
Elections
2014
Coffman is a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program. The program is designed to assist vulnerable Republican incumbents heading into the 2014 election.[10]
2012
Coffman won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Colorado's 6th District. He ran unopposed in the June 26, 2012, Republican primary. He defeated Joe Miklosi (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[11][12]
| U.S. House, Colorado, District 6 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat | Joe Miklosi | 45.8% | 156,930 | |
| Republican | 47.8% | 163,922 | ||
| Libertarian | Patrick Provost | 2.5% | 8,597 | |
| Independent | Kathy Polhemus | 3.9% | 13,442 | |
| Total Votes | 342,891 | |||
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Mike Coffman, click [show] to expand the section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Coffman is available dating back to 2008. Based on available campaign finance records, Coffman raised a total of $5,813,461 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 22, 2013.[15]
| Mike Coffman's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | US House (Colorado, District 6) | $3,441,282 | ||
| 2010 | US House (Colorado, District 6) | $904,466 | ||
| 2008 | US House (Colorado, District 6) | $1,467,713 | ||
| Grand Total Raised | $5,813,461 | |||
2012
Coffman won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Coffman's campaign committee raised a total of $3,441,282 and spent $3,838,136.[16]
| U.S. House, Colorado District 6, 2012 - Mike Coffman Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $3,441,282 |
| Total Spent | $3,838,136 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $1,709,751 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $1,694,977 |
| Top contributors to Mike Coffman's campaign committee | |
| Bartlit, Beck et al | $31,400 |
| Liberty Media | $21,500 |
| DISH Network | $19,804 |
| Brownstein, Hyatt et al | $16,500 |
| First Bank | $16,150 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Retired | $264,870 |
| Leadership PACs | $254,341 |
| Oil & Gas | $175,450 |
| Real Estate | $139,075 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $96,228 |
2010
Coffman won re-election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Coffman's campaign committee raised a total of $904,466 and spent $576,556.[17]
His top 5 contributors between 2009-2010 were:
| U.S. House, Colorado District 6, 2010 - Mike Coffman Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $904,466 |
| Total Spent | $576,556 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $152,157 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $151,280 |
| Top contributors to Mike Coffman's campaign committee | |
| Every Republican is Crucial PAC | $15,000 |
| Honeywell International | $15,000 |
| Heinle & Assoc | $14,400 |
| Bartlit, Beck et al | $13,500 |
| CH2M HILL | $12,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Retired | $61,103 |
| Oil & Gas | $53,550 |
| Real Estate | $41,033 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $31,700 |
| Defense Aerospace | $30,500 |
Analysis
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Coffman paid his congressional staff a total of $967,311 in 2011. He ranked 22nd on the list of the highest paid Republican Representative Staff Salaries and he ranked 226th overall of the lowest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Colorado ranked 14th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[18]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Coffman's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $450,006 and $1,050,000. That averages to $750,003, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232. His average net worth decreased by 30.23% from 2010.[19]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Coffman's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $400,007 and $1,749,998. That averages to $1,075,002.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2010 of $7,561,133.[20]
National Journal vote ratings
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
2012
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Coffman ranked 82nd in the conservative rankings in 2012.[21]
2011
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Coffman ranked 53rd in the conservative rankings.[22]
Political positions
Percentage voting with party
November 2011
The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Mike Coffman voted with the Republican Party 90.8% of the time, which ranked 173 among the 242 House Republican members in 2011.[23]
Personal
Coffman has a wife, Cynthia.
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Mike + Coffman + Colorado + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Mike Coffman News Feed
- Rep. Mike Coffman's veterans to work bill overwhelmingly passes full House - Denver Post (blog)
- Enlistment Opportunity Act serves military needs - Politico
- About The Spot - Denver Post (blog)
- House campaign committees further gear up for 2014 - NBCNews.com (blog)
- Colorado GOP expecting a crowded field of possible challengers to Hickenlooper - kdvr.com
- House GOP program to shore up shaky - Politico
- GOP Attacks Democrat on Immigration, Despite Having Coffman as Their ... - Huffington Post
- House bill introduced to require VA reporting of Legionnaires' and other ... - Tribune-Review
- GOP giving Dem House candidates early taste of 2014 attacks - CBS News
- House Democrats aim to give 2014 recruits a head start - Washington Post (blog)
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External links
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ Politico "2012 House Race Results"
- ↑ Gov Track "Coffman" Accessed May 23, 2012
- ↑ Biographical Director of the United States Congress "Michael Coffman," Accessed November 1, 2011
- ↑ CQ.com, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress"
- ↑ The Hill, "2012 GOP Lawmaker Endorsements for President," retrieved November 22, 2011
- ↑ Denver Post, "Dems' victory in redistricting battle means more competitive congressional races in Colorado," December 6, 2011
- ↑ Washington Post blog "The 10 House districts that might surprise you," May 11, 2012
- ↑ Campaign website, Issues
- ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "11 House Republicans named to incumbent-protection program," April 22, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, - 2012 Primary Candidate List
- ↑ Associated Press - Unofficial election results
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Mike Coffman," Accessed March 22, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Mike Coffman 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 19, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Mike Coffman 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed November 1, 2011
- ↑ LegiStorm "Mike Coffman"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Coffman, (R-Colorado), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Coffman, (R-Colorado), 2010"
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tom Tancredo |
U.S. House - Colorado District 6 2009-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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