Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Charles Colgan
Charles J. Colgan (September 25, 1926 - January 3, 2017) was a Democratic member of the Virginia State Senate, representing District 29 from 1975 to 2016. He has served as President Pro Tempore.
Colgan did not seek re-election to the Virginia State Senate in 2015.[1]
Colgan passed away on January 3, 2017, about one year after his retirement. He was 90 years old.
Biography
Colgan served in the U.S. Army Air Corp. and the Air Force.
Committee assignments
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Colgan served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • Finance, Co-Chair |
| • General Laws and Technology |
| • Rules |
| • Transportation |
2014 legislative session
In the 2014 legislative session, Colgan served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2014 |
|---|
| • Finance, Co-Chair |
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • General Laws and Technology |
| • Transportation |
| • Senate Rules |
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Colgan served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2012 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • Finance |
| • General Laws and Technology |
| • Senate Rules |
| • Transportation |
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Colgan served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2010 |
|---|
| • Finance, Chair |
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • General Laws and Technology |
| • Senate Rules |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2011
- See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2011
On November 8, 2011, Colgan won re-election to District 29 of the Virginia State Senate. He was unchallenged in the August 23 primary and ran unopposed in the November 8 general election.[2]
| Virginia State Senate, District 29 General Election, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Charles Colgan Incumbent |
55.1% | 13,365 | |
| Republican | Tom Gordy | 44.9% | 10,875 | |
| Total Votes | 24,240 | |||
2007
- See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2007
On Nov. 6, 2007, Colgan won re-election to the 29th District Seat in the Virginia State Senate, defeating opponent Robert Fitzsimmonds (R).[3]
Colgan raised $542,152 for his campaign while Fitzsimmonds raised $473,577.[4]
| Virginia State Senate, District 29 (2007) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Charles Colgan (D)
|
21,010 | 54.10% | ||
| Robert Fitzsimmonds (R) | 17,766 | 45.75% | ||
Campaign finance summary
Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2015
In 2015, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 14 to February 28, 2015.
- NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2014-2015 Legislative Voting Record
- Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business-Virginia: 2014-2015 voting record
- Legislators are scored based on their votes on small business issues.
- Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on business and quality of life issues.
- The American Conservative Union: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2014-2015 Report Card
- Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty."
- Virginia Chamber of Commerce: 2015 Legislative Report Card
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues during the 2014-2015 legislative session.
- Virginia Chapter Sierra Club: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy.
- Virginia Citizens Defense League: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment.
- Virginia Education Association: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
- Virginia Free: 2014/2015 Legislator Ratings
- Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues.
- Virginia League of Conservation Voters: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on 16 bills chosen by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 8 through March 10.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 9 to February 25.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the Virginia General Assembly was in regular session from January 11 to March 10.
|
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Colgan was born in Frostburg, Maryland, on September 25, 1926. Colgan is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Charles + Colgan + Virginia + Senate"
See also
- Virginia State Legislature
- Virginia State Senate
- Virginia Senate Committees
- Virginia state legislative districts
External links
- Profile from Open States
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Sen. Colgan on State Surge
- Campaign contributions:1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
- Charles Colgan on Facebook
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside NOVA, "Chuck Colgan, state’s longest serving senator, says he will retire," July 2, 2014
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 2011 General Election Official Results," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 6, 2007 General Election Official Results," accessed May 28, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2007 Campaign contributions," accessed May 28, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by NA |
Virginia Senate District 29 1976-2016 |
Succeeded by Jeremy McPike (D) |
