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Diane Mitsch Bush
Diane Mitsch Bush (Democratic Party) was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, representing District 26.
Bush (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Colorado's 3rd Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Bush was a 2018 Democratic candidate for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District. She lost the general election on November 6, 2018.
Biography
Bush earned her B.A. in sociology from the University of Minnesota in 1975 and her Ph.D. in sociology and social policy from the University of Minnesota in 1979.[1] Her professional experience includes working as a research assistant for the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota, working as a small business proprietor in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and working as an assistant professor of sociology and social science at various universities.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Colorado's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020
Colorado's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Democratic primary)
Colorado's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Colorado District 3
Lauren Boebert defeated Diane Mitsch Bush, John Keil, and Critter Milton in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 3 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lauren Boebert (R) | 51.4 | 220,634 |
 | Diane Mitsch Bush (D) | 45.2 | 194,122 | |
| John Keil (L) | 2.4 | 10,298 | ||
 | Critter Milton (Unity Party) | 1.0 | 4,265 | |
| Total votes: 429,319 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robert Moser (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 3
Diane Mitsch Bush defeated James Iacino in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 3 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Diane Mitsch Bush | 61.3 | 65,377 |
 | James Iacino | 38.7 | 41,200 | |
| Total votes: 106,577 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Root Routledge (D)
- Donald Valdez (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 3
Lauren Boebert defeated incumbent Scott Tipton in the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 3 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lauren Boebert | 54.6 | 58,678 |
 | Scott Tipton | 45.4 | 48,805 | |
| Total votes: 107,483 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Colorado District 3
John Keil advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Colorado District 3 on April 13, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | John Keil (L) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Unity Party convention
Unity Party convention for U.S. House Colorado District 3
Critter Milton advanced from the Unity Party convention for U.S. House Colorado District 3 on April 4, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Critter Milton (Unity Party) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Colorado District 3
Incumbent Scott Tipton defeated Diane Mitsch Bush, Mary Malarsie, and Gaylon Kent in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 3 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Tipton (R) | 51.5 | 173,205 |
| Diane Mitsch Bush (D) | 43.6 | 146,426 | |
| Mary Malarsie (Independent) | 3.2 | 10,831 | ||
 | Gaylon Kent (L) | 1.7 | 5,727 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 12 | ||
| Total votes: 336,201 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Allen Tompkins (Unaffiliated)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 3
Diane Mitsch Bush defeated Karl Hanlon and Arn Menconi in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 3 on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Diane Mitsch Bush | 64.1 | 44,809 |
 | Karl Hanlon | 27.7 | 19,368 | |
 | Arn Menconi | 8.2 | 5,754 | |
| Total votes: 69,931 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 3
Incumbent Scott Tipton advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 3 on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Tipton |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Colorado House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 28, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 4, 2016.
Incumbent Diane Mitsch Bush defeated Michael Cacioppo in the Colorado House of Representatives District 26 general election.[2][3]
| Colorado House of Representatives, District 26 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Diane Mitsch Bush Incumbent |
60.75% | 22,442 | |
| Republican | Michael Cacioppo | 39.25% | 14,498 | |
| Total Votes | 36,940 | |||
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State | ||||
Incumbent Diane Mitsch Bush ran unopposed in the Colorado House of Representatives District 26 Democratic primary.[4][5]
| Colorado House of Representatives, District 26 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Diane Mitsch Bush Incumbent (unopposed) | |
Michael Cacioppo ran unopposed in the Colorado House of Representatives District 26 Republican primary.[4][5]
| Colorado House of Representatives, District 26 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Michael Cacioppo (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Colorado House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 24, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 31, 2014. Incumbent Diane Mitsch Bush was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Charles McConnell defeated David Moloney in the Republican primary. Bush defeated McConnell and Thom Haupt (L) in the general election.[6][7][8][9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Diane Mitsch Bush Incumbent |
53.5% | 14,281 | |
| Republican | Charles McConnell | 42.5% | 11,331 | |
| Libertarian | Thom Haupt | 4% | 1,060 | |
| Total Votes | 26,672 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Charles McConnell |
59.8% | 1,962 |
| David Moloney | 40.2% | 1,318 |
| Total Votes | 3,280 | |
2012
Mitsch Bush won election in the 2012 election for Colorado House of Representatives District 26. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on June 26, 2012. She defeated Charles McConnell (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[10]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Diane E. Mitsch Bush |
55.8% | 18,470 | |
| Republican | Chuck McConnell | 44.2% | 14,637 | |
| Total Votes | 33,107 | |||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Diane Mitsch Bush did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Diane Mitsch Bush participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on August 19, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Diane Mitsch Bush's responses follow below.[11]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | We need an economy that works for everyone, not just the top 1%. Working, middle class, and low income Americans have been forgotten and the system no longer works for them. We need to incentivize small business expansion, invest in 21st Century infrastructure, raise the minimum wage, and support collective bargaining. We need to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, high quality healthcare. Healthcare is a right and we need to work towards single-payer, universal healthcare. But until we get there we need to support and fully fund CHIP, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and our rural health clinics. And in Colorado, the environment is our heart and our soul but it is also the foundation of our economy. We need to make sure we bring back evidence-based protections for our environment, protect our public lands, our air, water, and wildlife, and we need to invest in renewable energy.[12][13] | ” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | I've always had a special place in my heart for environmental policy. In high school, two books shaped what would become my life-long passion for public service: Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and Michael Harrington’s Other America. Carson’s book is often credited with kindling the 1970’s environmental movement by showing us how pollution disrupted the intricate web of our ecosystems, and both books spurred my love of the environment. I moved to Steamboat Springs in 1976, intending to ski for only a year while I finished up my PhD. Famously, the 1976-1977 ski season was a hundred-year drought in Colorado, which quickly immersed me in western water issues. I saw that our free-flowing Western Slope rivers are critical for our economy, our environment, and our communities. I have worked to protect our water and environment ever since.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[13]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Diane Mitsch Bush answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow and why?
| “ | Paul Wellstone, former Senator from Minnesota, has always been a guiding light for my public service. He was a leader of the progressive movement and he truly cared about improving the lives of all people. I still sometimes refer to his famous quote, "We all do better when we all do better" when I talk to people about my vision for Colorado and this country.[13] | ” |
| “ | People often forget that elected officials are employees of citizens. I'm running to be your employee, to listen to your needs and your concerns, to solve your problems, to champion your causes, and to work for you. This is a job interview, a long one at that, but one of the most important parts of this job is being able to listen to people so you can truly address their concern. Too many politicians have forgotten that they're elected officials and serve their constituents, not the other way around.[13] | ” |
| “ | I care about data, evidence, and science when creating policy. That is the only foundation we should be building policy from; we should never create policy from ideology and that's one of the biggest problems with people currently in Congress. I'm a statistician by trade and a former professor of Sociology, so I always tell people, "show me the data and I'll tell you what the data says". The only way to create long-term, effective policy for all of your constituents is to rely on data and evidence.[13] | ” |
| “ | Representatives in the U.S. House come from such a variety of Districts and represent interests all across the scale, it's exceptionally rich in experience and policy positions. I've always seen that the creation of policy that starts with gathering a wide variety of stakeholders produces the best and most effective policy. It makes sure to cover everyone's concern. Many people see the the existence of so many viewpoints and interests in the US House as a hindrance, but I see it as the richest foundation to create effective policy that benefits everyone. We only need people in Congress willing to listen to their colleagues and truly hear them out, and that's what I'm looking to bring.[13] | ” |
| “ | One of the problems that we face in Congress doesn't have to do with term length, it has to do with the length of time dedicated to campaigning. Two years is a solid amount of time to begin to make significant progress, but that two years is cut short if you have to dedicate much of your term to fundraising and campaigning. What we need is true campaign reform.[13] | ” |
| “ | I decided to run for Congress when the current incumbent, Representative Scott Tipton, voted for this current Administration's American Healthcare Act. He justified his vote by saying that constituents' premiums and deductibles will go down. That was flat wrong. Healthcare is so critical, and a Representative that either doesn't read a bill or grossly misrepresents what's in a bill shouldn't be a public servant in Congress. While traveling the District, I met a couple with one child. He was a construction site manager and she was a nurse. Both of these are well paying jobs and they told me that they simply couldn't afford their child's health insurance premiums without CHIP. These healthcare programs are critical for our young working families and we need a Representative that is committed to their health, their economic security, and their future.[13] | ” |
2016
Mitsch Bush's campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
Expand Economic and Educational Opportunity
Protect our Environment
Improve our infrastructure
|
” |
| —Diane Mitsch Bush[14] | ||
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources, Vice chair |
| • Transportation and Energy, Chair |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Mitsch Bush served on the following committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources |
| • Health, Insurance and Environment |
| • Transportation and Energy, Vice chair |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Mitsch Bush served on the following committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources |
| • Transportation and Energy |
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.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
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 Colorado scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2017
In 2017, the 71st Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 11 through May 10. There was also a special session from October 2-3.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills the ACLU of Colorado "felt were the best representations of the civil liberties issues facing Colorado today."
- Legislators are scored on their votes related to senior issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to fiscal policy.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental conservation.
- Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to reproductive health issues.
- Legislators are scored based on their votes on LGBT issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to "core principles of liberty," which the organization defines as "Free People," "Free Markets," and "Good Government."
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on women's issues.
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the second session of the 70th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 13 through May 11.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the first session of the 70th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 7 through May 6.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 69th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 8 to May 7.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the 69th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 9 to May 9.
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See also
2020 Elections
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Campaign website
- Colorado General Assembly - Diane Mitsch Bush
- Profile from Open States
- Facebook page
- Campaign contributions via OpenSecrets
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 dianeforcolorado.com, "About Diane," accessed October 18, 2012
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "General election candidates," accessed August 16, 2016
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2016 General Election results," accessed December 14, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Election Candidate List," accessed May 3, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "June 28, 2016 Primary Election," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed June 25, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official general election candidate list," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Primary election results," accessed April 14, 2014
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Diane Mitsch Bush's responses," August 19, 2018
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Diane Mitsch Bush, "Issues," accessed October 6, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Andrew Kerr (D) |
Colorado House of Representatives District 26 2013–2017 |
Succeeded by Dylan Roberts |
