Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Michael McLachlan (Colorado)
Michael "Mike" McLachlan is a former Democratic member of the Colorado House of Representatives, representing District 59 from 2013 to 2015.
McLachlan passed away on June 23, 2021, after a battle with a long-term illness.[1]
Biography
McLachlan earned his B.S. from Southern Colorado State University and his J.D. from the University of Arizona in 1973. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1965 to 1967.[2]
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, McLachlan served on the following committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources |
| • Judiciary |
Campaign themes
2014
McLachlan's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[3]
Jobs and the Economy
- Excerpt: "During Mike’s time in office, he has worked tirelessly to level the playing field for our State’s middle class and help us continue our recovery from the great recession."
Education
- Excerpt: "As the only state legislator with two Colorado Universities in his district, Mike fought for funding for Western State University and Fort Lewis College for capital projects, and he co-sponsored a bill that capped tuition increases at state colleges and universities at 6%."
Healthcare
- Excerpt: "Mike is dedicated to helping the State of Colorado find a solution to rising health care costs and providing health care to children who need it."
Environment
- Excerpt: "Mike is committed to protecting our air and water. He has been actively involved in protecting the water rights of the Western Slope and protecting our rivers."
Women's Issues
- Excerpt: "Mike supports women’s right to choose, and he supports women’s right to affordable contraceptives and health screenings. Mike is also in support of ensuring that women receive equal pay for equal work."
Elections
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 Michael McLachlan was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while J. Paul Brown was unopposed in the Republican primary. Brown defeated McLachlan in the general election.[4][5][6][7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  J. Paul Brown |
50.2% | 17,280 | |
| Democratic | Michael McLachlan Incumbent | 49.8% | 17,110 | |
| Total Votes | 34,390 | |||
2012
McLachlan won election in the 2012 election for Colorado House of Representatives District 59. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on June 26, 2012. He defeated incumbent J. Paul Brown (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike McLachlan |
51.1% | 21,632 | |
| Republican | J. Paul Brown Incumbent | 48.9% | 20,715 | |
| Total Votes | 42,347 | |||
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.
2014
In 2014, the 69th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 8 to May 7.
- 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 protection issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental conservation.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to reproductive health 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.
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the 69th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 9 to May 9.
|
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
McLachlan and his wife, Barbara, have two children.[2]
Noteworthy events
Recall efforts
Following McLachlan's votes in favor of several pieces of gun control legislation, the conservative group Colorado Accountability filed recall paperwork with the Colorado Secretary of State on March 5, 2013. Supporters of the recall needed to collect 10,586 valid signatures by May 7 to force a recall election, but did not submit any signatures by the deadline.[9][10]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Michael + McLachlan + Colorado + House"
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
- Colorado House of Representatives
- Colorado House Committees
- Colorado House of Representatives District 59
- Colorado State Legislature
External links
- Official campaign website
- Profile from Open States
- Michael McLachlan on Facebook
- Michael McLachlan on Twitter
- Campaign Contributions: 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ The Durango Herald, "Michael McLachlan Obituary," accessed June 28, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 mclachlanforcolorado.com, "About Mike," accessed October 6, 2014
- ↑ mclachlanforcolorado.com, "Issues," accessed October 6, 2014
- ↑ 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
- ↑ durangoherald.com, "Recall effort begins," accessed March 5, 2013
- ↑ kdvr.com, "First recall effort fails against Democratic state Rep. Mike McLachlan," May 21, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by J. Paul Brown (R) |
Colorado House of Representatives District 59 2013–2015 |
Succeeded by J. Paul Brown (R) |
