Joe Neguse | |
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Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee | |
Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
Preceded by | David Cicilline (chair) |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 2nd district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Jared Polis |
Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies | |
In office June 2015 – June 2017 | |
Governor | John Hickenlooper |
Preceded by | Barbara Kelley |
Succeeded by | Marguerite Salazar |
Personal details | |
Born | Bakersfield, California, U.S. | May 13, 1984
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Andrea Jimenez |
Children | 1 |
Education | University of Colorado Boulder (BA, JD) |
Website | House website |
Joseph D. Neguse (/nəˈɡuːs/ nə-GOOSE;[1][2] born May 13, 1984) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Colorado's 2nd congressional district since 2019. The district is based in Boulder and includes many of Denver's northwestern suburbs, as well as Fort Collins. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a Regent of the University of Colorado from 2008 to 2015.[3] Neguse is the first Eritrean-American elected to the United States Congress and Colorado's first black member of Congress.[4]
Neguse's parents immigrated to the United States from Eritrea. They met while living in Bakersfield, California, where they married and had Joe and his younger sister.[5] The family moved to Colorado when he was six years old. After living in Aurora, Littleton, and Highlands Ranch, the family settled in Boulder.[6] Neguse graduated from ThunderRidge High School,[5] the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor's degree in political science and economics in 2005, and the University of Colorado Law School with his Juris Doctor in 2009.[7]
While he was a student, Neguse founded New Era Colorado, an organization to get young people involved in politics. He worked at the Colorado State Capitol as an assistant to Andrew Romanoff when Romanoff was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. In 2008 Neguse was elected to the Regents of the University of Colorado, representing Colorado's 2nd congressional district.[8]
Neguse ran for Secretary of State of Colorado in 2014,[9][10][11] losing to Wayne W. Williams, 47.5% to 44.9%.[12] Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Neguse the executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) in June 2015.[13]
In 2017, Neguse resigned from DORA to run in the 2018 elections for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 2nd congressional district, seeking to succeed Jared Polis, who successfully ran for governor of Colorado.[14] He also joined the law firm Snell & Wilmer, working in administrative law.[15]
On June 13, 2017, Neguse announced he would run for the Democratic nomination after incumbent U.S. Representative Jared Polis announced he would not run for reelection and would run for governor of Colorado.[16][17] In the June 26, 2018, Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—Neguse faced businessman and former Boulder County Democratic Party chairman Mark Williams.[18] Neguse defeated Williams with 65.7% of the vote, winning all 10 counties in the district.[19][20]
Neguse then defeated the Republican nominee, businessman Peter Yu, in the November 6 general election, receiving 60.2% of the vote, and winning all but two counties.[21][22] Neguse became the first African-American to represent Colorado in the House.[23][24]
Neguse voted for the impeachment of Donald Trump in 2019.[25] In 2020, he was named the most bipartisan member of the Colorado congressional delegation by the Lugar Center.[26]
On January 12, 2021, Neguse voted to impeach Trump a second time, and was named as a House impeachment manager for the second impeachment trial.[27]
Neguse supports the Equality Act.[25]
Neguse supports the Voting Rights Act and co-sponsored the Emmett Till Antilynching Act.[25]
Neguse calls climate change an "existential threat." He has introduced legislation to create an expansion of the Civilian Conservation Corps to focus on forest management and wildfire mitigation.[26] Neguse opposed the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. He supports the Green New Deal.[29]
He supports the national legalization of cannabis.[29]
He supports efforts to increase fuel efficiency and federal incentives for renewable energy use.[29]
Neguse supports endangered wildlife protections, including sponsoring bills to support wildlife protections on the South Platte River. He also wants to expand the size of Arapaho National Forest.[25]
Neguse supports Medicare for All and a universal health care. He also supports mandatory coverage of preexisting conditions and opposes repealing the Affordable Care Act.[29]
He supports the national expansion of COVID-19 testing and voted in support of stimulus funding related to the pandemic. Neguse opposed the Trump administration's decision to leave the World Health Organization during the pandemic.[29]
Neguse supports national mail-in voting.[29] He also supports the Voting Rights Act and has introduced legislation to allow people aged 16 and 17 to preregister to vote.[25]
Neguse supports universal background checks and believes there are limitations to the Second Amendment.[29]
Neguse supports a pathway for citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the US and the DREAM Act.[29][25]
He opposes increased military spending.[29]
Neguse supports police reform.[29]
He opposes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[29]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Joe Neguse | 76,829 | 65.74% | |
Democratic | Mark Williams | 40,044 | 34.26% | |
Total votes | 116,873 | 100% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Joe Neguse | 259,608 | 60.27% | |
Republican | Peter Yu | 144,901 | 33.64% | |
Independent | Nick Thomas | 16,356 | 3.80% | |
Libertarian | Roger Barris | 9,749 | 2.26% | |
Write-in | 151 | 0.03% | ||
Total votes | 430,765 | 100% | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Joe Neguse (incumbent) | 316,925 | 61.5% | |
Republican | Charles Winn | 182,547 | 35.4% | |
Libertarian | Thom Atkinson | 13,657 | 2.6% | |
Unity | Gary Swing | 2,534 | 0.5% | |
Total votes | 515,663 | 100% | ||
Democratic hold |
Neguse is married to Andrea Jimenez Rael.[33] They met in Boulder County.[25] Their daughter[26] was born in August 2018.[4][34] They live in Lafayette, south of Boulder.[35]
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U.S. House of Representatives | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Jared Polis |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 2nd congressional district 2019–present |
Incumbent |
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
Preceded by Carol Miller |
United States representatives by seniority 335th |
Succeeded by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez |
116th | Senate: M. Bennet • C. Gardner | House: D. DeGette • D. Lamborn • E. Perlmutter • S. Tipton • K. Buck • J. Crow • J. Neguse |
117th | Senate: M. Bennet • J. Hickenlooper | House: D. DeGette • D. Lamborn • E. Perlmutter • K. Buck • J. Crow • J. Neguse • L. Boebert |
Presented content of the Wikipedia article was extracted in 2021-06-13 based on https://en.wikipedia.org/?curid=44301554