Pete Lee
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 11th district
In office
January 4, 2019  January 9, 2023
Preceded byMichael Merrifield
Succeeded byTony Exum
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives District 18
In office
January 11, 2011  January 4, 2019
Preceded byMichael Merrifield
Succeeded byMarc Snyder
Personal details
Born
Sanford Edmund Lee

(1947-10-11) October 11, 1947
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLynn
Children3
EducationUniversity of Akron School of Law
Ohio Wesleyan University
Websitepeteleecolorado.com

Sanford Edmund Lee (born October 11, 1947) is an American politician. He served in the Colorado Senate from the 11th district as a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his tenure in the state senate he served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 18th district.

Early life

Sanford Edmund Lee[1] graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a bachelor of Arts degree in 1970, attended Wharton School of Finance from 1970 to 1971, and graduated from the University of Akron School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 1975. He married Lynn, with whom he had three children.[2][3]

State legislature

Elections

Lee ran for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 18th district and defeated Republican nominee Karen Cullen in the 2010 election.[4] He defeated Republican nominee Jennifer George, Libertarian nominee Robert Melamede, and Constitution nominee Amy Fedde in the 2012 election.[5][6] He defeated Republican nominee Michael Schlierf in the 2014 election.[7][8] He defeated Republican nominee Cameron Forth and Libertarian nominee Norman Dawson in the 2016 election.[9][10]

Michael Merrifield, a member of the Colorado Senate from the 11th district, did not seek reelection in the 2018 election.[11] Lee announced his campaign on September 2, 2017, and defeated Republican nominee Pat McIntire.[12][13][14] A petition was issued in 2019 to recall Lee, but it was unsuccessful.[15][16] He did not run for reelection in 2022.[17]

Tenure

During Lee's tenure in the state house he served on the Education committee and chaired Judiciary committee.[18][19] During his tenure in the state senate he chaired the Judiciary committee and served as vice-chair of the Finance committee.[20] Lee supported Amy Klobuchar during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.[21]

In 2022, Lee was indicted by a grand jury for registering to vote at an address where he did not live, but Judge Eric Bentley dismissed the case due to incorrect residency information being provided to the prosecution.[22][17]

Political positions

Lee voted against legislation that required Colorado's public employee pension fund to oppose Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.[23] Lee was among thirty-seven legislators who endorsed a letter in 2018, calling for Planned Parenthood to allow for their workers to form an union.[24] He supported legislation to prohibit the death penalty.[25]

Lee received an A rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.[26] His scores from the American Civil Liberties Union ranged from 88% in 2013, 100% in 2014, 40% in 2015, 100% in 2016, 100% in 2017, 100% in 2018, and 80% in 2019.[27]

Electoral history

2010 Colorado House of Representatives 18th district Democratic primary[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee 2,860 100.00%
Total votes 2,860 100.00%
2010 Colorado House of Representatives 18th district election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee 10,808 54.68%
Republican Karen Cullen 8,959 45.32%
Total votes 19,767 100.00%
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 18th district Democratic primary[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee (incumbent) 2,929 100.00%
Total votes 2,929 100.00%
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 18th district election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee (incumbent) 19,588 53.07%
Republican Jennifer George 15,021 40.70%
Libertarian Robert Melamede 1,465 3.97%
Constitution Amy Fedde 836 2.26%
Total votes 36,910 100.00%
2014 Colorado House of Representatives 18th district Democratic primary[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee (incumbent) 3,141 100.00%
Total votes 3,141 100.00%
2014 Colorado House of Representatives 18th district election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee (incumbent) 15,998 55.54%
Republican Michael Schlierf 12,807 44.46%
Total votes 28,805 100.00%
2016 Colorado House of Representatives 18th district Democratic primary[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee (incumbent) 3,940 100.00%
Total votes 3,940 100.00%
2016 Colorado House of Representatives 18th district election[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee (incumbent) 21,145 53.30%
Republican Jennifer George 15,556 39.21%
Libertarian Norman Dawson 2,972 7.49%
Total votes 39,673 100.00%
2016 Colorado Senate 11th district Democratic primary[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee 10,499 100.00%
Total votes 10,499 100.00%
2018 Colorado Senate 11th district election[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pete Lee 28,015 61.96%
Republican Pat McIntire 17,200 38.04%
Total votes 45,215 100.00%

References

  1. "State senator indicted for voting information". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. August 11, 2022. p. 3. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022 via Newspapers.com.
  2. "About Pete". Pete Lee. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015.
  3. "Colorado Senate District 11 candidate Q&A". The Denver Post. October 10, 2018. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2010 Primary 2010 General" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 23, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "2012 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "2012 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "2014 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "2014 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "2016 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022.
  10. 1 2 "2016 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022.
  11. "Colorado Springs' Sen. Mike Merrifield said it's time to retire, maybe". Colorado Politics. September 5, 2017. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022.
  12. "State Rep. Pete Lee reveals bid for Mike Merrifield's Senate seat at Democratic forum in Colorado Springs". Colorado Politics. September 3, 2017. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "2018 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "2018 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022.
  15. "Two Democratic State Senators Latest Targets Of Recall Effort". Colorado Public Radio. July 12, 2019. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022.
  16. "Two More Elected Dems Can Breathe Easy As The Summer Of The Recall Has Turned Into The Fall Of Disappointment For Some On The Right". Colorado Public Radio. September 10, 2019. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Judge dismisses the case alleging Colorado state Sen. Pete Lee voted outside the district he lives in and represented". Colorado Public Radio. October 21, 2022. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022.
  18. "Democratic sponsors fear for fate of Colorado civil-unions bill". The Denver Post. March 25, 2011. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022.
  19. "House committees complete, ready for business". Colorado Politics. December 5, 2016. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022.
  20. "Senate Democrats announce committee assignments". Colorado Politics. December 3, 2018. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022.
  21. "Colorado primary notebook: Klobuchar buys TV ads, Bernie backs DIA union workers". The Denver Post. February 25, 2020. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022.
  22. "Colorado state Sen. Pete Lee indicted for registering to vote under a false address". Colorado Public Radio. August 9, 2022. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022.
  23. "Hickenlooper pledges support to anti-BDS bill as Senate gives initial nod". Colorado Politics. March 8, 2016. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022.
  24. "Lawmakers back Denver Planned Parenthood workers' union cause". Colorado Politics. June 13, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022.
  25. "Colorado Senate passes death penalty repeal to the House". Colorado Politics. January 31, 2020. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022.
  26. "Peter Lee". NARAL Pro-Choice America. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022.
  27. "2013 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2013. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.;
    "2014 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2014. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.;
    "2015 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2015. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.;
    "2016 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022.;
    "2017 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2017. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.;
    "2018 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.;
    "2019 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2019. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
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