Randy Baumgardner
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 8th district
In office
January 15, 2013 – January 21, 2019
Preceded byJean White
Succeeded byBob Rankin
Member of the
Colorado House of Representatives
from the 57th district
In office
January 7, 2009 – January 9, 2013
Preceded byAl White
Succeeded byBob Rankin
Personal details
BornBedford, Indiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLori
EducationIndiana University
Signature

Randy L. Baumgardner is an American politician who served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 57th district from 2009 to 2013, and in the Colorado Senate from the 8th district from 2013 to 2019, as a member of the Republican Party. Baumgardner resigned after more allegations came out against him following an unsuccessful expulsion vote.

Early life

Randy L. Baumgardner was born in Bedford, Indiana, and attended Indiana University. He and his wife Lori moved to Grand County, Colorado, in 1994, and both of them worked for the Colorado Department of Transportation. One of his children, Charlie, died at age seven in the 1990s.[1][2]

Career

Colorado House of Representatives

During the 2008 election Baumgardner ran for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 57th district. He defeated Daniel L. Korkowski in the Republican primary and defeated Democratic nominee R. Todd Hagenbuch in the general election.[3] He defeated Democratic nominee Steve Ivancie and Libertarian nominee Mike Kien in the 2010 election.[4]

During his time in the state house Baumgardner let Michael K. Frierson, an unregistered sex offender who pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual assault against a fourteen year-old, live in his house. Frierson was later arrested for not notifying the sheriff that he had moved and for not re-registering. Lori paid Frierson's $2,000 bond and Baumgarder stated that he was helping Frierson rebuild his life.[2][5]

Colorado Senate

During the 2012 election Baumgardner challenged incumbent Republican Senator Jean White for a seat in the Colorado Senate from the 8th district.[6] He defeated White in the primary and defeated Democratic nominee Emily Tracy and Libertarian nominee Sacha L. Weis in the general election.[7] He defeated Tracy again in the 2016 election.[8][9]

On July 12, 2013, he announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for the United States Senate election in 2014.[10] However, he did not win enough support from delegates at the state assembly to appear on the primary ballot and Cory Gardner received 73% of the delegate vote.[11]

Baumgardner was selected to serve as the Majority Whip in the state senate in 2015.[12]

Sexual Harassment

Megan Creeden, a legislative intern, accused Baumgardner of sexual harassment in which he slapped her butt and of making inappropriate comments.[13][14] She filed a sexual harassment complaint against him in 2017.[15] Baumgardner denied the allegations against him, but stepped down as chair of a committee. Senate President Kevin Grantham only requested for him to attend sensitivity training.[16] The Democratic members of the state senate attempted to have Baumgardner expelled, but it failed in a seventeen to seventeen vote, below the twenty-four votes needed, which Senator Don Coram (R) called a "public lynching". Senator Ray Scott was the only Republican to vote in favor of expelling Baumgardner.[17]

Two other complaints which alleged that Baumgardner created a hostile and offensive work environment and of inappropriate actions with a female intern were verified by an outside investigation.[18] He was removed from his committee assignments by Grantham.[19] He announced that he would be leaving the state senate after the additional allegations came out and resigned on January 21, 2019.[20][21] Bob Rankin, a member of the state house, was selected to replace Baumgardner in the state senate.[22]

Electoral history

Randy Baumgardner electoral history
2008 Colorado House of Representatives 57th district Republican primary[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Randy Baumgardner 2,319 67.24%
Republican Daniel L. Korkowski 1,130 32.76%
Total votes 3,449 100.00%
2008 Colorado House of Representatives 57th district election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Randy Baumgardner 19,929 56.50%
Democratic R. Todd Hagenbuch 15,346 43.50%
Total votes 35,275 100.00%
2010 Colorado House of Representatives 57th district Republican primary[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Randy Baumgardner (incumbent) 8,611 100.00%
Total votes 8,611 100.00%
2010 Colorado House of Representatives 57th district election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Randy Baumgardner (incumbent) 18,207 60.79%
Democratic Steve Ivancie 8,999 30.05%
Libertarian Mike Kien 1,196 3.99%
Total votes 29,949 100.00%
2012 Colorado Senate 8th district Republican primary[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Randy Baumgardner 6,809 58.22%
Republican Jean White (incumbent) 4,887 41.78%
Total votes 11,696 100.00%
2012 Colorado Senate 8th district election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Randy Baumgardner 34,187 51.06%
Democratic Emily Tracy 29,688 44.34%
Libertarian Sacha L. Weis 3,079 4.60%
Total votes 66,954 100.00%
2016 Colorado Senate 8th district Republican primary[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Randy Baumgardner (incumbent) 8,638 100.00%
Total votes 8,638 100.00%
2016 Colorado Senate 8th district election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Randy Baumgardner (incumbent) 39,526 54.85%
Democratic Emily Tracy 32,530 45.15%
Total votes 72,056 100.00%

References

  1. ↑ "Conversations with … Randy L. Baumgardner". Sky-Hi News. September 22, 2008. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Senate District 8 candidate profile: Rep. Randy Baumgardner looks to state Senate". Sky-Hi News. October 24, 2012. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2008 Primary and 2008 General" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 8, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2010 Primary and 2010 General" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Senate District 8 candidate profile: Rep. Randy Baumgardner looks to state Senate". Sky-Hi News. October 24, 2012. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Ugly campaign fliers hit in northwestern Colorado state Senate race". The Denver Post. June 6, 2012. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 "2012 Abstract of Votes Cast" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 8, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "2016 Primary Election Results - Republican Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "2016 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Randy Baumgardner makes official his candidacy for U.S. Senate". Sky-Hi News. July 13, 2013. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Rep. Cory Gardner wins big at assembly, will challenge Sen. Mark Udall". The Denver Post. April 12, 2014. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Hot Sulphur Springs lawmaker chosen for Senate leadership". Sky-Hi News. November 18, 2014. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Intern alleges inappropriate sexual behavior by Sen. Randy Baumgardner, a Grand County resident". Sky-Hi News. November 20, 2017. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Colorado lawmaker faces potential disciplinary action after sexual harassment complaint deemed credible". The Denver Post. February 1, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Sexual harassment complaint filed against Sen. Randy Baumgardner". The Aspen Times. November 30, 2017. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Colorado lawmaker accused of sexual harassment to step down from a committee chairmanship, but won't resign". The Denver Post. February 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Colorado Sen. Randy Baumgardner survives Democratic effort to expel him after sexual harassment complaint". The Denver Post. April 2, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ "New harassment complaints verified against Colorado lawmaker who survived expulsion vote". The Denver Post. April 23, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Colorado Sen. Randy Baumgardner stripped of committee positions at legislature in wake of new harassment report". The Denver Post. May 3, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Colorado Sen. Randy Baumgardner stepping down after beating expulsion vote". The Denver Post. December 17, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Senator Randy L. Baumgardner". Colorado General Assembly. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Rankin becomes a state senator". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. January 23, 2019. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
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