Andrew Romanoff
54th Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives
In office
January 12, 2005 – January 7, 2009
Preceded byLola Spradley
Succeeded byTerrance Carroll
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 6th district
In office
January 10, 2001 – January 7, 2009
Preceded byKen Gordon
Succeeded byLois Court
Personal details
Born
Harlan Andrew Romanoff

(1966-08-24) August 24, 1966
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationYale University (BA)
Harvard University (MPP)
University of Denver (JD)
WebsiteOfficial website

Harlan Andrew Romanoff (born August 24, 1966) is an American politician and public servant. A Democrat, he was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, serving as Speaker of the House from 2005 to 2009. He was the Democratic nominee for Colorado's 6th congressional district in 2014 and twice sought the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate.[1] He began his career at the Southern Poverty Law Center, founded the Posner Center for International Development, and has led two nonprofit organizations: Mental Health Colorado,[2] and Great Expectations.[3]

Early life and education

Romanoff was raised in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Columbus Academy. His mother, a Democrat, was a social worker. His father, a Republican, was a judge. Romanoff has a twin sister.[4] He is Jewish.

Romanoff earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University. He took time off from Yale to work at the Southern Poverty Law Center, where he joined the fight against the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups. He also worked at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and taught English in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.[5] During his time in Nicaragua, his political philosophy was shaped by reading A Theory of Justice by liberal philosopher John Rawls.[4]

Romanoff obtained a master's degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University[6] and a J.D. degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Career

From 1993 to 1997, Romanoff worked as a senior associate at the consulting firm of Greenberg Baron Simon & Miller. He then served as a senior policy advisor to Governor Roy Romer from 1997 to 1999.[7] He also worked for Democratic Congressman David Skaggs.[8]

In 2009, Romanoff joined International Development Enterprises as a senior advisor.[9] In 2013 he founded the Posner Center for International Development — now home to nearly 200 organizations dedicated to the eradication of global poverty.[10]

From 2015 to 2019, Romanoff served as President & CEO of Mental Health Colorado,[2] the state's leading advocate for the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.

Since 2021, Romanoff has been executive director of Great Expectations,[11] a chief provider of guidance and support for at-risk families in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys.

Romanoff has taught government at the University of Colorado Denver, the Community College of Aurora, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Red Rocks Community College.

Political career

Colorado House of Representatives

Romanoff was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, winning election to four terms, and earning bipartisan acclaim as one of the most effective legislative leaders in America.[12] He led Democrats to their first majority since 1974 and their first back-to-back majorities since 1962. He became Speaker of the House in 2005, and at the time was the youngest speaker in Colorado House history. Before becoming speaker he was the House Minority Leader and represented House District 6. He left the Colorado House after 2008 due to term limits.

Romanoff authored laws to strengthen mental health and substance use services, to expand home and community-based care for older Coloradans, and to protect the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. He spearheaded the Colorado Economic Recovery Act (Referendum C)[13] and the largest investment in school construction in state history.[14]

Romanoff led the legislature to create The Colorado Channel,[15] providing live television coverage of the General Assembly. In 2008, Governing Magazine named him Public Official of the Year.[16]

2010 U.S. Senate election

In early 2009, U.S. Senator Ken Salazar was nominated and confirmed as United States Secretary of the Interior. Romanoff was on a short list of possible candidates for appointment to Salazar's seat,[17] but Governor Bill Ritter chose Denver schools' superintendent Michael Bennet. Romanoff opted to challenge Bennet for the Senate seat in the Democratic primary.

Romanoff defeated Bennet in the Democratic State Assembly, with 60.4% of the vote to Bennet's 39.6%, thereby earning the first spot on the August primary ballot.[18]

On August 10, 2010, Romanoff was defeated by Bennet in the Democratic primary.

Job offer from the Obama administration

On September 27, 2009, Michael Riley of the Denver Post reported that Romanoff had been offered a position in the Obama administration in exchange for not running for U.S. Senate against Michael Bennet.[19] According to Riley, Obama's deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina called Romanoff to offer him various positions in the administration, including a position at the United States Agency for International Development. Romanoff turned down the offer.[20]

On June 2, 2010, Romanoff issued a statement confirming that Messina had contacted him on September 11, 2009, and told him that Obama was going to support Bennet in the Democratic Party primary. Romanoff told Messina that he would run anyway; Messina "suggested three positions that might be available to me were I not pursuing the Senate race. He added that he could not guarantee my appointment to any of these positions." White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton told The Washington Post, "Mr. Romanoff was recommended to the White House from Democrats in Colorado for a position in the administration. There were some initial conversations with him, but no job was ever offered." Messina sent Romanoff job descriptions for three positions: an administrator for the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau within USAID, the chief of the Office of Democracy and Governance within USAID, and the director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.[21][22]

On June 10, 2010, KDVR reported that Bennet said he had known about the White House's offer to Romanoff.[23]

2014 U.S. House election

Romanoff ran for the United States House of Representatives from Colorado's 6th congressional district in 2014.[1] On October 8, 2014, the Aurora Sentinel endorsed Romanoff.[24] He lost to incumbent Republican Mike Coffman, 42.99% to 51.90%.[25]

2020 U.S. Senate election

On February 7, 2019, Romanoff announced[26] his candidacy to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Cory Gardner in the 2020 election. Romanoff won the statewide caucuses with 86% of the vote[27] but was defeated by former Governor John Hickenlooper in the Democratic primary.

Political positions

A political progressive, Romanoff has advocated for a Green New Deal and Medicare for All.[28]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Lee, Curtis (April 9, 2014). "Andrew Romanoff puts up lofty Q1 fundraising totals, outpaces Rep. Mike Coffman". Denver Post. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Romanoff Steps Down as Mental Health Colorado President and CEO". Mental Health Colorado. February 7, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  3. ↑ Stroud, John (May 23, 2022). "'Great Expectations' for the former Family Visitor Programs with name change, new support services". www.postindependent.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Brown, Jennifer (June 6, 2008). "Romanoff: A serious goody-two-shoes". Denver Post. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ Husted, Bill (September 16, 2010). "Zorro at side, Romanoff packs up his life, losses". Denver Post. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ Bartels, Lynn (September 17, 2009). "Romanoff launches Senate bid: "Colorado is my cause"". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  7. ↑ Press, The Associated Press | The Associated (September 16, 2009). "A look at Senate hopeful Andrew Romanoff". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  8. ↑ Post, Bill Husted | The Denver (September 15, 2010). "Zorro at side, Romanoff packs up his life, losses". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Romanoff to fight world poverty as senior adviser to Lakewood nonprofit". The Denver Post. October 5, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  10. ↑ Post, Justin T. Hilley | The Denver (July 12, 2011). "Romanoff's Greenhouse Project to help world's poor farmers". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  11. ↑ joey.bunch@coloradopolitics.com, JOEY BUNCH (April 29, 2021). "Andrew Romanoff has a new gig: helping expecting parents and young families". Colorado Politics. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Andrew Romanoff". Governing. April 19, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  13. ↑ Johnson, Brandon (September 19, 2005). "Romanoff touts C and D in Craig". www.craigdailypress.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  14. ↑ Perez, Gayle. "Romanoff seeks K-12 building fix". Pueblo Chieftain. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Home". Colorado Channel. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Andrew Romanoff". Governing. April 19, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  17. ↑ Osher, Christopher N.; Crummy, Karen E. (December 15, 2008). "Sources: Salazar accepts Interior spot". Denver Post. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Sources: Romanoff, Buck win Colorado Assembly Races". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  19. ↑ Riley, Michael. D.C. job alleged as attempt to deter Romanoff, Denver Post, September 27, 2009.
  20. ↑ Littwin, Mike. Littwin: Romanoff won't answer why he won't answer, Denver Post, May 30, 2010.
  21. ↑ Elliott, Philip. Senate candidate says White House discussed 3 jobs, The Washington Post, June 3, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Sen. Candidate Says White House Discussed 3 Jobs". CBS News. June 2, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  23. ↑ Stokols, Eli (June 11, 2010). "Bennet confirms knowledge of White House contact with Romanoff". KDVR. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  24. ↑ SENTINEL, THE. "ENDORSEMENT: Romanoff already represents CD6 voters, send him to Congress to do the job". Sentinel Colorado. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Official results, November 4, 2014 general election". Scytl. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  26. ↑ Paul, Jesse (February 7, 2019). "Democrat Andrew Romanoff announces run for Cory Gardner's seat, marking his third bid for Congress". Colorado Sun. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  27. ↑ Wingerter, Justin (April 18, 2020). "Andrew Romanoff wins Democratic state assembly, will be on June 30 ballots". Denver Post. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  28. ↑ Arkin, James (June 29, 2020). "How Hickenlooper may side-step a challenge from the left". POLITICO. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
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