The Honourable
Daniel Kagan
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 26th district
In office
January 11, 2017 – January 11, 2019
Preceded byLinda Newell
Succeeded byJeff Bridges
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 3rd district
In office
March 30, 2009 – January 11, 2017
Preceded byAnne McGihon
Succeeded byJeff Bridges
Personal details
BornJanuary 1953 (age 70–71)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseFaye
Children3
Parent
Alma materGeorge Washington University
Yale Law School
Websitewww.dankagan.com

Daniel Kagan (born January 1953) is an American politician who served in the Colorado Senate from the 26th district from 2017 to 2019, and in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 3rd district from 2009 to 2017, as a member of the Democratic Party.

Kagan was born to Joseph Kagan, Baron Kagan and educated in the United States at George Washington University and Yale Law School. He gained citizenship in the United States in 1984, and worked in Washington, D.C. until he moved back to the United Kingdom with his family in 1995. He turned to the United States in 2005, and served as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

He was appointed to replace Representative Anne McGihon in the state house in 2009, and won reelection in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 elections and was elected to the state senate in the 2016 election. During his tenure in the state legislature he served as the chair of the Judiciary committee. Kagan resigned from the legislature in 2019 after being accused of using the women's bathroom multiple times.

Early life and education

Daniel Kagan was born to Margaret and Joseph Kagan, Baron Kagan, who were Lithuanian Jews that met during the Holocaust. He was educated at Rugby School and studied political science at the University of East Anglia between 1971 and 1973. He moved to the United States in 1975. He graduated from George Washington University, which he attended from 1979 to 1984, with a bachelor's degree in economics and political science, and Yale Law School, which he attended from 1984 to 1987. He gained United States citizenship in 1984. He was admitted to the bar of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in 1989. Kagan met Faye in 1984, married her in 1989, with whom he had three children, and lived in Washington, D.C. until they moved to the United Kingdom following the death of Kagan's father in 1995 before returning to the United States in 2005.[1][2][3][4][5]

Colorado legislature

Elections

Representative Anne McGihon announced that she would leave the Colorado House of Representatives on March 27, 2009. Kagan and eight other Democrats, including T. R. Reid, ran to be appointed to her seat by the vacancy committee.[6] He won the appointment from the vacancy committee with thirty-five out of one hundred four votes and was sworn in on March 30.[7][8] He defeated Republican nominee Christine Mastin in the 2010 election.[9]

He defeated Republican nominee Brian Watson and Libertarian nominee David P. Jurist in the 2012 election.[10][11] Watson spend $262,153 during the campaign which was the highest amount spent by any state legislature candidate in Colorado in that election cycle.[12] He defeated Republican nominee Candice Benge in the 2014 election.[13][14] Kagan ran for a seat in the Colorado Senate from the 26th district with the Democratic nomination during the 2016 election and defeated Republican nominee Nancy A. Doty.[15][16] Andrew Fish, who later served as the Democratic caucus' deputy chief of staff, worked as Kagan's campaign manager in the 2016 election.[17]

Tenure

During Kagan's tenure in the state house he served as the chair of the Judiciary committee.[18] He served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention for Hillary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries.[19]

He gave a speech demanding for debate on a resolution seeking to expel Senator Randy Baumgardner for the sexual allegations against him. After his speech Kagan was accused of using the women's bathroom multiple times by Senators Beth Martinez Humenik and Owen Hill. He claimed that he had only used the women's bathroom once due to him having a gastrointestinal virus and the bathrooms being unmarked at the time. However, an investigation that ended in September determined that Kagan had used the women's bathroom at least three times. He announced on December 5, 2018 that he would resign on January 11, 2019, stating that the Republicans had targeted him due to the Democrats attempting to remove Republican members for sexual misconduct.[20][21][22]

On January 5, a vacancy committee selected Jeff Bridges to replace Kagan in the state senate against three other candidates, including Iman Jodeh.[23] Another vacancy committee selected Meg Froelich to replace Bridges in the state house.[24]

Later life

Kagan endorsed Andrew Romanoff for the Democratic nomination during the 2020 United States Senate election.[25]

Political positions

Kagan opposed legislation that required members of law enforcement to have United States citizenship.[26] He stated that legislation punishing sanctuary cities and counties was a violation of the Fourth and Tenth amendments.[27] He proposed legislation to repeal Colorado's adultery law.[28] He and Representative Lori Saine sponsored legislation to require the videotaping of police interrogations in sexual assault and murder cases in order to prevent false confessions.[29] He was among thirty-seven legislators who endorsed a letter in 2018, calling for Planned Parenthood to allow for their workers to form an union.[30] Kagan voted in favor of repealing capital punishment in 2009.[31]

He received an A rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.[32] The American Civil Liberties Union gave him a rating of 89% in 2013, 40% in 2015, 80% in 2018, and ratings of 100% in 2014, 2016, and 2017.[33]

Electoral history

2010 Colorado House of Representatives 3rd district Democratic primary[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Daniel Kagan (incumbent) 5,376 100.00%
Total votes 5,376 100.00%
2010 Colorado House of Representatives 3rd district election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Daniel Kagan (incumbent) 14,981 57.84%
Republican Christine Mastin 10,919 42.16%
Total votes 25,900 100.00%
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 3rd district Democratic primary[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Daniel Kagan (incumbent) 2,619 100.00%
Total votes 2,619 100.00%
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 3rd district election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Daniel Kagan (incumbent) 19,610 50.76%
Republican Brian Watson 17,194 44.51%
Libertarian David P. Jurist 1,825 4.72%
Total votes 38,629 100.00%
2014 Colorado House of Representatives 3rd district Democratic primary[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Daniel Kagan (incumbent) 2,964 100.00%
Total votes 2,964 100.00%
2014 Colorado House of Representatives 3rd district election[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Daniel Kagan (incumbent) 15,563 50.73%
Republican Candice Benge 15,118 49.27%
Total votes 30,681 100.00%
2016 Colorado Senate 26th district Democratic primary[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Daniel Kagan 8,281 100.00%
Total votes 8,281 100.00%
2016 Colorado Senate 26th district election[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Daniel Kagan 42,145 53.48%
Republican Nancy A. Doty 36,666 46.52%
Total votes 78,811 100.00%

References

  1. ↑ "Rep. Kagan's Biography Vague and Vanishing". The Colorado Observer. October 2, 2012. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Kagan's woman friend barred from prison". The Daily Telegraph. April 12, 1980. p. 8. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Meet Daniel". Daniel Kagan. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Civil unions bill killed on party-line vote". Colorado Politics. April 8, 2011. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Daniel Kagan's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Nine on list for House seat". The Denver Post. March 18, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Democrats pick Kagan for opening". The Denver Post. March 26, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Denver attorney to be sworn in as new lawmaker". The Denver Post. March 29, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 "2010 Election Results" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 7, 2021.
  10. 1 2 "2012 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  11. 1 2 "2012 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  12. ↑ "GOP businessman Brian Watson joins race for Colorado state treasurer". The Denver Post. October 25, 2017. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "2014 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "2014 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "2016 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "2016 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Andrew Fish named deputy chief of staff for the Colorado Senate Democrats". Colorado Politics. October 6, 2017. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  18. ↑ "House panel approves right-to-die bill". Fort Collins Coloradoan. February 6, 2016. p. A2. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "70 Dems all set for convention". The Denver Post. May 22, 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Democratic lawmaker's graphic speech on Capitol sexual harassment draws anger, accusations of hypocrisy from GOP". The Denver Post. March 19, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Democratic state senator, embroiled in accusations he used a women's restroom at Capitol, is stepping down". The Colorado Sun. December 5, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Sen. Daniel Kagan Resigns After Bathroom Controversy". KCNC-TV. December 6, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Replacement selected for exiting Colorado state Sen. Daniel Kagan". Colorado Politics. January 5, 2019. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Meg Froelich appointed to Jeff Bridges' Colorado House seat". Colorado Politics. January 8, 2019. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Hundreds of current, former elected officials endorse Andrew Romanoff in U.S. Senate primary". Colorado Politics. May 28, 2019. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Bill would require all officers of law to be U.S. citizens". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. February 14, 2017. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "GOP bill takes aim at 'sanctuary' cities and counties in Colorado". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. April 25, 2017. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "Bill To Repeal Colorado Adultery Law Passes House". KCNC-TV. February 27, 2013. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Police-Related Bills Introduced In Colorado Legislature". KCNC-TV. February 11, 2016. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Lawmakers back Denver Planned Parenthood workers' union cause". Colorado Politics. June 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Death penalty dealt blow". The Denver Post. April 21, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Daniel Kagan". NARAL Pro-Choice America. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  33. ↑ "2013 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2013. Archived from the original on January 18, 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 18, 2022.;
    "2016 Legislative Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on January 18, 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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