Steve Lebsock
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 34th district
In office
January 9, 2013 – March 2, 2018
Preceded byJohn Soper
Succeeded byAlexander Winkler
Personal details
BornSterling, Colorado, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (before 2018)
Republican (after 2018)
SpouseNina
Children3
EducationMetropolitan State University of Denver (BA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service1988-1991

Steve Lebsock is an American politician who served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 34th district as a member of the Democratic and Republican parties from 2013 until his expulsion in 2018. Prior to his tenure in the state house he served on the city council in Thornton, Colorado from 2003 to 2011.

Lebsock was born in Sterling, Colorado, and educated at Westminster High School and the Metropolitan State University of Denver. He was in the United States Marine Corps for three years and served on the Thornton city council for eight years. Lebsock was elected to the state house in the 2012 election and reelected in the 2014 and 2016 elections. He became the chair of the Local Government committee.

During his campaign for Colorado State Treasurer he was accused by multiple women, including Representative Faith Winter, of sexual harassment and became the first member of the state house expelled since William Howland's expulsion in 1915. A petition calling for his resignation received over 50,000 signatures while Lebsock claimed that he was being blackmailed and extorted by the allegations. He left the Democratic caucus before joining the Republican Party and Alexander Winkler was appointed to replace him.

Early life and education

Steve Lebsock was born in Sterling, Colorado, and married Nina, with whom he had three children. He graduated from Westminster High School. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1988 to 1991. In 1998, he graduated from the Metropolitan State University of Denver with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. He served on the city council in Thornton, Colorado from 2003 to 2011, and as the mayor pro tempore from 2007 to 2009.[1][2]

Career

Colorado House of Representatives

Lebsock received the Democratic nomination to run for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 34th district in the 2012 election and defeated Republican nominee Jodina B. Widhalm in the general election.[3][4] He defeated Republican nominee Alexander Winkler in the 2014 election.[5][6] He defeated Republican nominee Dustin Johnson and Green Party nominee Jenice Dove in the 2016 election.[7][8]

Walker Stapleton, the incumbent Republican State Treasurer, was term-limited in the 2018 election. Lebsock announced on March 25, 2017, that he would run for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer.[9] He stated that he would petition his way onto the primary ballot during the sexual harassment investigation into him, but he was later unable to run for the office after switching his political affiliation due to him not being a Republican long enough.[10][11]

Expulsion

Representative Faith Winter and four other women made a total of eleven sexual harassment allegations against Lebsock that were found credible. He denied the allegations in a twenty-eight page letter to other members of the state house, in a YouTube video, and also took a lie detector test. Governor John Hickenlooper and Speaker Crisanta Duran called for him to resign.[12][13][14] He claimed that the allegations were "about blackmail and coercion and extortion" in an attempt to get him to resign and accused the Democrats of betraying him. Lebsock served as the chair of the Local Government committee, but was temporarily removed during the investigation into the allegations.[15] A petition calling for his resignation received over 50,000 signatures, but he stated on November 28, 2017, that he would not resign.[16][17]

Representative KC Becker introduced the resolution to expel Lebsock on February 27, 2018.[18] Lebsock stated that "my colleagues are not going to expel me", but the two-thirds majority required for expulsion was fulfilled by a fifty-two to nine vote on March 2 which found him guilty. [13][19] Representative Yeulin Willett stated that he did not believe that Lebsock's behavior warranted an expulsion. Lebsock became the first member of the state house to be expelled since William Howland was expelled for perjury during a bribery investigation in 1915.[12][14][20]

Lebsock stated that he would not caucus with the Democrats in the 2018 session and later changed his political affiliation to Republican on March 2, which allowed the Republicans to appoint his successor.[21][22]

The Republican vacancy committee voted on March 23, to appoint Winkler to fill Lebsock's seat against Casey Cole with Winkler receiving twelve votes to Cole's eleven votes.[23] Democratic nominee Kyle Mullica defeated Winkler in the 2018 election.[24]

Electoral history

2012 Colorado House of Representatives 34th district Democratic primary[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Lebsock 2,577 100.00%
Total votes 2,577 100.00%
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 34th district election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Lebsock 16,944 60.61%
Republican Jodina B. Widhalm 11,014 39.39%
Total votes 27,958 100.00%
2014 Colorado House of Representatives 34th district Democratic primary[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Lebsock (incumbent) 2,629 100.00%
Total votes 2,629 100.00%
2014 Colorado House of Representatives 34th district election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Lebsock (incumbent) 11,146 54.88%
Republican Alexander Winkler 9,164 45.12%
Total votes 20,310 100.00%
2016 Colorado House of Representatives 34th district Democratic primary[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Lebsock (incumbent) 2,901 100.00%
Total votes 2,901 100.00%
2016 Colorado House of Representatives 34th district election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Lebsock (incumbent) 14,865 50.00%
Republican Dustin Johnson 13,061 43.94%
Green Jenice Dove 1,802 6.06%
Total votes 29,728 100.00%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Steve Lebsock's Biography". Vote Smart. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  2. ↑ "About Steve Lebsock". Steve Lebsock. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "2012 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "2012 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "2014 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "2014 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "2016 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "2016 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Adams County Democrat Steve Lebsock announces he's running for state treasurer". Colorado Politics. March 25, 2017. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Steve Lebsock plans to petition onto Democratic primary ballot in state treasurer race". Colorado Politics. January 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Former Rep. Steve Lebsock's decision to join GOP likely expels him from treasurer's race". Colorado Politics. March 4, 2018. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Colorado House Could Expel Rep. Lebsock For Credible Sexual Harassment Allegations". KUNC. February 27, 2018. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Rep. Lebsock Predicts 'My Colleagues Are Not Going To Expel Me'". KUNC. March 1, 2018. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "State Lawmaker To Introduce Legislation To Remove Rep. Lebsock Over Sexual Harassment Allegations". KUNC. December 1, 2017. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Rep. Lebsock Alleges He Is Being Blackmailed, Harassed Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations". KUNC. November 14, 2017. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Rep. Steve Lebsock Says He Won't Resign". Colorado Public Radio. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021.
  17. ↑ ""I Need a F*ck Buddy": The Case Against Representative Steve Lebsock". Westword. February 28, 2018. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Lawmakers Move Toward Rep. Steve Lebsock Expulsion". KCNC-TV. February 27, 2018. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Emotions Run High As Lebsock Is Expelled Over Sex Misconduct Allegations". KCNC-TV. March 2, 2018. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Steve Lebsock Gets the Boot". Westword. March 2, 2018. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  21. ↑ "State Rep. Steve Lebsock says he won't caucus with fellow Democrats". Colorado Politics. January 10, 2018. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Colorado GOP To Appoint Lebsock Replacement". KCNC-TV. March 9, 2018. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018.
  23. ↑ "GOP leaps on chance to appoint Alex Winkler to Colorado legislature after expelled former Democratic Rep. Steve Lebsock's party switch". The Denver Post. March 23, 2018. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
  24. ↑ "2018 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022.
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