Andy Kerr (American politician)

Andy Kerr
Member of the
Jefferson County Commission
from the 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
2021
Preceded byCasey Tighe
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 22nd district
In office
January 9, 2013 – January 4, 2019
Preceded byTim Neville
Succeeded byBrittany Pettersen
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 26th district
In office
March 10, 2006 – January 9, 2013
Preceded byBetty Boyd
Succeeded byDiane Mitsch Bush
Personal details
Born (1968-10-21) October 21, 1968 (age 56)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseTammy
EducationUniversity of Colorado Denver (BA) (MS)

Andrew Steven Kerr (born October 21, 1968) is an American teacher and politician who serves on the county commission in Jefferson County, Colorado. Prior to his tenure on the county commission he served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 26th district from 2006 to 2013, and in the Colorado Senate from the 22nd district from 2013 to 2019, as a member of the Democratic Party.

Kerr moved to Lakewood, Colorado, when he was eight and was educated at Green Mountain High School and the University of Colorado Denver. He was appointed to the state house to replace Betty Boyd and was reelected in the 2006, 2008, and 2010 elections. During his tenure in the state house he served as the Majority Whip and Assistant Majority Leader. He chose to run for a seat in the state senate after redistricting put him and another Democratic representative in the same district. He was elected to the state senate in the 2012 and 2014 elections.

He ran for the Democratic nomination in the Colorado's 7th congressional district during the 2018 election, but dropped out after Representative Ed Perlmutter announced that he would seek reelection. Kerr was elected to the Jefferson County Commission in the 2020 election.

Early life and education

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Andrew Steven Kerr was born on October 21, 1968. His family moved to Lakewood, Colorado when he was eight and he attended Foothills Elementary School, Dunstan Middle School, and Green Mountain High School. He graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a bachelor's degree in geography and a master's degree in information and learning technologies.[1][2][3] He worked as a geography teacher for middle and high school and is a member of the Colorado Education Association.[4] He married Tammy, with whom he had three children.[5][6]

Colorado state legislature

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Elections

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In 2006, Betty Boyd, a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, was selected by a vacancy committee to replace Deanna Hanna in the Colorado Senate following Hanna's resignation. Kerr was selected by a vacancy committee to replace Boyd in the state house.[7] He defeated Republican nominee Glenn Rhoades in the 2006 election.[8] He defeated Republican nominee Ray Warren in the 2008 election.[9] He defeated Republican nominee Mark A. Barrington in the 2010 election.[10] Lois Court, who later served as the President pro tempore of the state senate, worked as his campaign manager and legislative aid.[11]

Kerr, Max Tyler, and Ken Summers were reapportioned into the same district following the 2010 United States census. Kerr announced on December 19, 2011, that he would run for a seat in the state senate from the 22nd district rather than run against Tyler in the state house primary.[12][13] He defeated Republican nominee Summers in the 2012 election.[14][15] He defeated Republican nominee Tony Sanchez in the 2014 election.[16][17]

Tenure

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During Kerr's tenure in the state house he served on the Education, Finance, and Judiciary committees.[18][19] He and Representative Rhonda Fields received death threats in 2013 due to their support of gun control legislation.[20] He was selected to replace Representative Dorothy Butcher as Majority Whip after her resignation in 2007.[21] He was later selected to serve as the Assistant Majority Leader.[4] In 2014, he nominated Senator Matt Jones to serve as the Minority Whip.[22]

Ed Perlmutter, a member of the United States House of Representatives from the 7th congressional district, announced on April 9, 2017, that he would run in the gubernatorial election.[6] Kerr announced on April 12, that he would seek the Democratic nomination in the congressional district for the 2018 election and later selected Shad Murib, who previously served as the chief of staff of the Colorado Senate Democrats and managed Kerry Donovan's 2014 campaign, as his campaign manager.[23][24] However, Perlmutter announced that he would run for reelection on August 21, after having dropped out of the gubernatorial election, causing Senator Dominick Moreno and Representative Brittany Pettersen to end their campaigns.[25] Kerr ended his campaign on August 22, and endorsed Perlmutter.[26] During the campaign he raised and spent $124,888.98.[1]

Later life

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Casey Tighe, a member of the Jefferson county commission, was term-limited during the 2020 election. Kerr won the Democratic nomination to succeed her and defeated Republican nominee Joni Inman in the general election.[4][27][28] During the 2020 presidential election Kerr endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren for the Democratic presidential nomination.[29]

Political positions

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Kerr received an A rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.[30] He was among thirty-seven legislators who endorsed a letter in 2018, calling for Planned Parenthood to allow for their workers to form a union.[31] Kerr organized a letter signed by over four hundred state legislators opposing the nomination of Betsy DeVos as United States Secretary of Education and sent it to Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray.[32] He sponsored legislation that would have entered Colorado into the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.[33] Kerr voted in favor of repealing capital punishment in 2009.[34] He voted in favor of legislation to prohibit conversion therapy on minors.[35]

Electoral history

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2006 Colorado House of Representatives 26th district Democratic primary[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr (incumbent) 3,152 100.00%
Total votes 3,152 100.00%
2006 Colorado House of Representatives 26th district election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr (incumbent) 14,025 61.19%
Republican Glenn Rhoades 8,895 38.81%
Total votes 22,920 100.00%
2008 Colorado House of Representatives 26th district Democratic primary[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr (incumbent) 3,645 100.00%
Total votes 3,645 100.00%
2008 Colorado House of Representatives 26th district election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr (incumbent) 18,850 60.66%
Republican Ray Warren 12,226 39.34%
Total votes 31,076 100.00%
2010 Colorado House of Representatives 26th district Democratic primary[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr (incumbent) 4,851 100.00%
Total votes 4,851 100.00%
2010 Colorado House of Representatives 26th district election[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr (incumbent) 13,624 56.63%
Republican Mark A. Barrington 10,435 43.37%
Total votes 24,059 100.00%
2012 Colorado Senate 22nd district Democratic primary[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr 5,484 100.00%
Total votes 5,484 100.00%
2012 Colorado Senate 22nd district election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr 38,845 52.60%
Republican Ken Summers 35,008 47.40%
Total votes 73,853 100.00%
2014 Colorado Senate 22nd district Democratic primary[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr (incumbent) 5,735 100.00%
Total votes 5,735 100.00%
2014 Colorado Senate 22nd district election[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr (incumbent) 30,510 51.12%
Republican Tony Sanchez 29,174 48.88%
Total votes 59,684 100.00%
2020 Jefferson County Commission 2nd district Democratic primary[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr 104,740 100.00%
Total votes 104,740 100.00%
2020 Jefferson County Commission 2nd district election[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Andy Kerr 196,236 55.55%
Republican Joni Inman 157,048 44.45%
Total votes 353,284 100.00%

References

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  1. ^ a b "KERR, ANDREW STEVEN". Federal Election Commission. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  2. ^ "Andy Kerr, District 2". Jefferson County, Colorado. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  3. ^ "Andy Kerr's Biography". Vote Smart. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Former Colorado state Sen. Andy Kerr to run for Jeffco commissioner". Colorado Politics. November 18, 2019. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "Representative Andy Kerr finds time for wine". Colorado Politics. February 18, 2011. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Lakewood Democrat Andy Kerr plans to announce run for 7th Congressional District seat Wednesday". Colorado Politics. April 11, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  7. ^ "Eid sworn in as Supreme Court justice, Boyd moves from House to Senate". Colorado Politics. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "2006 Election Results" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c "2008 Election Results" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c "2010 Election Results" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 7, 2021.
  11. ^ "Rep. Chris Hansen to run for Sen. Lois Court's Senate seat in Denver". Colorado Politics. October 2, 2019. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  12. ^ "Glenwood Democrat in redrawn district won't seek re-election". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. December 20, 2011. p. 17. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Democratic lawmakers face musical chairs". Colorado Politics. August 14, 2012. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "2012 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "2012 Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "2014 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  17. ^ a b "2014 Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  18. ^ "Post's picks in Colorado's House of Representatives". The Denver Post. October 16, 2008. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  19. ^ "House Speaker shakes up chairs of committees". The Denver Post. November 18, 2008. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  20. ^ "Another Colorado lawmaker receives threats over gun debate, man arrested". The Denver Post. March 27, 2013. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  21. ^ "House Democrats elect Andy Kerr as whip". The Denver Post. November 9, 2007. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  22. ^ "Senate Dems urged to make lemonade out of lemons". Colorado Politics. November 14, 2014. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  23. ^ "Democrat Andy Kerr formally announces he's running for Congressional District 7 seat". Colorado Politics. April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  24. ^ "Democrat Andy Kerr names Shad Murib to manage 7th Congressional District campaign". Colorado Politics. August 4, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  25. ^ "Perlmutter is back in congressional race, Moreno and Pettersen suspend campaigns". Colorado Politics. August 21, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  26. ^ "Democrat Andy Kerr suspends campaign, endorses Perlmutter after his return to race". Colorado Politics. August 22, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  27. ^ a b "2020 Primary Election Results". Jefferson County, Colorado. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  28. ^ a b "2020 Election Results". Jefferson County, Colorado. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  29. ^ "Sen. Steve Fenberg among Colorado officials endorsing Elizabeth Warren". Colorado Politics. March 1, 2020. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  30. ^ "Andy Kerr". NARAL Pro-Choice America. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  31. ^ "Lawmakers back Denver Planned Parenthood workers' union cause". Colorado Politics. June 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  32. ^ "Kerr leads in state lawmaker movement opposed to DeVos nomination". Colorado Politics. February 1, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  33. ^ "Colorado Democratic lawmakers push effort to elect the president by national popular vote". The Denver Post. February 15, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
  34. ^ "Death penalty dealt blow". The Denver Post. April 21, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022.
  35. ^ "GOP Sens Doom Gay Conversion Therapy Ban in CO on Same Day Obama Backs One". Westword. April 9, 2015. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
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