John Hickenlooper
| John Hickenlooper | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Hickenlooper at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Davos (2012) | |
| 42nd Governor of Colorado | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 11, 2011 |
|
| Lieutenant | Joseph Garcia |
| Preceded by | Bill Ritter |
| 42nd Mayor of Denver | |
| In office July 21, 2003[1] – January 11, 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Wellington Webb |
| Succeeded by | Bill Vidal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Wright Hickenlooper February 7, 1952 Narberth, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Thorpe (separated) |
| Residence | Denver, Colorado |
| Alma mater | Wesleyan University |
| Occupation | Geologist |
| Religion | Quaker |
| Website | Official website |
John Wright Hickenlooper (born February 7, 1952) is an American politician who has been Governor of Colorado since 2011. A Democrat, he was previously the Mayor of Denver, Colorado from 2003 to 2011.
Contents |
Early life, education and career [edit]
Hickenlooper was born in Narberth, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, part of the suburban Main Line. Hickenlooper was raised by his mother after his father died young.[2] He is a graduate of Wesleyan University where he received a B.A. in English in 1974 and a master’s degree in geology in 1980.
Before becoming mayor in July 2003 he was a geologist turned entrepreneur. He is often considered a prominent figure in the LoDo urban renewal period during the early 1990s. Hickenlooper owned several restaurants in LoDo in the late 1980s, before the area's renewal. He was one of the founders of the original Wynkoop Brewing Company brewpub; these and others companies contributed to the redevelopment of the area following the arrival of major league baseball in the neighborhood. The area had been known to be dangerous; Hickenlooper is quoted as saying, "I must've had rocks in my head." The rent for Wynkoop's real estate was $1 per square foot per year.[3]
Mayor of Denver [edit]
Hickenlooper's first tasks included handling the city's budget crisis and changing its career personnel system. His cabinet appointees were relatively young. Mayor Hickenlooper is a member of the gun control group Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[4] an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino. Hickenlooper resigned as mayor at 8 am on January 11, 2011, hours before being inaugurated as Colorado's Governor.
Although municipal elections in Denver are nonpartisan, Hickenlooper is a Democrat. Hickenlooper won re-election for the office of Mayor in May 2007 with 87% of the vote. In 2005 he was named by Time Magazine as being one of the five best big-city mayors in the US.[5]
Political positions [edit]
Campaign for the homeless [edit]
Hickenlooper has campaigned for increasing homeless services since taking office in 2003. He announced a "10 year plan to end homelessness" at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C.[6]
Cannabis legalization [edit]
In 2006, Denver became one of the first major U.S. cities to legalize the medical use of and decriminalize possession (of less than one ounce) of cannabis by those over age 18. Hickenlooper opposed the cannabis rescheduling initiative, which voters approved 53.49%–46.51%, but he did say that the vote "reflect[s] a genuine shift in people's attitudes". Under the current Denver Police interpretation of the law, supported by Hickenlooper, the initiative doesn't usurp the state law, the Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS). The CRS currently treats cannabis possession similarly to exceeding a speed limit, with fines of up to $100 and no jail time. In 2012, Amendment 64 was added to the Colorado constitution allowing possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for those over 21 for recreational use. Though Hickenlooper has been publicly against this policy as well, he does say he will enforce the will of the people.[7]
Greenprint Denver [edit]
In his State of the City address on July 12, 2006, Hickenlooper announced an initiative called Greenprint Denver to promote sustainable development and practices and reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the 2006 U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.[8] The initiative, guided by a leadership group of city and community members, features a series of goals to meet over a five-year period.[9]
Gun control [edit]
On March 20, 2013, Hickenlooper signed bills HB1224, HB1228 and HB1229. HB1224 created a limit of 15 rounds in magazines that could be bought, sold or transferred within the state. HB1228 taxes firearm transfers to recover costs of the background checks from HB1229. HB1229 requires background checks for any firearm transfer within the state.[10] He signed hours after a member of his cabinet was assassinated.
Political campaigns [edit]
2006 Colorado gubernatorial race [edit]
Hickenlooper was viewed as a possible contender for Governor of Colorado in the November 2006 election to replace term-limited Republican Governor Bill Owens. Despite a "Draft Hick" campaign, he officially announced on February 6, 2006 that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for governor. Later, he threw his support behind Democrat Bill Ritter, Denver's former District Attorney who was later elected.[11]
2008 Democratic National Convention [edit]
Hickenlooper was an executive member of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee and helped lead the successful campaign for Denver to host the landmark 2008 Democratic National Convention, which was also the centennial anniversary of the city's hosting of the 1908 Democratic National Convention.
In a controversial move decried by critics as breaching partisan ethics, the Hickenlooper administration arranged for the DNC host committee members, a private non-profit organization, to get untaxed fuel from Denver city-owned pumps, saving them $0.404 per gallon of fuel.[12]
2008 Senate seat appointment [edit]
According to The Denver Post, he was considered to be the frontrunner to fill the United States Senate seat to be vacated by Ken Salazar upon his expected confirmation to be Secretary of the Interior in the Obama Administration.[13] Hickenlooper had confirmed his interest in the seat.[14] However, on January 3, 2009, Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet to the position.[15] Bennet previously served as Chief of Staff to Mayor Hickenlooper.
2010 Colorado gubernatorial race [edit]
After Governor Ritter announced on January 6, 2010 that he would step down at the end of his term, Hickenlooper was cited as a potential candidate for state governor.[16] Hickenlooper stated that if Secretary Salazar mounted a bid for governor, he would likely not challenge him in a Democratic primary.[17] On January 7, 2010, Salazar confirmed that he would not be running for governor in 2010 and endorsed Hickenlooper for the position.[18] On January 12, 2010, media outlets reported that Hickenlooper would begin a campaign for Colorado governor.[19] On August 5, 2010, Hickenlooper selected CSU-Pueblo president Joseph A. Garcia as his running mate.[20] On November 2, 2010, at 8:46 MST CNN projected that Hickenlooper would be the next Governor of Colorado.
Governor of Colorado [edit]
On January 11, 2011, John Hickenlooper was sworn in as the 42nd Governor Of Colorado. On December 4, 2012, Governor Hickenlooper was elected to serve as the vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association in 2013.[21]
Personal life [edit]
Hickenlooper's wife (from whom he is currently separated), Helen Thorpe, is a writer whose work has been published in The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, George, and Texas Monthly. Prior to the separation, they lived in Denver's Park Hill neighborhood with their son, Teddy.[22] Upon taking office as Governor, Hickenlooper and his family decided to maintain their private residence instead of moving to the Colorado Governor's Mansion.[23] On July 31, 2012, Gov. Hickenlooper announced that he and his wife were separating after 10 years of marriage.[24]
In 2010, Hickenlooper told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he and Thorpe attend Quaker meetings and try to live by Quaker values.[25]
A cousin, George Hickenlooper, was an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker before his death in late 2010.[26] John made a cameo appearance in George's 2010 film Casino Jack.[27]
Other relatives include Olga Hickenlooper (a.k.a. Olga Samaroff), a concert pianist who was the first wife of conductor Leopold Stokowski, and Bourke Hickenlooper, who served as Governor of Iowa and as U.S. Senator from Iowa.[28]
Hickenlooper appears in Kurt Vonnegut's novel, Timequake.[29] In November 2012, Esquire interviewed Hickenlooper as one of the "Americans of the Year 2012".[30] Hickenlooper has been an advocate of bringing the experience of business leaders into government service and has reached out to the business community through events which bring together executives government, education, and corporate sectors such as The IT Summit's IT Conferences. As a result he has been the inspiration for, as well as the focus of, a book on effective governance: Leadocracy, by author and consultant Geoff Smart, in which Smart explores why business leaders should serve in public office in order to make state or local governments run more effectively and efficiently.[31]
References [edit]
- ^ "Hickenlooper Sworn In As Denver's Mayor". The Denver Channel. July 21, 2003. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
- ^ Bedingfield, Steve (October 13, 2010). "How Old is John Hickenlooper? He is a graduate of [http://www.haverford.org/ The Haverford School] an independent boys school in Haverford PA. He is a 1970 graduate.". Politics Daily. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^ "Mile-High Madness", by Rick Reilly, Sports Illustrated, October 2007
- ^ "Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members".
- ^ Gibbs, Nancy (April 17, 2005). "The 5 Best Big City Mayors". Time.
- ^ "Denver v10 year plan to end homelessness".
- ^ O'Driscoll, Patrick (November 3, 2005). "Denver OKs pot". USA Today. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ Hickenlooper, John. State of the City Address 2006 Greenprint Denver.
- ^ Climate Action Plan & Reports Greenprint Denver.
- ^ Bartells, Lynn; Lee, Kurtis (21 March 2013). "3 new gun bills on the books in Colorado despite its Wild West image". Denver Post. pp. 1a,10a.
- ^ "Hickenlooper endorses Ritter for Gov : The Rocky Mountain News".
- ^ DNC host's tax-free gas evaporates : Updates : The Rocky Mountain News
- ^ "Next senator? Hickenlooper". Denver Post. December 21, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
- ^ Osher, Christopher (December 24, 2008). "Denver mayor confirms interest in Senate job". Denver Post. Retrieved December 24, 2008.
- ^ Parnes, Amie (January 3, 2009). "Bennet pick shocks some in Colorado". Denver Post. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
- ^ Knox, Don (January 6, 2010). "Can You Say Gov. Hickenlooper?". State Bill Colorado.
- ^ "Colorado Governor Bill Ritter not running for re-election". 9 News. January 6, 2010.
- ^ Salazar will not enter governor's race. The Denver Post. Jan 7, 2010.
- ^ "John Hickenlooper to run for governor, multiple reports say". Westword. January 12, 2010.
- ^ Bartels, Lynn; Crummy, Karen E. (August 6, 2010). "CSU-Pueblo chief tapped as Hickenlooper's running mate". Denver Post.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Gathright, Alan (August 4, 2006). "Hickenloopers out to forsake their LoDo loft". Rocky Mountain News (Denver Publishing Company). pp. 6A. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
- ^ "Governors-including Hickenlooper-forgoing living in executive mansions" (Denverpost.com)
- ^ "Colorado governor and wife to separate, political future still looks bright". Denver Post. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
- ^ Timpane, John (October 27, 2010). "On campaign trail with John Hickenlooper, Pennsylvania native running for Colorado governor". Inquirer. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (November 22, 2010). "George Hickenlooper's Death Caused by Accidental Overdose". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Sneak peek at Abramoff flick starring Spacey – KIKI RYAN, Politico
- ^ Ealy, Charles. "George Hickenlooper: The life and times of a director". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
- ^ Farrell, Susan (2008). Critical companion to Kurt Vonnegut: a literary reference to his life and work. Infobase. p. 284. ISBN 0-8160-6598-5.
- ^ John Hickenlooper Interview 1212, Esquire Magazine. By Robert Sanchez. November 16, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- ^ Hickenlooper Inspires Book on Leadership, Denver Business Journal. By Ed Sealover. July 3, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
November 9, 2012 - Bill Maher Show - HBO, suggests that "Hickenlooper" be used to describe "taking too big of a bong hit" in recognition of Hickenlooper's stance on the legalization of Cannabis in the state of Colorado. http://sync.democraticunderground.com/10021781730
External links [edit]
- Governor John Hickenlooper official government site
- Hickenlooper for Governor official campaign site
- Profile at CityMayors.com
- Biography at the National Governors Association
- Biography, interest group ratings, public statements, vetoes and campaign finances at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
- Campaign contributions at FollowTheMoney.org
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
- Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
- Collected news and commentary at The Washington Post
- Works by or about John Hickenlooper in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Profile at Notable Names Database
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wellington Webb |
Mayor of Denver 2003–2011 |
Succeeded by Bill Vidal |
| Preceded by Bill Ritter |
Governor of Colorado 2011–present |
Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Bill Ritter |
Democratic nominee for Governor of Colorado 2010 |
Most recent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Joe Biden as Vice President |
Order of Precedence of the United States Within Colorado |
Succeeded by Mayor of city in which event is held |
| Succeeded by Otherwise John Boehner as Speaker of the House of Representatives |
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| Preceded by Dave Heineman as Governor of Nebraska |
Order of Precedence of the United States Outside Colorado |
Succeeded by Jack Dalrymple as Governor of North Dakota |
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- 1952 births
- American food industry businesspeople
- American geologists
- American Quakers
- American restaurateurs
- Businesspeople in real estate
- Colorado Democrats
- Colorado gubernatorial election, 2006
- Democratic Party state governors of the United States
- Governors of Colorado
- Living people
- Mayors of Denver, Colorado
- People from Narberth, Pennsylvania
- Wesleyan University alumni
