Chris Coons
Christopher A. Coons | |
|---|---|
| New Castle County County Executive | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 9, 1963 Connecticut |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Height | 160 |
| Spouse | Annie Lingenfelter |
| Residence | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Alma mater | Yale Divinity School (M.A.R.) Yale Law School (J.D.) Amherst College (B.A.) |
| Website | Chris Coons for U.S. Senate |
Christopher A. Coons (born September 9, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware, and is the County Executive of New Castle County. On February 10, 2010, he declared his candidacy for the Senate seat vacated by then Vice President-elect Joe Biden, himself a former member of the New Castle County council.[1]
Early life and family
Coons grew up in Hockessin, Delaware, married Annie Lingenfelter, and has three children. They live in Wilmington, Delaware. He graduated from Amherst College in 1985 with a B.A. in Chemistry and Political Science, earning a Truman Scholarship. After college, Coons worked in Washington, D.C., for the Investor Responsibility Research Center, where he wrote a book on South Africa and the U.S. divestment movement. He then worked as a volunteer for the South African Council of Churches and as a relief worker in Kenya, before returning to the U.S. to work for the Coalition for the Homeless in New York. In 1988, Coons worked as issues director for the U.S. Senate race of Delaware Lt. Gov. S.B. Woo. In 1992, he earned his J.D. degree from Yale Law School, and a master's degree in Ethics from Yale Divinity School.
Professional career
Coons clerked for Judge Jane Richards Roth on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and then worked for the National "I Have a Dream" Foundation in New York. After returning to Delaware in 1996, Coons began his career as in-house counsel for W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Newark, Delaware-based makers of Gore-Tex fabrics and other high-tech materials. There he was responsible for the ethics training program, federal government relations, e-commerce legal work, and for general commercial contracting. In 1999, he was awarded the Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Award for his work with the "I Have a Dream" Foundation of Delaware, the Governor's Mentoring Council, and the United Way of Delaware.
Political career
Coons was elected as a delegate from Wilmington to the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Coons was first elected county-wide in 2000 and served a four year term as New Castle County Council President before being elected County Executive in 2004. He was the endorsed candidate of the New Castle County Democratic Party in 2008, and was re-elected as County Executive on September 9, 2008, by defeating his predecessor by an overwhelming majority in the democratic primary. Mr. Coons was re-elected on November 4, 2008, and was sworn in for a second term on January 6, 2009. He has made job growth, public safety, and fiscal responsibility a priority during his administration. Template:Fact2
Coons has announced that he will run in the 2010 special election for the U.S. Senate.[2][dead link]
Public offices
The County Executive of New Castle County takes office the first Tuesday of January and has a term of four years.
| Office | Type | Location | Elected | Took Office | Left Office | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Council | Legislature | Wilmington | 2000 | January 2, 2001 | January 4, 2005 | President |
| County Executive | Executive | Wilmington | 2004 | January 4, 2005 | Re-Elected |
Election results
| Year | Office | Election | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||
| 2000 | County Council | Primary | Christopher A. Coons | Democratic | 7,520 | 48% | Vincent D'Anna Martha Denison Dwight L. Davis |
Democratic | 3,220 2,414 2,370 |
21% 16% 15% | ||
| 2000 | County Council | General | Christopher A. Coons | Democratic | 113,050 | 56% | Michael Ramone | Republican | 87,462 | 44% | ||
| 2004 | County Executive | Primary | Christopher A. Coons | Democratic | 17,584 | 67% | Sherry Freebery Richard Korn |
Democratic | 4,702 4,130 |
18% 15% | ||
| 2004 | County Executive | General | Christopher A. Coons | Democratic | 131,397 | 58% | Christopher Castagno | Republican | 93,424 | 42% |