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Barbara Kirkmeyer

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Barbara Kirkmeyer
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 23rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 13, 2021
Preceded byVicki Marble
Board of County Commissioners of Weld County from the 3rd district
In office
January 1, 1993 – December 31, 2001
Board of County Commissioners of Weld County from the 3rd district
In office
January 1, 2008 – December 31, 2020
Personal details
Born (1958-09-15) September 15, 1958 (age 66)
Political partyRepublican
Children2
EducationUniversity of Colorado, Boulder (BS)
WebsiteCampaign website

Barbara Jean Kirkmeyer (born September 15, 1958)[1] is an American politician serving as a member of the Colorado Senate for District 23, which encompasses parts of Weld and Larimer counties in north-central Colorado.[2] She was the Republican nominee for Colorado's 8th congressional district in the 2022 election, losing to Yadira Caraveo in a close race. Kirkmeyer declined to run for the U.S. House in 2024, instead running for re-election.[3]

Early life and education

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Kirkmeyer has lived in Weld County for 40 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1980.[4]

Career

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Kirkmeyer served for a total of 19 years as a County Commissioner for Weld County, Colorado, having been elected and re-elected five times. Representing the third district, she served from 1993 to 2000 and again from 2009 to 2020. In the interim, Kirkmeyer served as acting director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs under Colorado Governor Bill Owens. In addition, she has served on several boards and commissions, including the Fort Lupton Urban Renewal Authority Board and the Dacono Urban Renewal Authority Board.

In the 2020 Republican primary election for Colorado's 23rd Senate district, Kirkmeyer defeated opponent Rupert Parchment, winning 55.24% of the votes cast.[5] In the 2020 general election, Kirkmeyer defeated her Democratic Party opponent, winning 55.14% of the votes cast.[6] She currently serves on the Senate Education, Local Government, Health and Human Services, and Statutory Revision Committees. She is also Vice Chair of the Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance.[7]

2022 congressional campaign

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Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado § District 8

On November 15, 2021, Kirkmeyer announced she was running to represent Colorado's new 8th congressional district.[8] On June 28, 2022, she won the Republican primary and advanced to the November general election ultimately losing to Democratic opponent, Yadira Caraveo.[9]

During Kirkmeyer's campaign, she notably removed her stances on abortion from her website. She is one of Colorado's most anti-abortion lawmakers, supporting banning the procedure and some forms of contraception and celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade.[10] She did not have to give up her state senate seat to run for Congress; Colorado state senators serve staggered four-year terms, and Kirkmeyer was not up for reelection until 2024.

References

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  1. ^ "Barbara Kirkmeyer (CO-08) Research Report" (PDF). DCCC. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  2. ^ "Legislative District Information After 2011 Reapportionment: Senate District 23" (PDF). Colorado Reapportionment Commission. December 22, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Kim, Caitlyn; Birkeland, Bente. "No rematch in CO-08 — state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer will not challenge Rep. Yadira Caraveo next year". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "...more about Barb Kirkmeyer". Elect Barbara Kirkmeyer for Senate District 23. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "Colorado election results: June 30, 2020 primary election, official results, state senator, district 23, Republican Party". Colorado Secretary of State. October 27, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  6. ^ "Colorado election results: November 3, 2020 general election". Colorado Secretary of State. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  7. ^ "Barbara Kirkmeyer | Colorado General Assembly". leg.colorado.gov. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  8. ^ Aguilar, John (November 15, 2021). "Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer jumps into increasingly crowded 8th Congressional District race". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Luning, Ernest (June 29, 2022). "Barb Kirkmeyer wins four-way GOP primary in Colorado's new 8th CD". The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  10. ^ Roberts, Michael (September 14, 2022). "Colorado Republicans and Abortion: No Longer So Loud and Proud?". Westword. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
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