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Richard Holtorf

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Richard Holtorf
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 63rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 9, 2023
Preceded byRedistricted
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 64th district
In office
December 28, 2019 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byKimmi Lewis
Succeeded byRedistricted
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
EducationColorado State University (BS)
Boston University (MBA)
United States Army War College (MS)
WebsiteState House website

Richard Holtorf is an American politician and rancher serving as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 63rd district, which includes all or part of Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, and Yuma counties, including the communities of Sterling, Fort Morgan, Brush, Yuma, and Wray.[1][2] Prior to 2023 and reapportionment, Holtorf represented the 64th house district. He assumed office on December 28, 2019.[3][4]

Background

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A lifelong resident of Washington County, Holtorf graduated from Akron High School and attended Colorado State University. He was in Army ROTC and was commissioned as an Army aviation officer in 1987. He served in aviation-related jobs in the Army on active duty and in the Army reserve for 29 years. His service included two tours in Afghanistan. He earned a degree from the U.S. Army War College. In 2016, he retired at the rank of colonel. In 2022, he described himself as "a third-generation cattle rancher, feedlot manager, dryland farmer, and state representative".[1]

Political career

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Holtorf was appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives after 64th district incumbent Kimmi Lewis died of cancer in late 2019. The Republican vacancy committee chose Holtorf from a field of five candidates, with Holtorf receiving 76 votes out of 115 delegates.[5][6] Holtorf ran for the seat in 2020 and was elected to a full term.[7]

In the 2020 reapportionment process, Holtorf's residence in Washington County moved from house district 64 to house district 63. District 63 is geographically smaller than the former district 64 and includes Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, and Yuma counties, including the communities of Sterling, Fort Morgan, Brush, Yuma, and Wray.[1][8]

In the 2022 Colorado House of Representatives election, Holtorf ran unopposed, winning 100.00% of the total votes cast.[9]

When the Colorado General Assembly convened on January 9, 2023, Holtorf finished his term in the former district 64 and begin his term in the new district 63.[citation needed]

On November 9, 2023, Holtorf announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to represent Colorado's 4th congressional district in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado. [10] In response to Senate Bill 23-82, a bill which would create a housing voucher and case management program for foster youth, Holtorf in his vote against the measure stated: "Colorado needs to grow up. It's time to grow up and be an adult. And that includes the foster kids... Young people need to know, in this life and this country, you need to get after it. You need to go along and figure it out."[11]

This is despite ample evidence presented for the bill that one in three foster kids become homeless within three years.[11]

In 2020, Holtorf sponsored a bill to ban abortion in Colorado after 22 weeks, but the bill did not pass.[12] In 2023, Holtorf labelled some abortion rights supporters as "godless heathens".[12] In the Colorado House in January 2024, Holtorf discussed his past, stating that he had previously gotten a girlfriend pregnant and helped to pay for her abortion, as he "respected her rights and actually gave her money to help her through her important, critical time so she could live her best life".[12] When Holtorf was questioned about this in June 2024, he said that it was not his "choice", describing himself as "a pro-life Catholic" and urging that "everyone should choose life."[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Richard Holtorf seeking seat for House District 63". Akron News-Reporter. February 28, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  2. ^ Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission (March 18, 2022). "Colorado House District 63 (2021)" (PDF). State of Colorado. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  3. ^ "Representative Richard Holtorf". Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  4. ^ "Richrd Holtorf". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "Richard Holtorf appointed to State House District 64 seat covering southeast Colorado". Kiowa County Press. December 30, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  6. ^ Thomas Phippen (January 15, 2020). "Holtorf sworn in as HD 64 rep". Ag Journal Online. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  7. ^ "2020 abstract of votes cast" (PDF). Colorado Secretary of State. State of Colorado. n.d. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  8. ^ Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission (March 18, 2022). "Colorado House District 63 (2021)" (PDF). State of Colorado. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  9. ^ "Colorado election results: November 8, 2022, general election state representative district 63". Colorado Secretary of State. State of Colorado. n.d. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  10. ^ Birkeland, Bente (November 9, 2023). "State Rep. Richard Holtorf officially joins race for 4th congressional district". CPR News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Housing voucher program for homeless foster youth awaits Polis' signature". Colorado Politics. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Clark, Kyle (January 20, 2024). "Anti-abortion GOP lawmaker praises the impact of the abortion he paid for". 9news.com. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  13. ^ Moye, David (June 14, 2024). "GOP Lawmaker Grilled On Why Abortion Was 'Best Choice' For His Girlfriend, But Not Others". HuffPost. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
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