Charles J. Colgan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Joseph Colgan
Member of the Virginia State Senate from the 29th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 1976

Born	September 25, 1926 (1926-09-25) (age 81) Frostburg, Maryland
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Agnes Footen
Profession	founder, Colgan Airways Company
Religion	Roman Catholic

Charles J. "Chuck" Colgan (born in Frostburg, Maryland on September 25, 1926) is a longtime member of the Virginia State Senate. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and United States Air Force. He is a member of the Roman Catholic Church and has been a state senator since 1976. His district has included the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park his entire career and continues to include vast swaths of Prince William County.

Colgan ran against Prince William County Clerk of Court Dave Mabie in 2003. Colgan had wanted to retire, but was persuaded by Governor Mark Warner to run again, in order to keep the seat in Democratic hands; the district, unlike most areas of Northern Virginia, has a significant Republican tilt at the federal level.

Despite his word that 2003 would be Colgan's final campaign, Governor Tim Kaine asked him to run for reelection in the Spring of 2007. Colgan faced Republican Bob FitzSimmonds in the November general election, and emerged victorious, winning a ninth Senate term by a 54-46 margin.

Colgan has been both the senior Senator and the senior Democrat in the Virginia State Senate for some time. Now that the Democratic Party is the majority party in the Senate following the 2007 elections, Colgan will serve as the President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia. With the Democrats holding majority status, Colgan will also claim the chairmanship of the powerful Senate Finance Committee.