| Sue Schafer | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 24th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2009[1] |
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| Preceded by | Cheri Jahn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Portland, Maine |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Wheat Ridge, Colorado |
| Website | sueschafer.com |
Sue Schafer is an educator and legislator from the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2008, Schafer represents House District 24, which encompasses the cities of Wheat Ridge, Edgewater, and Arvada.[2]
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Born in Portland, Maine, Schafer holds a bachelor's degree in secondary education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master's degree in counseling from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a doctorate in education from the University of Northern Colorado. She also holds a principal's license from Colorado State University.[3]
She has taught social studies and French in Denver public schools, worked as a counselor in Omaha Public Schools and at Skagit Valley Community College in Mt. Vernon, Washington, and spent two decades as the curriculum director and accreditation manager for the Colorado Department of Education. She has served on the Executive Board of the Colorado High School Activities Association, won the Contribution Award from the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Colorado Art Education Association. Most recently, Schafer has worked as an educational consultant for low-performing schools.[3]
Schafer has been a member of the Wheat Ridge Senior/Community Center Advisory Committee, the Wheat Ridge 2020 Urban Renewal Planning Committee, the League of Women Voters, and Wheat Ridge Congregational United Church of Christ.[3]
She served as a legislative intern in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2006 and has been both a precinct captain[3] and the chair of the Democratic Party in the 24th district for eight years.[4]
Schafer, a lesbian,[5] has two daughters and lives in Wheat Ridge, Colorado with her partner.[3] She is one of four openly LGBT members of the Colorado General Assembly, alongside Rep. Mark Ferrandino (D–Denver), as well as Sens. Pat Steadman (D–Denver) and Lucía Guzmán (D–Denver).
Sue Schafer narrowly defeated Denver Regional Transportation District Director Dave Ruchman[6] in the contested Democratic primary in August, winning by only 29 votes, with 50.29% of ballots cast;[7] the race was not decided until several days after the primary election.[8]
Schafer faced Republican Cheryl Palm in the November 2008 general election. Schafer's candidacy was endorsed by the Denver Post,[9] the Golden Transcript, and the Wheat Ridge Transcript.[10] She easily won the general election with 62 percent of the votes cast and took office on January 7, 2009.[11]
For the 2009 legislative session, Schafer was named to seats on the House Education Committee and the House Local Government Committee.[12]
Schafer's first bill of the 2009 session, a measure requiring that flight schools train pilots in both takeoff and landing procedures, passed the state house unanimously.[13]
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