Pat Stryker

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Pat Stryker
Born 1956/1957 (age 56–57)[1]
Net worth IncreaseUS $ 1.5 billion (est.) (2010)[1]

Patricia A. Stryker[2] (born 1956) is the granddaughter of Homer Stryker, surgeon and founder of Stryker Corporation, a medical technology company.

The low-profile heiress has been more active in civic life in recent years, with an interest in liberal causes. She donated $3 million to defeat a 2002 ballot initiative regarding bilingual education in Colorado. In 2004, she gave $20 million to Colorado State University, mostly to benefit its football team.

Stryker bought Sonoma's Sommer Vineyards in 1999, which she rebuilt, replanted, and rechristened as Stryker Sonoma.[3] It covers 32 acres (129,000 m²) in Alexander Valley, California, producer of classic vinifera varieties Bordeaux and Zinfandel.

Political donations

In 2006, Stryker gave $500,000 to the Coalition for Progress, a political action committee that donated heavily to support Democratic party candidates in Michigan elections.[4]

In 2008, Stryker gave $87,500 to the Presidential Inaugural Committee for President-Elect Barack Obama.[5]

Stryker donated $3 million to defeat a 2002 ballot initiative regarding bilingual education in Colorado.

Following fraud allegations in November 2007 involving Stryker Corp. overbilling for Medicare in South Dakota, Republicans called on Democratic organizations to return donations they had received from Stryker and her brother, Jon Stryker.[6]

The Four Horsemen

Stryker, Jared Polis, Tim Gill, and Rutt Bridges are known in Colorado political circles as "The Four Horsemen" (aka "Gang of Four" or "The Four Millionaires").[7][8] Significant political contributions from the four to favored Democratic candidates has played a role in electing a Democratic majority in Colorado's house and senate.[9][10][11]

Democracy Alliance

According to New York Times reporter Matt Bai, Stryker attended the April 2005 meeting of the Democracy Alliance near Scottsdale, Arizona.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The World's Billionaires: #655 Pat Stryker". Forbes. March 3, 2010. 
  2. ↑ SEC regarding Stryker Corp.
  3. ↑ Stryker Sonoma
  4. ↑ Jon Stryker Strikes Again
  5. ↑ Presidential Inaugural Committee | Inaugural Committee Bundlers
  6. ↑ Stryker siblings face GOP allegations
  7. ↑ Healy, Rita (4 April 2007). "The Gay Mogul Changing U.S. Politics". TIME. Retrieved 8 March 2013. "An hour south of Laramie, in Ft. Collins, lives medical equipment heiress Pat Stryker, who is, along with Gill, known in local political circles as one of 'The Four Millionaires.' (Actually Stryker is a billionaire; her brother Jon is gay and both give generously to gay causes.)" 
  8. ↑ "NYT Reporter Glosses Over Efforts by Big Liberal Donors". Washington Free Beacon. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2013. "Jon Stryker, the brother of Gill’s friend and Colorado Democracy Alliance cofounder Pat Stryker, contributed at least $2 million to Obama’s super PAC Priorities USA. Stryker and Gill are half of the 'Gang of Four' in Colorado politics, along with Jared Polis and Rutt Bridges." 
  9. ↑ http://www.chieftain.com/editorial/1192273201/ Reform? Hardly
  10. ↑ "Denver Best Behind-the-Scenes Political Power Brokers - Jared Polis, Tim Gill, Rutt Bridges and Pat Stryker". Best Of Denver. Westword. 24 March 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2013. "While Republicans made gains in most states across the country (especially the red ones), Democrats achieved majorities in both houses of the Colorado Legislature for the first time in forty years. It wouldn't have added up that way without this fearsome foursome." 
  11. ↑ "Democrats' Colorado Gold Rush Turns Into a Bust". RealClearPolitics. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2013. "In this decade, a group of liberal multimillionaires -- Tim Gill, Rutt Bridges, Jared Polis and Pat Stryker -- developed "the Colorado model," not only funding candidates, but setting up think tanks, advocacy groups and public relations operations designed to oust Republicans and install Democrats." 

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