George Kuykendall (R-CO)

[Gamerboy]

 

George Harrison Kuykendall, JD

Name: George Kuykendall

Date of Birth: February 26, 1961 (55 years old)

Place of Birth: Farmington, New Mexico

Place of Residence: Grand Junction, Colorado   

Political Party: Republican Party 

Faction: Republican Study Committee

Religion: Christianity

Character: J.B. Pritzker

Race: White

Family History: 

Spouse(s): Caroline Garrett (m. 1989)

Child(ren): 

• Michelle Kuykendall (b. 1992)
• Emma Kuykendall (b. 1995)

Parent(s): Lincoln Kuykendall (1935 – present) and Judy Sinclair (1936 – present)

Educational History: 

University of Colorado Boulder – Bachelor of Arts in History (g. 1983)

University of Colorado Law School – Juris Doctorate (g. 1986)

Employment History:

Law Clerk for the United States District of Colorado (1986 – 1987)

Attorney for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP (1987 – 1989)

Assistant Director of Compliance to FirstBank Holding Co (1989 – 1990)

Senior of Business Operations for FirstBank Holding Co (1990 – 1993)

United States House of Representatives – CO 3^rd (1993 – 1999)

Governor of Colorado (1999 – 2007)

Chief Executive Officer for DISH Network Corporation (2008 – 2014)

United States Senate – Class II (2015 – present)

 

Biography:

George Harrison Kuykendall was born in Farmington, New Mexico on February 26, 1961, to State Court Judge Lincoln Kuykendall and CPA Judy Sinclair. He has one brother, former AUSA and Criminal Defense Attorney William Kuykendall. After five months of dating, he married Air Force Veteran, Caroline Garrett in 1989. George and Caroline have two daughters: Michelle and Emma. 

 

Kuykendall was a clerk for the United States District of Colorado until 1987, after his clerkship he joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP. He focused on tax law and business law. In 1989, he became an Assistant Director of Compliance for FirstBank Holding Co, and due to him saving the company millions of dollars in his first. For three years, he had the role of Senior of Business Operations for FirstBank Holding Co. In 1992, he decided to run for Colorado House of Representatives however after Congressman Nighthorse Campbell announced he would run for the United States Senate; Kuykendall switched to Colorado’s 3^rd congressional district election. He went on to win the seat. 

 

Congressman Kuykendall joined the Wednesday Group in 1995, then after solely caucusing with the Republican Study Committee due to his shift more to the right. It was suspected that he would run for re-election then made a surprise announcement to run for Colorado’s governorship. He went on to defeat Colorado State Treasurer Bill Owens and Colorado Senate President Tom Norton in a three-way. He went on to defeat Lieutenant Governor Gail Schoettler in the general election becoming the first Republican Governor in 24 years. 

 

Under Governor Kuykendall’s leadership, he was a champion of tax cuts on sales, personal income, capital gains, and the elimination of Colorado’s marriage tax penalty. He had a slew of accomplishments under his belt as Governor. He went on to win re-election by 29 points. On January 1, 2008, it was announced that he would become the Chief Executive Officer of DISH Network Corporation as CEO Kuykendall worked to acquire TerreStar Corporation and Blockbuster. 

 

He did face criticism for his vocal support of the Tea Party Movement as a Businessman. He made a statement saying that "Obama and his political cronies of the Democratic Party, Socialist, and liberal Republican are making the federal government so big that the American people have no power. In 2014, he announced he would run for United States Senate. He resigned as Chief Executive Officer for DISH after he won the Republican Primary. Kuykendall went on to defeat incumbent Senator Mark Udall by 39,688 votes. 

 

Senator Kuykendall is known for his support for the Tea Party Movement but is still considered the middle-of-the-wheel Republican. 

 

Election History:

1998 Colorado gubernatorial election:

Popular Vote: 648,202

Percentage: 49.1%

 

2002 Colorado gubernatorial election:

Popular Vote: 884,583

Percentage: 62.62%

 

2014 United States Senate election in Colorado:

Popular Vote: 983,891

Percentage: 48.21%

 

 

Family History:

• Lincoln Clark Kuykendall was born in Grand Junction, Colorado on March 2, 1935. He joined the United States Army at 17 to fight in the Korean War. After 8 years of service and a Purple Heart later he retired as a Staff Sergeant. He met Judy Sinclair who was a nurse in the United States Army when he was injured and later married her in 1960. After he graduated from New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts with an Associate in English (1962), and a Bachelor of English from the University of New Mexico (1964). Lincoln and his family left the farm life to go back to his hometown to assist his mother in Grand Junction in 1969. He received his law degree from the University of Colorado Law School (1974). He was a public defender for the State of Colorado for 6 years before becoming a federal public defender in 1980. In 1989, he started his tenure as a Colorado District Judge. 
• Judy Sinclair was born in Lindrith, New Mexico on October 11, 1936. She is the daughter of fifth fifth-generation rancher. She graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor's in Nursing, then she joined the United States Army Nurse Corps. After falling in love, she was honorably discharged when she married Lincoln in 1960. They moved to a city called Farmington, New Mexico after when they came home to help assist her family farm. Together they have two sons, William and George who were both born in Farmington, New Mexico. In 1971, he received her Certificated Public Accountant and was CPA for a Saint Mary's Medical Center until she retired in 2010. 
• William Victor Kuykendall was born in Farmington, New Mexico on October 1, 1965. He is named after his paternal grandfather, William Kuykendall Jr. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1987 and then from the University of Colorado Law School in 1990. He clerked for his Colorado Court of Appeals and then became county prosecutor for 4 years before becoming an assistant United States Attorney for the District of Colorado until 2006. He founded his law firm with his wife called Bill, Bev, & Associates, PLLC. 
• Caroline Garret was born in Denver, Colorado on April 19, 1961, as the only child of working-class parents. She graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1983 and she retired in 2006 as Colonel of the United States Air Force. She met George for the first time on a field trip to the State Capitol while they were in high school. They met while he was on a busy trip to D.C, after which they began dating. They married in 1989. Caroline and George have two daughters: Michelle and Emma. 
• Michelle Felicity Kuykendall-Mann was born on April 30, 1992, in Grand Junction, Colorado. She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor's in Political Science in 2014. She works as a Public Policy Advisor for the Colorado Republican Party. She married her high school sweetheart, Dashaun Mann. 
• Emma Angela Kuykendall was born on November 8, 1995, in Grand Junction, Colorado. She graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor's in Economics in 2015. She works as an Economic Policy Analyst for a Colorado bank. 

 

Fun Facts:

• The First Republican governor of Colorado since the election of 1970.
• He is a part of the Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Gamma Omega.

 

Voting History

103th United States Congress

North American Free Trade Agreement - Aye

104th United States Congress

Helms-Burton Act - Aye

Defense of Marriage Act - Aye

105th United States Congress

Balanced Budget Act of 1997 - Aye

Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997

 

Political Candidate Support:

1992 Presidential Republican Primary and General Election: George H.W. Bush 

1992 Colorado Senate election: Terry Considine

1994 Colorado Governor primary & general election: Bruce D. Benson

1996 Presidential Republican Primary and General Election: Bob Dole

1996 Colorado Senate election: Wayne Allard

1998 Colorado Senate election: Ben Nighthorse Campbell

2000 Presidential Republican Primary: John McCain

2000 Presidential General Election: George W. Bush

2002 Colorado Senate election: Wayne Allard

2004 Presidential Republican Primary and General Election: George W. Bush

2004 Colorado Senate election: Pete Coors

2006 Colorado Governor primary & general election: Bob Beauprez

2008 Presidential Republican Primary: Mitt Romney

2008 Presidential General Election: John McCain

2008 Colorado Senate election: Bob Schaffer

2010 Colorado Governor primary election: Scott McInnis

2010 Colorado Senate election: Ken Buck

2012 Presidential Republican Primary and General Election: Mitt Romney

2014 Colorado Governor primary & general election: Bob Beauprez

2016 Colorado Senate election: Darryl Glenn

 

Points:

Gender: Male (0)

Age: 55 (0)

Sexuality: Straight, married with 2 children (-5)

Race: White (0)

Religion: Christianity (0)

Education:

1. Bachelor from CU Boulder (5)
2. JD from CU (10)

Family History: Top 5% Class (-10)

Career Information:

1. Lawyer: 10 pts
2. Business Associate: 10 pts
3. CEO: 30 pts

Political Experience:

1. US House – 3 terms: 9 pts
2. Governor – 2 terms: 40 pts

Awards and Extras: 0

Total: 99 points

 

More to come!

Edited February 27 by Gamerboy

[Jack]

Support for the Tea Party in Colorado, I can’t wait to see your reelection bid in 6 years. 

 

APPROVED 

[Gamerboy]

Switching to another Republican senator 

[DMH]

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