Alex Valdez
{{Short description|American politician from Colorado}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Alex Valdez.JPG
| name = Alex Valdez
| caption = Valdez in 2020
| state_house = Colorado
| state = Colorado
| district = 5th
| term_start = January 4, 2019
| term_end =
| preceded = Crisanta Duran
| succeeded =
| constituency =
| majority =
| party = Democratic
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|6|3}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
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Alex Valdez is an American politician who is the member of the Colorado House of Representatives. Since 2019, he has represented the 5th House District, which includes Denver.
Background
Valdez grew up in Aurora, Colorado, and attended Rangeview High School. After graduating from Rangeview in 1999, Valdez attended Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach. Valdez then transferred to the University of Colorado Boulder and graduated with a history degree in 2004.
Prior to serving in the Colorado House of Representatives, Valdez founded his own company, EcoMark Solar in 2008. During the Great Recession, EcoMark grew into one of Colorado's largest solar companies. In 2022, Ecomark Solar went out of business after struggling to adjust to economic challenges to the solar industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbb.org/us/co/denver/profile/solar-energy-equipment-dealers/ecomark-solar-1296-90162519 | title=EcoMark Solar | Better Business Bureau® Profile }} Ecomark's closure also lead to a large amount of complaints from customers who paid for systems that were never installed and employees who were never paid for outstanding commissions owed.{{Citation |title=Solar company employees claim they weren't paid | date=January 25, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc25Dy8m5F4 |language=en |access-date=2023-01-26}}{{Cite web |date=2023-01-26 |title=Lawmaker's solar company shuts down, employees claim they're owed money |url=https://kdvr.com/news/local/lawmakers-solar-company-shuts-down-employees-claim-theyre-owed-money/ |access-date=2023-01-26 |website=FOX31 Denver |language=en-US}}
Political career
Valdez was elected in the general election on November 6, 2018, having received 79% of the vote over 19% of the vote to Republican candidate Katherine Whitney.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/06/us/elections/results-colorado-elections.html|title=Colorado Election Results - Election Results 2018 - The New York Times|website=The New York Times|date=November 6, 2018 |access-date=November 24, 2018}}
Valdez was the first ever first-year legislator appointed to a leadership in the Colorado House of Representatives and soon after was named the Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee, Chair of the LGBTQ Caucus, and Chair of the Latino Caucus. Valdez also services on the State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee and recently founded the General Aviation Caucus.
Valdez had a short run for Mayor of Denver which lasted from November 2022 to Jan of 2023.{{Cite web |last=GAZETTE |first=DENVER |title=State Rep. Alex Valdez withdraws from Denver mayor race |url=https://denvergazette.com/premium/state-rep-alex-valdez-withdraws-from-denver-mayor-race/article_b458bc56-9691-11ed-aee0-4b02be618929.html |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Denver Gazette |date=January 17, 2023 |language=en}}
Personal life
References
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{{Colorado House of Representatives|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valdez, Alex}}
Category:Democratic Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives
Category:Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Colorado
Category:LGBTQ state legislators in Colorado
Category:American gay politicians
Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people
Category:21st-century members of the Colorado General Assembly
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