Andrew Rice

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = ParadeHighRes (cropped).jpg

| caption = Rice at a parade in Oklahoma City

| name= Andrew Rice

|office = Minority Leader of the Oklahoma Senate

|term_start = 2011

|term_end = 2012

|predecessor = Charlie Laster

|successor = Sean Burrage

| state_senate2= Oklahoma

| district2=46th

| term_start2=November 2006

| term_end2=January 15, 2012

| preceded2= Bernest Cain

| succeeded2= Al McAffrey

| party=Democrat

| birth_date={{birth date and age|mf=yes|1973|04|23}}

| birth_place= Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.

| alma_mater=Christchurch School,
Colby College,
Harvard University

| occupation=Non-profit director

| spouse=Apple Newman

| residence=

}}

Andrew Monroe Rice (born April 23, 1973) is an American civic leader and politician from Oklahoma. He represented Senate District 46 in the Oklahoma State Senate. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for the United States Senate in 2008, losing to incumbent U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe.

Rice worked as Foundation Fundraising Director of Variety Care health systems in Central Oklahoma, a non-profit group which serves moderate income families with health care.

He resigned from his Senate seat January 15, 2012, citing an out-of-state career opportunity for his wife.

In 2020, Rice published a novel, Ghosts of Ursino, and a collection of poems, Luminosity.

Early life

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Rice attended Casady School and graduated from Christchurch School. In 1996, he graduated from Colby College with a bachelor's degree in Religious Studies and in 1999 he earned his masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[http://www.oksenate.gov/senators/biographies/rice_bio.html Oklahoma Senate Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123124309/http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/rice_bio.html |date=2007-01-23 }}, Oklahoma Senate.

From 1996 to 1997 Rice studied drug addiction problems and treatment in urban India. During graduate school, Rice produced a documentary entitled From Ashes which focused on the AIDS epidemic in India.

In 2001, Rice's brother, David Harlow Rice, died in the September 11, 2001 attacks.[http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/06/blue-america-welcomes-andrew-rice-d-ok/ America welcomes Andrew Rice], Firedoglake.com.

State Senate

After winning the Democratic party's three-way primary for Senate district 46 on July 25, 2006, Rice won the general election garnering 69.5 percent of the vote. He was sworn into office on November 16, 2006.[http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/General_Election_2006.html Summary Results, November 16, 2006 General Election], Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed May 15, 2013)

Rice's Senate district encompasses downtown and the urban core of Oklahoma City and covers approximately 71,000 people.[http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/maps.htm District Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818013113/http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/maps.htm |date=2018-08-18 }}, Oklahoma Senate.

In 2010, Rice was re-elected to the Oklahoma State Senate with 68 percent of the vote. For the 2011 & 2012 legislation sessions, Rice was elected by his colleagues to serve as the Senate Democratic Leader making him the highest ranking Democrat in state government.{{Cite web |url=http://oklahoma.watchdog.org/1339/rice-crain-discuss-senate-issues-and-more-with-bricktown-rotarians/ |title=Rice, Crain discuss Senate issues and more with Bricktown Rotarians |access-date=2010-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704181444/http://oklahoma.watchdog.org/1339/rice-crain-discuss-senate-issues-and-more-with-bricktown-rotarians/ |archive-date=2011-07-04 |url-status=dead }}

On October 18, 2011, Rice announced his resignation effective January 15, 2012, citing an out-of-state career opportunity for his wife.{{cite web|title=Senator Andrew Rice resigning seat|url=http://www.news-star.com/article/20111018/NEWS/310189974|website=The Shawnee News|accessdate=December 9, 2016}}

=Sponsored legislation=

File:AndrewTalking.JPG*Cosponsored and helped pass legislation called the "All Kids Act" to add 38,000 Oklahoma children to those eligible for government-sponsored health insurance.

Led a successful effort to make it easier for local governments to donate abandoned properties for use by Habitat for Humanity to construct affordable housing, especially in rural Oklahoma.
Co-author of the legislation creating the Hunger Task Force to tackle the problem of hunger in Oklahoma.
Authored legislation creating a state Veterans Health Insurance Program that provides coverage to uninsured Oklahoma veterans. The legislation was passed by the senate with 45–1 vote.{{cite web |url=http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=682 |title=Senator Andrew Rice Veteran Health Insurance Plan Passes Oklahoma Senate |accessdate=2008-08-26 |last=Scheirman |first=Katharine |date=2008-03-03 |work=VetVoice |publisher=VoteVets.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403053308/http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=682 |archive-date=2009-04-03 |url-status=dead }}

2008 U.S. Senate Election

Rice officially filed as a candidate for the United States Senate from Oklahoma on Monday, June 2, 2008.{{cite web | url=http://www.ok.gov/elections/cflist08.html | title=Oklahoma State Election Board (0270) }} He won the Democratic primary against Jim Rogers on July 29, 2008 but was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2008 by incumbent Republican Jim Inhofe, who won reelection to a fourth term in a landslide.[http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2008_Election_Results/General_Election_2008.html 2008 General Election Results], Oklahoma State Election Board

Personal

In 2004, Rice founded of the Progressive Alliance Foundation which worked throughout the state of Oklahoma advancing progressive, fair-minded and constitutional solutions to public policy problems. He also launched the Red River Democracy Project and was on the board of The People's Opinion Project. For 3 years, Rice was the Executive Director of Teen Recovery Solutions in Oklahoma City, which operates Oklahoma's only accredited recovery High School for teens dealing with addiction, Mission Academy. On September 11, 2001, Rice lost a brother in the 9/11 attacks.

Rice is also a writer. He has published a novel, [https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Ursino-Andrew-Monroe-Rice/dp/1656664682 Ghosts of Ursino], and a collection of poems, [https://www.amazon.com/Luminosity-Spiritual-Ruminations-Deathbed-Stories/dp/B087RGBTMB/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Luminosity].

Rice is married to Dr. Apple Newman Rice who practices medicine in Oklahoma City. They have two sons and reside in Oklahoma City.{{cite web |url=http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/rice_bio.html |title=Oklahoma State Senate - Senators |website=www.oksenate.gov |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123124309/http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/rice_bio.html |archive-date=2007-01-23}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin | title= 2010 Oklahoma General Election - Senate District 46 [http://www.ok.gov/elections/support/10gen.html 2010 elections] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813044737/http://www.ok.gov/elections/support/10gen.html |date=2012-08-13 }}, Oklahoma State Election Board}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Andrew Rice

|votes = 7,548

|percentage = 68.28%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Joshua Jantz

|votes = 3,507

|percentage = 31.72%

|change =

}}

{{Election box begin | title= 2008 Oklahoma General Election - U.S. Senate [http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2008_Election_Results/General_Election_2008.html General Election 2008], Oklahoma State Election Board}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Jim Inhofe

|votes = 763,375

|percentage = 56.68%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Andrew Rice

|votes = 527,736

|percentage = 39.18%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Independent (United States)

|candidate = Stephen P. Wallace

|votes = 55,708

|percentage = 4.14%

|change =

}}

{{Election box begin | title= 2008 Oklahoma Democratic Primary Election - U.S. Senate }}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Andrew Rice

|votes = 113,795

|percentage = 59.65%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Jim Rogers

|votes = 76,981

|percentage = 40.35%

|change =

}}

{{Election box begin | title= 2006 Oklahoma General Election - Senate District 46 {{cite web | url=http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/General_Election_2006.html | title=Oklahoma State Election Board (0270) }}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Andrew Rice

|votes = 7,342

|percentage = 69.53%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Joshua Jantz

|votes = 3,217

|percentage = 30.47%

|change =

}}

{{Election box begin | title= 2006 Oklahoma Democratic Primary Election - Senate District 46 {{cite web|url=http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/Primary_Election_2006.html |title=Unavailable |accessdate=2012-02-22 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225035812/http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/Primary_Election_2006.html |archivedate=2012-02-25 }}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Andrew Rice

|votes = 2,383

|percentage = 60.90%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Rhonda Rudd

|votes = 1,084

|percentage = 27.70%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Drew Dugan

|votes = 446

|percentage = 11.40%

|change =

}}

References

External links

[http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/rice_bio.html Senator Andrew Rice] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123124309/http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/rice_bio.html |date=2007-01-23 }} at the Oklahoma State Senate
[http://www.andrewforoklahoma.com/ Andrew Rice for U.S. Senate] official campaign website
{{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=65051 | fec=S8OK00233 | congress= }}
[http://opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=OKS2&cycle=2008 Campaign contributions] at OpenSecrets.org

{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Oklahoma}}
(Class 2)|years=2008}}

Category:Casady School alumni

Category:Democratic Party Oklahoma state senators

Category:21st-century members of the Oklahoma Legislature

Category:Politicians from Oklahoma City

Category:1973 births

Category:Living people

Category:Colby College alumni

Category:Harvard Divinity School alumni