Don Coram
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Don Coram
|image = Don Coram.JPG
|state_senate = Colorado
|district = 6th
|term_start = January 11, 2017
|term_end = January 9, 2023
|predecessor = Ellen Roberts
|successor = Cleave Simpson (Redistricted)
|state_house1 = Colorado
|district1 = 58th
|term_start1 = January 12, 2011
|term_end1 = January 11, 2017
|predecessor1 = Scott Tipton
|successor1 = Marc Catlin
|birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|73|2022|1|7}}
|birth_place = Montrose, Colorado, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|website = {{URL|doncoram.com|Official website}}
}}
Don Coram (born 1948){{cite web |url=https://coloradosun.com/2022/01/07/don-coram-lauren-boebert-gop-primary/ |title=Don Coram makes it official. He'll challenge Lauren Boebert in the GOP primary. |date=January 7, 2022 |work=The Colorado Sun |first=Nancy |last=Lofholm}}{{cite web |url=https://coloradosun.com/2022/05/23/lauren-boebert-don-coram-gop-primary-2/ |title=Where's Don Coram? Lauren Boebert's GOP challenger says his late start is all part of the plan. |date=May 23, 2022 |work=The Colorado Sun |first=Nancy |last=Lofholm}} is an American politician who served as a member of the Colorado Senate and the Colorado House of Representatives.{{cite web |url= http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/125548 |title= Don Coram's Biography |publisher= Project Vote Smart |access-date= January 9, 2014}} In the state senate, he represented District 6, comprising the counties of Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, San Juan, and San Miguel. In the Colorado House of Representatives he represented District 58 from January 2011 to January 2017. In 2022, Coram ran against Lauren Boebert in the Republican primary for Colorado's 3rd congressional district. On June 28, 2022, Boebert defeated Coram by 31 points.[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/113964/web.285569/#/detail/106 REPRESENTATIVE TO THE 118TH UNITED STATES CONGRESS - DISTRICT 3 - REPUBLICAN PARTY], Colorado Secretary of State, June 28, 2022.
Career
Coram operates a hemp farm and coffee shop.{{Cite web|last=Press|first=Michael Cox Special to the Montrose Daily|title=Don Coram talks hemp and water|url=https://www.montrosepress.com/news/don-coram-talks-hemp-and-water/article_378d120e-fb8e-11e9-b2e3-2b34eaa66699.html|access-date=2020-06-12|website=Montrose Daily Press|date=October 31, 2019 |language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2012-05-15|title=Colorado lawmaker and his gay son split on civil unions bill|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2012/05/15/colorado-lawmaker-and-his-gay-son-split-on-civil-unions-bill-3/|access-date=2022-02-19|website=The Denver Post|language=en-US}}
Prior to his time in the Legislature, Coram served on board of the Montrose County School District. In the Colorado House of Representatives, Coram succeeded Scott Tipton, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives.
After former State Senator Ellen Roberts resigned at the end of 2016, a vacancy committee elected Coram to serve for the remainder of her term. He resigned as state representative and was sworn in as a state senator on January 11, 2017.Alderton, Stephanie. [https://durangoherald.com/articles/126552-don-coram-will-replace-ellen-roberts-in-colorado-senate Don Coram will replace Ellen Roberts in Colorado Senate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111015204/https://durangoherald.com/articles/126552-don-coram-will-replace-ellen-roberts-in-colorado-senate |date=2017-01-11 }}. The Durango Herald, January 7, 2017. Viewed: 2017-01-13.
A supporter of marijuana legalization and LGBT rights, Coram has been characterized as a moderate Republican.{{Cite web|first=Patrick|last=Armijo|date=October 7, 2018|title=Rancher vs. engineer battle in state Senate District 6|url=https://durangoherald.com/articles/244728|access-date=2020-06-12|website=Durango Herald|language=en|archive-date=2018-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008125133/https://durangoherald.com/articles/244728|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|date=2019-07-17|title=One Colorado's LGBTQ Equality 2019 Legislative Scorecard|url=https://one-colorado.org/new/one-colorados-lgbtq-equality-2019-legislative-scorecard/|access-date=2020-06-12|website=One Colorado|language=en-US}}
Coram sponsored a bill during the 2021 session of the Colorado General Assembly that would require the Colorado Department of Education to modify existing academic standards to address civics education, including the "history, culture, and social contributions” of ethnic, racial, and religious minority groups, to assure that students acquire an understanding of "how laws are enacted at the federal, state, and local government levels,” and to inform students about “the methods by which citizens shape and influence government and governmental actions.”{{cite news |last1=Lacey |first1=Hank |title=Bipartisan Bill Would Mandate an Update to Civics Education |url=http://lawweekcolorado.com |access-date=25 March 2021 |agency=Law Week Colorado |issue=11 |publisher=Circuit Media |date=15 March 2021 |volume=19 |pages=6, 22 |language=English |format=print}} SB21-067 is a bipartisan measure, co-sponsored in the Colorado State Senate by Chris Hansen of Denver and in the Colorado House of Representatives by Barbara McLachlan and Terri Carver.
Elections
- 2022: Coram announced his run for the Republican nomination in Colorado's 3rd congressional district. Other candidates include incumbent representative Lauren Boebert and crane operator Marina Zimmerman.{{cite web |url=https://coloradosun.com/2022/01/05/lauren-boebert-don-coram-gop-primary/ |title=Republican state Sen. Don Coram will run to unseat Lauren Boebert |date=January 5, 2022 |work=The Colorado Sun |first=Jesse |last=Paul}} On June 28, 2022, he lost the election 65.31% to 34.69% to Boebert.
- 2012: Coram ran unopposed for the June 26, 2012 Republican Primary, winning with 6,757 votes,{{cite web|title=2012 Republican Party state representatives primary results|url=http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/2012/primary/republican/stateReps.html|access-date=January 9, 2014|publisher=Secretary of State of Colorado|location=Denver, Colorado}} and won the three-way November 6, 2012 General election with 22,071 votes (62.1%) against Democratic nominee Tammy Theis and Libertarian candidate Jeff Downs.{{cite web|title=2012 General election state representatives results|url=http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/2012/general/representatives.html|access-date=January 9, 2014|publisher=Secretary of State of Colorado|location=Denver, Colorado}}
- 2010: When District 58 Republican Representative Scott Tipton ran for the United States House of Representatives and left the District 58 seat open, Coram was unopposed for the August 10, 2010 Republican Primary, winning with 8,701 votes,{{cite web|title=Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2010 Primary & 2010 General|url=http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/vote/Abstract20110630.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030121405/http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/vote/Abstract20110630.pdf|archive-date=October 30, 2014|access-date=January 9, 2014|publisher=Secretary of State of Colorado|location=Denver, Colorado|page=98}} and won the November 2, 2010 General election with 20,275 votes (64.4%) against Democratic nominee James Perrin.{{cite web|title=Official Publication of the Abstract of Votes Cast for the 2010 Primary & 2010 General|url=http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/vote/Abstract20110630.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030121405/http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/vote/Abstract20110630.pdf|archive-date=October 30, 2014|access-date=January 9, 2014|publisher=Secretary of State of Colorado|location=Denver, Colorado|page=134}}
References
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External links
- [http://leg.colorado.gov/legislators/don-coram Official page] at the Colorado General Assembly
- [http://doncoram.com/ Campaign site]
- {{C-SPAN|109574}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coram, Don}}
Category:21st-century members of the Colorado General Assembly
Category:Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
Category:Republican Party Colorado state senators
Category:Republican Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives