Heidi Ganahl
{{Short description|American businessperson and entrepreneur}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Heidi Ganahl
| image = Heidi Ganahl New.jpg
| office = Member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents
from the at-large district
| term_start = January 11, 2017
| term_end = January 5, 2023
| predecessor = Steve Bosley
| successor = Seat abolished
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|09|09}}
| birth_place = Orange County, California, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| education = University of Colorado, Boulder (BBA)
University of Denver (MHA)
| website = {{url|heidiganahl.com|Official website}}
}}
Heidi Ganahl (born September 9, 1966){{cite web |url=https://www.cpr.org/2022/06/20/heidi-ganahl-is-some-republicans-latest-hope-for-colorado-can-she-get-past-the-primary |title=Heidi Ganahl Is Some Republicans' Latest Hope for Colorado. Can She Get Past the Primary? |date=June 20, 2022 |accessdate=June 29, 2022 |first=Andrew |last=Kenney |publisher=Colorado Public Radio}} is an American businesswoman, entrepreneur, author, and formerly an elected member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents.{{cite web |url=https://www.cu.edu/regents/meet-regents/view-all-regents/heidi-ganahl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124034324/https://www.cu.edu/regents/meet-regents/view-all-regents/heidi-ganahl |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2019 |title=Heidi Ganahl}} She is the founder and former CEO of Camp Bow Wow, an international pet care franchise. In November 2016, she was elected Regent of the University of Colorado.{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_30552047/heidi-ganahl-early-lead-cus-board-regents-race|title=With Heidi Ganahl win, Republicans retain majority on CU Board of Regents |access-date=November 26, 2016}} As of {{CURRENTYEAR}}, she is the most recent Republican to hold statewide office in Colorado.Paul, Jesse (September 10, 2021). [https://coloradosun.com/2021/09/10/heidi-ganahl-candidacy-colorado/ "Republican Heidi Hanahl files to run for Colorado governor in 2022"]. The Colorado Sun. Retrieved September 21, 2021. "The University of Colorado regent, who is the only Republican official who holds statewide office, was expected to formally announce her bid next week."
Ganahl was the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado in the 2022 election, losing to Democrat Jared Polis.
Background and education
Ganahl was born in Orange County, California where she lived until she was 12. Her family then moved to Monument, Colorado, where she attended Lewis-Palmer High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Colorado Boulder, followed by a master's degree in healthcare administration from the University of Denver. In the spring of 1994, her husband, Bion Flammang, died in a plane crash.[http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7054768 The Denver Post][http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-dunn/women-in-business-qa-with_b_5310501.html Huffington Post]
Career
In her early years, Ganahl worked for the advertising firms Chapman Warwick and Salvati Montgomery Sakoda. She then held positions in account management at DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Rhone Poulenc (now Sanofi-Aventis), and founded the Maginot Group. She also launched a baby room catalog company, Nursery Works. In 2000, she launched Camp Bow Wow, which is now North America's largest and fastest-growing pet care franchise. Camp Bow Wow was acquired in August 2014 by VCA, Inc.{{cite news |title=VCA to Acquire Camp Bow Wow Chain |website=The Wall Street Journal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202075504/https://www.wsj.com/articles/vca-to-acquire-camp-bow-wow-chain-1407175570 |archive-date=2023-02-02 |url-status=live |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/vca-to-acquire-camp-bow-wow-chain-1407175570 |last1=Dezember |first1=Ryan }} Ganahl is also the founder and president of the Colorado-based [https://fightback.foundation/ Fight Back Foundation], which funds and mentors social entrepreneurs seeking to help kids in Colorado.
In 2015, Ganahl was appointed by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to the School Safety and Youth in Crisis Committee established by Colorado Senate Bill 15-214, to study school safety and threat prevention in public and private schools, programs and methods for identifying and monitoring students in crisis, standardized protocols for school personnel for assessing potential threats, and the implementation of the Claire Davis School Safety Act.[https://web.archive.org/web/20151004051958/https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/SSYICIC%20Committee%20Charge%20Memo%20Final.pdf Colorado Legislative Council Staff, Memorandum]
In 2019, Ganahl launched the lifestyle brand SheFactor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2019/05/30/this-ceo-is-leading-a-bold-new-movement-to-empower-women-tackling-life-after-college/|title=This CEO Of $100 Million Brand Launched An App To Set Women Up For Success After College|last=Castrillon|first=Caroline|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=July 24, 2019}}
CU Board of Regents
{{BLP one source|section|date=September 2021}}
Ganahl was elected to the CU Board of Regents as an at-large member in 2016. She wants to see more conservatives (student, staff and faculty levels) at the university.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cpr.org/show-segment/new-cu-regent-on-paying-for-college-and-the-need-for-more-conservatives-on-campus/|title = New CU Regent on Paying for College, and the Need for More Conservatives on Campus| date=January 11, 2017 }} Ganahl also recently sponsored an anti-critical race theory proposition in an effort that was seen as an attempt to impose external controls on the academic freedom of faculty at the University of Colorado. The proposition was defeated in a 3-6 vote of the Board. Regents Ganahl, Chance Hill, and Susan Sharkey voted for the proposition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.colorado.edu/today/2021/11/05/cu-regents-approve-compensation-plan-discuss-academic-freedom-more|title = CU Regents Approve Compensation Plan, Discuss Academic Freedom| date=November 5, 2021 }}
2022 Colorado gubernatorial race
{{BLP one source|section|date=September 2021}}
On September 10, 2021, Ganahl filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's office indicating that she was seeking the Republican nomination for Governor of Colorado in the 2022 election.{{cite news |last=Luning |first=Ernest |date=September 10, 2021 |title=Polis challenger Republican Heidi Ganahl files paperwork to run for Colorado governor |url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/denver-gazette/polis-challenger-republican-heidi-ganahl-files-paperwork-to-run-for-colorado-governor/article_d15cc22a-1276-11ec-b573-53d89042cde7.html |work=Colorado Politics |location= |access-date=September 10, 2021}}
On June 28, 2022, Ganahl secured the GOP nomination for Governor of Colorado. On November 8, 2022, Ganahl lost to Democratic incumbent Jared Polis by a margin of 58.5% to 39.2%.{{cite web |last1=Campbell-Hicks |first1=Jennifer |title=Heidi Ganahl wins Colorado GOP gubernatorial primary over Greg Lopez |url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/politics/elections/candidates/colorado-primary-election-results-governor/73-b4ce98a8-6047-449f-ac37-f7cafa50610e |website=KUSA.com |access-date=29 June 2022 |date=June 28, 2022}}{{cite web | url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3714613-polis-wins-reelection-in-colorado-governors-race/ | title=Polis wins reelection in Colorado governor's race | date=November 9, 2022 }}
Political positions
= Trump and the 2020 election =
Ganahl considers herself to be a supporter of president Donald Trump. Ganahl has declined to state if the results of the 2020 presidential election are legitimate.{{Cite news|last=Zelinger|first=Marshall|date=September 14, 2021|title=As she enters Colorado governor's race, Ganahl won't say if 2020 election was fraudulent|work=9News KUSA-TV|location=Denver, CO|url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/colorado-governors-race-ganahl/73-ea393ee5-a27f-4f1c-95cb-e72bdaeb8d79|access-date=September 20, 2021}}{{Cite web|last=Burness|first=Alex|date=2021-09-16|title=The Spot: Where you (and Heidi Ganahl) stand on 2020 election results is a litmus test|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2021/09/16/the-spot-heidi-ganahl-2020-election/|access-date=2021-09-19|website=The Denver Post|language=en-US}} After the 2020 presidential election, Ganahl praised John Eastman, a controversial lawyer who incorrectly claimed that Kamala Harris is not an American citizen and wouldn't be eligible to be Vice President. Eastman also helped Trump in his attempts to overturn the election results.{{Cite web|last=Schmidt|first=Madeleine|date=2021-09-10|title=Who Is Heidi Ganahl, Republican Candidate for Colorado Governor?|url=https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2021/09/who-is-heidi-ganahl-republican-candidate-for-colorado-governor/38946/|access-date=2021-09-19|website=Colorado Times Recorder|language=en-US}}
In a November 2021 event, Ganahl suggested that winning by large margins will override election fraud, implying that substantial voter fraud exists.{{Cite web|last=Zelinger|first=Marshall|date=November 29, 2021|title=Ganahl: Win big to override election rigging|url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/ganahl-win-big-to-override-election-rigging-colorado-governor/73-6daf867c-cac3-47ba-bd3f-0f8bd3f34ed7|access-date=2022-01-08|website=9news.com|language=en-US}} In the same event, Ganahl also endorsed a political group that pushes claims of election fraud in the 2020 election.{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Colorado Newsline|date=7 December 2021|title=Election conspiracy group 'doing great things,' governor candidate Ganahl says|url=https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/election-conspiracy-group-heidi-ganahl/|access-date=2022-01-08|website=Colorado Newsline|language=en-US}} While praising the election system in Colorado, Ganahl also expressed uncertainty over the election process of other states during the 2020 election.{{Cite web|last=Salzman|first=Jason|date=2021-12-09|title=Some CO Republicans Conceal their View on 2020 Election, Saying they Can't 'Speak' for 'Other States'|url=https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2021/12/multiple-co-republicans-conceal-their-view-on-election-conspiracy-question-by-saying-they-cant-speak-for-other-states/41749/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Colorado Times Recorder|language=en-US}} Similarly, Ganahl has raised doubt about the election, voicing concern over what she perceived as "rules being weakened before the [2020] election in some states".{{Cite web|last=Salzman|first=Jason|date=2022-02-08|title=Ganahl Raises Doubts About 2020 Presidential Race|url=https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2022/02/ganahl-raises-doubts-about-2020-presidential-race/42876/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Colorado Times Recorder|language=en-US}}
= Healthcare =
In the 2021 legislative session, Ganahl opposed the Colorado Affordable Health Care Option, a measure that aimed at lowering healthcare costs by creating a public health insurance option. Writing an op-ed and referring to a brain tumor she got removed, Ganahl stated “The proposed Colorado Affordable Health Care Option is not the broad solution politicians claim. With unintended consequences to quality and access, it may force hospitals to eliminate some critical functions. It may even endanger miracles like mine.”
= Education =
Ganahl is opposed to proposals offering tuition-free enrollment in community colleges. In regards to sexual assault on campus, Ganahl has acknowledged it as a serious issue but has downplayed its prevalence, saying “Twenty-eight percent of students at CU said that they had been sexually assaulted, but it included all kinds of things like inappropriate touching, and catcalling, etc. I think the actual rape number was nine percent […] it’s still nine percent too many. But you know, that’s self-reported, so.”
Ganahl has claimed that conservatives at colleges are being "silenced" and has attempted to form organizations that promote conservative viewpoints on-campus.
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.heidiforgovernor.com Website]
- {{C-SPAN|98806}}
References
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{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Governor of Colorado|years=2022}}
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Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century Colorado politicians
Category:American women chief executives
Category:Businesspeople from Orange County, California
Category:Candidates in the 2022 United States elections
Category:People from Monument, Colorado
Category:University of Colorado Boulder alumni
Category:University of Colorado regents