Janice Rich

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Janice Rich

| image = Colorado Senator Janice Rich in 2023.jpg

| caption = Rich in 2023

| alt = Rich speaking on the floor of the Colorado Senate

| state_senate = Colorado

| district = 7th

| term_start = January 9, 2023

| term_end =

| predecessor = Ray Scott

| successor =

| state_house1 = Colorado

| district1 = 55th

| term_start1 = January 4, 2019

| term_end1 = January 9, 2023

| predecessor1 = Dan Thurlow

| successor1 = Rick Taggart

| birth_name = Janice Ann Ward{{cite web | url=https://www.janicerichforcolorado.com/about | title=About }}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|11|18}}

| birth_place = Midlothian, Texas

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = American

| party = Republican

| spouse = Steve Rich

| children =

| residence = Grand Junction, Colorado

| alma_mater =

| profession = County official
Legal secretary

| website = {{URL| https://www.janicerichforcolorado.com/ }}

}}

Janice Rich is a state senator from Grand Junction, Colorado. A Republican, rich represents Colorado's 7th Senate district which includes all of Mesa County and a portion of Delta County. Previously, Rich represented Colorado House of Representatives District 55, which included the communities of Clifton, Fruitvale, Grand Junction, Orchard Mesa, and Redlands on Colorado's Western Slope.{{cite web |url= https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Legislative_District_Information-House_Final.pdf |title= Legislative District Information After 2011 Reapportionment House District 55 |author= Colorado Reapportionment Commission Staff |date= 2011-12-22 |website= State of Colorado |access-date= 2019-01-11 |archive-date= 2017-02-01 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170201235303/https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Legislative_District_Information-House_Final.pdf |url-status= dead }}

Background

Janice Rich was born in Midlothian, Texas.

Rich is a certified professional legal secretary. In 2003, Rich became Mesa County Clerk until 2010. Rich worked for over twenty years as a legal secretary and as a court clerk prior to holding her first elected office. Rich also owned and operated a secretarial and business support service.{{cite web |url=https://www.janicerichforcolorado.com/about |title=About |author= |website=Janice Rich House District 55 |access-date=2019-01-11 }}

Rich and her husband Steve live in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Political Career

Rich was first elected to public office in 2003 where she served as the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder for two terms. Rich served as the Mesa County Treasurer from 2010 to 2018.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-10 |title=Colorado House District 55 candidate Q&A |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2018/10/10/colorado-house-district-55-candidate-questionnaire/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=The Denver Post |language=en-US}}

Rich was elected to represent the 55th House District in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2018. She was reelected to the seat in 2020.

Rich was elected to represent Colorado's 7th Senate district in 2022. Rich currently serves as the Senate Republican caucus chair.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-07 |title=Senate Republicans Elect New Leadership, Welcome New Senators |url=https://www.coloradosenaterepublicans.com/senate-republicans-elect-new-leadership-welcome-new-senators/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Colorado Senate Republicans |language=en-US}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change

|title = 2014 Mesa County Treasurer election{{cite web |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/Mesa/53375/149587/Web01/en/summary.html |title=Mesa County Election Results |author=Shelia Reiner |date=November 24, 2014 |access-date=June 18, 2024}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (Colorado)

| candidate = Janice Rich

| votes = 46876

| percentage = 100.00%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 46876

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

| winner = Colorado Republican Party

}}

Rich was first elected as a state representative in the 2018 general elections. In that election, she defeated her Democratic Party opponent, winning 62.64% of the vote.{{cite web |url= https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/91808/Web02-state.222648/#/ |title=Colorado election results, November 6, 2018, 2018 General Election |date=November 6, 2018 |website=Colorado Secretary of State |access-date=2019-01-11}}{{cite web |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/181791/janice-rich |title=Janice Rich's Biography |publisher=Vote Smart |access-date=December 3, 2010}}

{{Election box begin no change

|title = 2018 Colorado House of Representatives election, 55th District

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (Colorado)

| candidate = Janice Rich

| votes = 22470

| percentage = 62.64%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (Colorado)

| candidate = Tanya Travis

| votes = 13401

| percentage = 37.36%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 35871

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

| winner = Colorado Republican Party

}}

Rich was re-elected in the 2020 general election, defeating two opponents, one from the Democratic Party and one from the Green Party.{{cite web |url=https://www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/2020/2020BiennialAbstractBooklet.pdf |title=2020 abstract of votes cast |author= |date= n.d. |website=Colorado Secretary of State |publisher=State of Colorado |access-date=April 16, 2022 |quote=}}

{{Election box begin no change

|title = 2020 Colorado House of Representatives election, 55th District

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (Colorado)

| candidate = Janice Rich (incumbent)

| votes = 30,773

| percentage = 64.07%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (Colorado)

| candidate = Scott Beilfuss

| votes = 15,570

| percentage = 32.42%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Green Party (Colorado)

| candidate = Sierra Garcia

| votes = 1,688

| percentage = 3.51%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 48,031

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

| winner = Colorado Republican Party

}}

In August 2021, Rich announced her candidacy for a seat in the Colorado Senate. Specifically, she ran to represent the newly reapportioned Senate District 7, which includes all of Mesa County and a portion of Delta County.{{cite news |last=Ashby |first=Charles |date=August 18, 2021 |title=Rich announces bid for state Senate |url=https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/rich-announces-bid-for-state-senate/article_12f9a6ca-ff90-11eb-aebd-43ad89d4b064.html |work=The Daily Sentinel |location=Grand Junction, Colorado |access-date=April 16, 2022}} In the election, Rich defeated her Democratic Party opponent, winning 70.06% of the total votes cast.{{cite web |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/115903/web.307039/#/detail/1070 |title=Colorado election results: November 8, 2022, general election state senate district 7 |author= |date= December 2, 2022 |website=Colorado Secretary of State |publisher=State of Colorado |access-date=December 5, 2022 |quote=}}

{{Election box begin no change

|title = 2022 Colorado Senate election, 7th District}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (Colorado)|candidate=Janice Rich|votes=52,696|percentage=70.06%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (Colorado)

| candidate = David Stahlke

| votes =22,520

| percentage =29.94% }}

{{Election box total no change

| votes =75,216

| percentage =100% }}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing|winner=Colorado Republican Party}}{{Election box end}}