Lori Saine
{{short description|American politician}}
{{use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Lori Saine
|image = Lori Saine.JPG
|state_house = Colorado
|district = 63rd
|term_start = January 9, 2013
|term_end = January 13, 2021
|predecessor = Jon Becker
|successor = Dan Woog
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|education = Indiana University, Bloomington (BA)
|website = {{URL|lorisaine.net|Official website}}
}}
Lori A. Saine is an American politician serving as a member of the Weld County Board of Commissioners.{{cite web |url=https://www.weldgov.com/departments/commissioners |title=Weld County Commissioners |author= |date=2021 |website=Weld County, Colorado |publisher= |access-date=2021-01-14}} Previously, she served as a Republican member of the Colorado House of Representatives for the 63rd district from January 9, 2013 to January 13, 2021. Saine was a candidate for Colorado's 8th congressional district, but lost the Republican primary, coming in third place.{{Cite web |title=Election Night Reporting |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/113964/web.285569/#/summary |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=results.enr.clarityelections.com}}
Education
Saine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, business, and biology from Indiana University Bloomington.{{cite web|title=Lori Saine's Biography|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/138801|publisher=Project Vote Smart|accessdate=January 7, 2014}}
Career
Prior to entering politics, Saine worked as a regional sales director. She was also a member of the Dacono City Council.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-30|title=2020 Election candidates: Saine touts experience for Weld County Commission seat|url=https://www.greeleytribune.com/2020/09/29/2020-election-candidates-saine-touts-experience-for-weld-county-commission-seat|access-date=2021-11-02|website=Greeley Tribune|language=en-US}} She was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in November 2012 and assumed office in January 2013. During her final term in the House, Saine served as a vice chair of the Legislative Audit Committee.{{Cite web|title=Lori Saine|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Lori_Saine|access-date=2021-11-02|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}}
When Republican Representative Jon Becker left the Legislature and left the District 63 seat open, Saine won the June 26, 2012, Republican primary with 3,444 votes (93%) against a write-in candidate,{{cite web |url= http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/2012/primary/republican/stateReps.html |title= 2012 Republican Party state representatives primary results |publisher= Secretary of State of Colorado |location= Denver, Colorado |accessdate= January 7, 2014}} and won the November 6, 2012 General election with 21,162 votes (56%) against Democratic nominee Tim Erickson{{cite web |url= http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/2012/general/representatives.html |title= 2012 General election state representatives results |publisher= Secretary of State of Colorado |location= Denver, Colorado |accessdate= January 7, 2014}} who had run for a House seat in 2004.
In December 2017, Saine was arrested at Denver International Airport for carrying a loaded handgun through security. Saine said she did not know that her gun was in her purse when she went to the airport. No charges were pressed.{{Cite web|last=Garrison|first=Robert|date=2017-12-14|title=No gun charges against Colo. lawmaker|url=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/prosecutor-wont-file-gun-charges-against-colorado-lawmaker|access-date=2021-12-04|website=The Denver Channel|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2017-12-14|title=No Charges For Lori Saine After Gun Arrest DIA|url=https://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/12/14/no-charges-lori-saine/|access-date=2021-12-04|website=CBS Denver|language=en-US}}
In January 2019, Saine was criticized by Democrat Leslie Herod for inaccurately equating the lynchings of African-Americans with that of whites during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War.{{Cite web|date=2019-01-22|title=Weld Rep. Lori Saine Criticized For Equating Black, White Lynchings After Civil War|url=https://www.cpr.org/2019/01/22/weld-rep-lori-saine-criticized-for-equating-black-white-lynchings-after-civil-war/|access-date=2021-12-04|website=Colorado Public Radio}}
In December 2020, in her role as chair of the Legislative Audit Committee, she held a hearing to examine allegations of fraud and irregularities during Colorado's 2020 elections amid Donald Trump's false claims of fraud in the presidential election.{{Cite web|last=Paul|first=Jesse|date=2020-12-14|title=Colorado's GOP chairman trusts the state's voting systems. Legislative Republicans still want to check it out.|url=https://coloradosun.com/2020/12/14/colorado-voter-fraud-hearing-republicans/|access-date=2021-12-04|website=The Colorado Sun}}{{Cite web|last=Woodruff|first=Chase|date=3 November 2021|title=Republican Lori Saine files to run for Colorado's new 8th Congressional District seat|url=https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/republican-lori-saine-run-8th-congressional-district/|access-date=2021-12-04|website=Colorado Newsline|language=en-US}} The hearing ultimately found no evidence of electoral irregularities or fraud.
In 2020, Saine was term-limited as a state representative. In the 2020 general election, she was elected to represent District 3 of the Weld County Board of County Commissioners.{{cite news |last=Watson-Fisher |first=Jadyn |date=2020-11-03 |title=2020 Election results: Republicans retain seats on Weld County Commission |url=https://www.greeleytribune.com/2020/11/03/weld-county-votes-all-republicans-weld-county-commission-2020-election/ |work=The Greeley Tribune |access-date=2020-11-08}}
In November 2021, Saine announced her candidacy for Colorado's 8th congressional district in the 2022 elections.{{Cite web|last=Birkeland|first=Bente|date=2021-11-05|title=GOP Weld County commissioner Lori Saine is running in Colorado's new congressional district|url=https://www.cpr.org/2021/11/05/gop-weld-county-commissioner-lori-saine-is-running-in-colorados-new-congressional-district/|access-date=2021-12-04|website=Colorado Public Radio|language=en}} She lost to Barbara Kirkmeyer in the Republican primary.{{Cite web |title=Lori Saine |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Lori_Saine |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}
In 2024, Saine ran for reelection to the Weld County Board of County Commissioners, but ran against fellow Republican Perry Buck for the at-large seat Buck held, rather than the District 3 seat Saine held.https://www.greeleytribune.com/2024/06/25/june-primary-results-for-candidates-hoping-to-represent-weld-county-voters/ Buck won the primary with over 63% of the vote.https://www.weld.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/departments/clerk-and-recorder/documents/elections/2024-june-election-official-results_1.pdf
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://leg.colorado.gov/legislators/lori-saine Official page] at the Colorado General Assembly
- [https://loriforfreedom.com/ Congressional campaign site]
- [http://ballotpedia.org/Lori_Saine Biography] at Ballotpedia
- {{C-SPAN|95868}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saine, Lori}}
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
Category:County commissioners in Colorado
Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni
Category:Republican Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives
Category:People from Weld County, Colorado
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Women state legislators in Colorado
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century members of the Colorado General Assembly