Angie Paccione
Encyclopedia
Angela Veronica "Angie" Paccione (born February 21, 1960) is a former Colorado
legislator and was a 2006 Congressional candidate.
A college basketball
player at Stanford and professional basketball player in the 1980s, Paccione became a high school coach, teacher and administrator before earning a Ph.D. in education and joining the faculty of Colorado State University
.
Entering politics in 2002, Paccione, a Democrat, spent two terms representing west Fort Collins
in the Colorado House of Representatives, rising to become House Majority Caucus Chair. In the legislature, she focused on issues relating to youth and higher education
.
In 2006, she was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in Colorado's 4th Congressional district
in 2006, narrowly losing to two-term incumbent Republican Marilyn Musgrave
. After briefly launching a second Congressional campaign in 2007, Paccione stepped out of the race to join a business consulting firm.
in New York City
to a single mother; she is multiracial
, with an Italian father and African-American mother. After her family moved outside of the city, Paccione attended Cornwall Central High School
in Orange County
, where she played high school basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Excelling particularly in basketball, Paccione was a member of the 1977 USA Women's Select National Team, Parade Magazines First All-American Team and numerous other high school All-American Teams. During her sophomore year in high school, she also participated in tryouts for the United States' first Olympic
women's basketball team
in 1976, making it to the penultimate cut in the eastern division, but was not selected for the team.
After graduating from high school in 1978, Paccione received a full athletic scholarship to attend Stanford University
. While at Stanford, she was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
, and, during summers, toured Europe with the Christian missionary basketball team "News Release". Paccione attended Stanford for five years; during that time, she played four years of college basketball, red-shirt
ing during her junior year. She graduated in 1983 with a bachelor's degree and honors in political science
and completed requirements for a degree in psychology as well. While in college, Paccione also traveled with Athletes-in-Action, a sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ
. After graduating, Paccione played professional basketball for two years with the Columbus Minks, part of the Women's American Basketball Association
before the league folded.
In 1985, Paccione moved to Colorado
, where she worked at Excelsior Youth Center, a residential treatment center
for troubled girls, for two years before earning her teaching license from the University of Denver
. During her teacher training, Angie was awarded the Future Teacher Award by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education
.
Paccione then taught social studies
at Smoky Hill High School
in Aurora, Colorado
—then Colorado's second-largest high school—for four years, from 1987 to 1991. From 1991 to 1995, she was a Dean of Students responsible for student attendance, behavior and school culture. While at Smoky Hill, Paccione became the only woman in the history of Colorado to coach a high school boys' varsity sport (basketball) in the large school classification.
Between 1988 and 1992, eight monetary relief claims were filed against Paccione for uncollected debt, and she was sued by the state of Colorado for unpaid student loans. In 1992, Paccione declared Chapter 7
bankruptcy
, and all debts were ultimately resolved. Paccione was required to repay all of the student loan and settled that debt in 1993. The bankruptcy and debts were later raised by political opponents in attack ad
s.
In 1994, Paccione began graduate work in education at Colorado State University
in Fort Collins, Colorado
; she worked with Project Promise, a teacher-preparation program, rising to become the program's associate director in 1998, co-director in 2001, and director in 2002. She earned an M.Ed. in Educational Administration in 1995, and a Ph.D.
in Education and Human Resource Studies in 1998; her doctoral dissertation, Multicultural perspective transformation: Developing a commitment to diversity, examined the experiences of individuals who developed personal commitments to diversity
-related issues. An instructor and then an assistant professor of teacher education at Colorado State, Paccione supervised student teacher
s and taught coursework in diversity, educational technology, curriculum development, communication, and philosophy of education. Stepping down from the faculty in 2003 to focus on her work as a state representative, Paccione remained a research associate with Colorado State's Interwest Equity Assistance Center, focusing on diversity issues in education throughout the federal Region VIII.
Briefly seeking the Democratic Congressional nomination in 2002, Paccione stepped aside in favor of Stan Matsunaka
, and then sought the state legislative seat being vacated by Rep. Bob Bacon
. Fort Collins businessman Larry Chisesi also sought the Democratic nomination, and, at first, the two agreed to avoid a primary by means of a coin toss. Paccione, however, lost the coin toss but ran for election anyway, ultimately defeating Chisesi in the Democratic primary with 56 percent of the vote.
After winning the 2002 Democratic primary, Paccione was elected as a Democrat
to the Republican-controlled Colorado House of Representatives
from House District 53, representing western Fort Collins. She defeated Republican Kirk Brush by roughly 700 votes, or about 4 percentage points, and was sworn in during January 2003 as a member of the minority party in a Republican-controlled legislature. Following her first election, Paccione was cited and fined twice by the state of Colorado for filing late campaign finance
reports; roughly one-quarter of legislators elected in that cycle were similarly cited, but the fines were used against her in her later Congressional campaign.
During her first term in the legislature, Paccione successfully sponsored a measure that allowed minors
to sit on the boards of Colorado non-profit organizations, and successfully sponsored another measure to grant 24 college credits to graduating high school students who successfully complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
Paccione was re-elected to a second term in 2004 by a wide margin, defeating Republican Ed Hayes.
She rose to become Majority Caucus Chair in 2005 after the Colorado Democratic Party
gained control of the assembly. During both her terms in the legislature, Paccione sat on the Joint Committee on Computer Management — chairing the committee in 2006 — the House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor, and the House Committee on Education; she served as Vice-Chair of the Education Committee during her second term and chaired the subcommittee on Higher Education.
In 2005, after a series of alcohol
-related deaths among college students in Colorado, Paccione sponsored legislation to both increase the penalties for distributing alcohol to those under 21 years of age, to ban alcohol mist
machines, and to provide immunity to those who seek medical assistance in cases of alcohol poisoning. That same year, she also sponsored a measure to allow Colorado consumers to restrict access to their credit reports in order to deter identity theft and credit solicitation.
A 2006 special session of the Colorado General Assembly, called to address immigration
issues, became a focal point Paccione's Congressional campaign against Marilyn Musgrave
(see below). During the special session, Paccione sponsored legislation to strengthen penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants, and to create a division of the Colorado State Patrol
to address trafficking in illegal immigrants. Paccione had also voted on several occasions to allow illegal immigrants who graduate from Colorado schools to receive in-state college tuition
benefits, votes she was criticized for by Musgrave.
Marilyn Musgrave
for Colorado's Fourth Congressional District, in what evolved into a highly competitive battle the Cook Report rated a "toss-up" race for the historically Republican seat. In September, the race was designated as a third-tier pickup opportunity for Democrats by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
, which provided $70,000 to the Paccione campaign for direct mail
advertising. Paccione was endorsed by the Denver Post.
In addition to the closeness of the race, the contest made national headlines in June 2006, when a Democratic activist, unconnected with the Paccione campaign, left a flyer filled with dog feces
at Musgrave's office in Greeley
. The Paccione campaign denied any knowledge of the action and the activist who left the flier was charged but acquitted of criminal use of a noxious substance.
In July, Paccione was endorsed by Michael Schiavo, husband of Terri Schiavo
, who criticized Rep. Musgrave for what he considered to be her support of government interference in end-of-life
decisions. Paccione joined him during a highly-publicized photo opportunity in which Schiavo hand-delivered a letter critical of Musgrave to her Congressional office in Loveland
.
During the race, Paccione's campaign criticized Musgrave for her emphasis on divisive social issues such as gay marriage, her close relationship with President George W. Bush
,
and her reputation as ethically corrupt, regularly referring to Musgrave as "Special Interest Marilyn" in press releases.
The heated multi-million dollar race was targeted nationally by both major parties and 527 committees
, and became a priority for the National Republican Congressional Committee
, which sent hundreds of thousands of dollars into the district. An October poll showing Musgrave with a 10-percentage point advantage led the DCCC to withdraw plans to spend $630,000 on television and radio advertising. In response, Fort Collins philanthropist Pat Stryker
donated $720,000 to local 527 groups to advertise in favor of Paccione. All told, Paccione's campaign raised and spent nearly $2 million.
Paccione received support from a number of prominent Democrats who came to Colorado to support her campaign — including Rep. Xavier Becerra
, Rep. Hilda Solis
, Rep. Diane Watson
, Rep. Barbara Lee
, Rep. Rahm Emanuel
, and General Wesley Clark
.
Although polls in the final weeks of the race showed the contest tightening, spurring a visit by President George W. Bush
to support Musgrave, Paccione ultimately lost to Musgrave by just under 2.5% of votes cast—or under 6,000 votes out of roughly 240,000 — finishing closer than the previous Democratic challenger Stan Matsunaka
who received 44.8% of the votes cast in a three way race with Green Party Candidate Kinsey and Musgrave. In a three-way race that included Reform Party
candidate Eric Eidsness
, Musgrave garnered 45.61% to Paccione's 43.12%, and Eidsness 11.28% of the vote.
and began raising money for a second Congressional run. In an email to supporters, she admitted some of the weaknesses of her first campaign, including an inexperienced campaign staff, and she hired a Denver campaign consulting firm to manage her 2008 campaign.
Paccione faced Eric Eidsness
, who had joined the Democratic Party, and Betsy Markey
, a former aide to U.S. Senator Ken Salazar
. Both Paccione and Markey, with prominent connections in the Colorado Democratic Party, vied for endorsements and in fundraising during 2007. In the second quarter of 2007, Paccione raised approximately $100,000 to Markey's $60,000. Although Markey was endorsed by a number of Colorado Democrats, including Senator Ken Salazar
, former Congressional candidate Stan Matsunaka
, and State Senator Bob Bacon
, Paccione also garnered the support of prominent Democrats, including former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb
and State Senate President Pro Tem Peter Groff
.
In September 2007, however, despite her fundraising lead, Paccione announced her withdrawal from the Congressional race in order to accept a position with Pathways to Leadership, a business consulting firm, and announced that she would return money raised for her Congressional campaign back to contributors. Paccione had worked with Pathways to Leadership since January 2007, and cited the expanded international travel and the opportunity to impact lives associated with her leadership consulting work as a factor in decision to withdraw from the Congressional race. Together with the withdrawal of Reform Party-turned-Democrat Eric Eidsness
shortly after Paccione, her withdrawal cleared the Democratic nomination field for Betsy Markey
. Paccione currently (2010) works as Director of Facilitator Training and Development with Pathways to Leaderhip, Inc.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
legislator and was a 2006 Congressional candidate.
A college basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player at Stanford and professional basketball player in the 1980s, Paccione became a high school coach, teacher and administrator before earning a Ph.D. in education and joining the faculty of Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
.
Entering politics in 2002, Paccione, a Democrat, spent two terms representing west Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
in the Colorado House of Representatives, rising to become House Majority Caucus Chair. In the legislature, she focused on issues relating to youth and higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
.
In 2006, she was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in Colorado's 4th Congressional district
Colorado's 4th congressional district
Colorado's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district encompasses most of the rural Eastern Plains as well as the larger cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Longmont along Colorado's Front...
in 2006, narrowly losing to two-term incumbent Republican Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado....
. After briefly launching a second Congressional campaign in 2007, Paccione stepped out of the race to join a business consulting firm.
Biography
Paccione was born in the South BronxSouth Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to a single mother; she is multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
, with an Italian father and African-American mother. After her family moved outside of the city, Paccione attended Cornwall Central High School
Cornwall Central High School
Cornwall Central High School is the high school serving the Cornwall Central School District in Orange County, New York. It draws students from portions of three towns: Cornwall, New Windsor, and Woodbury, as well as the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson...
in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, where she played high school basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Excelling particularly in basketball, Paccione was a member of the 1977 USA Women's Select National Team, Parade Magazines First All-American Team and numerous other high school All-American Teams. During her sophomore year in high school, she also participated in tryouts for the United States' first Olympic
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
women's basketball team
United States women's national basketball team
The United States women's national basketball team are the defending Olympic champions in women's basketball. The team is composed of some of the top American players in the WNBA and the women's college game....
in 1976, making it to the penultimate cut in the eastern division, but was not selected for the team.
After graduating from high school in 1978, Paccione received a full athletic scholarship to attend Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. While at Stanford, she was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit interdenominational Christian organization founded in 1954 and that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. It falls within the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Although established by evangelical Protestants, the concept has...
, and, during summers, toured Europe with the Christian missionary basketball team "News Release". Paccione attended Stanford for five years; during that time, she played four years of college basketball, red-shirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
ing during her junior year. She graduated in 1983 with a bachelor's degree and honors in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and completed requirements for a degree in psychology as well. While in college, Paccione also traveled with Athletes-in-Action, a sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization that promotes evangelism and discipleship in more than 190 countries...
. After graduating, Paccione played professional basketball for two years with the Columbus Minks, part of the Women's American Basketball Association
Women's American Basketball Association
The Women's American Basketball Association played one season in 2002. The 2002 champions were the York City Noise. There was also an earlier, separate league of the same name, in 1984.-Clubs:* Allentown Crunch* Reading Rage* Schuylkill Syrens...
before the league folded.
In 1985, Paccione moved to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where she worked at Excelsior Youth Center, a residential treatment center
Residential treatment center
A residential treatment center , sometimes called a rehab, is a live-in health care facility providing therapy for substance abuse, mental illness, or other behavioral problems...
for troubled girls, for two years before earning her teaching license from the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. During her teacher training, Angie was awarded the Future Teacher Award by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education
Colorado Commission on Higher Education
The Colorado Commission on Higher Education was established in 1965 by the Colorado General Assembly. The Commission replaced an association which met informally to consider matters related to higher education....
.
Paccione then taught social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
at Smoky Hill High School
Smoky Hill High School
Smoky Hill High School is located in Aurora, Colorado and currently has around 2,600 students. Smoky Hill is part of the Cherry Creek School District and was the second high school built by the district in 1974.It goes by the short name 'Smoky'...
in Aurora, Colorado
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
—then Colorado's second-largest high school—for four years, from 1987 to 1991. From 1991 to 1995, she was a Dean of Students responsible for student attendance, behavior and school culture. While at Smoky Hill, Paccione became the only woman in the history of Colorado to coach a high school boys' varsity sport (basketball) in the large school classification.
Between 1988 and 1992, eight monetary relief claims were filed against Paccione for uncollected debt, and she was sued by the state of Colorado for unpaid student loans. In 1992, Paccione declared Chapter 7
Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, and all debts were ultimately resolved. Paccione was required to repay all of the student loan and settled that debt in 1993. The bankruptcy and debts were later raised by political opponents in attack ad
Attack ad
In political campaigns, an attack ad is an advertisement whose message is meant as a personal attack against another candidate or political party...
s.
In 1994, Paccione began graduate work in education at Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
in Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
; she worked with Project Promise, a teacher-preparation program, rising to become the program's associate director in 1998, co-director in 2001, and director in 2002. She earned an M.Ed. in Educational Administration in 1995, and a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Education and Human Resource Studies in 1998; her doctoral dissertation, Multicultural perspective transformation: Developing a commitment to diversity, examined the experiences of individuals who developed personal commitments to diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
-related issues. An instructor and then an assistant professor of teacher education at Colorado State, Paccione supervised student teacher
Student teacher
A student teacher is a college or graduate student who is teaching under the supervision of a certified teacher in order to qualify for a degree in education...
s and taught coursework in diversity, educational technology, curriculum development, communication, and philosophy of education. Stepping down from the faculty in 2003 to focus on her work as a state representative, Paccione remained a research associate with Colorado State's Interwest Equity Assistance Center, focusing on diversity issues in education throughout the federal Region VIII.
Legislative career
Before 2000, Paccione was uninvolved in politics; however, that year, after seeing no Democrat on the Congressional ballot in Colorado's 4th district, she chose to pursue political office.Briefly seeking the Democratic Congressional nomination in 2002, Paccione stepped aside in favor of Stan Matsunaka
Stan Matsunaka
Stanley Toshi Matsunaka is a former Democratic member of the State Senate of the U.S. state of Colorado, serving from 1995 to 2003. He served as President of the Senate for two years...
, and then sought the state legislative seat being vacated by Rep. Bob Bacon
Bob Bacon
Robert "Bob" Bacon is a Democratic member of the Colorado Senate, representing the 14th District since 2005. His district encompasses the city of Fort Collins, Colorado. Previously he was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1997 through 2004.Born in Galesburg, Illinois, Bacon...
. Fort Collins businessman Larry Chisesi also sought the Democratic nomination, and, at first, the two agreed to avoid a primary by means of a coin toss. Paccione, however, lost the coin toss but ran for election anyway, ultimately defeating Chisesi in the Democratic primary with 56 percent of the vote.
After winning the 2002 Democratic primary, Paccione was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Republican-controlled Colorado House of Representatives
Colorado General Assembly
The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado.-Constitutional definition:The Colorado Constitution establishes a system of government based on the separation of powers doctrine with power divided among three "departments": executive, legislative and judicial...
from House District 53, representing western Fort Collins. She defeated Republican Kirk Brush by roughly 700 votes, or about 4 percentage points, and was sworn in during January 2003 as a member of the minority party in a Republican-controlled legislature. Following her first election, Paccione was cited and fined twice by the state of Colorado for filing late campaign finance
Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
reports; roughly one-quarter of legislators elected in that cycle were similarly cited, but the fines were used against her in her later Congressional campaign.
During her first term in the legislature, Paccione successfully sponsored a measure that allowed minors
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
to sit on the boards of Colorado non-profit organizations, and successfully sponsored another measure to grant 24 college credits to graduating high school students who successfully complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
Paccione was re-elected to a second term in 2004 by a wide margin, defeating Republican Ed Hayes.
She rose to become Majority Caucus Chair in 2005 after the Colorado Democratic Party
Colorado Democratic Party
The Colorado Democratic Party is the state affiliate of the United States Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Colorado. Its chair is Rick Palacio, and its executive director is Alec Garnett.The remaining officers are:...
gained control of the assembly. During both her terms in the legislature, Paccione sat on the Joint Committee on Computer Management — chairing the committee in 2006 — the House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor, and the House Committee on Education; she served as Vice-Chair of the Education Committee during her second term and chaired the subcommittee on Higher Education.
In 2005, after a series of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
-related deaths among college students in Colorado, Paccione sponsored legislation to both increase the penalties for distributing alcohol to those under 21 years of age, to ban alcohol mist
Alcohol without liquid
Alcohol Without Liquid is a process introduced first in Asia and Europe that allows people to take in liquor without actually consuming liquid. The machine vaporizes alcohol and mixes it with oxygen, allowing the consumer to breathe in the mixture. The machine has been dubbed AWOL, a play on the...
machines, and to provide immunity to those who seek medical assistance in cases of alcohol poisoning. That same year, she also sponsored a measure to allow Colorado consumers to restrict access to their credit reports in order to deter identity theft and credit solicitation.
A 2006 special session of the Colorado General Assembly, called to address immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
issues, became a focal point Paccione's Congressional campaign against Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado....
(see below). During the special session, Paccione sponsored legislation to strengthen penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants, and to create a division of the Colorado State Patrol
Colorado State Patrol
The Colorado State Patrol , based in Lakewood, Colorado, is a division of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, and is one of the official state police agencies of Colorado, along with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and several smaller state agencies...
to address trafficking in illegal immigrants. Paccione had also voted on several occasions to allow illegal immigrants who graduate from Colorado schools to receive in-state college tuition
College tuition
The term college tuition refers to fees that students have to pay to colleges in the United States. Pay increases in the U.S. have caused chronic controversy since shortly after World War II. Except for its military academies, the U.S. federal government does not directly support higher education...
benefits, votes she was criticized for by Musgrave.
2006 Congressional election
After forming an exploratory committee in June 2005, Paccione announced, in September 2005, her intention to challenge two-term incumbent RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado....
for Colorado's Fourth Congressional District, in what evolved into a highly competitive battle the Cook Report rated a "toss-up" race for the historically Republican seat. In September, the race was designated as a third-tier pickup opportunity for Democrats by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
, which provided $70,000 to the Paccione campaign for direct mail
Direct mail
Advertising mail, also known as direct mail, junk mail, or admail, is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail. The delivery of advertising mail forms a large and growing service for many postal services, and direct-mail marketing forms a significant portion of the direct...
advertising. Paccione was endorsed by the Denver Post.
In addition to the closeness of the race, the contest made national headlines in June 2006, when a Democratic activist, unconnected with the Paccione campaign, left a flyer filled with dog feces
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
at Musgrave's office in Greeley
Greeley
- Towns :* Greeley, Colorado* Greeley, Iowa* Greeley, Kansas* Greeley Center, Nebraska, commonly shortened to Greeley- People :* Adolphus Greely , American polar explorer* Andrew Greeley , American priest, sociologist, and author...
. The Paccione campaign denied any knowledge of the action and the activist who left the flier was charged but acquitted of criminal use of a noxious substance.
In July, Paccione was endorsed by Michael Schiavo, husband of Terri Schiavo
Terri Schiavo
The Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...
, who criticized Rep. Musgrave for what he considered to be her support of government interference in end-of-life
End-of-life
End-of-life is a term used with respect to a product supplied to customers, indicating that the product is in the end of its useful lifetime and a vendor will no longer be marketing, selling, or sustaining a particular product and may also be limiting or ending support for the product...
decisions. Paccione joined him during a highly-publicized photo opportunity in which Schiavo hand-delivered a letter critical of Musgrave to her Congressional office in Loveland
Loveland, Colorado
Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...
.
During the race, Paccione's campaign criticized Musgrave for her emphasis on divisive social issues such as gay marriage, her close relationship with President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
,
and her reputation as ethically corrupt, regularly referring to Musgrave as "Special Interest Marilyn" in press releases.
The heated multi-million dollar race was targeted nationally by both major parties and 527 committees
527 group
A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after "Section 527" of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code...
, and became a priority for the National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
, which sent hundreds of thousands of dollars into the district. An October poll showing Musgrave with a 10-percentage point advantage led the DCCC to withdraw plans to spend $630,000 on television and radio advertising. In response, Fort Collins philanthropist Pat Stryker
Pat Stryker
Patricia A. Stryker is the granddaughter of Homer Stryker, surgeon and founder of Stryker Corporation, a medical technology company....
donated $720,000 to local 527 groups to advertise in favor of Paccione. All told, Paccione's campaign raised and spent nearly $2 million.
Paccione received support from a number of prominent Democrats who came to Colorado to support her campaign — including Rep. Xavier Becerra
Xavier Becerra
Xavier Becerra is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Los Angeles.-Early life, education and career:...
, Rep. Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
, Rep. Diane Watson
Diane Watson
Diane Edith Watson is a former US Representative for , serving from 2003 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
, Rep. Barbara Lee
Barbara Lee
Barbara Jean Lee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She is the first woman to represent that district. Lee was the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and was the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus...
, Rep. Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
, and General Wesley Clark
Wesley Clark
Wesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
.
Although polls in the final weeks of the race showed the contest tightening, spurring a visit by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to support Musgrave, Paccione ultimately lost to Musgrave by just under 2.5% of votes cast—or under 6,000 votes out of roughly 240,000 — finishing closer than the previous Democratic challenger Stan Matsunaka
Stan Matsunaka
Stanley Toshi Matsunaka is a former Democratic member of the State Senate of the U.S. state of Colorado, serving from 1995 to 2003. He served as President of the Senate for two years...
who received 44.8% of the votes cast in a three way race with Green Party Candidate Kinsey and Musgrave. In a three-way race that included Reform Party
Reform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
candidate Eric Eidsness
Eric Eidsness
'— Incumbent Marilyn Musgrave , a Republican who was the chief sponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment won a surprisingly close 45.6% to 43.1% reelection in 2006 despite the Republican-leaning nature of her eastern Colorado district...
, Musgrave garnered 45.61% to Paccione's 43.12%, and Eidsness 11.28% of the vote.
2008 Congressional election
In May 2007, Paccione filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election CommissionFederal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
and began raising money for a second Congressional run. In an email to supporters, she admitted some of the weaknesses of her first campaign, including an inexperienced campaign staff, and she hired a Denver campaign consulting firm to manage her 2008 campaign.
Paccione faced Eric Eidsness
Eric Eidsness
'— Incumbent Marilyn Musgrave , a Republican who was the chief sponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment won a surprisingly close 45.6% to 43.1% reelection in 2006 despite the Republican-leaning nature of her eastern Colorado district...
, who had joined the Democratic Party, and Betsy Markey
Betsy Markey
Elizabeth Helen “Betsy” Markey is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
, a former aide to U.S. Senator Ken Salazar
Ken Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
. Both Paccione and Markey, with prominent connections in the Colorado Democratic Party, vied for endorsements and in fundraising during 2007. In the second quarter of 2007, Paccione raised approximately $100,000 to Markey's $60,000. Although Markey was endorsed by a number of Colorado Democrats, including Senator Ken Salazar
Ken Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
, former Congressional candidate Stan Matsunaka
Stan Matsunaka
Stanley Toshi Matsunaka is a former Democratic member of the State Senate of the U.S. state of Colorado, serving from 1995 to 2003. He served as President of the Senate for two years...
, and State Senator Bob Bacon
Bob Bacon
Robert "Bob" Bacon is a Democratic member of the Colorado Senate, representing the 14th District since 2005. His district encompasses the city of Fort Collins, Colorado. Previously he was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1997 through 2004.Born in Galesburg, Illinois, Bacon...
, Paccione also garnered the support of prominent Democrats, including former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb
Wellington Webb
Wellington E. Webb is a former mayor of Denver, Colorado. He is a graduate of the city's Manual High School. He was Denver's first African-American Mayor.Webb served as mayor of Denver for 12 years, from 1991 to 2003...
and State Senate President Pro Tem Peter Groff
Peter Groff
Peter C. Groff is a member of the Obama administration and a former Colorado legislator and President of the Colorado Senate. An attorney, public servant, and political veteran, Groff was elected as a Democrat to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2000, then re-elected in 2002...
.
In September 2007, however, despite her fundraising lead, Paccione announced her withdrawal from the Congressional race in order to accept a position with Pathways to Leadership, a business consulting firm, and announced that she would return money raised for her Congressional campaign back to contributors. Paccione had worked with Pathways to Leadership since January 2007, and cited the expanded international travel and the opportunity to impact lives associated with her leadership consulting work as a factor in decision to withdraw from the Congressional race. Together with the withdrawal of Reform Party-turned-Democrat Eric Eidsness
Eric Eidsness
'— Incumbent Marilyn Musgrave , a Republican who was the chief sponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment won a surprisingly close 45.6% to 43.1% reelection in 2006 despite the Republican-leaning nature of her eastern Colorado district...
shortly after Paccione, her withdrawal cleared the Democratic nomination field for Betsy Markey
Betsy Markey
Elizabeth Helen “Betsy” Markey is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
. Paccione currently (2010) works as Director of Facilitator Training and Development with Pathways to Leaderhip, Inc.
External links
- Angie Paccione for Congress
- www.angiepaccione.com
- Ask Angie Anything - Angie Paccione's Blog
- Pathways to Leadership, Inc.