Ed Perlmutter
Encyclopedia
Edwin George "Ed" Perlmutter (born May 1, 1953) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
. Perlmutter graduated from Jefferson High School
in Edgewater, Colorado
and went on to study political science, history and economics at the University of Colorado at Boulder
, graduating in 1975. He received his Juris Doctor
from CU in 1978 where he was twice elected President of his class while working part time as a laborer on construction projects.
Perlmutter was formerly a director of the law firm of Berenbaum Weinshienk, and specialized in business reorganizations and commercial litigation. He served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Colorado Bar Association and served on the Board of Trustees and Judicial Performance Commission for the First Judicial District. He is a Trustee for the Midwest Research Institute
(primary operator of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
), and a Board Member for the National Jewish Medical & Research Center.
as State Senator from 1995 to 2003 — the first Democrat elected in the district in 30 years.
In 2000, he helped lead a team that succeeded in a Democratic takeover of the Colorado State Senate for the first time since John F. Kennedy
was president. He has assisted numerous campaigns and most recently was co-chair of the Kerry Campaign
in Colorado
.
In the Colorado Senate, he served on numerous Colorado State Senate committees including: Water, Finance, Judiciary, Child Welfare, Telecommunication, Transportation, Legal Services, and Oil and Gas. He was Chair of the Public Policy and Planning Committee, Chair of the Bi-Partisan Renewable Energy Caucus, and President Pro Tem of the Senate during the 2001 and 2002 session.
Among the awards he received while in the Senate were the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry award "Business Legislator of the Year", Legal Aid Award for Equal Justice Under the Law, American Institute of Architecture award for "Colorado Legislator of the Year"; DARE Man of the Year; Jeffco Education Association Friend of Education, United Veterans Committee "Legislator of the Year", Colorado Humane Society Distinguished Service Award, The AARP Outstanding Legislative Service Award, and the University of Colorado School of Law "Distinguished Alumnus Award".
. Perlmutter was one of the freshmen identified, and the recipient of $7500 in industry contributions according to the records.
nomination for the 7th District by defeating former State Representative Peggy Lamm
and college professor Herb Rubenstein, with 53% of the vote in the primary. State education chairman Rick O'Donnell
was unopposed for the Republican nomination. Dave Chandler, a Green, was also a candidate.
The seat was held by Republican Bob Beauprez
, who was reelected to a second term in 2004 with 55% of the vote, after winning his first term by only 121 votes. He left the seat at the end of the 2005–2007 term, having failed in his bid to become Governor of Colorado
. The 7th District is considered highly competitive. It is located in the western and northern Denver
suburbs and was narrowly won by John Kerry
in 2004.
In late September, O'Donnell was put on the defensive when ads appeared noting that he had previously supported abolishing Social Security. A Survey USA poll soon after that showed Perlmutter with a 54 to 37 percent lead, although GOP consultants guessed that the support was "soft". An October 4 poll released by Zogby showed Perlmutter ahead of O'Donnell by 45-34 percent. Cook Political Report rating: Republican Toss Up. CQPolitics rating: No Clear Favorite.
In the end, Perlmutter (54%) soundly defeated O'Donnell (42%) for the congressional seat, helping Democrats to regain the majority in the U.S. House.
and Libertarian nominee Buck Bailey on November 2, 2010. The 7th Congressional district had been cited as a GOP target in 2010.
Early life, education and career
Perlmutter was born in Denver, Colorado. He was raised by a Jewish father and Protestant mother, and describes himself as a ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. Perlmutter graduated from Jefferson High School
Jefferson High School (Edgewater, Colorado)
Jefferson High School is a high school located in Edgewater, Colorado. Jefferson High School is operated by Jefferson County Public Schools.-Demographics:Enrollment in the 2008-2009 school year was 619 students.*16.0% White*5.7% African American...
in Edgewater, Colorado
Edgewater, Colorado
The City of Edgewater is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Edgewater is located on the northwest side of Denver, in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population is 5,170...
and went on to study political science, history and economics at the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, graduating in 1975. He received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from CU in 1978 where he was twice elected President of his class while working part time as a laborer on construction projects.
Perlmutter was formerly a director of the law firm of Berenbaum Weinshienk, and specialized in business reorganizations and commercial litigation. He served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Colorado Bar Association and served on the Board of Trustees and Judicial Performance Commission for the First Judicial District. He is a Trustee for the Midwest Research Institute
Midwest Research Institute
MRIGlobal is an independent, not-for-profit, contract research organization based in Kansas City, Missouri....
(primary operator of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
), and a Board Member for the National Jewish Medical & Research Center.
Colorado Senate
Perlmutter was a Colorado State Senator from 1995 to 2003. He was elected to two four-year terms to represent central Jefferson CountyJefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
as State Senator from 1995 to 2003 — the first Democrat elected in the district in 30 years.
In 2000, he helped lead a team that succeeded in a Democratic takeover of the Colorado State Senate for the first time since John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
was president. He has assisted numerous campaigns and most recently was co-chair of the Kerry Campaign
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in 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...
.
In the Colorado Senate, he served on numerous Colorado State Senate committees including: Water, Finance, Judiciary, Child Welfare, Telecommunication, Transportation, Legal Services, and Oil and Gas. He was Chair of the Public Policy and Planning Committee, Chair of the Bi-Partisan Renewable Energy Caucus, and President Pro Tem of the Senate during the 2001 and 2002 session.
Among the awards he received while in the Senate were the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry award "Business Legislator of the Year", Legal Aid Award for Equal Justice Under the Law, American Institute of Architecture award for "Colorado Legislator of the Year"; DARE Man of the Year; Jeffco Education Association Friend of Education, United Veterans Committee "Legislator of the Year", Colorado Humane Society Distinguished Service Award, The AARP Outstanding Legislative Service Award, and the University of Colorado School of Law "Distinguished Alumnus Award".
Committee assignments
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
Net neutrality donations controversy
An October 2009 report in the Washington Post highlighted freshmen Democratic representatives with no previous opposition to Net neutrality rules who had gone on to oppose such rules after receiving donations from telecommunications carriers opposed to the rules. The report acquired political contribution data from contribution records at the Center for Responsive PoliticsCenter for Responsive Politics
The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
. Perlmutter was one of the freshmen identified, and the recipient of $7500 in industry contributions according to the records.
2006
Perlmutter won the DemocraticDemocratic 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...
nomination for the 7th District by defeating former State Representative Peggy Lamm
Peggy Lamm
Peggy Lamm is a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Colorado. She was a candidate in the 2006 campaign for Colorado's 7th congressional district seat, where she lost the Democratic primary election to Ed Perlmutter by a margin of 38% to 53%. The remainder of the vote went to candidate Herb...
and college professor Herb Rubenstein, with 53% of the vote in the primary. State education chairman Rick O'Donnell
Rick O'Donnell
'— Incumbent Bob Beauprez was reelected to a second term in 2004 with 55% of the vote, after winning his first term by only 121 votes. His retirement to make an unsuccessful run for Governor of Colorado made this seat highly competitive. The 7th District is located in the western Denver suburbs...
was unopposed for the Republican nomination. Dave Chandler, a Green, was also a candidate.
The seat was held by Republican Bob Beauprez
Bob Beauprez
Robert L. "Bob" Beauprez is an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 7th Congressional District of Colorado....
, who was reelected to a second term in 2004 with 55% of the vote, after winning his first term by only 121 votes. He left the seat at the end of the 2005–2007 term, having failed in his bid to become Governor of Colorado
Governor of Colorado
The Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...
. The 7th District is considered highly competitive. It is located in the western and northern Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
suburbs and was narrowly won by John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in 2004.
In late September, O'Donnell was put on the defensive when ads appeared noting that he had previously supported abolishing Social Security. A Survey USA poll soon after that showed Perlmutter with a 54 to 37 percent lead, although GOP consultants guessed that the support was "soft". An October 4 poll released by Zogby showed Perlmutter ahead of O'Donnell by 45-34 percent. Cook Political Report rating: Republican Toss Up. CQPolitics rating: No Clear Favorite.
In the end, Perlmutter (54%) soundly defeated O'Donnell (42%) for the congressional seat, helping Democrats to regain the majority in the U.S. House.
2008
Perlmutter won against Republican nominee John W. Lerew.2010
Perlmutter defeated Republican nominee Ryan FrazierRyan Frazier
Ryan L. Frazier is a United States politician who is running for Mayor of Aurora, Colorado. He is a member of the Aurora City Council and was the 2010 Republican candidate for United States House of Representatives Colorado's 7th congressional district...
and Libertarian nominee Buck Bailey on November 2, 2010. The 7th Congressional district had been cited as a GOP target in 2010.
Personal life
Perlmutter has three children. He and his first wife, Deanna, divorced in 2008. In November 2010, Perlmutter married Pomona High School mathematics teacher Nancy Henderson.External links
- U.S. Congressman Ed Perlmutter official U.S. House site
- Perlmutter for Colorado official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...