Tracy Velazquez
Encyclopedia
Tracy Velazquez is the Vice Chair of the Montana Democratic Party
and lives in Bozeman, Montana
.
Velazquez has run for public office three times. She first ran for state legislature in 2000 against Republican incumbent Bob Davies. In 2004, she challenged Montana Congressman Dennis Rehberg for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2006, she again ran for the state legislature, this time losing a contested Democratic primary to Mike Phillips.
She was elected Vice Chair of the Montana Democratic Party
in 2005.
Velazquez also owns Commonweal Consulting, which provides capacity building services to non-profit agencies and public health policy consulting to NGOs and local governments. Notably, Velazquez assisted the town of Libby, Montana
in their fight for healthcare for residents sickened by asbestos
from the W.R. Grace mine there.
Velazquez is considered a liberal Democrat, and has from time to time taken positions outside of the party mainstream. For example, in late 2005, she received broad national attention by organizing a group to recommend paying for Hurricane Katrina
relief by reducing pork barrel
spending, asking the Bozeman city council
to return federal earmarked money for a parking garage. While her actions were criticized by Democratic Senator Max Baucus
, as well as republicans Dennis Rehberg and Conrad Burns
, she was also hailed as a founder of a movement to reduce wasteful spending in Washington.
Born in 1964 in Connecticut, Velazquez has a bachelor's degree from Harvard University
and a Masters in Public Administration from Montana State University
. She has three children and is married to Dennis Alexander.
Montana Democratic Party
The Montana Democratic Party is the Montana party affiliate of the Democratic Party. The Montana Democratic Party is also one of the two major political parties in the U.S. state of Montana. The party is led by Chairman Jim Elliot and Vice Chair Nancy Anderson...
and lives in Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
.
Velazquez has run for public office three times. She first ran for state legislature in 2000 against Republican incumbent Bob Davies. In 2004, she challenged Montana Congressman Dennis Rehberg for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2006, she again ran for the state legislature, this time losing a contested Democratic primary to Mike Phillips.
She was elected Vice Chair of the Montana Democratic Party
Montana Democratic Party
The Montana Democratic Party is the Montana party affiliate of the Democratic Party. The Montana Democratic Party is also one of the two major political parties in the U.S. state of Montana. The party is led by Chairman Jim Elliot and Vice Chair Nancy Anderson...
in 2005.
Velazquez also owns Commonweal Consulting, which provides capacity building services to non-profit agencies and public health policy consulting to NGOs and local governments. Notably, Velazquez assisted the town of Libby, Montana
Libby, Montana
Libby is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,626 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Libby is located at , along U.S. Route 2....
in their fight for healthcare for residents sickened by asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
from the W.R. Grace mine there.
Velazquez is considered a liberal Democrat, and has from time to time taken positions outside of the party mainstream. For example, in late 2005, she received broad national attention by organizing a group to recommend paying for Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
relief by reducing pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
spending, asking the Bozeman city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
to return federal earmarked money for a parking garage. While her actions were criticized by Democratic Senator Max Baucus
Max Baucus
Max Sieben Baucus is the senior United States Senator from Montana and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, as of 2010 he is the longest-serving Senator from Montana, and the fifth longest-serving U.S...
, as well as republicans Dennis Rehberg and Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
, she was also hailed as a founder of a movement to reduce wasteful spending in Washington.
Born in 1964 in Connecticut, Velazquez has a bachelor's degree from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and a Masters in Public Administration from Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
. She has three children and is married to Dennis Alexander.