Andrew Romanoff | |
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| 54th Speaker of theColorado House of Representatives | |
| In office January 12, 2005 – January 7, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Lola Spradley |
| Succeeded by | Terrance Carroll |
| Member of theColorado House of Representatives from the 6th district | |
| In office January 10, 2001 – January 7, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Ken Gordon |
| Succeeded by | Lois Court |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Harlan Andrew Romanoff (1966-08-24)August 24, 1966 (age 59) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Yale University (BA) Harvard University (MPP) University of Denver (JD) |
| Website | Official website |
Harlan Andrew Romanoff (born August 24, 1966) is an American politician and public servant. ADemocrat, he was a member of theColorado House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, serving asSpeaker of the House from 2005 to 2009. He was the Democratic nominee forColorado's 6th congressional district in 2014 and twice sought the Democratic nomination for theUnited States Senate.[1] He began his career at theSouthern Poverty Law Center, founded thePosner Center for International Development, and has led two nonprofit organizations:Mental Health Colorado,[2] andGreat Expectations.[3] On January 16th, 2024, he was named Executive Director for Disability Law Colorado, a non-profit legal and advocacy organization which advocates for and provides legal representation for people with disabilities.[4]
Romanoff was raised inColumbus, Ohio, and graduated fromColumbus Academy. His mother, aDemocrat, was a social worker. His father, aRepublican, was a judge. Romanoff has a twin sister.[5] He is Jewish.
Romanoff earned a bachelor's degree fromYale University. He took time off from Yale to work at theSouthern Poverty Law Center, where he joined the fight against theKu Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups. He also worked at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and taught English inNicaragua andCosta Rica.[6] During his time in Nicaragua, his political philosophy was shaped by readingA Theory of Justice by liberal philosopherJohn Rawls.[5]
Romanoff obtained amaster's degree in public policy from theJohn F. Kennedy School of Government atHarvard University[7] and a J.D. degree from theUniversity of DenverSturm College of Law.
From 1993 to 1997, Romanoff worked as a senior associate at the consulting firm of Greenberg Baron Simon & Miller. He then served as a senior policy advisor to GovernorRoy Romer from 1997 to 1999.[8] He also worked for Democratic Congressman David Skaggs.[9]
In 2009, Romanoff joinedInternational Development Enterprises as a senior advisor.[10] In 2013 he founded the Posner Center for International Development— now home to nearly 200 organizations dedicated to the eradication of global poverty.[11]
From 2015 to 2019, Romanoff served as President & CEO ofMental Health Colorado,[2] the state's leading advocate for the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.
Since 2021, Romanoff has been executive director of Great Expectations,[12] a chief provider of guidance and support for at-risk families in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys.
Romanoff has taught government at theUniversity of Colorado Denver, theCommunity College of Aurora,Metropolitan State University of Denver, andRed Rocks Community College.
Romanoff was a member of theColorado House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, winning election to four terms, and earning bipartisan acclaim as one of the most effective legislative leaders in America.[13] He led Democrats to their first majority since 1974 and their first back-to-back majorities since 1962. He became Speaker of the House in 2005, and at the time was the youngest speaker in Colorado House history. Before becoming speaker he was the HouseMinority Leader and represented House District 6. He left the Colorado House after 2008 due to term limits.
Romanoff authored laws to strengthen mental health and substance use services, to expand home and community-based care for older Coloradans, and to protect the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. He spearheaded the Colorado Economic Recovery Act (Referendum C)[14] and the largest investment in school construction in state history.[15]
Romanoff led the legislature to create The Colorado Channel,[16] providing live television coverage of the General Assembly. In 2008, Governing Magazine named him Public Official of the Year.[17]
In early 2009, U.S. SenatorKen Salazar was nominated and confirmed asUnited States Secretary of the Interior. Romanoff was on a shortlist of possible candidates for appointment to Salazar's seat,[18] but GovernorBill Ritter chose Denver schools' superintendentMichael Bennet. Romanoff opted to challenge Bennet for the Senate seat in the Democratic primary.
Romanoff defeated Bennet in the Democratic State Assembly, with 60.4% of the vote to Bennet's 39.6%, thereby earning the first spot on the August primary ballot.[19]
On August 10, 2010, Romanoff was defeated by Bennet in the Democratic primary.
On September 27, 2009, Michael Riley of theDenver Post reported that Romanoff had been offered a position in theObama administration in exchange for not running for U.S. Senate against Michael Bennet.[20] According to Riley, Obama's deputy Chief of StaffJim Messina called Romanoff to offer him various positions in the administration, including a position at theUnited States Agency for International Development. Romanoff turned down the offer.[21]
On June 2, 2010, Romanoff issued a statement confirming that Messina had contacted him on September 11, 2009, and told him that Obama was going to support Bennet in the Democratic Party primary. Romanoff told Messina that he would run anyway; Messina "suggested three positions that might be available to me were I not pursuing the Senate race. He added that he could not guarantee my appointment to any of these positions." White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton toldThe Washington Post, "Mr. Romanoff was recommended to the White House from Democrats in Colorado for a position in the administration. There were some initial conversations with him, but no job was ever offered." Messina sent Romanoff job descriptions for three positions: an administrator for the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau withinUSAID, the chief of the Office of Democracy and Governance withinUSAID, and the director of theU.S. Trade and Development Agency.[22][23]
On June 10, 2010, KDVR reported that Bennet said he had known about the White House's offer to Romanoff.[24]
Romanoff ran for the United States House of Representatives fromColorado's 6th congressional district in 2014.[1] On October 8, 2014, theAurora Sentinel endorsed Romanoff.[25] He lost to incumbent RepublicanMike Coffman, 42.99% to 51.90%.[26]
On February 7, 2019, Romanoff announced[27] his candidacy to challenge incumbent Republican SenatorCory Gardner in the 2020 election. Among Romanoff supporters was progressive populist radio hostJim Hightower.[28][29] Romanoff won the statewide caucuses with 86% of the vote[30] but was defeated by former GovernorJohn Hickenlooper in the Democratic primary.
A politicalprogressive, Romanoff has advocated for aGreen New Deal andMedicare for All.[31]
radio host and national bestselling author Jim Hightower, a former Texas agriculture commissioner and a leading populist voice for decades. "I stand with Andrew Romanoff because he stands with us… He is the grassroots." Hightower argued that Romanoff, who supports the Green New Deal and the single-payer "Medicare for all" health care plan, is a candidate who can build a progressive movement in the Senate "that can move our government back to the people, out of the corporate boardrooms."
| Colorado House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theColorado House of Representatives from the 6th district 2001–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Speaker of theColorado House of Representatives 2005–2009 | Succeeded by |