Doug Lamborn | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromColorado's5th district | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Joel Hefley |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Crank |
| Member of theColorado Senate from the9th district | |
| In office January 6, 1999 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Duke |
| Succeeded by | David Schultheis |
| Member of theColorado House of Representatives from the 20th district | |
| In office January 9, 1995 – January 6, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Duke |
| Succeeded by | Lynn Hefley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Douglas Lawrence Lamborn (1954-05-24)May 24, 1954 (age 71) Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | University of Kansas (BS,JD) |
| Website | House website |
Lamborn opens a hearing on the FY2024 nuclear forces budget request Recorded March 28, 2023 | |
Douglas Lawrence Lamborn (born May 24, 1954) is an American attorney and politician who served as theU.S. representative forColorado's 5th congressional district from 2007 to 2025. He is a member of theRepublican Party. His district was based inColorado Springs.
On January 5, 2024, Lamborn announced he would not seek reelection in 2024.
Born inLeavenworth, Kansas, Lamborn attendedLansing High School, inLansing, Kansas. After graduation, he earned aBachelor of Science injournalism from theUniversity of Kansas in 1978 and aJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Kansas School of Law in 1985. He moved to Colorado Springs and became a private attorney focusing on business and real estate law.[1][2]
In 1994, Lamborn was elected to theColorado House of Representatives. In 1998, he was elected to theColorado State Senate.
He was elected Republican HouseWhip in 1997. He was elected Senate President Pro-tem in 1999. Lamborn served in the Colorado Senate until winning a seat in the United States Congress.[3]
While in the State Senate, Lamborn sponsored the largest tax cut in Colorado history,[4] and was named the highest-ranking tax cutter in the Senate five times by a conservative activist group called the Colorado Union of Taxpayers.[3]
Lamborn was the ranking Republican on the Colorado State Military and Veterans Affairs, and Appropriations committees.
On February 16, 2006,Joel Hefley announced he would retire after 10 terms in Congress.[5]
In the Republican primary to succeed him, Hefley backed his longtime aide, former Administrative DirectorJeff Crank. In the August 8 election, Lamborn narrowly defeated Crank and four other candidates to win the nomination in a contentious race. He ran on conservative positions:[6] opposinggun control,abortion except when the mother's life is threatened, federal funding ofembryonic stem cell research, denying public benefits to illegal immigrants, and neweminent domain rulings.[7]
Lamborn defeatedLieutenant Colonel Jay Fawcett, the Democratic nominee, on November 7.
Jeff Crank andMajor GeneralBentley Rayburn[8] both challenged Lamborn in the 2008 Republican primary. Both had lost to Lamborn in the 2006 primary. Lamborn won the primary election on August 12 with 45%[9] of the 56,171 votes cast to Crank's 29% and Rayburn's 26%.
Lamborn defeated Democratic nomineeLieutenant ColonelHal Bidlack in the general election.
Lamborn was challenged by Democratic nomineeLieutenant Colonel Kevin Bradley. He won reelection.
Lamborn was challenged in the Republican primary by businessman Robert Blaha. Lamborn won 62–38 percent.[10] He had the support ofPhyllis Schlafly'sEagle Forum political action committee.[11]
Lamborn was challenged by Democratic nomineeMajor GeneralIrv Halter. He won with 59.8% of the vote.[12]
In January 2018, Lamborn announced he would run for reelection in the 2018 elections. After a Colorado High Court ruling initially disqualified him from appearing on the June primary ballot due to questions of signatures and residency, he was reinstated on the ballot when a federal judge ruled in his favor, citing hisFirst Amendment claim.[13] He faced and defeated three challengers in the Republican primary.[14] He won the general election.[15]
On January 9, Lamborn declared his candidacy for an eighth House term.[16] He qualified for the primary ballot in March with over 2,000 valid signatures and won the June 30 primary unopposed.[17] In the November general election, Lamborn defeated Democratic nominee Jillian Freeland.[18]
An office of theImmigration and Customs Enforcement agency was established inColorado Springs in Lamborn's district in 2009 and increased immigration enforcement agents in the area from two to ten. "The immediate need is to address those that have committed a crime and make sure they're sent out of the country", Lamborn said. This would not place in jeopardy employers who hire illegal immigrants in the first place or who pay these workers without any withholding tax or below theminimum wage.[19]
There has also been a Brigade Combat Team in his district since 2007. The Brigade Combat Team consisting of almost 5,000 soldiers, their families, support personnel as well as increased military construction.[20]
Congressional Quarterly said that through the first August recess, Lamborn had voted by strict party lines the most of any House member and more than any other Republican.[6]
He led an effort among conservative Republicans to force the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to discard proposed regulations that would have affected accessibility to small arms ammunition, which were opposed bySecond Amendment groups.[21]
In 2010, theNational Journal named Lamborn the most conservative member of the House of Representatives.[22]
Lamborn was one of the House Republicans leading the effort against public funding for theCorporation for Public Broadcasting and NPR (National Public Radio). "I have been seeking to pushBig Bird out of the nest for over a year, based on the simple fact that we can no longer afford to spend taxpayer dollars on nonessential government programs. It's time for Big Bird to earn his wings and learn to fly on his own."[23]
On August 24, 2007, Jonathan Bartha, who works forFocus on the Family (headquartered in Colorado Springs), and his wife Anna wrote a letter to the editor in a community newspaper expressing concerns about Lamborn's opposition to more restrictions on dogfighting. They were also concerned he had taken several campaign contributions from the gaming industry. A few days later, Lamborn allegedly left two voicemails threatening "consequences" if they didn't renounce their "blatantly false" letter. He also said that he would be "forced to take other steps" if the matter wasn't resolved "on a Scriptural level." The Barthas were shocked by the messages, and Anna Bartha called Lamborn's behavior "not anything we would ever anticipate an elected official would pursue."[24]
As a freshman representative, Lamborn introduced legislation directing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado.[25] On September 20, 2017, the Veterans Administration awarded a $31.8 million contract to G&C Fab-Con, LLC, to begin construction on thePikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs.[26]
Lamborn is a signer ofAmericans for Tax Reform'sTaxpayer Protection Pledge.[27]
In 2008 Lamborn signed a pledge sponsored byAmericans for Prosperity promising to vote against any global warming legislation that would raise taxes.[28]
Lamborn voted in favor of theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[29] He said the bill would benefitcraft beer breweries, many of which are in Colorado.[30] Lamborn claimed the bill simplified the tax code such that people would be filing taxes by "sending a postcard". The tax filing process remained the same.[31]
On July 29, 2011, Lamborn appeared on a Denver radio program to discuss the debt crisis and the failure of Democrats and Republicans to reach a compromise on the problem. He said, "Now, I don't even want to have to be associated with President Obama. It's like touching a tar baby and you get it, you're stuck, and you're a part of the problem now and you can't get away."[32] The termtar baby is sometimes considered a racial slur used forAfrican Americans. Former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll, an African-American, replied, "Looking beyond the fact that Congressman Lamborn's entire comment is nonsensical, his use of the term 'tar baby' is unfortunate because [of] the historical connotation of that term when used in conjunction with African Americans."[33]
On August 1, 2011, Lamborn apologized for his use of the slur. "When I said 'tar baby', I was talking economic quagmire that our country is finding ourselves in because of poor economic policy from the White House. I could have used a better term."[34]
On January 23, 2012, Lamborn announced he would not attend Obama's State of the Union address. According to his spokeswoman Catherine Mortenson, "Congressman Lamborn is doing this to send a clear message that he does not support the policies of Barack Obama, that they have hurt our country", and believed Obama was "in full campaign mode and will use the address as an opportunity to bash his political opponents."[35]
On April 11, 2013, Lamborn read out in an open session broadcast on C-SPAN an unclassified section from a classified report on North Korean nuclear capabilities. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs refused to confirm the classified report.[36] The Pentagon later confirmed that the Defense Intelligence Agency had marked that sentence as unclassified mistakenly.[37]
Lamborn is one of the 80 members of the House who signed a letter to the Speaker urging the threat of a government shutdown to defund Obamacare. This group was named the "Suicide Caucus".[38] He voted against the measure that finally ended the shutdown on October 16, 2013.[39]
On September 13, 2014, during a question and answer session, Lamborn made controversial remarks about Obama's foreign policy. He said, "A lot of us are talking to the generals behind the scenes, saying, 'Hey, if you disagree with the policy that the White House has given you, let's have a resignation. You know, let's have a public resignation, and state your protest, and go out in a blaze of glory!'"[40]
Lamborn supported PresidentDonald Trump's 2017executive order to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries. He said, "By taking steps to temporarily stop refugee admittance from nations that are hotbeds of terrorist activity, the President is taking prudent action to ensure that his national security and law enforcement teams have the strategies and systems in place that they will need to protect and defend America."[41]
Lamborn was among GOP members of the House who did not support SpeakerPaul Ryan's March 2017 effort to repeal and replace theAffordable Care Act. Seeking a more thorough repeal of the healthcare law, Lamborn said, "Right now Obamacare stays in place. That's bad for the American people and it doesn't leave Republicans an immediate opportunity to carry out their pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare. We need to regroup and very soon find a way to do that."[42] Town hall meetings in April 2017 underscored the tension of Lamborn's relationship with the initial policies of the Trump Administration and voters in Lamborn's district.[43]
Lamborn was one of only two members of the Colorado delegation to vote to reject Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes in the2020 presidential election, even after theviolent takeover of Congress by Trump supporters. On January 6, 2021, he voted against certifying the2021 United States Electoral College vote count, citing unproven voter fraud claims.[44]
In December 2022,Business Insider reported that Lamborn had violated theStop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to properly disclose trades of stock inNetApp by him and his wife worth between $68,000 and $120,000.[45]
Lamborn supportedSenate bill 2195, which would allow thePresident of the United States to denyvisas to any ambassador to theUnited Nations who has been found to have been engaged inespionage orterrorist activity against the United States or its allies and may pose a threat to U.S. national security interests.[46]
The bill was written in response toIran's choice ofHamid Aboutalebi as its ambassador.[47] Aboutalebi was controversial due to his involvement in theIran hostage crisis, in which of a number of American diplomats from the U.S. embassy in Tehran were held captive in 1979.[47][48][49] Lamborn called Iran's selection of Aboutalebi "unconscionable and unacceptable". He argued that this legislation was needed to give the president the "authority he needs to deny this individual a visa."[47]
For the118th Congress:[50]
Lamborn does not support increasingminimum wage and believes that at least 500,000 Americans will lose their jobs as a result of wage increases.[59] He supportssocial security reform.[59]
Lamborn does not supportCommon Core State Standards. He has described Common Core as "deeply flawed" and claimed that it "lowers educational standards," and removes parental influence over children's educations.[59]
In December 2020, Lamborn was one of 126 Republican members of theHouse of Representatives to sign anamicus brief in support ofTexas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at theUnited States Supreme Court contesting the results of the2020 presidential election, in whichJoe Biden defeated[60] incumbentDonald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lackedstanding underArticle III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[61][62][63]
Lamborn believes federal fees that impact the energy industry regardingclimate change should not exist.[59]
Lamborn does not support any new restrictions on gun sales.[59]
Lamborn has called theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare) a "disaster." He supports the repeal, replacement and defunding of the program. He wants it to be replaced with unspecified "conservative, free-market solutions."[59]
He supports the reform ofMedicare and says that it is a "wasteful entitlement."[59]
Lamborn isanti-abortion,[59] "does not supportamnesty of any kind", and supports further efforts to secure the border.[59] In 2015 in response toChristmas controversies, he introduced Resolution 564, receiving 35 cosponsors, to assert Christmas in public.[64]
Lamborn opposes the legalization of marijuana.[59]
Lamborn opposessame-sex marriage[59] and condemned the Supreme Court decisionObergefell v. Hodges, which held that same-sex marriage bans violate the constitution.[65]
A former aide in May 2021 filed a federal lawsuit under theCongressional Accountability Act of 1995 accusing Lamborn of recklessly exposing staffers to thenovel coronavirus and firing the aide when he raised objections. The lawsuit also alleges Lamborn allowed his son to live in the Capitol basement while he was relocating to Washington for work, and that Lamborn often called thepandemic a "hoax", lied to a Capitol physician, asked aides to run family errands, including loading furniture to be moved to their vacation home, and had aides help his son complete applications for federal jobs. The suit alleges that staffers were instructed not to tell anyone, including their families, roommates, and friends, that they had been in close contact with several office staffers who had tested positive for COVID-19 infection. Lamborn's office issued a statement denying the allegations.[66]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn | 15,126 | 26.97 | |
| Republican | Jeff Crank | 14,234 | 25.38 | |
| Republican | Bentley Rayburn | 9,735 | 17.36 | |
| Republican | Lionel Rivera | 7,213 | 12.86 | |
| Republican | John Wesley Anderson | 6,474 | 11.54 | |
| Republican | Duncan Bremer | 3,310 | 5.90 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn | 123,264 | 59.62 | |
| Democratic | Jay Fawcett | 83,431 | 40.35 | |
| Republican | Richard D. Hand (write-in) | 41 | 0.02 | |
| Democratic | Brian X. Scott (write-in) | 12 | 0.01 | |
| Republican | Gregory S. Hollister (write-in) | 8 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 206,756 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 24,995 | 44.02 | |
| Republican | Jeff Crank | 16,794 | 29.58 | |
| Republican | Bentley Rayburn | 14,986 | 26.40 | |
| Total votes | 56,775 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 183,179 | 60.03 | |
| Democratic | Hal Bidlack | 113,027 | 37.04 | |
| Constitution | Brian X. Scott | 8,894 | 2.91 | |
| No party | Richard D. Hand (write-in) | 45 | 0.03 | |
| Total votes | 305,142 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 60,906 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 60,906 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 152,829 | 65.75 | |
| Democratic | Kevin Bradley | 68,039 | 29.27 | |
| Constitution | Brian X. Scott | 5,886 | 2.53 | |
| Libertarian | Jerrell Klaver | 5,680 | 2.44 | |
| Total votes | 232,434 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 43,929 | 61.72 | |
| Republican | Robert Blaha | 27,245 | 38.28 | |
| Total votes | 71,174 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 199,639 | 64.98 | |
| Independent | Dave Anderson | 53,318 | 17.35 | |
| Libertarian | Jim Pirtle | 22,778 | 7.41 | |
| Green | Misha Luzov | 18,284 | 5.95 | |
| Constitution | Kenneth R. Harvell | 13,312 | 4.33 | |
| Republican | George Allen Cantrell (write-in) | 6 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 307,231 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 38,741 | 52.56 | |
| Republican | Bentley Rayburn | 34,967 | 47.44 | |
| Total votes | 73,708 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 157,182 | 59.78 | |
| Democratic | Irv Halter | 105,673 | 40.20 | |
| Total votes | 262,855 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (Incumbent) | 51,018 | 68.03 | |
| Republican | Calandra Vargas | 23,968 | 31.96 | |
| Total votes | 74,986 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (Incumbent) | 225,445 | 62.28 | |
| Democratic | Misty Plowright | 111,676 | 30.85 | |
| Libertarian | Mike McRedmond | 24,872 | 6.87 | |
| Total votes | 361,993 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (Incumbent) | 54,974 | 52.15 | |
| Republican | Darryl Glenn | 21,479 | 20.38 | |
| Republican | Owen Hill | 19,141 | 18.16 | |
| Republican | Bill Rhea | 6,167 | 5.85 | |
| Republican | Tyler Stevens | 3,643 | 3.46 | |
| Total votes | 105,404 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (Incumbent) | 184,002 | 57.02 | |
| Democratic | Stephany Rose Spaulding | 126,848 | 39.31 | |
| Libertarian | Douglas Randall | 11,795 | 3.65 | |
| Write-in | 71 | 0.02 | ||
| Total votes | 322,716 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 104,302 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 104,302 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (Incumbent) | 249,013 | 57.59 | |
| Democratic | Jillian Freeland | 161,600 | 37.37 | |
| Libertarian | Ed Duffett | 14,777 | 3.42 | |
| Independent | Marcus Allen Murphy | 3,708 | 0.86 | |
| Unity | Rebecca Keltie | 3,309 | 0.77 | |
| Total votes | 432,407 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 46,178 | 47.32 | |
| Republican | Dave Williams | 32,669 | 33.47 | |
| Republican | Rebecca Keltie | 12,631 | 12.94 | |
| Republican | Andrew Heaton | 6,121 | 6.27 | |
| Total votes | 97,599 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Lamborn (incumbent) | 155,528 | 55.95 | |
| Democratic | David Torres | 111,978 | 40.29 | |
| Libertarian | Brian Flanagan | 7,079 | 2.55 | |
| American Constitution | Christopher Mitchell | 3,370 | 1.21 | |
| Independent | Matthew Feigenbaum | 9 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 277,964 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado took a small but important step in Congress this week when he introduced a resolution, H. Res. 564, along with 35 cosponsors, to reassert the place of Christmas in the public square. The resolution "recognizes the importance of the symbols and traditions of Christmas; strongly disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas; and expresses support for the use of these symbols and traditions by those who celebrate Christmas."
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromColorado's 5th congressional district 2007–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former US Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former US Representative | Succeeded byas Former US Representative |
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