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Betsy Markey | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2009 | |
| U.S. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Intergovernmental Affairs | |
| In office 2011–2013 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Juliette Kayyem |
| Succeeded by | Philip McNamara |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromColorado's4th district | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Marilyn Musgrave |
| Succeeded by | Cory Gardner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elizabeth Helen Markey (1956-04-27)April 27, 1956 (age 69) Cresskill, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jim Kelly |
| Education | University of Florida (BA) American University (MPA) |
| Website | House website (archived) |
Elizabeth Helen Markey (born April 27, 1956) is a former American politician who served as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives forColorado's 4th congressional district from 2009 to 2011. She also served as assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs in theUnited States Department of Homeland Security. She is a member of theDemocratic Party.
Betsy Markey was born inCresskill, New Jersey, as the sixth of seven children.[1] Markey attended college at theUniversity of Florida from 1974 through 1978. Her last semester was completed abroad at a university inPoznań,Poland. Markey completed a Masters of Public Administration in 1983 from American University.
After completing a degree in political science, Markey worked for a short period of time on the staff of U.S. SenatorJohn A. Durkin (D-NH). She later went on to work for U.S. CongressmanHerbert Harris (D-VA) as a caseworker/legislative assistant on one of the Congressman’s subcommittees. Markey was hired as a staff assistant to the vice president for development and planning atAmerican University in 1981.
In 1983 Markey was selected to participate in thePresidential Management Fellows Program, a competitive two-year management program track in the federal government. Markey went on to hold positions in theUnited States Treasury Department as budget and program analyst, as human resources specialist, and as staff assistant to the deputy commissioner of theUnited States Customs Service.
In 1984, during theReagan Administration, she was recruited by theUnited States Department of State to develop computer security policies for the newly formed Office of Information Systems Security. Markey served as director of computer security policy and training and worked with all bureaus to craft computer security policy. She created the department’s first comprehensive computer security training program for management, security personnel and support staff globally. For her work, Markey received the State Department’sMeritorious Honor Award. Markey left the Department in 1988 at theGS-14 level.
After leaving the State Department in 1988, Markey co-founded a software firm, Syscom Services. By 1995, Syscom ranked #99 in theInc. 500 listing of America’s fastest-growing private companies.[2]
In the mid-1990s, Markey was also the owner of Huckleberry’s, a successful and popular coffee and ice cream shop in Old TownFort Collins, Colorado. She sold her small business in 2000.[3]
Markey was hired as regional director of Colorado’s North Central and Eastern Plains for U.S. SenatorKen Salazar in January 2005. She resigned the position in May 2007. Markey announced her decision to run forUnited States House of Representatives forColorado's 4th congressional district in June 2007.
Markey worked as president of the board of directors of the Food Bank for Larimer County.[4] She chaired the Food Bank’s capital campaign which raised nearly a million dollars to expand the Food Bank facility and the services they provide. As Chair of the Larimer County Democratic Party she oversaw a large expansion in the role the party played in Northern Colorado. Markey also founded the Larimer County Democratic Business Coalition, a network of small business owners in the community. During that time she also participated in the Local Legislative Affairs Committee (LLAC) for the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce.
In the111th Congress, Markey voted for theChildren's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009,[5] theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act,[6] aneconomic stimulus package, theAmerican Clean Energy and Security Act,[7] acap-and-trade bill which ultimately did not pass. Markey also voted for thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act,[8] landmarkhealth care reform legislation.
In his memoir,A Promise Land,Barack Obama described Markey as a promising and principled young House member who faced electoral defeat despite taking tough votes on critical issues such as healthcare and the Recovery Act, emphasizing Markey's commitment to her principles in the face of political challenges.[9]
In June 2007, Markey filed a statement of candidacy with theFederal Election Commission, and formally announced her intention to run in Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District againstMarilyn Musgrave. She quickly garnered numerous key supporters including many past and present elected officials.
The 4th District had been in Republican hands since 1973. It was generally considered a safe Republican district, but Musgrave was considered potentially vulnerable. The three-term incumbent had never been able to establish a secure footing in the district, in part because her Democratic opponents attacked her for her focus on social issues (such as theFederal Marriage Amendment) and her allegedly poor constituent services. After winning the open 4th District seat fairly easily in 2002, Musgrave had only narrowly held on in 2004 and 2006.
Another factor that made Democrats hopeful of defeating Musgrave was the district's demographics. The 4th is a large and mostly rural district. While the rural counties are some of the most Republican counties in Colorado, the district's politics were dominated by two counties--Larimer andWeld—home to Fort Collins andGreeley, respectively. These two counties have only a third of the district's land, but cast 85 percent of its vote. In 2004 and 2006, Musgrave had been able to win by running up the votes in Weld County.
In the 2008 election, Markey won by an unexpectedly wide margin, taking 56% of the vote to Musgrave's 44% the third largest margin of victory for a congressional challenger in the 2008 cycle. While Markey lost most of the rural counties in the district by margins of 2-to-1 or more, she crushed Musgrave in Larimer County, winning it by 36,500 votes. She also won Weld County by seven points.[10][11]
Markey was challenged by Republican nominee, state RepresentativeCory Gardner, American Constitutional Party nominee Doug Aden, and Independent Ken "Wasko" Waszkiewicz.
The race was rated as a toss-up per polling aggregation and was cited as one of the most competitive races in the nation.[12][13][14] Markey was defeated in her reelection bid in 2010,[15] taking only 41% of the vote to Gardner's 52%.
After her defeat, Markey became Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs in theUnited States Department of Homeland Security. She resigned that position in January 2013.[16][17] In June 2013, she announced that she was running forColorado State Treasurer in the2014 elections.[18] She won the Democratic nomination, but lost the general election to incumbentWalker Stapleton.
In January 2016, she was appointed as regional administrator for theSmall Business Administration.[19]
In December 2018, she was appointed as director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and Trade.[20] She announced her resignation in March 2021.
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromColorado's 4th congressional district 2009–2011 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
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