Daniel Kagan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theColorado Senate from the26th district | |
| In office January 11, 2017 – January 11, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Linda Newell |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Bridges |
| Member of theColorado House of Representatives from the 3rd district | |
| In office March 30, 2009 – January 11, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Anne McGihon |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Bridges |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 1953 (age 72) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Faye |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | George Washington University Yale Law School |
| Website | www.dankagan.com |
Daniel Kagan (born January 1953) is an American politician who served in theColorado Senate from the26th district from 2017 to 2019, and in theColorado House of Representatives from the 3rd district from 2009 to 2017, as a member of theDemocratic Party.
Kagan was born toJoseph Kagan, Baron Kagan and educated in the United States atGeorge Washington University andYale Law School. He gained citizenship in the United States in 1984, and worked inWashington, D.C. until he moved back to theUnited Kingdom with his family in 1995. He turned to the United States in 2005, and served as a delegate to the2008 Democratic National Convention.
He was appointed to replace RepresentativeAnne McGihon in the state house in 2009, and won reelection in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 elections and was elected to the state senate in the2016 election. During his tenure in the state legislature he served as the chair of the Judiciary committee. Kagan resigned from the legislature in 2019 after being accused of using the women's bathroom multiple times.
Daniel Kagan was born to Margaret andJoseph Kagan, Baron Kagan, who wereLithuanian Jews that met during theHolocaust. He was educated atRugby School and studied political science at theUniversity of East Anglia between 1971 and 1973. He moved to the United States in 1975. He graduated fromGeorge Washington University, which he attended from 1979 to 1984, with abachelor's degree in economics and political science, andYale Law School, which he attended from 1984 to 1987. He gainedUnited States citizenship in 1984. He was admitted to the bar of theDistrict of Columbia Court of Appeals in 1989. Kagan met Faye in 1984, married her in 1989, with whom he had three children, and lived inWashington, D.C. until they moved to the United Kingdom following the death of Kagan's father in 1995 before returning to the United States in 2005.[1][2][3][4][5]
RepresentativeAnne McGihon announced that she would leave theColorado House of Representatives on March 27, 2009. Kagan and eight otherDemocrats, includingT. R. Reid, ran to be appointed to her seat by the vacancy committee.[6] He won the appointment from the vacancy committee with thirty-five out of one hundred four votes and was sworn in on March 30.[7][8] He defeatedRepublican nominee Christine Mastin in the 2010 election.[9]
He defeated Republican nominee Brian Watson andLibertarian nominee David P. Jurist in the 2012 election.[10][11] Watson spend $262,153 during the campaign which was the highest amount spent by any state legislature candidate in Colorado in that election cycle.[12] He defeated Republican nominee Candice Benge in the 2014 election.[13][14] Kagan ran for a seat in theColorado Senate from the 26th district with the Democratic nomination during the2016 election and defeated Republican nominee Nancy A. Doty.[15][16] Andrew Fish, who later served as the Democratic caucus' deputy chief of staff, worked as Kagan's campaign manager in the 2016 election.[17]
During Kagan's tenure in the state house he served as the chair of the Judiciary committee.[18] He served as a delegate to theDemocratic National Convention forHillary Clinton during the2008 Democratic presidential primaries.[19]
He gave a speech demanding for debate on a resolution seeking to expel SenatorRandy Baumgardner for the sexual allegations against him. After his speech Kagan was accused of using the women's bathroom multiple times by SenatorsBeth Martinez Humenik andOwen Hill. He claimed that he had only used the women's bathroom once due to him having a gastrointestinal virus and the bathrooms being unmarked at the time. However, an investigation that ended in September determined that Kagan had used the women's bathroom at least three times. He announced on December 5, 2018 that he would resign on January 11, 2019, stating that the Republicans had targeted him due to the Democrats attempting to remove Republican members for sexual misconduct.[20][21][22]
On January 5, a vacancy committee selectedJeff Bridges to replace Kagan in the state senate against three other candidates, includingIman Jodeh.[23] Another vacancy committee selectedMeg Froelich to replace Bridges in the state house.[24]
Kagan endorsedAndrew Romanoff for the Democratic nomination during the2020 United States Senate election.[25]
Kagan opposed legislation that required members of law enforcement to have United States citizenship.[26] He stated that legislation punishingsanctuary cities and counties was a violation of theFourth andTenth amendments.[27] He proposed legislation to repeal Colorado'sadultery law.[28] He and RepresentativeLori Saine sponsored legislation to require the videotaping of police interrogations in sexual assault and murder cases in order to preventfalse confessions.[29] He was among thirty-seven legislators who endorsed a letter in 2018, calling forPlanned Parenthood to allow for their workers to form a union.[30] Kagan voted in favor of repealingcapital punishment in 2009.[31]
He received an A rating fromNARAL Pro-Choice America.[32] TheAmerican Civil Liberties Union gave him a rating of 89% in 2013, 40% in 2015, 80% in 2018, and ratings of 100% in 2014, 2016, and 2017.[33]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Daniel Kagan (incumbent) | 5,376 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 5,376 | 100.00% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Daniel Kagan (incumbent) | 14,981 | 57.84% | |
| Republican | Christine Mastin | 10,919 | 42.16% | |
| Total votes | 25,900 | 100.00% | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Daniel Kagan (incumbent) | 2,619 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 2,619 | 100.00% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Daniel Kagan (incumbent) | 19,610 | 50.76% | |
| Republican | Brian Watson | 17,194 | 44.51% | |
| Libertarian | David P. Jurist | 1,825 | 4.72% | |
| Total votes | 38,629 | 100.00% | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Daniel Kagan (incumbent) | 2,964 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 2,964 | 100.00% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Daniel Kagan (incumbent) | 15,563 | 50.73% | |
| Republican | Candice Benge | 15,118 | 49.27% | |
| Total votes | 30,681 | 100.00% | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Daniel Kagan | 8,281 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 8,281 | 100.00% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Daniel Kagan | 42,145 | 53.48% | |
| Republican | Nancy A. Doty | 36,666 | 46.52% | |
| Total votes | 78,811 | 100.00% | ||