Scott Tipton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromColorado's3rd district | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | John Salazar |
| Succeeded by | Lauren Boebert |
| Member of theColorado House of Representatives from the 59th district | |
| In office January 9, 2009 – January 2, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Ray Rose |
| Succeeded by | Don Coram |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Scott Randall Tipton (1956-11-09)November 9, 1956 (age 69) Española, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jean Tipton |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Fort Lewis College (BA) |
Scott Randall Tipton[1] (born November 9, 1956) is an American politician who served as theU.S. representative forColorado's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2021. ARepublican, he was previously a member of theColorado House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011. Tipton was first elected to the House in November 2010 when he defeated three-termDemocratic incumbentJohn Salazar, and he was re-elected four times. In2020, he lost renomination to Republican primary challengerLauren Boebert in what was considered a major upset.[2]
Tipton was born inEspañola, New Mexico, and raised inCortez, Colorado. He earned aBachelor of Arts degree inpolitical science fromFort Lewis College, the first in his family to graduate from college.[3]
After college, Tipton co-founded a pottery company called Mesa Verde Indian Pottery with his brother, based inCortez, Colorado.[4] The Tiptons sold the company to theUte Mountain Ute Tribe in 2014.[5]
A lifelong Republican, he became involved in the unsuccessfulReagan presidential campaign of 1976 and was a delegate to the Republican Convention that year. He also assisted with local campaigns for Reagan in 1980 and 1984 acrossMontezuma County, Colorado and the 3rd Congressional district and was Republican chairman of the 3rd Congressional district for eight years.[6] He was a board member ofMesa Verde National Park,Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, and the advisory board ofPueblo Community College.[7]
In 2011, it was reported that he spent over $7,000 on vendors that did business with his nephew's company.[8] In 2012, he violated House rules when his office used taxpayer resources to promote a campaign event.[9]
Asuper PAC, funded by oil and gas driller SG Interests, is registered at the address of Tipton's campaign attorney and run by a law clerk in his office. Tipton's attorney said: "I have specifically put up Chinese walls to make sure Charlie (law clerk) is in no way involved with the Tipton campaign, and I'm in no way involved with the Colorado Future Fund."[10]
On February 5, 2008, he announced his candidacy for the Colorado House seat representing District 58. The announcement came shortly after the incumbent, Ray Rose, announced he would retire in 2008. He had no opposition in the Republican primary,[11] but faced Democratic candidate Noelle Hagan in the November 2008 general election. Hagan's candidacy was endorsed by theDenver Post[12] and theMontrose Daily Press.[13] Tipton won the election with 59 percent of the vote.[14]
With RepresentativesLaura Bradford andFrank McNulty, Tipton planned on re-introducing a version ofJessica's Law to establish minimum sentences forchild sex offenders,[15] sponsoring bills to create a full-time judge position inMontrose[16][17] and to simplify water rights filing.[18] The attempt to introduce a version of Jessica's Law was unsuccessful, it died in committee.[19]
For the 2009 legislative session, Tipton was named to seats on the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee and the House Local Government Committee.[20]
He unsuccessfully challenged the first termDemocratic U.S. congressman,John Salazar. Tipton lost 38% to 62% to Salazar.[21]
In the Republican primary, he defeated Bob McConnell 56% to 44%.[22] He again challengedSalazar inColorado's 3rd congressional district.Libertarian Gregory Gilman and independent Jake Segrest were also on the ballot, with independents John W. Hargis, Sr. and James Fritz qualified as write-in candidates. He decided to retire from theColorado House of Representatives to run for Congress in 2010, again challenging Salazar.[23] In the general election, he defeated Salazar 50.1% to 45.8%.[24]
In 2012, he was challenged bySal Pace, aDemocratic state representative fromPueblo. His re-election campaign was aided by $1.3 million in advertising against Pace, funded by theGrover Norquist led,Americans for Tax Reform.[25] SG Interests, an oil and gas company from Texas, that sought to drill in the Thompson Divide area, also campaigned against Pace.[26] On election night, Tipton defeated Pace and twothird party challengers with 53.3% of the vote.[27]
In 2014, he was challenged by DemocratAbel Tapia, Libertarian Travis Mero and UNA candidate Tisha Casida. He won with 56.1% of the vote.[28]
In 2016, Tipton defeated Democratic state senatorGail Schwartz and Libertarian Gaylon Kent, receiving 54.6% of the vote.[29]
In 2018, Tipton held off Democratic former state representativeDiane Mitsch Bush, Independent Mary Malarsie, and Libertarian Gaylon Kent in his closest challenge since he was first elected to Congress, receiving 51.2% of the vote.[30]
In what was considered by many media outlets to be a shocking upset, Tipton was defeated in the Republican primary by restaurant owner and gun rights activistLauren Boebert. He received 45.2% of the vote to Boebert's 54.6%.[31][32][33][34]Dick Wadhams, a Republican political consultant fromDenver, says that Tipton had several hundred thousand dollars in the bank for his primary against Boebert, but he chose not to use it for TV/radio ads, mailings, or social media, ceding the debate to Boebert, who inspired a much higher Republican turnout than in 2018.[35] Boebert went on to win in a general election.
Tipton voted in favor of theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[36] According to Tipton, the bill fixes a "broken tax code" and "puts the needs of the American people before special interests."[37] Tipton touts that the act "supports families, graduate students, homeowners, and small businesses," and is "a victory for Coloradans and all Americans."[38]
Caucus Memberships
Tipton opposes abortion.[41][42]
Tipton expressed support for then-candidateDonald Trump in March 2016.[43] After theDonald Trump Access Hollywood tape was released, in which Trump andBilly Bush had a lewd exchange about women, Tipton re-affirmed his support.[44]
On December 18, 2019, Tipton voted againstboth articles of impeachment against Trump.
Tipton has said, "we have a problem with reckless spending across the board at the federal level."[42] He has signedGrover Norquist'sTaxpayer Protection Pledge,[45] and a pledge sponsored byAmericans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.[46] He has also supported theRyan Plan, having twice voted for it.[47]
In February 2017, he voted against a resolution that would have directed the House to request 10 years of Trump's tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by theHouse Ways and Means Committee in a closed session.[48]
Tipton rejects thescientific consensus on climate change.[49] He argues that climate change is driven by natural climate cycles.[49] He opposes theParis Agreement, the international agreement which mitigates greenhouse gas emissions.[42]
He opposes federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.[41] He has an 8% score by the League of Conservation Voters.[50]
In 2010, while serving in the state legislature, Tipton voted against legislation to compelXcel Energy to convert threecoal power plants tonatural gas power plants. He also voted against legislation torequire electricity utilities to use more renewable energy.[51]
In 2016, Tipton wrote a draft bill on oil and gas drilling in the Thompson Divide that contained large sections taken "word for word" from a proposal offered by a SG Interests, a Texas-based energy company and its lobbying firm. Tipton's draft legislation (which he described as a "starting point") was criticized because of Tipton's receipt of $39,000 in campaign contributions from SG Interests over the course of his career.[52]
In January 2017, Tipton voted in favor of legislation that would make it easier to sell federal public lands. Tipton was criticized by conservation groups for his vote.[53]
Tipton introduced theWater Rights Protection Act into the House on September 26, 2013. The bill would prevent federal agencies from requiring certain entities to relinquish their water rights to the United States in order to usepublic lands.[54] Tipton said the bill was needed because it "provides critical protection for water rights' holders from federal takings by ensuring that federal government agencies cannot extort private property rights through uneven-handed negotiations."[55] Tipton argued that the bill "prohibits federal agencies from pilfering water rights through the use of permits, leases, and other land management arrangements, for which it would otherwise have to pay just compensation under the 5th Amendment of the Constitution."[55]
He has criticized the Obama administration for inaction in the Middle East: "President Obama and Secretary Clinton's inaction in the Middle East has emboldened Syria, Iran and Russia and led to the death and displacement of millions of Syrian civilians."[42]
He is in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act.[41] On May 4, 2017, he voted to repeal thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and pass theAmerican Health Care Act.[56][57]
He opposes same-sex marriage.[41][58][unreliable source?]
Tipton has said, "I strongly oppose amnesty or any special benefits for illegal immigrants".[59] He criticized President Obama for his executive order allowing up to five million illegal immigrants "to come out of the shadows" and work openly in the country.[59]
Tipton takes a "hardline stance" on therefugees of the Syrian Civil War and opposes the admission of Syrian refugees to the United States.[60] He has clashed with GovernorJohn Hickenlooper about the resettlement of refugee families in Colorado.[60]
Tipton and his wife, Jean, have two daughters and three grandchildren.[citation needed]
With 70 percent of precincts reporting results Tuesday night, Tipton, a state representative from Cortez, had received 56 percent of votes across the 3rd Congressional District, compared with about 44 percent for McConnell.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromColorado's 3rd congressional district 2011–2021 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
