Chris Coons: Difference between revisions
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{{See also|United States Senate special election in Delaware, 2010}} |
{{See also|United States Senate special election in Delaware, 2010}} |
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Coons is running in the 2010 special election against the [[Republican]] candidate [[Christine O'Donnell]] for the [[U.S. Senate]] seat currently held by Ted Kaufman, who was appointed after [[Joe Biden]] resigned.<ref>[http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100203/NEWS02/100203018/Coons-to-challenge-Castle-for-Senate-seat Coons to challenge Castle for Senate seat]{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=May 2010}} |
Coons is running in the 2010 special election against the [[Republican]] candidate [[Christine O'Donnell]] for the [[U.S. Senate]] seat currently held by Ted Kaufman, who was appointed after [[Joe Biden]] resigned.<ref>[http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100203/NEWS02/100203018/Coons-to-challenge-Castle-for-Senate-seat Coons to challenge Castle for Senate seat]{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=May 2010}} |
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Coons campaign has come under fire for a paper he wrote in college, entitled "Chris Coons: the making of a bearded Marxist". In it, he describes his transformation from a Republican to a "Democrat suspicious of America's power and ideals.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/17/days-decidedem-candidate-comes-scrutiny-delaware-race-bidens-old-senate-seat/</ref>. Attention has also focused on Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid's comments identifying Coons as "his pet".<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/17/days-decidedem-candidate-comes-scrutiny-delaware-race-bidens-old-senate-seat/</ref><ref>http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/247036/harry-reid-s-pet-stephen-spruiell</ref><ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/16/chris-coons-harry-reid-pet-independent-voice_n_720160.html</ref> |
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==Public offices== |
==Public offices== |
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Revision as of 15:46, 20 September 2010
Christopher A. Coons | |
|---|---|
| County Executive of New Castle County | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas P. Gordon |
| President of the New Castle County Council | |
| In office January 2, 2001 – January 4, 2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 9, 1963 Connecticut |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Height | 160 |
| Spouse | Annie Lingenfelter |
| Residence | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Alma mater | Amherst College (B.A.) Yale Law School (J.D.) Yale Divinity School (M.A.R.)[1] |
| Website | Chris Coons for U.S. Senate |
Christopher A. Coons (born September 9, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware, and is the County Executive of New Castle County. On February 3, 2010, he announced his candidacy for the Senate seat vacated by then Vice President-elect Joe Biden, himself a former member of the New Castle County council.[2][3]
Early life and family
Coons grew up in Hockessin, Delaware, married Annie Lingenfelter, and has three children. They live in Wilmington, Delaware. He graduated from the Tower Hill School and then Amherst College in 1985 with a B.A. in Chemistry and Political Science, earning a Truman Scholarship. During his junior year of college, Coons studied abroad at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, which greatly influenced his political beliefs.
Coons worked as in-house counsel for W.L Gore & Associates for eight years. He has also worked with several non-profits, including the Council for the Homeless, the education-oriented “I Have a Dream” Foundation, and the South African Council of Churches, and serves on several boards including First State Innovation, the Bear/Glasgow Boys & Girls Club, and the Delaware College of Art & Design. Coons has been named an honorary commander of the 166th Air Wing of the Delaware Air National Guard, and is a honorary life member of the Minquadale Fire Company.
Professional career
After college, Coons worked in Washington, D.C., for the Investor Responsibility Research Center, where he wrote a book on South Africa and the U.S. divestment movement. He then worked as a volunteer for the South African Council of Churches and as a relief worker in Kenya, before returning to the U.S. to work for the Coalition for the Homeless in New York. In 1992, he earned his J.D. degree from Yale Law School, and a master's degree in Ethics from Yale Divinity School.[4]
Coons clerked for Judge Jane Richards Roth on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and then worked for the National "I Have a Dream" Foundation in New York.[5] After returning to Delaware in 1996, Coons began his career as in-house counsel for W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Newark, Delaware-based makers of Gore-Tex fabrics and other high-tech materials. There he was responsible for the ethics training program, federal government relations, e-commerce legal work, and for general commercial contracting.[citation needed] In 1999, he was awarded the Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Award for his work with the "I Have a Dream" Foundation of Delaware, the Governor's Mentoring Council, and the United Way of Delaware.[citation needed]
Political career
In 1988 Coons worked as a volunteer for the senate campaign of Delaware Lt. Gov. Shien Biau Woo[5] and he was a delegate from Wilmington to the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. His first elected office was President of the New Castle County Council, elected in 2000 and serving four years before being elected County Executive in 2004. He was the endorsed candidate of the New Castle County Democratic Party in 2008, and was re-nominated by the party on September 9, 2008. Coons was re-elected on November 4, 2008, defeating Republican candidate and former New Castle County Executive Thomas P. Gordon.
2010 U.S. Senate campaign
Coons is running in the 2010 special election against the Republican candidate Christine O'Donnell for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Ted Kaufman, who was appointed after Joe Biden resigned.[6][dead link]
Coons campaign has come under fire for a paper he wrote in college, entitled "Chris Coons: the making of a bearded Marxist". In it, he describes his transformation from a Republican to a "Democrat suspicious of America's power and ideals.[7]. Attention has also focused on Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid's comments identifying Coons as "his pet".[8][9][10]
Public offices
The County Executive of New Castle County takes office the first Tuesday of January and has a term of four years.
| Office | Type | Location | Elected | Took Office | Left Office | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Council | Legislature | Wilmington | 2000 | January 2, 2001 | January 4, 2005 | President |
| County Executive | Executive | Wilmington | 2004 | January 4, 2005 | Re-Elected |
Election results
| Year | Office | Election | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||
| 2000 | County Council | Primary | Christopher A. Coons | Democratic | 7,520 | 48% | Vincent D'Anna Martha Denison Dwight L. Davis |
Democratic | 3,220 2,414 2,370 |
21% 16% 15% | ||
| 2000 | County Council | General | Christopher A. Coons | Democratic | 113,050 | 56% | Michael Ramone | Republican | 87,462 | 44% | ||
| 2004 | County Executive | Primary | Christopher A. Coons | Democratic | 17,584 | 67% | Sherry Freebery Richard Korn |
Democratic | 4,702 4,130 |
18% 15% | ||
| 2004 | County Executive | General | Christopher A. Coons | Democratic | 131,397 | 58% | Christopher Castagno | Republican | 93,424 | 42% |
References
- ^ "Meet Chris Coons". Chris Coons for U.S. Senate. Retrieved 2010-09-17. (campaign web site biography)
- ^ Taylor, Jessica. Chris Coons declares Delaware Senate bid. Politico. 4 February 2010.
- ^ Kleefeld, Eric (February 3, 2010). "Democrat Chris Coons Running For Delaware Senate Seat". TPMDC. Talking Points Memo. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
- ^ Yearick, Bob (June 15, 2010). "Castle vs. Coons". Delaware Today. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
- ^ a b CNN staff (September 15, 2010). "Chris Coons: Delaware's surprise favorite". CNN Politics. CNN. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
{{cite news}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ Coons to challenge Castle for Senate seat[dead link]
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/17/days-decidedem-candidate-comes-scrutiny-delaware-race-bidens-old-senate-seat/
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/17/days-decidedem-candidate-comes-scrutiny-delaware-race-bidens-old-senate-seat/
- ^ http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/247036/harry-reid-s-pet-stephen-spruiell
- ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/16/chris-coons-harry-reid-pet-independent-voice_n_720160.html