Steve Fenberg
President of the Colorado Senate
Assumed office
February 22, 2022
Preceded byLeroy Garcia
Majority Leader of the Colorado Senate
In office
January 4, 2019 – February 22, 2022
Preceded byChris Holbert
Succeeded byDominick Moreno
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 18th district
Assumed office
January 11, 2017
Preceded byRollie Heath
Personal details
Born
Stephen Fenberg

(1984-01-02) January 2, 1984 (age 40)
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLindsay Urban
EducationUniversity of Colorado, Boulder (BA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Stephen Fenberg (born January 2, 1984) is an American politician who serves in the Colorado Senate from the 18th district, since 2017, as a member of the Democratic Party. He serves as President of the Senate and served as Majority Leader from 2019 to 2022.

Fenberg was born in Toledo, Ohio, and educated at the University of Colorado Boulder. During his time at college he founded New Era with Leslie Herod and Joe Neguse and registered 150,000 voters while serving as its director. He was elected to the Colorado Senate in the 2016 election and reelected in 2020. Fenberg was selected to become the Majority Leader in 2018. He was selected to replace Leroy Garcia as President of the Senate following Garcia's resignation.

Early life

Stephen Fenberg was born in Toledo, Ohio, to Bill and Harriet Fenberg. His mother distributed party literature from the Ohio Democratic Party during the 1990s.[1] He married Lindsay Urban, with whom he has one child, on June 26, 2017, in Lyons, Colorado, conducted by the Jewish spiritual leader of the Jewish congregation in Boulder.[2][3] He graduated from University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor's degree in environmental policy.[4] He worked as the chief of staff for the student union while at college.[5]

Career

Politics

Fenberg founded New Era, an organization which attempts to register young voters, along with Leslie Herod and Joe Neguse while attending college in 2006, and served as its executive director during which the organization registered 150,000 voters.[6][7][8] He discussed creating the organization with Lisa Kaufmann, who later became the chief of staff for Governor Jared Polis.[9]

Colorado Senate

Elections

Senator Rollie Heath, a member of the Democratic Party from the 18th district, was term-limited during the 2016 campaign and Fenberg ran to succeed him.[10] He won the Democratic nomination without opposition and defeated Republican nominee M. Peter Spraitz.[11][12] He won reelection in the 2020 election against Republican nominee Peg Cage.[13][14]

Tenure

In 2017, Fenberg was appointed to serve on the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy, State, Veterans, and Military Affairs, and Transportation committees.[15] Fenberg defeated Rachel Zenzinger in the Democratic caucus for the position of Majority Leader on November 8, 2018.[16] On February 9, 2022, he was selected by the Democratic caucus to replace Senator Leroy Garcia as president of the state senate, due to Garcia resigning from the state senate, and assume the office on February 22. Senator Dominick Moreno replaced Fenberg as Majority Leader.[17][18]

Fenberg endorsed Representative Diana DeGette for reelection during the 2020 election.[19] He endorsed Senator Michael Bennet for reelection to the United States Senate in the 2022 election.[20]

Political positions

Fenberg and Representatives Herod and Julie McCluskie introduced legislation in 2020, that requested $14 million to fund a program, which would serve around 5,300 people, to have Colorado repay student loan debts for the first two years following graduation.[21] Fenberg was among thirty-seven legislators who endorsed a letter in 2018, calling for Planned Parenthood to allow for their workers to form a union.[22] He and nine other Democratic members of the state senate received a 100% score from the AFL–CIO in 2018.[23]

Fenberg received a 100% rating from Conservation Colorado in 2019.[24] He was one of the signatures of a letter sent by Governor Jared Polis to President Joe Biden asking for immigration laws to be lessen and stating that Colorado was ready to accept refuges following the end of the Afghanistan War.[25] He received an A rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.[26]

In 2017, Fenberg voted against legislation in the Finance committee which would allow concealed carry without a permit.[27] Following the 2021 Boulder shooting he stated that he supported an assault weapons ban and sponsored legislation to repeal a Colorado law which prohibited local governments from passing gun control stricter than state law.[28][29]

In 2017, he sponsored legislation to lower the minimum age to serve in the Colorado General Assembly from 25 to 21.[30] In 2019, he sponsored legislation that would allow paroled felons to vote and after its passage it allowed around 11,500 paroles to vote.[31][32]

Fenberg and Representative Paul Rosenthal sponsored legislation in 2017, to prohibit conversion therapy on minors by licensed mental health professionals.[33] He and Senator Dominick Moreno, and Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Daneya Esgar sponsored legislation in 2019, to prohibit conversion therapy.[34]

Electoral history

2016 Colorado Senate 18th district Democratic primary[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Fenberg 12,433 100.00%
Total votes 12,433 100.00%
2016 Colorado Senate 18th district election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Fenberg 67,799 79.61%
Republican M. Peter Spraitz 17,370 20.39%
Total votes 85,169 100.00%
2020 Colorado Senate 18th district Democratic primary[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Fenberg (incumbent) 40,036 100.00%
Total votes 40,036 100.00%
2020 Colorado Senate 18th district election[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Fenberg 75,261 82.90%
Republican Peg Cage 15,524 17.10%
Total votes 90,785 100.00%

References

  1. ^ "New Era's Steve Fenberg pushes for new voter registration model". Westword. June 13, 2012. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  2. ^ "State Sen. Stephen Fenberg, Lindsay Urban are married in Lyons". Colorado Politics. June 27, 2017. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "TEXT AND CONTEXT: An annotation of Gov. Jared Polis' State of the State address". Colorado Politics. January 9, 2020. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021.
  4. ^ "Steve Fenberg: State Senate, District 18". Daily Camera. October 15, 2016. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  5. ^ "Some see red over whiteness courses". The Cincinnati Enquirer. January 15, 2006. p. 8. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "A new era begins for New Era Colorado". Colorado Politics. January 23, 2012. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.
  7. ^ "Steve Fenberg talks about engaging young voters, his mountain bar and being mistaken for an aide". Colorado Politics. March 23, 2017. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
  8. ^ "Strategist: Democrat Joe Neguse 'near certain' to run for Jared Polis' 2nd District congressional seat". Colorado Politics. June 11, 2017. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "CU'S Fantastic Four: Classmates who joined Colorado's young generation of leaders". Colorado Politics. May 21, 2019. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Energized throngs overwhelm Democratic caucuses, propel Sanders to Colorado win". Colorado Politics. May 2, 2016. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "2016 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "2016 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "2020 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "2020 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  15. ^ "Senate committees ready for action, and the members are..." Colorado Politics. November 30, 2016. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.
  16. ^ "Colorado Senate Democrats, with their new majority, show early splits; statehouse Republicans search for a path forward". The Colorado Sun. November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.
  17. ^ "Steve Fenberg selected as next president of the Colorado Senate". The Colorado Sun. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022.
  18. ^ "Boulder's Steve Fenberg elected Colorado Senate president". KDVR. February 22, 2022. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022.
  19. ^ "Prominent Democrats line up behind DeGette in congressional primary". Colorado Politics. June 20, 2019. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021.
  20. ^ "Michael Bennet unveils long list of current, former officials endorsing his re-election campaign". Colorado Politics. May 10, 2021. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  21. ^ "Legislators draft college loan forgiveness bill". Colorado Politics. January 7, 2020. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021.
  22. ^ "Lawmakers back Denver Planned Parenthood workers' union cause". Colorado Politics. June 13, 2018. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
  23. ^ "AFL-CIO's legislative scorecard: Dems do well; Republicans, not so much". Colorado Politics. August 16, 2018. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
  24. ^ "Conservation Colorado lauds Democrats, blasts Republicans in annual scorecard". Colorado Politics. July 9, 2019. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021.
  25. ^ "Colorado policymakers join other Democrats calling for looser immigration policy". Colorado Politics. September 9, 2021. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  26. ^ "Steve Fenberg". NARAL Pro-Choice America. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  27. ^ "Gun bill to allow 'constitutional carry' passes GOP-led committee". Colorado Politics. February 16, 2017. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.
  28. ^ "After Boulder, Fenberg says 'all options should be on the table,' including assault weapons ban". Colorado Politics. March 30, 2021. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  29. ^ "Democratic lawmakers to roll out package of gun safety bills". Colorado Politics. April 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  30. ^ "New Era Colorado backs proposal to lower minimum age for state lawmakers from 25 to 21". Colorado Politics. April 19, 2017. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
  31. ^ "Colorado legislature passes bill granting parolees voting rights". Colorado Politics. April 26, 2019. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021.
  32. ^ "In 2020, transforming Colorado's criminal justice remains a priority". Colorado Politics. December 26, 2019. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021.
  33. ^ "LGBTQ Lobby Day at the Capitol to address transgender rights". Colorado Politics. February 25, 2017. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
  34. ^ "Colorado lawmakers for a fifth — and likely final — time will weigh whether to ban gay "conversion therapy"". The Colorado Sun. February 7, 2019. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.

External links

Colorado Senate Preceded byChris Holbert Majority Leader of the Colorado Senate 2019–2022 Succeeded byDominick Moreno Preceded byLeroy Garcia President of the Colorado Senate 2022–present Incumbent
Statewide political officials of Colorado
Presidents of state senates
Members of the Colorado Senate
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