Rachel Zenzinger
Rachel Zenzinger (Democratic Party) was a member of the Colorado State Senate, representing District 19. She assumed office on January 11, 2017. She left office on January 8, 2025.
Zenzinger (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Colorado State Senate to represent District 19. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Biography
Rachel Zenzinger earned her B.A. in education and her M.A. in adult education from Regis University in 1998 and 2001, respectively. Her professional experience includes working as the program coordinator for the Master of Arts in education program at Regis University, secretary/board member for the Denver Regional Council of Governments, and assistant director of alumni and parent programs at Regis University.[1] Zenzinger served on the Arvada, Colorado City Council from 2009 to 2013 and as mayor pro tempore from 2011 to 2013.[2]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Zenzinger was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Appropriations Committee, Vice Chair
- Joint Budget Committee, Chair
2021-2022
Zenzinger was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Zenzinger was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Transportation |
2013-2014
Following her appointment, Zenzinger served on the following committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Local Government |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
- See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2024
Rachel Zenzinger was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.
2020
See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Colorado State Senate District 19
Incumbent Rachel Zenzinger defeated Lynn Gerber in the general election for Colorado State Senate District 19 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Rachel Zenzinger (D) | 59.2 | 54,694 | |
| Lynn Gerber (R) | 40.8 | 37,740 | ||
| Total votes: 92,434 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 19
Incumbent Rachel Zenzinger advanced from the Democratic primary for Colorado State Senate District 19 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Rachel Zenzinger | 100.0 | 27,598 | |
| Total votes: 27,598 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 19
Lynn Gerber advanced from the Republican primary for Colorado State Senate District 19 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Lynn Gerber | 100.0 | 13,926 | |
| Total votes: 13,926 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Matthew Lantz (R)
2016
- See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Colorado State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 28, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 4, 2016.[3]
Rachel Zenzinger defeated incumbent Laura J. Woods and Hans Romer in the Colorado State Senate District 19 general election.[4][5]
| Colorado State Senate, District 19 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Rachel Zenzinger |
47.78% | 39,070 | |
| Republican | Laura J. Woods Incumbent | 45.97% | 37,592 | |
| Libertarian | Hans Romer | 6.25% | 5,112 | |
| Total Votes | 81,774 | |||
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State | ||||
Rachel Zenzinger ran unopposed in the Colorado State Senate District 19 Democratic primary.[6][7]
| Colorado State Senate, District 19 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Rachel Zenzinger (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Laura J. Woods ran unopposed in the Colorado State Senate District 19 Republican primary.[6][7]
| Colorado State Senate, District 19 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Laura J. Woods Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Obama endorsement |
|---|
|
| During the 2016 election cycle Zenzinger was one of the candidates endorsed by President Barack Obama |
Full list of Obama's 2016 endorsements |
2014
- See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Colorado State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 24, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 31, 2014. Incumbent Rachel Zenzinger was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Laura J. Woods defeated Lang Sias in the Republican primary. Woods defeated Zenzinger and Gregg Miller (L) in the general election.[8][9][10][11]
This race was picked by analysts as one of two that were important for the control of the Colorado State Senate. The Democrats held the smallest possible majority in the chamber at one seat following the successful 2013 recalls of Senate President John Morse (D) and Angela Giron (D) and later resignation of Evie Hudak (D) after recall petitions were turned in against her. When Zenzinger, Hudak's former campaign manager, was first appointed, some conservatives argued that she would simply continue with Hudak's policies. "Sen. Hudak’s constituents were hungry for change and liberal activists served up more of the same. Zenzinger may have a different name, but she’s been behind Hudak’s policies. Anyone who thinks Zenzinger is going to stand up to her own Democrat majority is fooling themselves," said Kelly Maher of the conservative group Compass Colorado.[12]
Jefferson County, where this seat is located, was considered by some to be "the epicenter of Colorado politics." Because of Zenzinger's relationship to Hudak, she was considered vulnerable to a Republican challenge.[13] According to Chalkbeat, Zenzinger holds a "substantial fundraising lead" over Woods.[14]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Laura J. Woods |
47.6% | 29,907 | |
| Democratic | Rachel Zenzinger Incumbent | 46.6% | 29,244 | |
| Libertarian | Gregg Miller | 5.8% | 3,664 | |
| Total Votes | 62,815 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Laura J. Woods |
55.4% | 6,813 |
| Lang Sias | 44.6% | 5,484 |
| Total Votes | 12,297 | |
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rachel Zenzinger did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2014
Zenzinger's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[15]
| “ | As a member of the Senate in its 69th session, we generally focused on jobs and the economy, making college affordable, and creating a balanced budget. I participated in those efforts, while also narrowing my focus to education, economic development, and the elderly—also known as my Three E’s.[16] | ” |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Endorsements
2014
In 2014, Zenzinger's endorsements included the following:[17]
- Ed Perlmutter, U.S. House of Representatives
- Herb Atchison, Mayor of Westminster
- Casey Tighe, Jefferson County Commissioner
- Bob Fifer, Arvada City Council
- Jerry Marks, Arvada City Council
- Mark McGoff, Arvada City Council
- Bob Briggs, Westminster City Council
- Alberto Garcia, Westminster City Council
- Emma Pinter, Westminster City Council
- Anita Seitz, Westminster City Council
- Faith Winter, Westminster City Council
- Leslie Dalkemper, Jeffco School Board
- Jill Fellman, Jeffco School Board
- Majority Leader Rollie Heath, Colorado State Senate (Dist. 18)
- Irene Aguilar, Colorado State Senate (Dist. 32)
- Mary Hodge, Colorado State Senate (Dist. 25)
- Matt Jones, Colorado State Senate (Dist. 17)
- John Kefalas, Colorado State Senate (Dist. 14)
- Pat Steadman, Colorado State Senate (Dist. 31)
- Majority Leader Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Colorado State House (Dist. 10)
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Colorado scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
In 2024, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 8.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on issues relevant to the mission of the Centennial Institute and the strategic priorities of Colorado Christian University.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organizations supports or opposes.
- Legislation is scored on its "reduction of taxes, regulation, and spending accountability."
- Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills about Colorado's climate, land, water, and communities.
- Legislators are scored on their votes related to public health issues.
- Legislators are scored on votes related to "the principles of individual rights, free markets and limited government."
- Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 9 to May 8.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 12 to May 11.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 13 to June 8.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 8 to June 15.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 4 through May 3.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the 72nd Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 10 through May 9.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the 71st Colorado State Legislature was in session from January 11 through May 10. There was also a special session from October 2-3.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the first session of the 70th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 7 through May 6.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 69th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 8 to May 7.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the 69th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 9 to May 9.
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Zenzinger has two children.[1] She received the 2012 "Woman of the Year" award from Northwest Metro Business & Professional Women.[18]
See also
2020 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Colorado State Senate District 19 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed August 28, 2014
- ↑ rachelforcolorado.com, "About Rachel," accessed August 28, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Elections & Voting," accessed October 6, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "General election candidates," accessed August 16, 2016
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2016 General Election results," accessed December 14, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Election Candidate List," accessed May 3, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "June 28, 2016 Primary Election," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed June 25, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official general election candidate list," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ dailycaller.com, "Colorado Dems replace state senator with her former campaign manager," December 12, 2013
- ↑ Denver Post, "2 Jeffco GOP primary battles could dictate control of Colorado Senate," June 8, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "Democrats, unions pour money into key races," September 3, 2014
- ↑ rachelforcolorado.com, "Issues," accessed September 30, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ rachelforcolorado.com, "Endorsements," accessed September 2, 2014
- ↑ Arvada Police Department, "Rachel Zenzinger 'Woman of the Year,'" accessed September 2, 2014 (dead link)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Laura Woods (R) |
Colorado State Senate District 19 2017-2025 |
Succeeded by Lindsey Daugherty (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Colorado State Senate District 19 2013-2015 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Arvada City Council 2009-2013 |
Succeeded by - |
