Joann Ginal

Joann Ginal is an American politician who serves in the Colorado Senate from the 14th district since 2019, as a member of the Democratic Party. Before her tenure in the state senate she served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 52nd district from 2013 to 2019.

Joann Ginal
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 14th district
Assumed office
January 4, 2019
Preceded byJohn Kefalas
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 52nd district
In office
January 9, 2013 – January 4, 2019
Preceded byJohn Kefalas
Succeeded byCathy Kipp
Personal details
BornManchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of New Hampshire (BS)
Iowa State University (MS)
Colorado State University (PhD)

Ginal was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, and also lived in Florida and Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire, Iowa State University, and Colorado State University during which she moved to Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2012, she was elected to the state house to succeed John Kefalas, who had run for a seat in the state senate, and served until she was selected to replace Kefalas in the state senate in 2018.

Early life and education

Joann Ginal was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. She lived in Florida and Massachusetts before moving to Fort Collins, Colorado, to continue her college education in 1990. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science in biology, Iowa State University with a Master of Science in zoology and parasitology, and Colorado State University with a PhD in reproductive endocrinology. Ginal received a honored certification from the Harvard Kennedy School.[1][2] She planned to marry her partner after the legalization of same-sex civil unions in Colorado.[3][4]

State legislature

Elections

In 2012, John Kefalas, a Democratic member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 52nd district, chose to run for a seat in the Colorado Senate from the 14th district.[5] Ginal won the Democratic nomination without opposition and defeated Republican nominee Bob Morain in the general election.[6][7] She defeated Republican nominee Donna Walter in the 2014, 2016, and 2018 elections.[8][9][10][11][12][13]

Senator Kefalas was elected to a seat on the county commission in Larimer County during the 2018 election and resigned from the state senate to take the office. Ginal defeated Representative Jennifer Arndt, William Wright, and Michael Thomas in the vote conducted by the vacancy committee on December 16, 2018.[14] Cathy Kipp, a member of the board of directors for the Poudre School district, was selected to replace Ginal in the state house.[15] During the 2020 election she won the Democratic nomination and defeated Republican nominee Hans D. Hochheimer in the general election.[16][17]

Tenure

During Ginal's tenure in the state house she served on the Health, Insurance and Environment, Transportation and Energy, and Public Health Care and Human Services committees. She served as chair of the Health, Insurance and Environment committee.[18][19] She was a member of the LGBTQ Caucus in the state house.[20] Ginal served on the Local Government, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Health and Human Services committees in the state senate. She served as the chair of the Local Government and vice-chair of the Health and Human Services committee.[21][22]

Political positions

In 2015, Ginal and Representative Lois Court introduced legislation to allow for terminally ill people with less than six months left to live to undergo euthanasia. She stated that she created the legislation because of Brittany Maynard, a brain cancer patient, who moved from California to Oregon to end her life.[23][24] Their legislation failed in the state house, but Colorado Proposition 106, which allowed for assisted suicide, was passed with 64.9% of the popular vote in 2016.[25][26]

Ginal introduced legislation in 2016, to make rolling coal a Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense and the legislation was signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper on June 5, 2017.[27][28] Ginal was among thirty-seven legislators who endorsed a letter in 2018, calling for Planned Parenthood to allow for their workers to form an union.[29] She sponsored legislation to allow people in Colorado to import prescription drugs from Canada.[30] In 2019, she and Representative Alex Valdez were recognized as the best legislators by the Colorado Voters for Animals, an animal rights organization.[31]

In 2023, she was the only member of her caucus to vote against a major land use reform bill in the Colorado Senate that would have upzoned neighborhoods and enabled more housing construction in Colorado.[32]

Electoral history
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 52nd district Democratic primary[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal 2,953 100.00%
Total votes 2,953 100.00%
2012 Colorado House of Representatives 52nd district election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal 24,841 56.10%
Republican Bob Morain 19,442 43.90%
Total votes 44,283 100.00%
2014 Colorado House of Representatives 52nd district Democratic primary[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal (incumbent) 3,498 100.00%
Total votes 3,498 100.00%
2014 Colorado House of Representatives 52nd district election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal (incumbent) 19,403 55.16% -0.94%
Republican Donna Walter 15,774 44.84% +0.94%
Total votes 35,177 100.00%
2016 Colorado House of Representatives 52nd district Democratic primary[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal (incumbent) 4,341 100.00%
Total votes 4,341 100.00%
2016 Colorado House of Representatives 52nd district election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal (incumbent) 25,876 54.70% -0.46%
Republican Donna Walter 21,428 45.30% +0.46%
Total votes 47,304 100.00%
2018 Colorado House of Representatives 52nd district Democratic primary[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal (incumbent) 11,684 100.00%
Total votes 11,684 100.00%
2018 Colorado House of Representatives 52nd district election[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal (incumbent) 29,708 64.13% +9.43%
Republican Donna Walter 16,614 35.87% -9.43%
Total votes 46,322 100.00%
2018 Colorado Senate 14th district Democratic selection[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal 45 50.56%
Democratic Jennifer Arndt 42 48.31%
Democratic William Wright 2 2.25%
Democratic Michael Thomas 0 0.00%
Total votes 89 100.00%
2020 Colorado Senate 14th district Democratic primary[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal (incumbent) 29,452 100.00%
Total votes 29,452 100.00%
2020 Colorado Senate 14th district election[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joann Ginal (incumbent) 63,409 66.65%
Republican Hans D. Hochheimer 31,724 33.35%
Total votes 95,133 100.00%

References
  1. "Colorado election: Q&A with state Senate candidate Joann Ginal". Fort Collins Coloradoan. October 9, 2020. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021.
  2. "Joann Ginal". Fort Collins Coloradoan. March 23, 2003. p. 57. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Colorado OKs civil unions for gay couples". Fort Collins Coloradoan. March 13, 2013. p. A1. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Unions: 2 Republicans vote for bill". Fort Collins Coloradoan. March 13, 2013. p. 7. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Ginal announces run for House District 52". Fort Collins Coloradoan. November 9, 2011. p. 3. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "2012 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021.
  7. "2012 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021.
  8. "2014 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
  9. "2014 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
  10. "2016 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021.
  11. "2016 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021.
  12. "2018 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021.
  13. "2018 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021.
  14. "Rep. Joann Ginal picked to replace Kefalas as Fort Collins' state senator". Fort Collins Coloradoan. December 16, 2018. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021.
  15. "Replacement selected for exiting Colorado state Sen. Daniel Kagan". Colorado Politics. January 5, 2019. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
  16. "2020 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party Ballot". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  17. "2020 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021.
  18. "House Democrats line up committee leadership". Colorado Politics. December 1, 2016. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021.
  19. "Updated: Legislative committees finalized". Colorado Politics. December 2, 2016. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021.
  20. "'Out Front' LGBTQ lawmakers are showing their pride during PrideFest weekend". Colorado Politics. June 17, 2017. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021.
  21. "House and Senate Democrats announce new committee assignments for 2021 session; Benavidez named Speaker Pro tem". Colorado Politics. December 10, 2020. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
  22. "Meet the 2019 General Assembly: Colorado State Senate". Colorado Politics. January 16, 2019. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
  23. "Should terminally ill patients be able to end their own lives?". Colorado Politics. January 9, 2015. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021.
  24. "Strode: Life or death: A right to choose?". Colorado Politics. September 9, 2015. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021.
  25. "The Hot Sheet, February 25, 2016". Colorado Politics. February 25, 2016. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021.
  26. "Colorado Proposition 106, Medical Aid in Dying, Results: Approved". The New York Times. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021.
  27. "House Dems seek to stop up soot-spewing 'coal rollers'". Colorado Politics. April 19, 2016. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021.
  28. "Governor signs dozens of Colorado bills into law". Colorado Politics. June 6, 2017. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021.
  29. "Lawmakers back Denver Planned Parenthood workers' union cause". Colorado Politics. June 13, 2018. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
  30. "Bills on drug imports, public health option move through Colorado legislative committees". Colorado Politics. January 29, 2019. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
  31. "Lawmakers Ginal, Valdez honored by animal rights group". Colorado Politics. October 28, 2019. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
  32. "Sweeping land use proposal backed by Polis dies in last hours of legislative session". The Denver Post. 2023.
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