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Kim Coleman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kim Coleman
Member of theUtah House of Representatives
from the 42nd district
In office
January 1, 2015 – January 1, 2021
Preceded byJim Bird
Succeeded byJordan Teuscher
Personal details
Born
Kim Fitzpatrick[1]

(1967-07-11)July 11, 1967(age 57)[1]
New Orleans,Louisiana,U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJoel Coleman
Children5[2]
Residence(s)West Jordan, Utah,U.S.
EducationUniversity of Utah(BA)

Kim Coleman[3](born July 11, 1967) is an American politician who served as a member of theUtah House of Representativesfrom 2015 to 2021, representing the 42nd district.[4]She was a candidate in the 2020 Republican primary forUtah's 4th congressional district,seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic congressmanBen McAdams,[5]but lost toBurgess Owens.

Early life and education

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Coleman was born inNew Orleans, Louisiana,and was raised in Louisiana andTexas.At the age of 19, she joinedthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsand soon after served an 18-month mission inMassachusetts.[6]In 1992, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Utah,where she studiedpsychology,sociology,andcriminology.[7]

Career

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Coleman's interest incivic engagementbegan after she spotted a drug house near her residence, leading her to start aneighborhood watchprogram. She became a planning commissioner inWest Valley City.Her husband, Joel, also served two terms as a West Valley City councilman.[8]She has been active in conservative local politics, having co-founded the West Side Matters Republican Club, served as both a county andstate Central Committeemember for theUtah Republican Party,and run the political consulting firm Coleman Planet.[9]

The Colemans also foundedMonticello Academy,a charter school inWest Valley City,where she serves as executive director.[10]She created a financing model now commonly used to allow charter schools to acquire buildings independent of development companies.[6][11][12]

Utah State Legislature

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Coleman ran for Utah's 42nd state legislative seat in 2014, defeating incumbent Jim Bird in the Republican convention and winning the November 4, 2014, general election against Democratic nominee Nicholas DeLand with 69.5% of the vote.[13]

Coleman has served on the Judiciary, Political Subdivisions, Law Enforcement (Vice Chair), Public Education (Vice Chair), Administrative Rules, Higher Education Appropriations, and Health and Human Services Appropriations Committees. She also serves on the Attorney General's Opioid Task Force, the Utah Sentencing Commission, the Children's Justice Center Advisory Board, and the Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee.[14][6]

In 2020, Coleman voted against a tax reform bill that the Utah Legislature passed during a special session in December and that Governor Gary Herbert and state lawmakers later repealed after it proved unpopular.[15]She described this as an instance where she sought to "vote along my principles and the values of my community and my constituents."[15]

Higher education

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Coleman is an advocate of reform on college campuses.[citation needed]As a legislator, she advocated for a variety of issues protecting free speech, including the Campus Anti-Harassment Act[16][better source needed]and Campus Free Expression Act.[17][18][19][20]Her work protecting campus free speech earned her the Legislator of the Month award from theAmerican Legislative Exchange Council,which wrote, "100% of college students deal with free speech issues on campus. Many of these institutions feel the pressure from one side or the other to act for or against certain ideas or speakers. Enshrining and educating onfirst amendmentprinciples will guarantee a college is protected against those who would promote chaos instead of debate. "[21][better source needed]

Overturning theObama administration's "zero tolerance" policies regarding sexual assault on campus,[citation needed]Coleman advanced the Student Right to Active Counsel,[22][better source needed]which requires institutions of higher education to allow accused parties to have legal representation at disciplinary proceedings. She also successfully advocated for a "Know Before You Go" bill, which requires colleges to inform prospective students about the debt they will accrue relative to their post-graduation financial prospects.[23][better source needed]

Gun rights, police reform, and public safety

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Coleman was the House sponsor of a bill designed to ban police quotas in citations and arrests,[24]which led to the disclosure from many police officers that they were required to issue a certain number of tickets.[25]

Coleman was a leading co-sponsor when the Utah Legislature considered legislation allowing adults ages 18 to 20 to get concealed carry permits. When representativeCarol Spackman Mossinsisted the bill was "a step too far," Coleman responded that "A step too far is a completed rape. The single most effective way to stop a completed rape is the use of a gun or a knife." She then shared that she was a survivor of an attempted sexual assault when she was a 19-year-old.[26][27]She continued, "studies have shown… a woman's best option [when an attempted rape becomes unavoidable] is to resist with a gun in her hands." The bill passed and was signed into law.[28]

Legislative awards and honors

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Coleman has received recognition for her legislative track record, including Legislator of the Month 2019 (ALEC-FreedomWorks), Legislator of the Year 2019 (Keep My Voice), Friend of the Taxpayer (Utah Tax Payers Association), Champion of Economic Freedom (Americans for Prosperity), Defender of Liberty (Libertas), Top 10% (Utah GrassRoots), ALEC-FreedomWorks Legislator of the Week 2017, Award for Conservative Achievement/Excellence (American Conservative Union), and Golden Apple of School Choice Legislator of the Year.[14][6][non-primary source needed]

2020 House of Representatives race

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In January 2020, Coleman announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives, vying forUtah's 4th congressional district,challenging Democratic incumbentBen McAdams.[29]Coleman won the Utah state Republican convention in April 2020 with 55% of the delegate vote. Coleman went on to compete in a four-way primary with second-place finisherBurgess Owens,Jay McFarland, and Trent Christensen.[15]On June 30, 2020, Coleman lost to Owens, earning 24% of the vote. Owens won with 43% of the vote.[30]

In a May 2020 editorial for UtahPolicy.com, Coleman wrote that "even when McAdams votes against Pelosi's far-left agenda, he's still voting for it" because the United States' "political system is a two-team sport" and "by his presence, Ben McAdams furthers the radical, far-left agenda of the modernDemocrat Party."[31]

COVID-19 and the Chinese Communist Party

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Coleman was an early critic of theChinese Communist Party's (CCP) mishandling of the novelCOVID-19virus. On her blog, she wrote, "the coronavirus plague facing us comes exclusively as a courtesy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). No Communist China, no crisis. The CCP lied and dissembled the reality of this often-deadly virus, their deception costing the rest of the world as many as six weeks of preparation. Those six weeks will end up costing how many thousands of lives worldwide? How many trillions of dollars?"[32][non-primary source needed]

TheSalt Lake Tribunereported on criticism of her blog post, with some commentators calling it "racist."[33]TheTribunelater ran an op-ed byAsian-Americansupporter Frances Floresca defending Coleman's post, stating that "the main purpose of Coleman's post was to explain our nation's dependence on Chinese pharmaceuticals and how China controls the world's medical drug supply.… Coleman is clearly not wanting to harm anyone no matter who they are."[34]

A few weeks later, Coleman affirmed her position and posted to her blog anAtlanticarticle, "Consider the Possibility that Trump is Right on China."[35][non-primary source needed]

Endorsements

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In her Republican primarycampaignfor Utah's 4th Congressional District, Coleman received endorsements fromPaul Gosar,Stephen Moore,Andy Biggs,andJim Jordan.She has also received the support of several Utah-based legislators, mayors, and city councilors, including the county commissioners of 15 of Utah's counties.[36][non-primary source needed]

Mia Love,who held the seat from 2015 to 2019, also endorsed Coleman.[37]

Coleman was supported by the House Freedom Fund,Foundation for Individual Rights in Education,theLibertas Institute,Americans for Prosperity,NRCCYoung Guns,Freedomworks,Right Women PAC,American Conservative Union,theSusan B. Anthony Pro-Life America,Republicans for National Renewal, and Pro-Life Utah.[38][non-primary source needed]

Coleman had an endorsement and A-rating from theNRA Political Victory Fund.[39]

Personal life

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She lives inWest Jordan, Utah,with her husband, Joel, and their five children.[40]

References

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  1. ^abhttps://www.facebook.com/kim.f.colemanArchived2023-11-08 at theWayback Machine[user-generated source]
  2. ^"Archived copy".Archivedfrom the original on 2020-04-16.Retrieved2020-04-26.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^"Kim Coleman (R)".Salt Lake City, Utah:Utah State Legislature.Archivedfrom the original on April 24, 2016.RetrievedApril 12,2016.
  4. ^"Kim Coleman's Biography".Project Vote Smart.Archivedfrom the original on April 23, 2016.RetrievedApril 12,2016.
  5. ^"Utah Rep. Ben McAdams ranked 10th-most vulnerable House member in this year's elections".Deseret News.Archivedfrom the original on June 20, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  6. ^abcd"About Kim Coleman".Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  7. ^"Meet Kim Coleman".Kim for Utah.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-09-08.Retrieved2020-08-24.
  8. ^Miller, Jessica (January 4, 2020)."State Rep. Kim Coleman is running for Utah's 4th Congressional seat".Salt Lake Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  9. ^"Kim Coleman's Biography".Votesmart.org.Archivedfrom the original on June 19, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  10. ^"About Kim Coleman".Monticello Academy.Archivedfrom the original on June 20, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  11. ^"CMD Continues to Throw Spotlight on Legislators Heralded by Secret Group".PR Watch.2019-03-18.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-11-08.Retrieved2020-06-30.
  12. ^"Utah employee had no constitutional right to continued employment".www.kmclaw.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-07-03.Retrieved2020-06-30.
  13. ^"2014 Election Results".Ballotpedia.Archivedfrom the original on May 25, 2017.RetrievedApril 12,2016.
  14. ^ab"Kim Coleman Legislative Page".Utah House of Representatives.Archivedfrom the original on April 24, 2016.RetrievedApril 12,2016.
  15. ^abcRichards, Connor (May 19, 2020)."Utah Rep. Kim Coleman looks to bring conservative leadership to 4th District".Provo Daily Herald. Archived fromthe originalon May 27, 2020.
  16. ^http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/HB0262.htmlArchived2016-04-24 at theWayback MachineHB0262
  17. ^"HB0365".Archivedfrom the original on 2016-04-21.Retrieved2016-04-12.
  18. ^Donaldson, Sahalie (2020-03-04)."Committee approves bill addressing free speech in higher education".Deseret News.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-03-05.Retrieved2020-09-21.
  19. ^"Lawmakers advance bill pitched as university campus free speech protection".The Salt Lake Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-09-25.Retrieved2020-09-21.
  20. ^Opinion, Guest (2019-08-26)."Letter to the Editor: President Trump's Campus Free Speech Executive Order is Needed".The Daily Utah Chronicle.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-09-05.Retrieved2020-09-21.
  21. ^"State Legislator of the Month – UT Rep. Kim Coleman".Utah House of Representatives.March 8, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on June 20, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  22. ^"HB0337".Archivedfrom the original on 2016-04-20.Retrieved2016-04-12.
  23. ^"HB0353".Archivedfrom the original on 2020-06-19.Retrieved2020-06-18.
  24. ^Winslow, Ben (9 March 2018)."Your guide to all the things the Utah State Legislature did to your life this year".Fox 13.Archivedfrom the original on 29 October 2020.Retrieved18 June2020.
  25. ^Moutsos, Eric (December 5, 2018)."Utah Police Quota Ban Passed".EricMoutsos.com.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  26. ^Davidson, Lee (February 22, 2017)."House approves allowing concealed gun permits for Utahns as young as 18".Salt Lake Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on June 19, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  27. ^Kessler, Mori (February 23, 2017)."House passes bill allowing 18-year-olds to conceal carry".StGeorgeUtah.com.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  28. ^Kessler, Mori (February 23, 2017)."House passes bill allowing 18-year-olds to conceal carry".StGeorgeUtah.com.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  29. ^"State Rep. Kim Coleman is running for Utah's 4th Congressional seat".Salt Lake Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-02-16.Retrieved2020-02-16.
  30. ^"Live: Utah State Primary Election Results (2020)".The New York Times.June 30, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on July 2, 2020.RetrievedJuly 1,2020.
  31. ^Kim Coleman (May 21, 2020)."Guest opinion: Even when McAdams votes against Pelosi's far-left agenda, he's still voting for it".UtahPolicy.com.Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2020.RetrievedMay 23,2020.
  32. ^"America must end its reliance on Communist China for essential goods".kimforutah.com.Kim Coleman campaign.Archivedfrom the original on August 4, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  33. ^Richards, Connor (March 20, 2020)."Utah lawmaker accused of racism for blaming coronavirus on Chinese communists".The Salt Lake Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  34. ^Floresca, Frances (April 2, 2020)."Frances Floresca: It is not racist to call it the 'Chinese virus'".The Salt Lake Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on June 19, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  35. ^"What if Trump is right on China?".kimforutah.com.Kim Coleman campaign.Archivedfrom the original on June 20, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  36. ^"Endorsements".kimforutah.com.Kim Coleman campaign.Archivedfrom the original on August 5, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  37. ^Roche, Lisa (May 27, 2020)."Mia Love endorses Kim Coleman in 4th Congressional District primary".Deseret News.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  38. ^"Endorsements".kimforutah.com.Kim Coleman campaign.Archivedfrom the original on August 5, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  39. ^"NRA-PVF | Grades | Utah".nrapvf.org.NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020.RetrievedJune 18,2020.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  40. ^"Kim Coleman Campaign Website".Archivedfrom the original on April 24, 2016.RetrievedApril 12,2016.
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