Office and district sought: Colorado State House, District 38
Name: Joe Rice
Party affiliation: Democrat
Website: www.votejoerice.com
E-mail: joe@votejoerice.com
Age: 39
Last degree earned: BA, history, Metropolitan State College of Denver, 1989
Occupation: Vice president for corporate services, RIGOR Engineering; and independent consultant
Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, sports, jogging and reading.
Family: Wife, Kendall (married 16 years); children, Harrison, Alexandria and Dalton
How long have you lived in Colorado? I’ve lived in Colorado and Arapahoe County since college 1987.
Last book read: “My Year in Iraq,” by Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
Civic Involvement: Lieutenant colonel, US Army Reserve; mayor, City of Glendale, 1996-2003; volunteer, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Metro Denver, since 1994.
Major endorsements: Colorado Education Association; Littleton and Cherry Creek Education Associations; Colorado Conservation Voters; Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry – the State Chamber of Commerce
Why are you running? Because I believe in public service, and I have a commitment to preserving and enhancing the quality of life for my children and future generations.
What are the top thee challenges facing Colorado?
1. Public Safety. Government’s first responsibility is to ensure public safety; to prevent and protect us from crime, to prepare for natural disasters, to ensure homeland security, and to ensure fair, humane and strict enforcement of our immigration laws.
2. Economic Security. Individuals, families and businesses are stretched by escalating health care costs, rising gas and energy prices, and uncertainly in maintaining a good quality of life throughout their careers and into retirement; Colorado must retain its position as a low tax state while also working to ensure a positive business climate, gain control over health care costs, invest in new energy technologies, and invest in critical public infrastructure such as roads, schools and higher education.
3. Preserving and enhancing our quality of life. We must work to ensure future generations inherit a beautiful state-a state with clean land, clean air and clean water.
What is your top priority in the next session if you should win? To work with people and groups of all political persuasions to address the challenges of improving public safety, jobs, healthcare, education, energy and our environment.
What proposal in the last session did you agree with the most? Keeping faith with the voters who passed Referendum C last year by ensuring the additional state revenues went to improve roads, healthcare and education.
