Angie Paccione

Infobox State Representative
name=Angie Paccione


state_house=Colorado
state=Colorado
district=53rd
term_start=January 8, 2003
term_end=January 10, 2007
preceded=Bob Bacon
succeeded=Randy Fischer
date of birth=birth date and age|1960|02|21
place of birth=New York, New York
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=
profession=Educator
religion=Christian
party=Democratic|

Angela Veronica "Angie" Paccione (born 21 February 1960) is a former Colorado legislator and was a 2006 Congressional candidate.

A college basketball player at Stanford and professional basketball player in the 1980's, Paccione became a high school coach, teacher and administrator before earning a Ph.D. in education and joining the faculty of Colorado State University.

Entering politics in 2002, Paccione, a Democrat, spent two terms representing west Fort Collins in the Colorado House of Representatives, rising to become House Majority Caucus Chair. In the legislature, she focused on issues relating to youth and higher education.

In 2006, she was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in Colorado's 4th Congressional district in 2006, narrowly losing to two-term incumbent Republican Marilyn Musgrave. After briefly launching a second Congressional campaign in 2007, Paccione stepped out of the race to join a business consulting firm.

Biography

Paccione was born in the South Bronx in New York City to a single mother; she is multiracial, with an Italian father and African-American mother. After her family moved outside of the city, Paccione attended Cornwall Central High School in Orange County, where she played high school basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Excelling particularly in basketball, Paccione was a member of the 1977 USA Women's Select National Team and Parade Magazine's First All-American Team. She also participated in tryouts for the United States' first Olympic women's basketball team in 1976, making it to the penultimate cut in the eastern division, but was not selected for the team.cite web |url=http://www.angiepaccione.com/theearlyyears.html |title=The Early Years |accessdate=2007-11-22 |format=html |work=Angie Paccione ]

After graduating from high school in 1978, Paccione received a full athletic scholarship to attend Stanford University. While at Stanford, she was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and, during summers, played with the Christian missionary basketball team "News Release." Paccione attend Stanford for five years; during that time, she played four years of college basketball, red-shirting during her junior year. She graduated with a bachelor's degree and honors in political science in 1983. While in college, Angie also traveled with Athletes-in-Action, a sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.cite web |url=http://www.angiepaccione.com/thestanfordyears.html |title=The Stanford Years |accessdate=2007-11-22 |format=html |work=Angie Paccione ] After graduating, Paccione played professional basketball for two years with the Columbus Minks, part of the Women's American Basketball Association before the league folded.,

In 1985, Paccione moved to Colorado, where she worked at Excelsior Youth Center,cite web |url=http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=MCO16449 |title=Paccione |accessdate=2007-11-22 |format=html |work=Project Vote Smart] a residential treatment center for troubled girls, for two years before earning her teaching license from the University of Denver.cite web |url=http://www.angiepaccione.com/theprofessionalyears.html |title=The Professional Years |accessdate=2007-11-22 |format=html |work=Angie Paccione ] During her teacher training, Angie was awarded the Future Teacher Award by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.cite web |url=http://www.angie2006.com/free_details.asp?id=7 |title=About Angie |accessdate=2007-11-22 |format=html |work=Angie Paccione for Congress ]

Paccione then taught social studies at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado — then Colorado's second-largest high school — for eight years, eventually becoming Dean of Students. While at Smoky Hill, Paccione became the first and only woman in the history of Colorado to coach a high school boy's varsity sport in the large school classification.

Between 1988 and 1992, eight monetary relief claims were filed against Paccione for uncollected debt, and she was sued by the state of Colorado for unpaid student loans. In 1992, Paccione declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and all debts were ultimately resolved. The backruptcy and debts were later raised by political opponents in attack ads.cite news |title=Ad watch: The Real Angie Paccione? |url=http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4396107
work=Denver Post |date=26 September 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] cite news |first=Adam |last=Schrager |title=Claims of 4th District hopefuls analyzed |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/news/coloradoanpublishing/election2006/100806_4thdistrictads.html
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=8 October 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ]

In the 1990s, Paccione began graduate work in education at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado; she worked with "Project Promise", a teacher-preparation program, rising to become the program's associate director in 1998 and co-director in 2001. She earned a M.Ed. in Educational Administration in 1995, and a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies in 1998; her doctoral dissertation, "Multicultural perspective transformation: Developing a commitment to diversity", examined the experiences of individuals who developed personal commitments to diversity-related issues.cite web |url=http://www.colostate.edu/programs/EAC/staff.html#angie |title=Staff Members |accessdate=2007-11-30 |format=html |work=Interwest Equity Assistance Center ] An instructor and then an assistant professor of teacher education at Colorado State, Paccione supervised student teachers and taught coursework in educational technology, curriculum development, communication, and philosophy of education. Stepping down from the faculty in 2003, Paccione remained a research associate with Colorado State's Interwest Equity Assistance Center, focusing on diversity issues in education.

Legislative career

Before 2000, Paccione was relatively uninvolved in politics;cite news |first=Greg |last=Giroux |title=The CQPolitics Interview: Angie Paccione (Colo. 4) |url=http://www.political-news.org/breaking/29729/the-cqpolitics-interview-angie-paccione.html
work=Congressional Quarterly |date=28 September 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] however, that year, after seeing no Democrat on the Congressional ballot in Colorado's 4th district, she chose to pursue political office.

Briefly seeking the Democratic Congressional nomination in 2002, Paccione stepped aside in favor of Stan Matsunaka, and then sought the state legislative seat being vacated by Rep. Bob Bacon.cite news |first=Melissa |last=Pester |title=Paccione ready for new job in Colorado General Assembly |url=http://media.www.collegian.com/media/storage/paper864/news/2002/11/18/NewsregionalAndState/Paccione.Ready.For.New.Job.In.Colorado.General.Assembly-1700819.shtml
work=Rocky Mountain Collegian |date=18 November 2002 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ] Fort Collins businessman Larry Chisesi also sought the Democratic nomination, and, at first, the two agreed to avoid a primary by means of a coin toss. Paccione, however, lost the coin toss but ran for election anyway, ultimately defeating Chisesi in the Democratic primary with 56 percent of the vote.cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Boyle |title=The New Face in the Race |url=http://www.fortcollinsnow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/NEWS/70824006&template=printart
work=Fort Collins Now |date=24 August 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ]

After winning the 2002 Democratic primary, Paccione was elected as a Democrat to the Republican-controlled Colorado House of Representatives from House District 53, representing western Fort Collins. She defeated Republican Kirk Brush by roughly 700 votes, or about 4 percentage points,cite web |url=http://comaps.org/district53h.html |title=State House District 53 |accessdate=2007-11-21 |format=html |work=COMaps ] and was sworn in in January 2003 as a member of the minority party in a Republican-controlled legislature.cite news |first=Matthew |last=Benson |title=Bills flood chamber |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/news/coloradoanpublishing/government/legislature/010903_openingday.html
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=9 January 2003 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Following her first election, Paccione was cited and fined twice by the state of Colorado for filing late campaign finance reports; roughly one-quarter of legislators elected in that cycle were similarly cited, but the fines were used against her in her later Congressional campaign.

During her first term in the legislature, Paccione sponsored an unsuccessful measure that would have allowed minors to sit on the boards of Colorado non-profit organizations, and sponsored another measure to clarify rules surrounding college credit obtained from International Baccalaureate courses.cite news |first=Patrick |last=Crossland |title=CSU teacher in Congress |url=http://media.www.collegian.com/media/storage/paper864/news/2003/02/12/NewsregionalAndState/Csu-Teacher.In.Congress-1701274.shtml
work=Rocky Mountain Collegian |date=12 February 2003 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ]

Paccione was re-elected to a second term in 2004 by a wide margin, defeating Republican Ed Hayes.She rose to become Majority Caucus Chair in 2005 after the Colorado Democratic Party gained control of the assembly.cite news |first=Kevin |last=Duggan |title=Dems say social legislation is not on their agenda |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/news/coloradoanpublishing/Legislature2005/011105_socialagenda.html
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=11 January 2005 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] During both her terms in the legislature, Paccione sat on the Joint Committee on Computer Management — chairing the committee in 2006 — the House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor, and the House Committee on Education; she served as Vice-Chair of the Education Committee during her second term and chaired the subcommittee on Higher Education.cite web |url=http://www.angiepaccione.com/images/Paccione_Vita2007.pdf |title=Vita |accessdate=2007-11-30 |format=pdf |work=Angie Paccione ]

In 2005, after a series of alcohol-related deaths among college students in Colorado, Paccione sponsored legislation to both increase the penalties for distributing alcohol to those under 21 years of age, to ban alcohol mist machines, and to provide immunity to those who seek medical assistance in cases of alcohol poisoning.cite news |first=Matthew |last=Benson |title=Legislative proposals combat underage drinking |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/news/coloradoanpublishing/alcohol/013005_approaches.html
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=30 January 2005 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] That same year, she also sponsored a measure to allow Colorado consumers to restrict access to their credit reports in order to deter identity theft and credit solicitation. [http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=104&subid=115&contentid=253318 DLC: New Dem of the Week: Angie Paccione ] ]

A 2006 special session of the Colorado General Assembly, called to address immigration issues, became a focal point Paccione's Congressional campaign against Marilyn Musgrave (see below). During the special session, Paccione sponsored legislation to strengthen penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants,cite news |first=Kevin |last=Darst |title=4th District candidates talk about immigration |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/news/coloradoanpublishing/election2006/102106_4th_immigration.html
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=21 October 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] and to create a division of the Colorado State Patrol to address trafficking in illegal immigrants.cite news |author=Editorial Board |title=Paccione's winning energy |url=http://www.denverpost.com/endorsements/ci_4484538
work=Denver Post |date=27 October 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Paccione had also voted on several occasions to allow illegal immigrants who graduate from Colorado schools to receive in-state college tuition benefits, votes she was criticized for by Musgrave.cite news |first=Jason |last=Kosena |title=Musgrave conducts hearing in Greeley |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/news/coloradoanpublishing/election2006/090206_musgrave.html
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=2 September 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ]

Congressional campaigns

2006 Congressional election

After forming an exploratory committee in June 2005,cite news |first=Kate |last=Martin |title=D.C. stirs state representative |url=http://coloradopoliticalnews.blogs.com/colorado_political_news/2005/06/weekend_open_th.html
work=Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald |date=4 June 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Paccione announced, in September 2005, her intention to challenge two-term incumbent Republican Marilyn Musgrave for Colorado's Fourth Congressional District, in what evolved into a highly competitive battle the Cook Report rated a "toss up" race for the historically Republican seat. In September, the race was designated as a third-tier pickup opportunity for Democrats by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,cite news |first=Dan |last=Haley |title=Paccione picks up coveted DCCC designation |url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/opinion/?p=228
work=Denver Post |date=18 September 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] which provided $70,000 to the Paccione campaign for direct mail advertising. Paccione was endorsed by the "Denver Post".

In addition to the closeness of the race, the contest made national headlines in June 2006, when a Democratic activist, unconnected with the Paccione campaign, left a flyer filled with dog feces at Musgrave's office in Greeley.cite news |first=Betsy |last=Rothstein |title=Musgrave’s staff recovering nicely from dog-poop incident |url=http://thehill.com/old-capital-living/in-the-know-2006-06-14.html
work=The Hill |date=14 June 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] The Paccione campaign denied any knowledge of the action and the activist who left the flier was charged but acquitted of criminal use of a noxious substance.cite news |first=Hector |last=Gutierrez |title=Woman acquitted of illegal poop use |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5552769,00.html
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=24 May 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ]

In July, Paccione was endorsed by Michael Schiavo, husband of Terri Schiavo, who criticized Rep. Musgrave for what he considered to be her support of government interference in end-of-life decisions. Paccione joined him during a highly-publicized photo opportunity in which Schiavo hand-delivered a letter critical of Musgrave to her Congressional office in Loveland.cite news |first=Emma |last=Schmautz |title=Musgrave receives letter from widower |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20060713/NEWS/107130081
work=Greeley Tribune |date=13 July 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ] cite news |first=Abby |last=Goodnough |title=Husband Takes Schiavo Fight Back to Politicians |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/16/washington/16schiavo.html
work=New York Time |date=16 August 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ]

During the race, Paccione's campaign criticzed Musgrave for her emphasis on divisive social issues such as gay marriage,cite news |first=Valerie |last=Richardson |title=Governor's race leads Colorado tip from red to blue |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5244/is_200611/ai_n19666433
work=Washington Times |date=November 8 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ] her close relationship with President George W. Bush,cite news |first=Andrew |last=Buncombe |title=Democrats use Bush as face of mid-term campaign |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060918/ai_n16734024
work=The Independent |date=18 September 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ] and her reputation as ethically corrupt,cite news |first=Erik |last=Myers |coauthor=Jesse Chaney |title=Controversy rages on financial aid debate |url=http://media.www.uncmirror.com/media/storage/paper972/news/2006/09/06/News/Controversy.Rages.On.Financial.Aid.Debate-2552726.shtml
work=UNC Mirror |date=6 September 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ] cite press release | title=Paccione Calls on Musgrave to Return Tainted Special Interest Money | publisher=Angie Paccione for Congress | date=27 July 2006 | url=http://www.angie2006.com/newsroom_details.asp?id=891 | accessdate=2007-11-30 ] regularly referring to Musgrave as "Special Interest Marilyn" in press releases.cite web |url=http://www.angie2006.com/newsroom.asp |title=Press Releases |accessdate=2007-11-30 |format=html |work=Angie Paccione for Congress ]

The heated multi-million dollar race was targeted nationally by both major parties and 527 committees, and became a priority for the National Republican Congressional Committee, which sent hundreds of thousands of dollars into the district. An October poll showing Musgrave with a 10-percentage point advantage led the DCCC to withdraw plans to spend $630,000 on television and radio advertising. In response, Fort Collins philanthropist Pat Stryker donated $720,000 to local 527 groups to advertise in favor of Paccione.cite news |first=Robert |last=Moore |title=Stryker makes big donation to boost Paccione |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/news/coloradoanpublishing/election2006/101506_4thdonation.html
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=15 October 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] cite news |first=Gail |last=Chaddock |title=Republicans in uphill slog in Colorado |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1102/p01s04-uspo.html
work=Christian Science Monitor |date=2 November 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-30 ] All told, Paccione's campaign raised and spent nearly $2 million. [http://opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?ID=CO04&Cycle=2006 Congressional Races ] ] Paccione received support from a number of prominent Democrats who came to Colorado to support her campaign — including Rep. Xavier Becerracite press release | title=Angie Paccione and Rep. Xavier Becerra to Speak at Weld Democratic Luncheon | publisher=Angie Paccione for Congress | date=2 November 2006 | url=http://www.angie2006.com/newsroom_details.asp?id=945 | accessdate=2007-11-30 ] , Rep. Diane Watson, Rep. Barbara Lee,cite press release | title=Three Congresswomen Will Join Angie Paccione for GOTV Kickoff Rally | publisher=Angie Paccione for Congress | date=2 November 2006 | url=http://www.angie2006.com/newsroom_details.asp?id=943 | accessdate=2007-11-30 ] , Rep. Rahm Emmanuel,cite press release | title=Rahm Emanuel Hosts Fundraiser for Angie Paccione | publisher=Angie Paccione for Congress | date=2 August 2006 | url=http://www.angie2006.com/newsroom_details.asp?id=887 | accessdate=2007-11-30 ] and General Wesley Clark.cite press release | title=General Wesley Clark Endorses Angie | publisher=Angie Paccione for Congress | date=29 September 2006 | url=http://www.angie2006.com/newsroom_details.asp?id=919 | accessdate=2007-11-30 ] Although polls in the final weeks of the race showed the contest tightening, spurring a visit by President George W. Bush to support Musgrave,cite news |first=Kevin |last=Darst |title=Dueling polls may lure Bush to regio |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/news/coloradoanpublishing/election2006/103106_4thpolls.html
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=31 October 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Paccione ultimately lost to Musgrave by just under 2.5% of votes cast--or under 6,000 votes out of roughly 240,000 — doing worse than the previous Democratic challenger Stan Matsunaka who received 44.8% of the votes cast in a three way race with Green Party Candidate Kinsey and Musgrave. In a three-way race that included Reform Party candidate Eric Eidsness, Musgrave garnered 45.61% to Paccione's 43.12%, and Eidsness 11.28% of the vote. [http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/electionresults2006G/]

2008 Congressional election

In May 2007, Paccione filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission [ [http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/dcdev/forms/C00414938/287931/ FEC Form 2 forReport FEC-287931 ] ] and began raising money for a second Congressional run. In an email to supporters, she admitted some of the weaknesses of her first campaign, including an inexperienced campaign staff, and she hired a Denver campaign consulting firm to manage her 2008 campaign.cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Boyle |title=Angie Paccione has big plans for another run against Marilyn Musgrave |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070820/NEWS/108190158
work=Greeley Tribune |date=20 August 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ]

Paccione faced Eric Eidsness, who had joined the Democratic Party, and Betsy Markey, a former aide to U.S. Senator Ken Salazar. Both Paccione and Markey, with prominent connections in the Colorado Democratic Party, vied for endorsements and in fundraising during 2007.cite news |first=Julia |last=Martinez |title=Democrats vs. Democrats |url=http://www.denverpost.com/martinez/ci_6918216
work=Denver Post |date=17 September 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] In the second quarter of 2007, Paccione raised approximately $100,000 to Markey's $60,000.cite news |author=CQ Staff |title=U.S. House, 2008: Who Has Got the Money in Mountain West Races |url=http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/07/16/cq_3093.html
work=New York Times |date=16 July 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Although Markey was endorsed by a number of Colorado Democrats, including Senator Ken Salazar, former Congressional candidate Stan Matsunaka, and State Senator Bob Bacon, ] Paccione also garnered the support of prominent Democrats, including former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and State Senate President Pro Tem Peter Groff. [http://www.politicswest.com/9376/another_candidate_cd_4 Another candidate in CD-4? | Politics West ] ]

In September 2007, however, despite her fundraising lead, Paccione announced her withdrawal from the Congressional race in order to accept a position with Pathways to Leadership, a business consulting firm, and announced that she would return money raised for her Congressional campaign back to contributors.cite news |first=Jason |last=Kosena |title=Paccione believes more good can be done in private sector |url=http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070926/UPDATES01/70926011/1002/rss
work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |date=26 September 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Paccione had worked with Pathways to Leadership since January 2007, and cited the growing international travel demands and opportunities associated with her leadership consulting work as a factor in decision to withdraw from the Congressional race.http://www.angiepaccione.com/home/pressrelease.html] Together the withdrawal of Democrat Eric Eidsness shortly after Paccione, her withdrawal cleared the Democratic nomination field for Betsy Markey.cite news |first=Greg |last=Campbell |title=Eidsness withdraws from District 4 race |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20071003/NEWS/110020128
work=Greeley Tribuune |date=3 October 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.angie2008.com/ Angie Paccione for Congress]
* [http://www.angiepaccione.com/ www.angiepaccione.com]
* [http://www.angiepaccione.blogspot.com/ Ask Angie Anything] - Angie Paccione's Blog
* [http://www.pathwaystoleadership.com/ Pathways to Leadership, Inc.]