Wayne Allard

Alan Wayne Allard (born December 2, 1943) is the senior United States Senator from Colorado and a member of the Republican Party.

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Background

Allard was born in Fort Collins, Colorado to Sibyl Jean Stewart and Amos Wilson Allard.^[1] He was raised on a ranch near Walden, Colorado. He received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 1968. While completing veterinary school, Allard married Joan Malcolm, who received her degree in microbiology, also from CSU. They then founded their veterinary practice, the Allard Animal Hospital. The Allards raised their two daughters, Christi and Cheryl, in Loveland, Colorado, and have five grandsons. He is a Protestant.

Political career

State Senate

Allard ran his veterinary practice full-time, while representing Larimer and Weld Counties in the Colorado State Senate, from 1983 to 1990. He was best known during his time in the Colorado State Senate for sponsoring the state law limiting state legislative sessions to 120 days.

US House of Representatives

Allard served in the United States House of Representatives from Colorado's Fourth Congressional District from 1991 to 1997. As a Colorado Congressman, Allard served on the Joint Committee on Congressional Reform, which recommended many of the reforms included in the Contract with America. These reforms were among the first legislative items passed by the Republican controlled Congress in 1995.

US Senate

In 1996, Allard was elected to the United States Senate, defeating Tom Strickland by 5 percentage points. He made a pledge at the time to serve just two terms in the Senate before retiring. In 2002, he was re-elected, defeating Strickland again by the same margin.

In the 110th Committee, Allard serves on the following comittees: United States Senate Committee on Appropriations of which he is Ranking Minority member of the Legislative Branch subcommittee United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of which he is Ranking Minority member of the Securities, Insurance, and Investment subcommittee United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee United States Senate Committee on the Budget

In April 2006, Allard was named by Time as one of "America's 5 Worst Senators." The magazine called him "The Invisible Man" and said he was one of the "least influential Senators" because he "almost never plays a role in major legislation" and "rarely speaks on the floor or holds press conferences to push his ideas" despite his ten years in the Senate and his presence as a majority party member on two key committees.^[2] A local newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News, retorted that Time made the "wrong call" and that Allard was a "hard-working advocate for Colorado interests." [1] Another major Colorado daily, the Colorado Springs Gazette, also weighed in against the article on April 20th, 2006, saying "Does anybody even read Time magazine anymore?" and that the article was "soft, subjective, snide, impressionistic slop — further proof of the low to which this once-serious publication has sunk."

Allard's continued ties with Dr. James Dobson and the Focus on the Family organization resurfaced in 2006 with Dobson's coordinated support of the Allard's Federal Marriage Amendment banning same-sex marriages. ^[3]

On January 15, 2007 Allard announced he would fulfill a 1996 campaign promise to serve only two Senate terms and would retire in January 2009.^[4] In turn, the 2008 Senate race is expected to become competitive.^[4] Democratic Representative Mark Udall and former Republican Representative Bob Schaffer have already announced their intention to run for the seat.

In April 2007, Allard announced his endorsement of Mitt Romney as the Republican nomination for President of the United States.^[5]

Environmental record

In 2006, the environmental group Republicans for Environmental Protection.^[6] praised Allard for his support of legislation to make the Army Corps of Engineers more accountable for its projects' environmental and economic impact, but censured him for supporting oil drilling both offshore and in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.^[7] The nonpartisan League of Conservation Voters issued Allard a grade of 29% for 2006.^[8]

Electoral history

1996 Race for U.S. Senate — Republican Primary

• Wayne Allard (R), 57%
• Gale Norton (R), 43%

1996 Race for U.S. Senate

• Wayne Allard (R), 51%
• Tom Strickland (D), 46%

2002 Race for U.S. Senate

• Wayne Allard (R) (inc.), 51%
• Tom Strickland (D), 46%

See also

• Colorado United States Senate election, 2008