Daniel Schaefer

Daniel "Dan" Schaefer (January 25, 1936 – April 16, 2006) was a Republican U.S. Representative from Colorado from 1983 to 1999. He represented a suburban district that stretched from Denver to the southwest.

Daniel Schaefer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 6th district
In office March 29, 1983 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Vacant Jack Swigert (elect)
Succeeded by	Tom Tancredo
Member of the Colorado Senate from the 22nd district
In office January 5, 1983 – March 31, 1983
Preceded by	Ralph A. Cole[1]
Succeeded by	Kathy S. Arnold
Member of the Colorado Senate from the 13th district
In office January 9, 1979 – January 5, 1983
Preceded by	Robert W. Smedley[2]
Succeeded by	Thomas R. Glass
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 28th district
In office January 1977 – January 1979
Preceded by	Laura Miller[3]
Succeeded by	Kathy S. Arnold
Personal details
Born	January 25, 1936 Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa
Died	April 16, 2006(2006-04-16) (aged 70) Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Niagara University (BA)

Born in Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa, he attended public schools. He received his B.A. degree from Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New York, in 1961. He also attended Potsdam University, Potsdam, New York, from 1961 to 1964. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1957 and attained the rank of sergeant. He was a public relations consultant.

In 1976, he was elected to a two-year term in the Colorado General Assembly. Two years later, he was elected to the Colorado State Senate, where he served from 1979 to 1983. He was a delegate to Colorado State Republican conventions between 1972 and 1982.

Schaefer was elected as a Republican to the Ninety-eighth United States Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative-elect Jack Swigert, a former astronaut who died of cancer before he could take his seat in Congress.[4] Schaefer polled 49,816 votes (63 percent) in the special election to 27,779 ballots (35 percent) for the Democrat Steve Hogan. No Democrat challenged Schaefer in 1984. In successive elections from 1986 to 1996, he polled more than 60 percent of the vote against each of his Democratic opponents. In his last race in 1996, he received 146,018 votes (62 percent) to 88,600 ballots (38 percent) for the Democrat Joan Fitz-Gerald.

Schaefer did not run for reelection to the 106th United States Congress in 1998. Schaefer was succeeded by Congressman Tom Tancredo, a fellow Republican and noted critic of open immigration.

Schaefer died of cancer at the age of 70.[5]

References

1. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=870924
2. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=870581
3. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=868633
4. Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (1987). The Almanac of American Politics 1988. National Journal. p. 199.
5. Dan Schaefer, 70; Former Congressman Represented Colorado

External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-07-08
• Appearances on C-SPAN

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by New constituency[lower-alpha 1]	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 6th congressional district 1983 – 1999	Succeeded by Tom Tancredo

1. Jack Swigert was returned in the 1982 general election, but died before the beginning of the Congressional term.