Norma Anderson
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Norma Anderson is an American former state legislator from Colorado.[1] She previously represented Jefferson County in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1987 to 1998, and was a member of the Colorado Senate from 1999 until her resignation in 2006 to spend more time with her family.[2][3] A former Republican, she left the party in 2021 over its support for Donald Trump.[4]
Norma Anderson | |
|---|---|
| Minority Leader of the Colorado Senate | |
Acting | |
| In office June 22, 2005 – August 22, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Hillman |
| Succeeded by | Andy McElhany |
| Majority Leader of the Colorado Senate | |
| In office January 8, 2003 – January 7, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Thiebaut |
| Succeeded by | Mark Hillman |
| Member of the Colorado Senate | |
| In office January 13, 1999 – January 3, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Schroeder |
| Succeeded by | Kiki Traylor |
| Constituency | 22nd |
| Majority Leader of the Colorado House of Representatives | |
| In office January 1997 – January 13, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Foster |
| Succeeded by | Doug Dean |
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives | |
| In office January 14, 1987 – January 13, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | James Moore |
| Succeeded by | Rob Fairbank |
| Constituency | 52nd (1987–1993) 30th (1993–1999) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 6, 1932 Elyria, Ohio, U.S. |
| Party | Republican (before 2021) Independent (2021–present) |
| Education | University of Denver |
Anderson was the first woman to serve as majority leader in the Colorado House and Colorado Senate.[5] A pre-school was named for her and she is a member of the Jefferson County Historical Commission Hall of Fame.[6] She has lived in Lakewood, Colorado, and has three children.[7]
Opposition to Trump
In 2021, Anderson left the Republican Party over its support for Donald Trump.[8]
Anderson was a plaintiff in Trump v. Anderson, a court case that aimed to bar former President Trump, a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, from appearing on the Colorado ballot by invoking the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause.[9]
Trump was ultimately disqualified from the 2024 Colorado Republican presidential primary; marking the first time a presidential candidate had ever been barred from running because of the clause.[10] The court stayed its ruling, pending review by the U.S. Supreme Court.[10] On March 4, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not be removed from the ballot, stating that individual states cannot determine eligibility under Section 3 for federal office holders, and that such power is conferred exclusively to the federal government.