About Joe Rice
Joe Rice (born May 7, 1967) is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado, an Iraq War veteran, and a former mayor of Glendale, Colorado. Rice presently works for Lockheed Martin Space Systems and also is a member of the United States Army Reserve. He was elected to the city council of Glendale, Colorado, in 1994 and to the post of mayor in 1996 on a platform of developing a "resident-friendly" community in the Denver enclave. Rice was re-elected in 2000 and later resigned from the post of mayor in 2003 when called up to serve the first of five tours on active duty in Iraq. In Iraq, he has served as an advisor to the Baghdad city council and to Iraqi security forces. Rice won election to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006 and represented House District 38, which encompassed Greenwood Village, Bow Mar, and Littleton as well as parts of Englewood, Centennial, Aurora, and Columbine Valley. While in the legislature, Rice focused heavily on transportation issues and was a key sponsor of a 2009 transportation funding bill increasing vehicle registration fees in order to address a backlog of bridge and transportation requirements. Other key measures he promoted included the creation of a statewide cold case homicide unit and a reduction in the business personal property tax. Rice served 2 two-year terms in the legislature, from 2007 to 2010. He narrowly lost re-election in 2010, losing by 51.5% to 48.5%. Rice has completed Airborne and Ranger training, and has been awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Expert Infantryman's Badge, two Bronze Stars and the Joint Services Commendation Medal. In his first legislative campaign, Rice was criticized for his association with Dismas House founder Bob Sylvester, who was found guilty in 2000 of sexually abusing inmates. However, after an election that saw record campaign spending and record turnout for Glendale, Rice defeated Dunafon and was re-elected to a second term in 2000.
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