Michael L. Strang

Michael L. Strang
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Colorado's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987
Preceded byRay Kogovsek
Succeeded byBen Nighthorse Campbell
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
In office
1971–1975
Preceded byJohn D. Vanderhoof
Succeeded byNancy E. Dick
Personal details
Born
Michael Lathrop Strang

(1929-06-17)June 17, 1929
New Hope, Pennsylvania
DiedJanuary 12, 2014(2014-01-12) (aged 84)
Carbondale, Colorado
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKathleen "Kit" Sherry
Children4
Alma materPrinceton University (A.B.)
Occupationinvestment banker, rancher

Michael Lathrop "Mike" Strang (June 17, 1929 – January 12, 2014) was an American politician who was a one-term Republican U.S. Representative from Colorado from 1985 to 1987.

Early life

Born in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Strang was the grandson of landscape painter William Langson Lathrop. His family moved to Colorado in 1932, where he was raised and homeschooled at their ranch near Golden.[1][2]

Korean War

He served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army from 1950 to 1953.

Education

Strang graduated with an A.B. in history from Princeton University in 1956 after completing a senior thesis titled "Law, Politics and Religion: The Mercury View."[3] He then did graduate work at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Career

He was a rancher and investment banker from 1957 to 1985.[4]

Strang served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1970 to 1974, where he notably introduced legislation to legalize and regulate the sale and consumption of marijuana.[1][5]

Congress

In 1984, he was elected as a Republican to the Ninety-ninth Congress, defeating W Mitchell. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1986, losing to Ben Nighthorse Campbell.

Later career and death

He resumed horse and cattle ranching and worked as a consultant on natural resources and taxes. He was a resident of Carbondale, Colorado until his death there on January 12, 2014.[1][4]

Electoral history

1984 United States House of Representatives elections[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael L. Strang 122,669 57%
Democratic W. Mitchell 90,963 42%
Libertarian Robert Jahelka 1,358 0.5%
Independent Henry John Olshaw 880 0.5%
Total votes 215,870 100%
Republican gain from Democratic
1986 United States House of Representatives elections[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ben Nighthorse Campbell 95,353 52%
Republican Michael L. Strang (Incumbent) 88,508 48%
Total votes 183,861 100%
Democratic gain from Republican

References

  1. ^ a b c The Associated Press (14 January 2014). "Former Colorado congressman Mike Strang dies". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
  2. ^ "Michael L. Strang '51". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  3. ^ Strang, Michael Lathrop (1956). "Law, Politics and Religion: The Mercury View". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ a b United States Congress. "Michael L. Strang (id: S000991)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  5. ^ "Michael L. Strang 1929 - 2014" (PDF). Pony Club. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  6. ^ "1984 Election Results" (PDF).
  7. ^ "1986 Election Results" (PDF).

Further reading

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Colorado's 3rd congressional district
1985–1987 		Succeeded by