Jerry Sonnenberg (born May 1958) is an American farmer and politician who serves on the Logan County commission. He served in the Colorado Senate from the 1st district as a member of the Republican Party. During his tenure in the state senate he served as the President pro tempore. Prior to his tenure in the state senate he served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 65th district.
Sonnenberg was born in Sterling,Colorado,and was educated at Sterling High School and Northeastern Junior College. He started farming in 1979,worked as a cattle rancher,and served on the board of the Colorado Farm Bureau. He managed one of Representative Don Ament's campaigns and served as a precinct chair in Logan County,Colorado. He was elected to the state house in the 2006 election and served until he was elected to the state senate in the 2014 election.
Early life and education
Jerry Sonnenberg was born in Sterling,Colorado,and graduated from Sterling High School and Northeastern Junior College.[1][2][3] He started farming his family's 7,000 acre farm in 1979,and worked as a cattle rancher,but had to sell his herd of sixty cattle due to a drought in 2002.[4][5] He married Vonnie Constance,with whom he had four children.[1][2]
During his tenure in the state house he served on the Agriculture,Livestock and Natural Resources committee.[19] Sonnenberg served as the vice-chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs committee and as the chair of the Agriculture,Natural Resources,and Energy committee in the state senate.[20][21][22] On November 10,2016,he was selected to serve as the President pro tempore of the Senate.[23]
Jane Bauder,a member of the Logan County commission from the 3rd district,declined to run for reelection. Sonnenberg won in the 2022 election.[25][26] He was inducted into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame in February 2023.[27] Sonnenberg announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for Colorado's 4th congressional district in the 2024 election after Ken Buck announced his retirement.[28] He was endorsed by former U.S. Senators Cory Gardner,Hank Brown,and Wayne Allard.[29]
Political positions
Sonnenberg supported Initiative 31 in the 2022 election which would reduce the income tax rate from 4.63% to 4.55%.[30] He opposed repealing the death penalty stating that "I believe that the Bible tells me the direction that I need to go,and why the death penalty is important to society."[31] He voted against allowing civil unions for same-sex couples.[32] His scores from the American Civil Liberties Union ranged from 44% in 2013,28.6% in 2014,60% in 2015,33.3% in 2016,66.6% in 2017,20% in 2018,and 0% in 2019.[33]
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