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(Photo: GETTY)
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Age: 61
Born: Dec. 20, 1945; Denver, Colo.
Education: B.A., U. of Northern Colorado, 1968
Military: None
Family: Married (Jackie), two children
Hometown: Littleton, Colo.
Religion: Presbyterian
Career: U.S. House of Representatives, 1999-present; Pres., Independence Inst., 1993-98; Regional rep., U.S. Dept. of Education, 1981-93; Colo. House of Reps., 1976-81; Jr. high teacher, 1968-81.
At 30, Tancredo was elected to the Colorado’s State House. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998.
The shootings at Columbine High School occurred six blocks from Tancredo's home. In 1999, Tancredo was criticized by many for his vote for a gun measure that was supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA).
For his 2000 campaign, Tancredo vowed not to take money from gun advocacy groups but it was found that the Safari Club, a hunters’ rights group that had lobbied against gun control legislation, donated money to his campaign. He eventually returned the donation.
He is considered a hard-liner on immigration and is the founder of the Congressional Immigration Caucus in May 1999. Tancredo has been critical of the Bush Administration’s immigration policies. He says on his campaign web site, “I am absolutely opposed to amnesty or guest worker program in any form.”
As a member of the International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Tancredo authored the Sudan Peace Act which was signed by President Bush in 2002.
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