Petulant Deadbeat Tim Leonard Drops Re-Election Bid

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by: Colorado Pols

Rep. Tim Leonard (R-Evergreen) models jailhouse orange.

Republican State Rep. Tim Leonard will soon give up the distinction of being the only sitting Colorado legislator in at least 40 years to have served time in jail. That’s because Leonard is dropping his re-election bid in HD-25 (Evergreen) on account of the fact that he’s a “Deadbeat Dad” who was using his job in the legislature as an excuse to avoid child support obligations to the mother of his six children.

As right-wing website Complete Colorado reports, Leonard still seems to think that he’s some sort of victim here:

Leonard told Complete Colorado Tuesday by phone that his decision came after a July 3 family court ruling, in which a judge refused Leonard’s request to lower his alimony and child support payments, based on his legislative earnings…

…Leonard, who was divorced six years ago, has six children ranging in ages from 10 to 24. He said it saddens him that the time commitment and financial constraints prevent him from being both a single dad and a legislator.

“It really narrows the field,” Leonard said. “You can’t have citizen’s candidates anymore. It self-selects.”

Yes, it is very heartbreaking that Leonard cannot be both a “citizen legislator” and a “deadbeat dad” at the same time. Leonard tells Complete Colorado that a judge said he had to decide between remaining a state legislator and financially supporting his children, which is more than a bit of a stretch. Here’s what Judge Diego Hunt actually said last month:

“The court does find that (Leonard’s) decision to become a legislator was his good-faith decision, but the court does not find that this an objectively reasonable decision given the significant reduction in income. The court also concludes that (Leonard) can make significantly more from his commercial real estate business but chooses not to dedicate his time to his company and is therefore voluntarily underemployed. [Pols emphasis]

“The court also finds that (Leonard’s) career choice unreasonably reduces the children’s financial support.”

Leonard reportedly plans to officially withdraw from the race today, which gives Republicans 10 days to select a replacement candidate through a vacancy committee. Lisa Cutter is the Democratic candidate in HD-25.

15 thoughts on “Petulant Deadbeat Tim Leonard Drops Re-Election Bid”

unnamed says:

August 1, 2018 at 10:24 am

Aw, poor baby. Guess that's what happens when you don't work during the interim like other legislators do.

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1. MichaelBowman says:
  
  August 1, 2018 at 10:36 am
  
  One down, one to go?
  
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  1. unnamed says:
    
    August 1, 2018 at 10:46 am
    
    MAGAt-nuttus' favorite racist lady can make a comeback by parachuting into HD-47 when the guy that beat her drops out?
    
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    1. MichaelBowman says:
      
      August 1, 2018 at 11:10 am
      
      💥
      
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    2. MichaelBowman says:
      
      August 1, 2018 at 11:18 am
      
      #Rehyer2018!! Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now-and-then. Moddy’s due a win (he’s waaay behind on the law of averages); let’s let him waste it on a House seat.
      
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RepealAndReplace says:

August 1, 2018 at 11:04 am

Wasn't this previously John Kezer's House District? Any chance the vacancy committee will turn to him? And his big dog too?

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1. unnamed says:
  
  August 1, 2018 at 11:08 am
  
  Last I heard, he moved to Wisconsin, because the Colorado Dems hurt his fee-fees by exposing his petition fraud.
  
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Gilpin Guy says:

August 1, 2018 at 11:48 am

Sounds like a pickup opportunity now more than it was a pickup opportunity before.

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Genghis says:

August 1, 2018 at 11:48 am

Happy trails, ya whiny bitch. You made 'em, you support 'em. Personal responsibility and all.

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1. unnamed says:
  
  August 1, 2018 at 11:53 am
  
  He really is a whiner isn't he.
  
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  1. Genghis says:
    
    August 1, 2018 at 12:57 pm
    
    You betcha. Almost anyone the vacancy committee picks will have a better shot at hanging onto this seat for the GOP than this crybaby knob.
    
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    1. unnamed says:
      
      August 1, 2018 at 1:06 pm
      
      Maybe. Leonard was uniquely weak. He did have the incumbency advantage and there will be someone else to step in with 3 months to go in this election cycle when the Dem has already been campaigning for over a year.
      
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JohnInDenver says:

August 1, 2018 at 1:27 pm

Imagine the delights of setting up a new campaign … Fewer than 100 days until election day, minus however many it will take the vacancy committee to gather, and really, needing to be crammed into the days before ballots drop into the hands of voters.

Wonder if we can start a "Republicans in disarray" meme?

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1. RepealAndReplace says:
  
  August 1, 2018 at 1:36 pm
  
  Perhaps Steve Lebsock can move to Leonard's district and take up the cause for his new political party.
  
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mamajama55 says:

August 1, 2018 at 8:44 pm

No loss here. He was also a terrible legislator.

Looking at bills Leonard sponsored, most of them were cosponsored with Senator Tim Neville, (who might well be defeated if Dems do a decent job getting out the vote for Tammy Story. ) And most of them deservedly ended up in the Kill Committee (State, Military and Veteran's Affairs). Tim Leonard was also known to be one of the ALEC politicians, pushing legislation authored by corporations to benefit corporations.

Then there was this bill written only to make headlines, cosponsored with Neville and the term limited fried-chicken fancier and Boy Scout bullier Vicki Marble:

HB18-1121

No Funding Trafficking Aborted Human Body Parts

Concerning the termination of state funding for higher education institutions that engage in the trafficking of aborted human body parts.

Last Action: 02/28/2018 | House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely

Sponsors: Rep. T. Leonard | Sen. T. Neville | Sen. V. Marble

So other than the fact that higher education institutions do not traffic in aborted human body parts, and that it had zero chance of becoming law, it was a fantastic bill.

That's almost the sum total of Tim Leonard's legislative value to his constituents in three terms – 2016-2018…..so he has done almost as much good for the voters in HD25 as he has for his own children.

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