Scott Tipton

Scott Randall Tipton (born November 9, 1956) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for  from 2011 to 2021. A Republican, he was previously a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011. Tipton was first elected to the House in November 2010 when he defeated three-term Democratic incumbent John Salazar, and he was re-elected four times. In 2020, he lost renomination to Republican primary challenger Lauren Boebert in what was considered a major upset.

Early life and education 
Tipton was born in Española, New Mexico and raised in Cortez, Colorado. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Fort Lewis College, the first in his family to graduate from college.

Career
After college, Tipton co-founded a pottery company called Mesa Verde Indian Pottery with his brother, based in Cortez, Colorado. The Tiptons sold the company to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in 2014.

A lifelong Republican, he became involved in the unsuccessful Reagan presidential campaign of 1976 and was a delegate to the Republican Convention that year. He also assisted with local campaigns for Reagan in 1980 and 1984 across Montezuma County, Colorado and the 3rd Congressional district and was Republican chairman of the 3rd Congressional district for eight years. He was a board member of Mesa Verde National Park, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, and the advisory board of Pueblo Community College.

In 2011, it was reported that he spent over $7,000 on vendors that did business with his nephew's company. In 2012, he violated House rules when his office used taxpayer resources to promote a campaign event.

A super PAC, funded by oil and gas driller SG Interests, is registered at the address of Tipton's campaign attorney and run by a law clerk in his office. Tipton's attorney said: "I have specifically put up Chinese walls to make sure Charlie (law clerk) is in no way involved with the Tipton campaign, and I'm in no way involved with the Colorado Future Fund."

Colorado House of Representatives

2008 election
On February 5, 2008, he announced his candidacy for the Colorado House seat representing District 58. The announcement came shortly after the incumbent, Ray Rose, announced he would retire in 2008. He had no opposition in the Republican primary, but faced Democratic candidate Noelle Hagan in the November 2008 general election. Hagan's candidacy was endorsed by the Denver Post and the Montrose Daily Press. Tipton won the election with 59 percent of the vote.

Tenure
With Representatives Laura Bradford and Frank McNulty, Tipton planned on re-introducing a version of Jessica's Law to establish minimum sentences for child sex offenders, sponsoring bills to create a full-time judge position in Montrose and to simplify water rights filing. The attempt to introduce a version of Jessica's Law was unsuccessful, it died in committee.

Committee assignments
For the 2009 legislative session, Tipton was named to seats on the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee and the House Local Government Committee.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2006 

He unsuccessfully challenged the first term Democratic U.S. congressman, John Salazar. Tipton lost 38% to 62% to Salazar.

2010 

In the Republican primary, he defeated Bob McConnell 56% to 44%. He again challenged Salazar in . Libertarian Gregory Gilman and independent Jake Segrest were also on the ballot, with independents John W. Hargis, Sr. and James Fritz qualified as write-in candidates. He decided to retire from the Colorado House of Representatives to run for Congress in 2010, again challenging Salazar. In the general election, he defeated Salazar 50.1% to 45.8%.

2012 

In 2012, he was challenged by Sal Pace, a Democratic state representative from Pueblo. His re-election campaign was aided by $1.3 million in advertising against Pace, funded by the Grover Norquist led, Americans for Tax Reform. SG Interests, an oil and gas company from Texas, that sought to drill in the Thompson Divide area, also campaigned against Pace. On election night, Tipton defeated Pace and two third party challengers with 53.3% of the vote.

2014 

In 2014, he was challenged by Democrat Abel Tapia, Libertarian Travis Mero and UNA candidate Tisha Casida. He won with 56.1% of the vote.

2016 

In 2016, Tipton defeated Democratic state senator Gail Schwartz and Libertarian Gaylon Kent, receiving 54.6% of the vote.

2018 

In 2018, Tipton held off Democratic former state representative Diane Mitsch Bush, Independent Mary Malarsie, and Libertarian Gaylon Kent in his closest challenge since he was first elected to Congress, receiving 51.2% of the vote.

2020 

In what was considered by many media outlets to be a shocking upset, Tipton was defeated in the Republican primary by restaurant owner and gun rights activist Lauren Boebert. He received 45.2% of the vote to Boebert's 54.6%. Dick Wadhams, a Republican political consultant from Denver, says that Tipton had several hundred thousand dollars in the bank for his primary against Boebert, but he chose not to use it for TV/radio ads, mailings, or social media, ceding the debate to Boebert, who inspired a much higher Republican turnout than in 2018. Boebert went on to win in a general election.

Tenure 
Tipton voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. According to Tipton, the bill fixes a "broken tax code" and "puts the needs of the American people before special interests." Tipton touts that the act "supports families, graduate students, homeowners, and small businesses," and is "a victory for Coloradans and all Americans."

Committee assignments
 Committee on Agriculture
 Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
 Committee on Natural Resources
 Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
 Subcommittee on Water and Power
 Committee on Small Business
 Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade
 Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations
 Republican Study Committee
Caucus Memberships
Congressional Cement Caucus
Congressional Gaming Caucus
Congressional Western Caucus

Political positions

Abortion
Tipton opposes abortion.

Donald Trump
Tipton expressed support for then-candidate Donald Trump in March 2016. After the Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape was released, in which Trump and Billy Bush had a lewd exchange about women, Tipton re-affirmed his support.

On December 18, 2019, Tipton voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump.

Economic issues 
Tipton has said, "we have a problem with reckless spending across the board at the federal level." He has signed Grover Norquist's Taxpayer Protection Pledge, and a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes. He has also supported the Ryan Plan, having twice voted for it.

In February 2017, he voted against a resolution that would have directed the House to request 10 years of Trump's tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed session.

Environment 
Tipton rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. He argues that climate change is driven by natural climate cycles. He opposes the Paris Agreement, the international agreement which mitigates greenhouse gas emissions.

He opposes federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. He has an 8% score by the League of Conservation Voters.

In 2010, while serving in the state legislature, Tipton voted against legislation to compel Xcel Energy to convert three coal power plants to natural gas power plants. He also voted against legislation to require electricity utilities to use more renewable energy.

In 2016, Tipton wrote a draft bill on oil and gas drilling in the Thompson Divide that contained large sections taken "word for word" from a proposal offered by a SG Interests, a Texas-based energy company and its lobbying firm. Tipton's draft legislation (which he described as a "starting point") was criticized because of Tipton's receipt of $39,000 in campaign contributions from SG Interests over the course of his career.

In January 2017, Tipton voted in favor of legislation that would make it easier to sell federal public lands. Tipton was criticized by conservation groups for his vote.

Water rights 
Tipton introduced the Water Rights Protection Act into the House on September 26, 2013. The bill would prevent federal agencies from requiring certain entities to relinquish their water rights to the United States in order to use public lands. Tipton said the bill was needed because it "provides critical protection for water rights' holders from federal takings by ensuring that federal government agencies cannot extort private property rights through uneven-handed negotiations." Tipton argued that the bill "prohibits federal agencies from pilfering water rights through the use of permits, leases, and other land management arrangements, for which it would otherwise have to pay just compensation under the 5th Amendment of the Constitution."

Foreign policy 
He has criticized the Obama administration for inaction in the Middle East: "President Obama and Secretary Clinton's inaction in the Middle East has emboldened Syria, Iran and Russia and led to the death and displacement of millions of Syrian civilians."

Healthcare 
He is in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act. On May 4, 2017, he voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and pass the American Health Care Act.

LGBT rights 
He opposes same-sex marriage.

Immigration and refugees 
Tipton has said, "I strongly oppose amnesty or any special benefits for illegal immigrants". He criticized President Obama for his executive order allowing up to five million illegal immigrants "to come out of the shadows" and work openly in the country.

Tipton takes a "hardline stance" on the refugees of the Syrian Civil War and opposes the admission of Syrian refugees to the United States. He has clashed with Governor John Hickenlooper about the resettlement of refugee families in Colorado.

Personal life 
Tipton and his wife, Jean, have two daughters and three grandchildren.

References

External links
 
 
 

1956 births
21st-century American politicians
Businesspeople from Colorado
Fort Lewis College alumni
Living people
Republican Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives
People from Cortez, Colorado
People from Española, New Mexico
People from Montrose, Colorado
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado