Chris Kolb

Chris Kolb
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 53rd district
In office January 1, 2001 – December 31, 2006
Preceded by	Elizabeth Brater
Succeeded by	Rebekah Warren
Personal details
Born	1958 (age 58–59) Ann Arbor, Michigan
Political party	Democratic

Chris Kolb (born 1958) is a politician from Ann Arbor, Michigan and a former member of the Michigan State House of Representatives. A Democrat, Kolb represented the 53rd district, based in Ann Arbor, from January 2001 to January 2007. He was first elected in November 2000, and term limits prevented him from seeking a fourth two-year term in 2006. Kolb was the first openly gay member of the Michigan Legislature.

Kolb graduated from Huron High School in 1976. He went on the University of Michigan, where he received a bachelor of science in natural resources before conducting graduate studies in political science at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

He worked in the environmental management field for 12 years, specializing in waste management and recycling.

Prior to his tenure in the House, Kolb served eight years on the Ann Arbor City Council and was Mayor Pro-tem from 1994 through 2000. Kolb ran for mayor of Ann Arbor as the Democratic nominee in 1996 and 1998, accusing incumbent Republican mayor Ingrid Sheldon of not doing enough in the areas of environmental policy, affordable housing, and downtown vitality, but he lost both races by narrow margins.

In 2000, he ran for state representative in the 53rd district, seeking to succeed the term-limited Liz Brater. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and won the general election with 27,682 votes (71%) to his Republican opponent's 11,553 (29%). On his taking office, Kolb became the first ever openly gay member of the Michigan Legislature. His election campaigns have frequently won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

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