David Ortiz is a Democratic member of Colorado State House of Representatives. Ortiz is the representative for Colorado's 38th House District, which situated in western Arapahoe County and includes the community of Columbine Valley as well as most the town of Littleton and the Southglenn neighborhood of

Centennial {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at a ...

. Ortiz sits on both the House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee and the Health & Insurance Committee. He is the first bisexual legislator and the first wheelchair user to serve in the chamber.

Background

In 2012, Ortiz survived a helicopter crash while serving as a pilot in the U.S. Army in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Following his recovery at

Craig Hospital Craig Hospital is a neurorehabilitation and research hospital in Englewood, Colorado specializing in spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation and research. Craig is a 93-bed, private, not-for-profit, free-standing ...

, Ortiz worked as a lobbyist for veterans and behavioral health issues through the United Veterans Committee.

Colorado State Legislature

Ortiz was elected to the state House in 2020, defeating newly appointed Republican Representative Richard Champion by a margin of 55.57% to 44.43%. After a 400-vote loss in the district two years prior, HD38 was a major target for state Democrats during the 2020 cycle. During the 2021 legislative session, Ortiz was the prime sponsor for 24 bills, more than any other freshman House representative. These sponsored bills included HB21-1110, which adopted the public accessibility standards established in the

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...

into Colorado state law.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortiz, David 1982 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives 21st-century American politicians