Gail Riecken (née Engel) is a former
Democratic member of the
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...
, representing the 77th District. She was a candidate for Mayor of
Evansville
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in S ...
, the third-largest city in the state, in
the 2015 election.
Biographical Information
Personal details
Gail's parents were named Ed and Mille Engel. Gail Engel graduated from
Benjamin Bosse High School
Benjamin Bosse High School, referred to as Evansville Bosse High School by the IHSAA, is a public high school of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in Evansville, Indiana, United States. Bosse is the third smallest high school by enrol ...
in Evansville and earned her BA in Sociology and Social Work from
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universit ...
.
Gail and Ron Riecken were married in 1968 and have two daughters, Julia Belle Riecken Langerak and Katie Riecken Parker. They also have three grandchildren named Joey, Martha, and George.
Career
She was a real estate broker and riverboat captain prior to her involvement in electoral politics.
From 2000 until 2004, Riecken was an Economic Development specialist with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. In 2004, Mayor
Jonathan Weinzapfel
Jonathan David Weinzapfel (born November 16, 1965) is an American politician, attorney, businessman, and Democratic nominee for Indiana Attorney General in the 2020 election. Weinzapfel formerly served as the 33rd mayor of Evansville, Indiana. H ...
appointed Riecken as Director of the City Parks and Recreation Department where she served until December 2007.
Political career
Election history
Gail Riecken was first elected to the Evansville City Council in 1989 and was elected again at-large in 1991 and 1995.
Riecken ran for Congress in 1998 as the Democratic nominee in
Indiana's 8th congressional district
Indiana's 8th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in Southwestern Indiana, southwest and west central Indiana, the district is anchored in Evansville, Indiana, Evansville and also includes Jas ...
but lost in the general election to the incumbent Republican
John Hostettler
John Nathan Hostettler (born July 19, 1961) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1995, to January 3, 2007, representing the Indiana's 8th congressional district. He lost his reelectio ...
.
In 1999
''In 1999'' is a 1912 one-act comedic short play by William C. deMille, originally produced by Jesse L. Lasky, that was popular upon its release. Its gags are based on a future where gender roles are reversed.
Production
The piece debuted at th ...
, she ran for the mayor of
Evansville
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in S ...
in the Democratic primary but lost to Democrat Rick Borries.
In 2008, Gail Riecken first won election to the Indiana House of Representatives in District 77 in an unopposed race. In 2010, Riecken won re-election by narrowly defeating Republican
Cheryl Musgrave
Cheryl is a female given name common in English speaking countries.
There are several prevailing theories about its etymology. The most common is that it has Italo-Celtic roots and is an Anglicised version of either the French name Cherie (from L ...
by a margin of 7,547 to 7,379 (51% to 49%). In 2012, in a district with redrawn lines favoring Democrats, Riecken defeated Republican Alan Leibundguth 64.4% to 35.6%. In 2014 Riecken won re-election by defeating Republican Jeremy Heath 62% to 38%.
Indiana House of Representatives, District 77 General Election, November 2, 2010
Indiana House of Representatives, District 77 General Election, November 6, 2012
Controversies
2011 Legislative walkout
Riecken and thirty-six other Democratic representatives participated in a legislative walkout on February 22, 2011, in opposition to proposed legislation limiting union powers in Indiana. The Democratic departure left the House void of a quorum, leaving only 58 of the 67 representatives needed to establish a quorum. The Democrats ended the standoff after 36 days, returning on March 28, 2011.
Indiana's Religious Freedom Act
Riecken was the only southern Indiana legislator to vote against Indiana's proposal of the
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-141, 107 Stat. 1488 (November 16, 1993), codified at through (also known as RFRA, pronounced "rifra"), is a 1993 United States federal law that "ensures that interests in religiou ...
. Riecken stated that the law “will allow individuals to ignore any law they choose, simply because they feel it conflicts with their religious beliefs. It will pave the way for intolerance of others.”
References
External links
Indiana State Legislature - Representative Gail Riecken''official government website''
Gail Riecken for State Representative''official campaign website''
*''Follow the Money'' - Gail Riecken
2008campaign contributions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riecken, Gail
Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives
Living people
Politicians from Evansville, Indiana
Women state legislators in Indiana
1945 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians