Hans Riemer (American politician) explained

Hans Riemer
Native Name Lang:English
Office:Member of the Montgomery County Council
from the at-large district
Term Start:December 1, 2010
Term End:December 5, 2022
Predecessor:Duchy Trachtenberg
Successor:Laurie-Anne Sayles
Birth Name:Hans Davis Riemer
Birth Date:5 September 1972
Birth Place:Oakland, California, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Angela Riemer
Residence:Takoma Park, Maryland, U.S.
Alma Mater:University of California, Santa Cruz (BA)
Occupation:Federal government loan processing clerk
Profession:Non-profit executive

Hans Davis Riemer (born September 5, 1972) is an American non-profit executive, political activist, and author. He served as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council in Maryland from 2010 to 2022. He unsuccessfully ran for Montgomery County executive in 2022, with a platform including affordable housing, environmental policy, and police reform.[1]

Early life and education

Riemer was born in Oakland, California, the son of Davis Riemer, an investment advisor, and Louise Rothman-Riemer, a long-time activist and the current president of the League of Women Voters in Oakland.[2] [3] Both Riemer's parents were politically active and often discussed community and national issues at home.[4] He grew up in the Oakland Hills and attended UC Santa Cruz, graduating in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics with honors.

"Hans has sort of been enveloped in political activism as long as he's been around," according to his mother, Louise Rothman-Riemer.[5] She noted that when Hans was a toddler, she and her husband, both longtime ACLU activists, carted him to women's rights groups and Alameda County Board of Supervisors meetings: "I just backpacked him and took him everywhere I went."

Career

After graduating from UC Santa Cruz in 1995, Riemer worked for the National Academy of Social Insurance, where he had interned during college. Then in 1995 he was hired as Public Policy Associate at the Save Our Security Coalition, under Arthur S. Flemming.

In 1996 he founded The 2030 Center, a non-profit policy organization focused on protecting Social Security, improving health care, and supporting progressive solutions for fiscal challenges at the federal level.[6] [7] The 2030 Center testified before Congressional committees,[8] White House panels, and conducted activist campaigns. He then served as Senior Policy Analyst and Social Security Campaign Director for the Campaign for America's Future.[9] In that role Riemer organized a national campaign to fight against the privatization of Social Security.[10] President George W. Bush had indicated support for privatization and then appointed the 2001 President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security.

In 2004, Riemer started working for Rock the Vote as their political director.[11] Credited with returning Marion Barry to power in Washington DC following his prison sentence, the organization helped nearly one million people, largely young voters, to register to vote in the 2004 election.[12] Riemer led Rock the Vote's partnership with CNN to host a youth debate in the Democratic presidential primary. Riemer also ran the organization's campaign on the military draft,[13] about which President Bush coined the phrase "on the Internets."[14]

In 2008, Riemer joined the Obama presidential campaign, serving in Chicago as the National Youth Vote Director.[15] His responsibilities included supporting the Campaign's operations in the early states (Iowa, New Hampshire) and working with student leaders to support the Students for Barack Obama network. Young voters were an important part of the Obama's early state voter coalition. After the Obama campaign, Riemer worked for AARP as a senior advisor on retirement security as well as community volunteerism.[16]

Riemer ran for the District 5 seat of the county council[17] in 2006, losing to Valerie Ervin. He successfully ran for an at-large seat in 2010, winning re-election in both 2014 and 2018.[18] From 2014 to 2018, Riemer served as the council president.[19] Riemer spoke publicly in favor of busing and school redistricting.[20] A few months after his presidency concluded, the County announced a $100 million budget deficit. [21] He currently serves as Chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee and one of only two county officials nationally on the FCC Intergovernmental Advisory Committee.[22] In the Montgomery County Council, he serves as the Lead for Digital Government as well as on the Committees for Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) and Government Operations & Fiscal Policy (GO).

In June 2021, he declared his candidacy for the position of County executive for Montgomery County.[23] He conceded defeat in the July 2022 primary race. [24]

Personal life

Riemer lives in Takoma Park, Maryland and is married to Angela Riemer (née Walker), the Vice President and Senior Director of Federal Government Relations for Pfizer.[25] They have two children together, Henry and Travis.[26]

Published works

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Tan . Rebecca . June 1, 2021 . Montgomery council member Hans Riemer enters 2022 race for county executive . en-US . Washington Post . 2022-06-16 . 0190-8286.
  2. News: Rothman-Riemer. Louise. 2018-06-14. Oakland Should Adopt a Public Financing Model for Funding Elections. East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda.
  3. Web site: Staff. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120408185056/https://www.dhrcounsel.com/DHR-Investment-Counsel/DHR-Investment-Staff.htm. 2012-04-08. DHR Investment Counsel. 2012-04-06.
  4. Web site: 2014. 2014 County Council Candidate Questionnaire. Montgomery County Education Association.
  5. News: Friedman. Lisa. 2000-01-19. Gen-Xer making waves in Washington. Oakland Tribune.
  6. Web site: Hans Riemer - Why We Like Him. 21st Century Democrats.
  7. News: Inside Politics . CNN . 1999-08-02 . Surplus Politics Create Generational Divide . Judy Woodruff . Bernard Shaw.
  8. Web site: Prepared Testimony Before the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security . Hans Riemer . 2001-10-18.
  9. News: Social Security Emerges As Big Issue . News & Record . Greensboro, NC . B1 . 2002-09-23.
  10. News: Confessore . Nicholas . Commission Impossible . 2019-11-11 . The American Prospect . 2001-12-19.
  11. News: Chuck . Elizabeth . Shift in political climate attracts young voters . https://web.archive.org/web/20191127161007/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15504373/ns/politics/t/shift-political-climate-attracts-young-voters . dead . November 27, 2019 . MSNBC . 2006-11-03.
  12. Web site: MoCo Councilman Hans Riemer's Political Hoax: Reinstating the Military Draft . Montgomery County Republican Party . 2019-11-11 . March 23, 2015.
  13. News: Hennessey . Kathleen . Rumor of a Draft Touches a Nerve . 2019-08-30 . Los Angeles Times . 2004-10-10.
  14. Web site: Debates and Internets . Tuba City . 2004-10-10 . 2006-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20111006144837/http://www.tubafrenzy.org/weblog/archives/2004/10/debates_and_int.html. 2011-10-06.
  15. Web site: Adam . Pagnucco . Hans Riemer Online. Maryland Politics Online . 2010-01-26.
  16. Web site: Hans Riemer: Why You Should Vote For Me . . 2014-06-12.
  17. News: Leventhal Doesn't Want Iraq Debate . Washington Post . 2005-12-15.
  18. News: Luttrell . Cameron . Hans Riemer Elected As Montgomery County Council President . Patch . 2017-12-05.
  19. News: Barrios . Jennifer . Nancy Navarro elected president of Montgomery County Council . 2019-09-03 . Washington Post . 2018-12-04.
  20. Web site: Rockville Nights .
  21. Web site: Population, wage stagnation blamed for Montgomery Co. Budget shortfall . December 15, 2019 .
  22. Web site: Intergovernmental Advisory Committee - Current Members . https://web.archive.org/web/20190903182541/https://www.fcc.gov/general/intergovernmental-advisory-committee-current-members . dead . 2019-09-03 . FCC.
  23. Web site: Leckrone. Bennett. 2021-06-01. Montgomery County Councilman Hans Riemer Announces Run For County Executive. 2021-07-27. Maryland Matters. en-US.
  24. Web site: Concession . Hans Riemer . Twitter.
  25. Web site: 2019-06-11. Panel: Careers in Lobbying. 2021-07-27. Princeton in Washington. en-US.
  26. Web site: 2014. Montgomery County Council At Large – Hans Riemer. Takoma Voice.