At age 17, after finishing his junior year at Aurora Central High School, Coffman enlisted in the U.S. Army. Through the Army he earned his high-school diploma.

From 1979 until 1982, Coffman served in the Marines. Afterward, he settled in Aurora, Colo., where he started a successful property-management business.

State Politics

and Military Service

In 1988, Coffman won a state House seat. Two years later, Coffman volunteered for active duty and was sent to Saudi Arabia the following year for the Gulf War. He said he was spurred to return to combat after the 1983 bombing of a Marine Corps building that occured a year after he left active service. "It probably won't make sense now, but I had to go," Coffman said. "I was absolutely compelled. My buddies were gone. And I was compelled."

Coffman maintained his state House seat until 1994 when he was appointed to fill a state Senate vacancy.

In 1998, Coffman was elected Colorado treasurer, but resigned from the post in 2005 to serve on a six-month deployment in Iraq. His unit focused on helping bolster democracy and facilitate elections in the Anbar province. Before he left for service, he filed to run in 2006 for Colorado secretary of state. He won the seat the following year.

2008 House Election

In October 2007, controversial Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), known nationally for his strident anti-immigrant views, announced he wouldn't seek election in the 6th Congressional District. Coffman immediately entered the race to replace him.

Coffman was the frontrunner in a four-way race for the GOP nomination, along with political newcomer Wil Armstrong, son of former Sen. Bill Armstrong (R-Colo.). While Armstrong had high-profile endorsements from Mitt Romney (R) and ex- Gov. Bill Owens (R-Colo.), Coffman had the better name recognition and a larger campaign war chest.Coffman won the nomination, 40 to 33 percent over Armstrong.

Coffman won the general election with 60 percent of the vote over Democrat Hank Eng.

As secretary of state in November 2008, there was some controversy of Coffman's purging of the voter rolls of a larger-than-normal 44,000 voters. Several groups sued as at least several hundred people arrived to vote on Election Day and were forced to do so by provisional ballot.

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