James Murray Vickerman (May 1, 1931 – January 19, 2021) was an American politician from
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
who served as
Minnesota State Senator, first elected in 1986 in the
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to i ...
's "firestorm" that swept southwestern Minnesota during the height of the 1980s Midwestern farm crisis. In that election, he unseated incumbent Senator
Doran Isackson
Doran L. Isackson (March 26, 1938 – September 28, 1989) was a Republican Party of Minnesota, Republican politician from Minnesota and a Minnesota Senate, Minnesota State Senator. Elected in 1982, Isackson served one term from 1983 to 1987. ...
, winning by a substantial margin. He was re-elected in 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2006. On February 22, 2010, he announced that he would not seek an eighth term, noting that he was doing so "with the satisfaction that when it's done right, our government can and does serve people." His term officially ended on January 3, 2011.
Senate representation and leadership
Vickerman, who lived just outside Tracy, represented District 22, which currently includes all of
Cottonwood,
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
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* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Q ...
,
Murray
Murray may refer to:
Businesses
* Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles
* Murrays, an Australian bus company
* Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust
* D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...
,
Nobles
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...
,
Pipestone and
Rock
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* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
counties. Prior to redistricting in the early 1990s, the area was known as District 28, and included all or portions of
Brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
,
Cottonwood,
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Q ...
,
Martin Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austral ...
,
Murray
Murray may refer to:
Businesses
* Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles
* Murrays, an Australian bus company
* Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust
* D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...
,
Nobles
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...
,
Redwood
Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...
and
Watonwan counties.
Vickerman was chair of the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Committee, and of the Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division of the Finance Committee. He served on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the Finance Committee, the State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee, and the Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Budget Division of the Finance Committee. He also previously served as chair of the Veterans and General Legislation Committee, the State and Local Government Operation Committee, and the Rules and Administration Committee, and as vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. He was
Majority Whip
A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. This means ensuring that members of the party vote according to the party platform, rather than according to their own individual ideology ...
from 2003 through 2007.
Vickerman served three terms on the Minnesota Rural Health Advisory Committee, being first appointed by
Governor Arne Carlson in 1995. He was re-appointed by
Governor Jesse Ventura in 1999, and by
Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2003.
Vickerman sponsored legislation and actively promoted the establishment of the Feeding Minnesota Task Force, which brings together leaders from the agriculture community to find ways to best help food banks across Minnesota. He noted that his motivation for creating the task force was because Minnesota's food shelves have a difficult time keeping up with demand, and the agricultural community is in a unique position to ensure that harvested food that is not sold gets to people who need it, rather than going to waste.
Vickerman's special legislative concerns included taxes, the environment and natural resources, health and human services, agriculture, local and metro government and community issues, education, rural health issues, transportation, and veterans.
On May 8, 2010, Vickerman received the Walter and Joan Mondale Award for Outstanding Public Service, recognizing distinguished lifetime achievement in public service. The award was presented at the DFL Party's annual Humphrey Day Dinner in Minneapolis.
Rural roots and family background
Vickerman was raised in a Minnesota farm family in
Murray County. His father was involved in local township government throughout most of the senator's childhood. This early exposure carved a path for Vickerman's second career in politics. He initially participated in local government as a twelve-year member of the area
soil and water board, and later served as a
Murray County Commissioner, prior to being elected to the Minnesota Senate. He and his wife, Wava, were married in 1950, and are the parents of six children. His cousin-in-law
Barbara Vickerman
Barbara Lou "Barb" (née Gilb) Vickerman (October 26, 1933 – December 22, 1997) was an American businesswoman and politician.
Born in Tracy, Minnesota, Vickerman went to vocational school and was a medical laboratory technician. Vickerman ow ...
also served in the Minnesota legislature.
Vickerman died in
Marshall, Minnesota
Marshall is a city in Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,680 at the 2010 census. Marshall is a regional center in southwest Minnesota, and the county seat of Lyon County. It is the headquarters of the Schwan Food Com ...
, on January 19, 2021, at age 89. His wife, Wava, died in Tracy on August 25, 2022, at age 91.
Election result: 1986-2006
References
External links
James "Jim" Vickerman ObituaryAlmanac: At the Capitol – Jim VickermanMinnesota Public Radio – Votetracker: Jim Vickerman Voting RecordProject Vote Smart – Senator Jim Vickerman ProfileSenator Vickerman Web Page*Campaign Contributions
200820062004200220001996
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vickerman, Jim
1931 births
2021 deaths
People from Tracy, Minnesota
Farmers from Minnesota
County commissioners in Minnesota
Democratic Party Minnesota state senators
People from Murray County, Minnesota
21st-century American politicians
American United Methodists