Mary Kiffmeyer (born December 29, 1946) is an American politician. She served as
Minnesota Secretary of State
The secretary of state of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. State of Minnesota. Twenty-two individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. The incumbent is Steve Simon, ...
from 1999 to 2007 and went on to serves in the
Minnesota legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...
. A member of the
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the oldest active political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Republican Party’s platform is relatively moderate. The party’s main issues are economic growth, education, healthcare, civi ...
, she previously represented District 30, which included parts of
Hennepin,
Sherburne, and
Wright
Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright is ...
counties.
Early life
The oldest of 14 children, Kiffmeyer was raised in
Pierz, Minnesota
Pierz is a city in Morrison County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,418 at the 2020 census.
History
Pierz was named for Father Francis Xavier Pierz ( sl, Franc Pirc), a Slovenian Roman Catholic priest who came to Minnesota in the ...
.
Minnesota Secretary of State
Kiffmeyer was elected secretary of state in November 1998, and was sworn into office on January 4, 1999. She was re-elected in November 2002. She was defeated for re-election in November 2006 by
Mark Ritchie.
During Kiffmeyer's tenure, Minnesota was the highest voter turnout state for all 8 years as determined by Curtis Ganz of the Center for Democracy. In 2004, Minnesota had 77.7% voter turnout, the highest in the state since 1960. She transformed the Secretary of State website allowing users to find and get directions to their local precincts, and see who their local candidates are in the upcoming election through the "My Ballot" feature..
During Kiffmeyer's tenure, she convinced the legislature to establish the Safe At Home Program for battered women or other battered victims which was unfunded by the Legislature until the following year.
Minnesota Legislature
Kiffmeyer was elected to the
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...
in 2008 and re-elected in 2010, representing District 16B. In 2012, she was elected to the
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...
, representing District 30. Kiffmeyer currently serves as the
President Pro Tem
A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase '' pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being ...
of the Minnesota Senate.
Electoral history
* Minnesota Senate 30th district election, 2020
** Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 34714 (67.3%)
** Diane Nguyen (DFL), 16861 (32.7%)
**
Write-in
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...
, 45 (0.1%)
* Minnesota Senate 30th district election, 2016
** Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 30484 (71.7%)
** P.J. LaCroix (DFL), 11979 (28.2%)
**
Write-in
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...
, 49 (0.1%)
* Minnesota Senate 30th district election, 2012
** Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 25205 (62.4%)
** Paul Perovich (DFL), 15125 (37.5%)
**
Write-in
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...
, 58 (0.1%)
* Minnesota House of Representatives 16B district election, 2010
** Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 13,254 (70.4%)
** Tom Heyd (DFL), 5,563 (29.5%)
**
Write-in
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...
, 18 (0.1%)
* Minnesota House of Representatives 16B district election, 2008
** Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 15,863 (63.5%)
** Steve Andrews (DFL), 8,996 (36.0%)
**
Write-in
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...
, 114 (0.5%)
* Minnesota secretary of state election, 2006
**
Mark Ritchie (DFL), 1,049,432 (49.1%)
** Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 943,989 (44.2%)
** Bruce Kennedy (For Independent Voters), 78,522 (3.7%)
** Joel Spoonheim (Independence), 64,489 (3.0%)
**
Write-in
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...
, 1,211 (0.1%)
* Minnesota secretary of state election, 2002
** Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 1,040,739 (47.6%)
** Buck Humphrey (DFL), 974,045 (44.5%)
** Dean Alger (Independence), 104,799 (4.8%)
** Andrew Koebrick (Green), 67,404 (3.1%)
**
Write-in
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...
, 1,253 (0.1%)
* Minnesota secretary of state election, 1998
** Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 928,576 (46.8%)
** Edwina Garcia (DFL), 818,236 (41.2%)
** Alan Shilepsky (Reform), 192,997 (9.7%)
** Kenneth Iverson (Libertarian), 44,663 (2.2%)
**
Write-in
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...
, 1,742 (0.1%)
Personal life
Kiffmeyer lives near
Big Lake, Minnesota
Big Lake is a city in Sherburne County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 11,686 at the 2020 census. Facts
In 2019 it was named the safest city to live in, and thsecond safest city in 2021with the lowest property crime rate in the sta ...
with her husband,
Ralph Kiffmeyer, a
nurse anesthetist
A nurse anesthetist is an advanced practice nurse who administers anesthesia for surgery or other medical procedures. They are involved in the administration of anesthesia in a majority of countries, with varying levels of autonomy.
A survey pu ...
who served one term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. They have four children and 14 grandchildren.
References
External links
Second Inaugural Address (Delivered in Saint Paul, January 6, 2003)AU, Allies 'Let Freedom Ring' On National Day Of Prayer(Online source for 2004 National Day of Prayer quotation)
Voting Rights Project-ACLU v. KiffmeyerMinnesota Secretary of State Legislative Auditor Report for 2005 and 2006*
Senator Mary Kiffmeyer''official Minnesota Senate website''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiffmeyer, Mary
1946 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Living people
Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
People from Pierz, Minnesota
People from Rugby, North Dakota
People from Sherburne County, Minnesota
Secretaries of State of Minnesota
Women state legislators in Minnesota