Mary Kiffmeyer

Mary Kiffmeyer
Mary Kiffmeyer
Minnesota State Representative from District 16B
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 4, 2009
Preceded by Mark D. Olson
20th Minnesota Secretary of State
In office
January 4, 1999 – January 2, 2007
Preceded by Joan Growe
Succeeded by Mark Ritchie
Personal details
Born December 29, 1946
Rugby, North Dakota
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Ralph Kiffmeyer
Profession Banker

Mary Kiffmeyer (born December 29, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 20th Minnesota Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007. She was subsequently elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2008, and currently represents District 16B.[1]

Contents

Overview of government service

A Republican, 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. In 2008, she ran for and was elected to represent District 16B in the Minnesota House. She was re-elected in 2010.[2][3] The district includes portions of Sherburne County just northwest of the Twin Cities metro area.[4]

Minnesota Secretary of State

While Kiffmeyer was secretary of state, Minnesotans led the nation in voter turnout, in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006. In 2004, Minnesota had 77.7% voter turnout, the highest in the state since 1960. She transformed a state website allowing users to register to vote, find and get directions to their local precincts, and see who their local candidates are in the upcoming election.[citation needed]

Beginning in 2003, Minnesota law allowed Native American tribal ID cards to be used by members of tribes living on reservations for election-day registration, but not members living off reservations. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint, ACLU v. Kiffmeyer, on behalf of urban members of Native American bands and the National Congress of American Indians. Judge James Rosenbaum issued a temporary restraining order in October 2004 which sided with the plaintiffs. The case was settled in favor of the plaintiffs in September 2005. The Minnesota Legislature subsequently amended election law to recognize this ruling.[citation needed]

Kiffmeyer told the attendees at a 2004 National Day of Prayer event in Minnesota that the "five words" that are "probably most destructive" in America today are "separation of church and state". Kiffmeyer later said, "It's not the words that are destructive, it's the way they are interpreted. There are a lot of good church people who don't think they can be involved in government."[citation needed]

On election day 2006, Kiffmeyer supported a decision by local election judges to not allow some University of Minnesota students that lived near the campus to register to vote because they had inadequate proof of residence. A Hennepin County judge overruled this decision the same day, but it was unclear how many of the students returned to the polls.[5]

Kiffmeyer testified in front of a congressional committee on the importance of paper ballots in upcoming elections and stressed the importance of a "paper trail" while voting technology is moving ahead.[citation needed]

After Kiffmeyer left office, a routine Legislative audit was conducted on the Secretary of State's office for 2005 and 2006.[6] This audit concluded that the office hired 16 employees at a pay rate that exceeded their collective bargaining agreement without obtaining approval from the Department of Employee Relations, resulting in total overpayment to employees of over $190,000. The explanation given in the audit was because the office mistakenly believed it retained this delegated authority. There were also instances where her mileage reimbursement was calculated from her home near Big Lake instead of from her Saint Paul office, with a lack of a clear "public purpose" explanation for some of her travels.[7]

Personal background and information

The oldest of 14 children, Kiffmeyer was raised in Pierz, Minnesota. She lives near Big Lake, Minnesota with her husband, Ralph Kiffmeyer, a nurse anesthetist who served one term in the Minnesota House. They have four children and 14 grandchildren.[8]

Kiffmeyer served on the Board of Directors of Riverview Community Bank,[9] a "Christ-centered" savings and loan.[10] The Minnesota Department of Commerce closed the Riverview Community Bank on October 23, 2009.[11]

Electoral history

  • 2010 Race for Minnesota State House – District 16B[12]
    • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 70.37%
    • Tom Heyd (Democrat), 29.54%
    • Write-In, 0.10%
  • 2008 Race for Minnesota State House – District 16B[2]
    • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 64%
    • Steve Andrews (Democrat), 36%
  • 2006 Race for Minnesota Secretary of State
    • Mark Ritchie (Democrat), 49.09%
    • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 44.16%
    • Bruce Kennedy (Independent), 3.67%
    • Joel Spoonheim (Independent), 3.02%
  • 2002 Race for Minnesota Secretary of State
    • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican) (incumbent), 48%
    • Buck Humphrey (DFL), 45%
  • 1998 Race for Minnesota Secretary of State
    • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 47%
    • Edwina Garcia (DFL), 41%
    • Alan Shilepsky (Reform), 10%

Records

Correspondence and subject files documenting the activities of Mary Kiffmeyer as Minnesota Secretary of State (1999–2007) are available for research use. Topics covered include ballots, digital signatures, electoral college, voter registration, election judges, and military absentee voting. There are also photographs of various award presentations, meetings, and events attended by Kiffmeyer.[13]

References

  1. ^ Mary Kiffmeyer at Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
  2. ^ a b 2008 Election Results: Minnesota House Minneapolis Star Tribune, November 5, 2008.
  3. ^ http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20101102/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&R=ALL&LD=16B
  4. ^ Mary Kiffmeyer at Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
  5. ^ "Melrose residents unable to vote Tuesday". Minnesota Daily. November 9, 2006. http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/11/09/69813. 
  6. ^ "Minnesota Secretary of State Legislative Auditor Report for 2005 and 2006". Office of the Legislative Auditor. July 13, 2007. http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/fad/pdf/fad0716.pdf. 
  7. ^ Von Sternberg, Bob "Kiffmeyer overpaid herself and her staff, audit finds" Star Tribune, July 13, 2007 [1] [2]
  8. ^ Mary Kiffmeyer at Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
  9. ^ Beal, Dave "Riverview Community Bank near Elk River, Minn., has faith in business", Pioneer Press, November 11, 2004 [3]
  10. ^ Shorto, Russell "With God at Our Desks" New York Times Magazine, October 31, 2004
  11. ^ "Regulators close bank in Otsego" Minnesota Public Radio October 24, 2009 [4]
  12. ^ Minnesota Secretary of State Election Results: November 2, 2010
  13. ^ [5]

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Joan Growe
Secretary of State of Minnesota
1999–2007
Succeeded by
Mark Ritchie
Minnesota House of Representatives
Preceded by
Mark D. Olson
State Representative – District 16B
2009 -
Succeeded by
Incumbent

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