Mary Kiffmeyer
Mary Kiffmeyer | |
|---|---|
| 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 Pierz, Minnesota |
| Political party | Republican Party |
| Spouse | Ralph Kiffmeyer |
Mary Kiffmeyer (born December 29, 1946) is an American politician, served as the 20th Minnesota Secretary of State. She is a member of the Republican Party. First elected in November 1998, she was sworn into office on January 4, 1999, and re-elected in November 2002. She was defeated for re-election in November of 2006.
The oldest of fourteen children, Kiffmeyer was raised in Pierz, Minnesota. She is married to Ralph Kiffmeyer, a nurse anesthetist, who served one term in the Minnesota House. They have four children and 13 grandchildren.
Kiffmeyer told the attendees of 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." Later, when asked to clarify her remarks. Kiffmeyer replied, "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."
Until recently, 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 ACLU 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 that 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.
During Mary Kiffmeyer's term in office (1999-2006), Minnesotans continued to lead 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. Kiffmeyer 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.
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 overuled this decision the same day, but it was unclear how many of the students returned to the polls.[1]
Kiffmeyer testified in front of a congressional committee the importance of paper ballots in upcoming elections and stressed the importance of a "paper trail" while voting technology is moving ahead.
Financial irregularities reported
After she left office, a routine report on her office for 2005 and 2006 by the Legislative Auditor concluded that she overpaid herself and her staff by at least $190,000. The specific findings were:
- department employees who were hired at a pay rate that exceeded their collective bargaining agreement (without obtaining approval from the Department of Employee Relations).
- she paid herself mileage reimbursement starting from her home in Big Lake, Minnesota, instead of from her office.
- she charged travel expenses for trips without making clear the "public purpose" of this travel, as required by state law.[2]
So far, Kiffmeyer has declined to comment on the Auditors Report.
Electoral history
- 2006 Race for state Secretary of State
- Mark Ritchie (D), 49.09%
- Mary Kiffmeyer (R), 44.16%
- Bruce Kennedy (independent), 3.67%
- Joel Spoonheim (I), 3.02%
- 2002 Race for state Secretary of State
- Mary Kiffmeyer (R) (inc.), 48% and is documented by an external link
- Buck Humphrey (DFL), 45%
- 1998 Race for state Secretary of State
- Mary Kiffmeyer (R), 47%
- Edwina Garcia (DFL), 41%
- Alan Shilepsky (Reform), 10%
References
- ^ "Melrose residents unable to vote Tuesday". Minnesota Daily. 2006-11-09.
- ^ Von Sternberg, Bob "Kiffmeyer overpaid herself and her staff, audit finds" Star Tribune, July 13, 2007
External links
- Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
- Campaign Website
- 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. Kiffmeyer
- Minnesota Secretary of State Legislative Auditor Report for 2005 and 2006
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