# Mary Kiffmeyer *Republican Minnesota politician; Secretary of State (1999–2007) and state legislator* Mary Kiffmeyer (born December 29, 1946) is a [[Minnesota]] politician of the [[Republican Party of Minnesota]].[^1] She held the office of [[Minnesota Secretary of State]] from 1999 to 2007. She then sat in the [[Minnesota Legislature]], most recently for Senate District 30, which took in parts of Hennepin, Sherburne and Wright counties.[^1] The Minnesota Senate Republican caucus maintains a member page for her.[^2] Kiffmeyer won the secretary of state's office in 1998 and a second term in 2002. She lost to the DFL candidate [[Mark Ritchie (politician)|Mark Ritchie]] in 2006.[^1] She served two terms in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] for District 16B, elected in 2008 and 2010. She won the District 30 seat in the [[Minnesota Senate]] in 2012 and was president pro tempore of the Senate for two years.[^1] ## Early life Kiffmeyer grew up in Pierz, Minnesota, the first-born of 14 children.[^1] ## Minnesota Secretary of State Voters elected Kiffmeyer secretary of state in November 1998, and she took the oath of office on January 4, 1999.[^1] She won a second term in November 2002. In November 2006 she lost her bid for a third term to Mark Ritchie.[^1] Wikipedia's article states that Minnesota led the states in voter turnout in each of the eight years of her tenure, a ranking it attributes to Curtis Ganz of the Center for Democracy. It gives the state's 2004 turnout as 77.7%, which it describes as the state's highest since 1960.[^1] The same article credits her office with a rebuilt Secretary of State website. The site let users locate their precinct, get directions to it, and see the candidates on their ballot through a "My Ballot" feature.[^1] Wikipedia also states that during her tenure she "convinced the legislature to establish the Safe At Home Program". The program was for domestic-violence victims who sought to register to vote without disclosing their address.[^1] ## Minnesota Legislature Kiffmeyer won the District 16B seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2008 and held it in the 2010 election.[^1] She moved to the Minnesota Senate after winning the District 30 seat in 2012, and she was re-elected there in 2016 and 2020.[^1] For two years she was the Senate's president pro tempore.[^1] ## Electoral history Results as given in Wikipedia's article:[^1] - Minnesota Senate, District 30, 2020: Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican) 34,714 (67.3%); Diane Nguyen (DFL) 16,861 (32.7%); write-in 45 (0.1%). - Minnesota Senate, District 30, 2016: Kiffmeyer (Republican) 30,484 (71.7%); P.J. LaCroix (DFL) 11,979 (28.2%); write-in 49 (0.1%). - Minnesota Senate, District 30, 2012: Kiffmeyer (Republican) 25,205 (62.4%); Paul Perovich (DFL) 15,125 (37.5%); write-in 58 (0.1%). - Minnesota House of Representatives, District 16B, 2010: Kiffmeyer (Republican) 13,254 (70.4%); Tom Heyd (DFL) 5,563 (29.5%); write-in 18 (0.1%). - Minnesota House of Representatives, District 16B, 2008: Kiffmeyer (Republican) 15,863 (63.5%); Steve Andrews (DFL) 8,996 (36.0%); write-in 114 (0.5%). - Minnesota Secretary of State, 2006: Mark Ritchie (DFL) 1,049,432 (49.1%); Kiffmeyer (Republican) 943,989 (44.2%); Bruce Kennedy (For Independent Voters) 78,522 (3.7%); Joel Spoonheim (Independence) 64,489 (3.0%); write-in 1,211 (0.1%). - Minnesota Secretary of State, 2002: 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 1,253 (0.1%). - Minnesota Secretary of State, 1998: 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 1,742 (0.1%). ## Personal life Kiffmeyer and her husband, Ralph Kiffmeyer, make their home near [[Big Lake]], Minnesota. He is a nurse anesthetist who served a single term in the Minnesota House of Representatives.[^1] The couple has four children and 14 grandchildren.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Mary Kiffmeyer* (revision 1375470353, retrieved 25 October 2026) — birth date, early life, offices held, terms, Secretary of State tenure, legislative service, election results, and family details. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kiffmeyer [^2]: Minnesota Senate Republicans, *Mary Kiffmeyer* (undated caucus member page) — establishes the Senate Republican caucus's page for her; cited for identification only. https://www.mnsenaterepublicans.com/mary-kiffmeyer/