Mary Kiffmeyer
20th Secretary of State of Minnesota
In office January 4, 1999 – January 1, 2007
Governor	Jesse Ventura Tim Pawlenty
Preceded by	Joan Growe
Succeeded by	Mark Ritchie
President pro tempore of the Minnesota Senate
In office January 7, 2019 – January 5, 2021
Preceded by	Warren Limmer
Succeeded by	David Tomassoni
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 30th district
In office January 8, 2013 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Redistricted
Succeeded by	Redistricted
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 16B district
In office January 6, 2009 – January 7, 2013
Preceded by	Mark Olson
Succeeded by	Redistricted
Personal details
Born	(1946-12-29) December 29, 1946 (age 77) Rugby, North Dakota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ralph Kiffmeyer
Education	St. Gabriel's School of Nursing

Mary Kiffmeyer (born December 29, 1946) is an American politician. She served as Minnesota Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007 and went on to serves in the Minnesota legislature. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, she previously represented District 30, which included parts of Hennepin, Sherburne, and Wright counties.

Early life

The oldest of 14 children, Kiffmeyer was raised in Pierz, Minnesota.

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.^{[citation needed]}.

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 in 2008 and re-elected in 2010, representing District 16B. In 2012, she was elected to the Minnesota Senate, representing District 30.^[1] Kiffmeyer currently serves as the President Pro Tem of the Minnesota Senate.^[2]

Electoral history

• Minnesota Senate 30th district election, 2020
  • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 34714 (67.3%)
  • Diane Nguyen (DFL), 16861 (32.7%)
  • Write-in, 45 (0.1%)
• Minnesota Senate 30th district election, 2016
  • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 30484 (71.7%)
  • P.J. LaCroix (DFL), 11979 (28.2%)
  • Write-in, 49 (0.1%)
• Minnesota Senate 30th district election, 2012^[3]
  • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 25205 (62.4%)
  • Paul Perovich (DFL), 15125 (37.5%)
  • Write-in, 58 (0.1%)
• Minnesota House of Representatives 16B district election, 2010^[4]
  • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 13,254 (70.4%)
  • Tom Heyd (DFL), 5,563 (29.5%)
  • Write-in, 18 (0.1%)
• Minnesota House of Representatives 16B district election, 2008^[5]
  • Mary Kiffmeyer (Republican), 15,863 (63.5%)
  • Steve Andrews (DFL), 8,996 (36.0%)
  • Write-in, 114 (0.5%)
• Minnesota secretary of state election, 2006^[6]
  • 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, 1,211 (0.1%)
• Minnesota secretary of state election, 2002^[7]
  • 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, 1,253 (0.1%)
• Minnesota secretary of state election, 1998^[8]
  • 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, 1,742 (0.1%)

Personal life

Kiffmeyer lives near Big Lake, Minnesota with her husband, Ralph Kiffmeyer, a nurse anesthetist who served one term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. They have four children and 14 grandchildren.^[9]