Mary Kiffmeyer
| Mary Kiffmeyer | |
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| Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 30th district |
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Assumed office January 8, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | redrawn district |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 16B district |
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In office January 6, 2009 – January 7, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Olson |
| Succeeded by | district redrawn |
| 20th Minnesota Secretary of State | |
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In office January 4, 1999 – January 1, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Joan Growe |
| Succeeded by | Mark Ritchie |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 29, 1946 Rugby, North Dakota |
| Political party | Republican Party of Minnesota |
| Spouse(s) | Ralph Kiffmeyer |
| Residence | Big Lake, Minnesota |
| Occupation | registered nurse, consultant, legislator |
| Religion | Christian |
Mary Kiffmeyer (born December 29, 1946) is a Minnesota politician. She served as Minnesota Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007 and now serves in the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, she represents District 30, which includes parts of Hennepin, Sherburne, and Wright counties.
The oldest of 14 children, Kiffmeyer was raised in Pierz, Minnesota.
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.
With Kiffmeyer's support and through legislation supported by Native American lobbyists and both democrats and republicans, beginning in 2003 and signed into law by the Governor, 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.
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