Steve Simon
| Steve Simon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 22nd Secretary of State of Minnesota | |
|
Assumed office January 5, 2015 | |
| Governor | Mark Dayton |
| Preceded by | Mark Ritchie |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 46B district 44A (2005–2013) | |
|
In office January 4, 2005 – January 6, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Rhodes |
| Succeeded by | Cheryl Youakim |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 12, 1969 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Leia Christoffer |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater |
Tufts University University of Minnesota, Twin Cities |
| Religion | Judaism |
Steve Simon (born December 12, 1969) is a Minnesota politician. He is the 22nd and current Minnesota Secretary of State. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he previously represented District 46B in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Early life, education, and career
Simon graduated from Hopkins High School in Hopkins, then went on to Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, receiving his B.A. in Political Science in 1992. He earned his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1996. He worked as an assistant attorney general for Minnesota attorneys general Hubert H. Humphrey III and Mike Hatch from 1996–2001, and has been an associate with the law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller, and Ciresi since 2001.[1][2]
Minnesota House of Representatives
Simon was first elected in 2004, and was re-elected in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012.
On Monday, May 2, 2011, Simon testified regarding and opposed a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Minnesota. His comments drew national attention: "How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around?"[3]
2014 Minnesota Secretary of State campaign
On August 6, 2013, Simon announced his candidacy in the 2014 Minnesota Secretary of State election.[4] He narrowly defeated Republican Dan Severson for the office.
Personal life
Steve Simon is married to Leia Christoffer Simon, and they have two children together. Active in his local community, Simon is a member of the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, the American Cancer Society, the local League of Women Voters, the St. Louis Park Community Education Advisory Council, and the Lenox Foundation, which raises funds for the St. Louis Park Senior Program. He is a member of Temple Israel, serves on the board of the Minnesota Chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council, and is an attorney.[1][2][5]
Electoral history
| Minnesota House of Representatives District 44A Election, 2004 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 11,643 | 55.55 |
| Republican | Jim Rhodes | 9,272 | 44.23 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 46 | 0.22 |
| Minnesota House of Representatives District 44A Election, 2006 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon (inc.) | 10,886 | 70.21 |
| Republican | Jason Van Buren | 4,590 | 29.60 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 29 | 0.19 |
| Minnesota House of Representatives District 44A Election, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon (inc.) | 14,394 | 68.54 |
| Republican | Tracy Leahy | 6,553 | 31.20 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 53 | 0.25 |
| Minnesota House of Representatives District 44A Election, 2010 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon (inc.) | 9,538 | 65.36 |
| Republican | Stephen Manderfeld | 5,031 | 34.48 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 24 | 0.16 |
| Minnesota House of Representatives District 46B Election, 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 14,956 | 69.98 |
| Republican | David Arvidson | 6,372 | 29.81 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 45 | 0.21 |
| Minnesota Secretary of State DFL Primary Election, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 65,634 | 42.67 |
| DFL | "Dick" Franson | 44,700 | 29.06 |
| DFL | Gregg Iverson | 43,478 | 28.27 |
| Minnesota Secretary of State Election, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 901,450 | 47.04 |
| Republican | Dan Severson | 879,022 | 45.87 |
| Independence | Bob Helland | 94,065 | 4.91 |
| Libertarian | Bob Odden | 40,729 | 2.13 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 1,134 | 0.06 |
References
- 1 2 "Simon, Steve". Legislators Past & Present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- 1 2 "Representative Steve Simon's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ↑ Goodwin, Liz (May 4, 2011). "Minnesota lawmaker's gay marriage defense goes viral". Yahoo! News. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ↑ Scheck, Tom (August 6, 2013). "Democrat Simon says he's running for secretary of state". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ↑ "About Steve Simon". Citizens for Simon. Archived from the original on December 8, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
External links
- Steve Simon at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
- Rep. Steve Simon official Minnesota House of Representatives website
- Steve Simon official Minnesota House of Representatives campaign website
- Steve Simon for Secretary of State official Minnesota Secretary of State campaign website
- Project Votesmart - Rep. Steve Simon Profile
- Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Rep. Steve Simon
| Minnesota House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim Rhodes |
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 46B district 44A: 2005–2013 2005–2015 |
Succeeded by Cheryl Youakim |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Mark Ritchie |
Secretary of State of Minnesota 2015–present |
Incumbent |
 | ||