Judi Dutcher
Encyclopedia
Judith H. Dutcher is an attorney and former politician who served as the Minnesota State Auditor
from 1995 – 2003 as both a Republican
and Democrat
(DFL). She was the first woman to serve as Minnesota State Auditor.
Judi Dutcher was born in Michigan
on November 27, 1962. Her father, Jim Dutcher
, was the head basketball coach of the University of Minnesota
from the mid 1970s to mid 1980s. She received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1984, and her Law Degree from the Law School
in 1987. She currently lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota
, with her husband and two sons.
After practicing as a prosecutor in the Twin Cities for several years, then-Governor
Arne Carlson
, approached her about running for state auditor as a member of the then Independent Republican Party
in 1994 (the state Republican party was known as the Independent Republican Party from November 1975 to September 1995). Dutcher had previously not been a member of either party.
However, she accepted, and ran in the Arne Carlson mold of a centrist Republican; liberal on social issues
, and conservative on fiscal issues. She won the Republican Party nomination for Auditor, and in November 1994, became the first pregnant woman ever elected to statewide office in the United States.
Dutcher was reelected in 1998 as a Republican, receiving more votes than any other candidate for constitutional office in Minnesota
that year. In January 2000, she announced that she was switching to the DFL party, saying that she felt uncomfortable as a pro-choice
on abortion, pro-gay rights woman in the Republican Party. She was given a speaking slot at the 2000 Democratic National Convention
in Los Angeles, and supported Vice President Al Gore
and Senator
Joe Lieberman
.
In 2001, Dutcher announced that she was creating an exploratory committee
to run for Governor of Minnesota
. She entered the race in early 2002, with State Senator Becky Lourey
as her main opponent for the DFL endorsement. State Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe
entered the race a few months later, setting up a three-way-fight for the DFL endorsement. At the convention, Lourey dropped out after the second round of balloting and endorsed Dutcher. However, Dutcher did not have the support of 60% of the delegates needed for the endorsement, and Roger Moe had the momentum after several more rounds of balloting. Dutcher withdrew her bid for governor, and endorsed Moe. Dutcher decided not to seek reelection to the auditors office, and rejected calls from the Independence Party of Minnesota
to run under their banner. Dutcher's term as auditor expired in January 2003. Roger Moe lost the governor's race to Tim Pawlenty
in November, and Republican Patricia Anderson Awada
won the State Auditor's office.
Currently, Dutcher is the Director of the Bentson Foundation. It is a Tax-Exempt Charitable Corporation started in 1956 by Larry and Nancy Bentson.
Mike Hatch
would choose her as his running mate for Lieutenant Governor
after she strongly endorsed him and spoke on his behalf at the 2006 DFL state convention. Perhaps not surprisingly, Hatch named her as his running mate on June 25, 2006.
In the final stage of the campaign, Dutcher made headlines for a political gaffe in which she responded to then KSAX-TV reporter Corey Poppe's question on E85
ethanol by saying "What's E85?" Hatch attributed part of his loss to that remark, noting that he lost heavily in southern Minnesota counties where E85 production facilities are located. However, Hatch later regretted the comment attributing the loss to the E85 comment, and he took responsibility for the loss. The Star Tribune and WCCO TV made separate analyses of the comment, and found that it had little impact on the race. However, the gaffe did lead to Hatch calling a reporter a "Republican whore" a few days later, which dominated the news cycle leading up to the election.
Minnesota State Auditor
The Minnesota State Auditor is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. State of Minnesota. The State Auditor is charged with overseeing more than $20 billion spent annually by local governments in Minnesota...
from 1995 – 2003 as both a Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
and Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
(DFL). She was the first woman to serve as Minnesota State Auditor.
Judi Dutcher was born in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on November 27, 1962. Her father, Jim Dutcher
Jim Dutcher (basketball coach)
Jim Dutcher is a former head basketball coach at the University of Minnesota.Dutcher took over the Gophers program in 1975 following the departure of Bill Musselman, previously having been a head coach at Eastern Michigan University and an assistant coach at the University of Michigan under Johnny...
, was the head basketball coach of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
from the mid 1970s to mid 1980s. She received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1984, and her Law Degree from the Law School
University of Minnesota Law School
The University of Minnesota Law School, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is a professional school of the University of Minnesota. The school offers a Juris Doctor , Masters of Law for Foreign Lawyers, and joint degrees with J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.P.A, J.D./M.A., J.D./M.S., J.D./Ph.D.,...
in 1987. She currently lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, with her husband and two sons.
After practicing as a prosecutor in the Twin Cities for several years, then-Governor
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
Arne Carlson
Arne Carlson
Arne Helge Carlson, Sr. is an American politician and the 37th Governor of the state of Minnesota.-Early years, education and family:...
, approached her about running for state auditor as a member of the then Independent Republican Party
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
in 1994 (the state Republican party was known as the Independent Republican Party from November 1975 to September 1995). Dutcher had previously not been a member of either party.
However, she accepted, and ran in the Arne Carlson mold of a centrist Republican; liberal on social issues
Social issues
Social issues are controversial issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues...
, and conservative on fiscal issues. She won the Republican Party nomination for Auditor, and in November 1994, became the first pregnant woman ever elected to statewide office in the United States.
Dutcher was reelected in 1998 as a Republican, receiving more votes than any other candidate for constitutional office in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
that year. In January 2000, she announced that she was switching to the DFL party, saying that she felt uncomfortable as a pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
on abortion, pro-gay rights woman in the Republican Party. She was given a speaking slot at the 2000 Democratic National Convention
2000 Democratic National Convention
The 2000 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention for the Democratic Party. The convention nominated Vice President Al Gore as its candidate for President and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as its candidate for Vice President. The convention was held at...
in Los Angeles, and supported Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
.
In 2001, Dutcher announced that she was creating an exploratory committee
Exploratory Committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to United States Presidential hopefuls, prior to the primaries.Exploratory...
to run for Governor of Minnesota
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
. She entered the race in early 2002, with State Senator Becky Lourey
Becky Lourey
Becky Lourey is an American politician, a former Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party state senator and state representative, and a former Minnesota gubernatorial candidate. Her son, Matt, served in the U.S...
as her main opponent for the DFL endorsement. State Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe
Roger Moe
Roger Moe is an American politician and a former member and majority leader of the Minnesota Senate. He was also the state Democratic Party's endorsed candidate for governor in 2002.-Education and early career:...
entered the race a few months later, setting up a three-way-fight for the DFL endorsement. At the convention, Lourey dropped out after the second round of balloting and endorsed Dutcher. However, Dutcher did not have the support of 60% of the delegates needed for the endorsement, and Roger Moe had the momentum after several more rounds of balloting. Dutcher withdrew her bid for governor, and endorsed Moe. Dutcher decided not to seek reelection to the auditors office, and rejected calls from the Independence Party of Minnesota
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
to run under their banner. Dutcher's term as auditor expired in January 2003. Roger Moe lost the governor's race to Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
in November, and Republican Patricia Anderson Awada
Patricia Anderson
Patricia "Pat" Anderson is a Minnesota politician and current national committeewoman for Minnesota to the Republican National Committee. She served as the 17th State Auditor of Minnesota, from 2003 to 2007. Prior to this, she was mayor of Eagan, Minnesota for four years after serving as a city...
won the State Auditor's office.
Currently, Dutcher is the Director of the Bentson Foundation. It is a Tax-Exempt Charitable Corporation started in 1956 by Larry and Nancy Bentson.
2006 campaign for Lieutenant Governor
Dutcher had disclaimed interest in running for office again, but had created speculation that Minnesota Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Mike Hatch
Mike Hatch
Michael Allen Hatch is an American politician, and was Attorney General of Minnesota from 1999 to 2007. In 2006, he was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee for governor of Minnesota...
would choose her as his running mate for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
after she strongly endorsed him and spoke on his behalf at the 2006 DFL state convention. Perhaps not surprisingly, Hatch named her as his running mate on June 25, 2006.
In the final stage of the campaign, Dutcher made headlines for a political gaffe in which she responded to then KSAX-TV reporter Corey Poppe's question on E85
E85
E85 is an abbreviation for an ethanol fuel blend of up to 85% denatured ethanol fuel and gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. E85 is commonly used by flex-fuel vehicles in the US, Canada, and Europe. Some of the benefits of E85 over conventional gasoline powered vehicles include the potential...
ethanol by saying "What's E85?" Hatch attributed part of his loss to that remark, noting that he lost heavily in southern Minnesota counties where E85 production facilities are located. However, Hatch later regretted the comment attributing the loss to the E85 comment, and he took responsibility for the loss. The Star Tribune and WCCO TV made separate analyses of the comment, and found that it had little impact on the race. However, the gaffe did lead to Hatch calling a reporter a "Republican whore" a few days later, which dominated the news cycle leading up to the election.
Electoral history
- 2006 campaign for Governor/Lt. Governor – General Election
- Tim PawlentyTim PawlentyTimothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
/Carol MolnauCarol MolnauCarol Molnau was the 46th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. She formerly served as head of the Minnesota Department of Transportation...
(R), 47% - Mike HatchMike HatchMichael Allen Hatch is an American politician, and was Attorney General of Minnesota from 1999 to 2007. In 2006, he was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee for governor of Minnesota...
/Judi Dutcher (DFL), 46% - Peter HutchinsonPeter HutchinsonPeter Hutchinson is an American politician, businessman and philanthropy executive from the U.S. state of Minnesota. He ran as the Independence Party of Minnesota candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2006....
/Maureen ReedMaureen ReedMaureen Reed is a medical doctor who announced that she would run as a Democrat in the sixth congressional district of Minnesota, USA, but withdrew...
(I), 6%
- Tim Pawlenty
- 1998 campaign for State Auditor
- Judi Dutcher, (R), 968,132 votes (49.06%)
- Nancy A. Larson, (DFL), 812,892 votes (41.20%)
- Patricia G.V. Becker, (USTP), 116,578 votes (5.91%)
- Bob Odden, (L), 40,228 votes (2.04%)
- Joseph G. Peschek, (PM), 33,507 votes, (1.7%)
- 1994 campaign for State Auditor
- Judi Dutcher, (R), 836,626 votes (49.62%)
- Donald M. Moe, (DFL), 768630 votes (45.59%)
- Steven Anderson, (GRTS), 80,811 votes (4.79%)
- 1994 campaign for State Auditor – Republican Primary
- Judi Dutcher, 100,908 votes (28.07%)
- David A. P. Anderson, 77,265 votes (21.49%)
- Don Koenig, 69,571 votes (19.35%)
- James J. Wagner, 61,809 votes, (17.19%)
- Nick Tretinyak, Jr., 25,414 votes, (7.07%)
- Jual Carlos Carlson, 24,539 votes (6.83%)
External links
- http://www.mncommunityfoundation.org/
- http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/campaign2002/governor/dutcher.shtml
- http://www.osa.state.mn.us/
- http://ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=38590
- http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=126817
- http://www.startribune.com/587/story/784334.html
- http://www.bentsonfoundation.org