Mae Schunk
Encyclopedia
Mae A. Schunk (born May 21, 1934, Greenwood, Wisconsin
) served as the 45th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. Elected on the same ticket as Jesse Ventura
in 1998, she became the first Reform Party
member elected as lieutenant governor of any state (The party later changed its name to the Independence Party of Minnesota).
Prior to her tenure as lieutenant governor, she was a teacher for 37 years. In his memoir, Ventura mentioned that he chose her to "balance out all the testosterone". During her term in office, she visited schools throughout the state and frequently read to students as part of her efforts to encourage literacy and appreciation for reading among young people.
In the 2000 presidential campaign, as polls showed Texas Governor George W. Bush
and U.S. Vice President Al Gore
tied in Minnesota within 2 weeks of Election Day, Schunk endorsed Gore at a rally held on Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis while Ventura committed himself to a third-party candidate, John Hagelin
.
In an interview with CNN, Ventura commented that Schunk had asked him before making the endorsement, and he consented to her decision.
Born to Croatian parents, Schunk lives with her husband of 42 years, William Schunk, in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
; they have a son, Benjamin Schunk.
Greenwood, Wisconsin
Greenwood is a city in Clark County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,079 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Greenwood is located at ....
) served as the 45th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. Elected on the same ticket as Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
in 1998, she became the first Reform Party
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...
member elected as lieutenant governor of any state (The party later changed its name to the Independence Party of Minnesota).
Prior to her tenure as lieutenant governor, she was a teacher for 37 years. In his memoir, Ventura mentioned that he chose her to "balance out all the testosterone". During her term in office, she visited schools throughout the state and frequently read to students as part of her efforts to encourage literacy and appreciation for reading among young people.
In the 2000 presidential campaign, as polls showed Texas Governor George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and U.S. 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....
tied in Minnesota within 2 weeks of Election Day, Schunk endorsed Gore at a rally held on Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis while Ventura committed himself to a third-party candidate, John Hagelin
John Hagelin
John Samuel Hagelin is an American particle physicist, three-time candidate of the Natural Law Party for President of the United States , and the director of the Transcendental Meditation movement for the US....
.
In an interview with CNN, Ventura commented that Schunk had asked him before making the endorsement, and he consented to her decision.
Born to Croatian parents, Schunk lives with her husband of 42 years, William Schunk, in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,751 people, 11,257 households, and 7,924 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,038.8 people per square mile . There were 11,457 housing units at an average density of 400.1 per square mile...
; they have a son, Benjamin Schunk.
Electoral history
- 1998 Race for Governor/Lieutenant Governor
- VenturaJesse VenturaJames George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
/Schunk (Ref.), 37% - ColemanNorm ColemanNorman Bertram Coleman, Jr. is an American attorney and politician. He was a United States senator from Minnesota from 2003 to 2009. Coleman was elected in 2002 and served in the 108th, 109th, and 110th Congresses. Before becoming a senator, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota, from 1994 to 2002...
/Olson (R), 34% - HumphreySkip HumphreyHubert Horatio "Skip" Humphrey III is a former Minnesota politician who served as attorney general of the state from 1983 to 1999. Prior to that, he was a state senator from 1973 to 1983...
/MoeRoger MoeRoger 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:...
(DFL), 28%
- Ventura