Sarah Steelman
Encyclopedia
Sarah Steelman is an American politician from Missouri
, serving as State Treasurer
from 2005 to 2009. She did not run for re-election as State Treasurer in 2008, having run for Governor, and was succeeded in office by Democrat Clint Zweifel on January 12, 2009. She was cited by the New York Times to be among the seventeen women most likely to become the first female President of the United States
. On November 29, 2010, Steelman announced she will run for the U.S. Senate
in 2012.
, former Republican Leader in the Missouri House. Her father, John Hearne, is a senior partner in the Jefferson City law firm of Hearne and Green. Her father-in-law is the late Dorman Steelman, a former chairman of the Missouri Republican Party
.
She attended Jefferson City public schools before attending University of Missouri
, from where she holds a Bachelor of Arts
degree in History and a Master of Arts
degree in Economics. Prior to her election in 1998, Steelman served as deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
. She also worked as an economist for the Missouri Department of Revenue
and as an adjunct professor of Economics at Lincoln University of Missouri in Jefferson City.
. However in 1998, Steelman defeated Lybyer by a 58% to 42% margin.. Steelman represented Callaway
, Osage
, Gasconade
, Maries, Phelps
, Crawford
, Texas
, and Dent
counties. In 2002, she won re-election with 71% of the vote.
Steelman endorsed John McCain
for president in 2000, and briefly considered running for the U.S. Senate in November 2002 against Senator Jean Carnahan
, but instead she opted to run for re-election to her seat in the state Senate.
, businessman Tom Klein, State Senator Anita Yeckel, Chaplain Al Hanson, businessman Will Pundmann, and former State Representative Chet Boeke. In the general election, she defeated Democrat Mark Powell
, Mayor of Arnold, Missouri
, with 51% of the vote. She became the second woman elected to that post, succeeding Nancy Farmer
.
Although several leaders in the Missouri Republican Party
(including former Governor Matt Blunt
, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder
, former House Speaker Rod Jetton
, and former U.S. Senator Jim Talent
) had indicated their support for Mitt Romney
in 2008, Steelman reportedly was "leaning toward McCain again in 2008."
Steelman was the first major convert to "Divest Terror", a Terror-free investing
strategy of the Center for Security Policy
that enjoys some national following. As Steelman implements it, the program invests in funds that divest assets in North Korea
, Iran
, Syria
, and Sudan
. In her capacity as an ex-officio board member of a pension system
for Missouri government workers, she requested similar divestments from countries on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. However, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Steelman's personal investments failed to comply with this policy.
announced he would not seek reelection later that same afternoon. Following Blunt's announcement, Steelman announced she would run for Governor.
Steelman ran against Republicans Kenny Hulshof
, Scott Long and Jen Sievers, losing to Hulshof's 194,616 votes with her 176,847. Had she won the primary and won in the general election, she would have been Missouri's first female governor.
Steelman taught one class titled "Leadership and Changing Public Policy" in the Fall semester of 2009 at Missouri State University
, who is running for her second term. Steelman will face U.S. 2nd district Congressman Todd Akin
in the August 2012 primary. Akin officially declared his candidacy May 17, 2011. St. Louis
businessman John Brunner is also seen as a likely opponent in the primary, but has yet to officially file to run.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, serving as State Treasurer
State Treasurer of Missouri
The State Treasurer of Missouri is a statewide elected official responsible for serving as Missouri's chief financial officer. The current State Treasurer is Clint Zweifel.-Duties of the State Treasurer:...
from 2005 to 2009. She did not run for re-election as State Treasurer in 2008, having run for Governor, and was succeeded in office by Democrat Clint Zweifel on January 12, 2009. She was cited by the New York Times to be among the seventeen women most likely to become the first female President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. On November 29, 2010, Steelman announced she will run for the U.S. Senate
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...
in 2012.
Early life, education, and economics career
Sarah Steelman is the second wife of David SteelmanDavid Steelman
David Steelman is an American politician from the state of Missouri.David Steelman earned a B.A. in economics from the University of Missouri, and graduated first in his class from the University of Missouri Law School in 1978. He is the son of the late Dorman L...
, former Republican Leader in the Missouri House. Her father, John Hearne, is a senior partner in the Jefferson City law firm of Hearne and Green. Her father-in-law is the late Dorman Steelman, a former chairman of the Missouri Republican Party
Missouri Republican Party
The Missouri Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Missouri. The party Chairman is David Cole, an attorney from Cassville, Missouri who was elected in January 2009.-Current Republican officeholders:...
.
She attended Jefferson City public schools before attending University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, from where she holds a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in History and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in Economics. Prior to her election in 1998, Steelman served as deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources of the government of the U.S. state of Missouri consists of the Division of Environmental Quality, the Division of Geology and Land Survey, the Division of State Parks, the Environmental and Energy Resources Authority, and the Field Services Division....
. She also worked as an economist for the Missouri Department of Revenue
Missouri Department of Revenue
The Missouri Department of Revenue is a U.S. state government agency in Missouri created under the Missouri Constitution in 1945, which is responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of state and local government through the collection and distribution of state revenue, and administration of...
and as an adjunct professor of Economics at Lincoln University of Missouri in Jefferson City.
State Senate
In 1998, Steelman ran against incumbent Democratic State Senator Mike Lybyer, a popular incumbent who was running for a fifth term. In his previous re-election campaign in 1994, Lybyer defeated State Representative Merrill Townley with 55% of the vote, despite the national Republican wave that yearRepublican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
. However in 1998, Steelman defeated Lybyer by a 58% to 42% margin.. Steelman represented Callaway
Callaway County, Missouri
Callaway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 44,332. Its county seat is Fulton. The county was organized in 1820. It was named for Capt. James Callaway, a grandson of...
, Osage
Osage County, Missouri
Osage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. The county was named for the Osage River. As of 2000, the population was 13,062. Its county seat is Linn. The center of population of Missouri is located in Osage County, in the city of Westphalia .Osage County is part of the...
, Gasconade
Gasconade County, Missouri
Gasconade County is a county in the U.S. state of Missouri located on the south side of the Missouri River, which once served as the chief route of transportation in the state. Located in the area called the Missouri Rhineland, the county had a population of 15,342 as of the 2000 U.S. Census. A...
, Maries, Phelps
Phelps County, Missouri
Phelps County is a county located in south-central Missouri in the United States.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it includes the mean center of U.S. population in 2000. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 39,825. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 42,205....
, Crawford
Crawford County, Missouri
-State:In the Missouri House of Representatives, most of Crawford County is included within the 150th Legislative District and is currently represented by State Representative Jason T. Smith . In 2008, Smith defeated Democratic challenger James D. Ellis 69.97-30.03 percent; the Crawford County...
, Texas
Texas County, Missouri
Texas County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the county's population was 26,008. It's county seat is Houston. The county was organized in 1843 as Ashley County, changing its name in 1845 to Texas, after the Republic of Texas. The 2010 U.S...
, and Dent
Dent County, Missouri
Dent County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 14,927. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 15,119. The largest city and county seat is Salem...
counties. In 2002, she won re-election with 71% of the vote.
Steelman endorsed John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
for president in 2000, and briefly considered running for the U.S. Senate in November 2002 against Senator Jean Carnahan
Jean Carnahan
Jean Anne Carpenter Carnahan is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to 2002. A Democrat, she was appointed to the Senate to fill the seat of her posthumously elected husband, becoming the first woman to represent Missouri in the Senate.-Biography:Born...
, but instead she opted to run for re-election to her seat in the state Senate.
State Treasurer
In 2004, Steelman ran for Treasurer of Missouri. In the Republican primary, she won a plurality of vote (39%) and defeated U.S. Congressman Blaine LuetkemeyerBlaine Luetkemeyer
Blaine Luetkemeyer is the U. S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district contains most of Northeastern Missouri. As a result of the 2010 Census Missouri will lose a Congressional district effective 2013...
, businessman Tom Klein, State Senator Anita Yeckel, Chaplain Al Hanson, businessman Will Pundmann, and former State Representative Chet Boeke. In the general election, she defeated Democrat Mark Powell
Mark Powell
Mark Powell may refer to:* Mark Powell , British fashion designer* Mark Powell , American symphony and opera conductor* Mark Powell , American photographer* Mark Powell , Australian footballer...
, Mayor of Arnold, Missouri
Arnold, Missouri
Arnold is the largest city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was estimated to be 20,603 in 2008, slightly more than the 19,965 number reported in the 2000 census.-Geography:Arnold is located at...
, with 51% of the vote. She became the second woman elected to that post, succeeding Nancy Farmer
Nancy Farmer (politician)
For the author, see Nancy FarmerNancy Farmer is Missouri politician who was the 43rd State Treasurer of Missouri, serving from 2001 to 2005....
.
Although several leaders in the Missouri Republican Party
Missouri Republican Party
The Missouri Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Missouri. The party Chairman is David Cole, an attorney from Cassville, Missouri who was elected in January 2009.-Current Republican officeholders:...
(including former Governor Matt Blunt
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder
Peter Kinder
Peter D. Kinder is an American politician from the U.S. state of Missouri. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri in 2004 as Matt Blunt was elected Governor. Kinder was reelected in 2008 at the same time Jay Nixon was elected Governor. Kinder is a member of the Republican Party...
, former House Speaker Rod Jetton
Rod Jetton
Rod Jetton is a U.S. politician. He was a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives who has represented Missouri's 156th District from 2001 to 2009 and was Speaker of the Missouri House from 2005 to 2009.-Early life:Jetton was born in De Soto, Missouri, to Bill and Judy Jetton...
, and former U.S. Senator Jim Talent
Jim Talent
James Matthes "Jim" Talent is an American politician and former senator from Missouri. He is a Republican and resided in the St. Louis area while serving in elected office. He identifies with the conservative wing of the Republican party, being particularly outspoken on judicial appointments,...
) had indicated their support for Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
in 2008, Steelman reportedly was "leaning toward McCain again in 2008."
Steelman was the first major convert to "Divest Terror", a Terror-free investing
Terror-free investing
Terror-free investing describes an investment strategy which seeks to maximize financial return while assuring investors that the financial instruments in the portfolio are "terror-free"....
strategy of the Center for Security Policy
Center for Security Policy
The Center for Security Policy is a Washington, D.C. think tank that focuses on national security issues. The Center was founded in 1988 by Frank Gaffney, Jr....
that enjoys some national following. As Steelman implements it, the program invests in funds that divest assets in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. In her capacity as an ex-officio board member of a pension system
Retirement plans in the United States
A retirement plan is a financial arrangement designed to replace employment income upon retirement. These plans may be set up by employers, insurance companies, trade unions, the government, or other institutions. Congress has expressed a desire to encourage responsible retirement planning by...
for Missouri government workers, she requested similar divestments from countries on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. However, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Steelman's personal investments failed to comply with this policy.
2008 run for Governor
On the morning of January 22, 2008, Steelman announced that she would seek a second term as State Treasurer, but changed her mind when Governor Matt BluntMatt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
announced he would not seek reelection later that same afternoon. Following Blunt's announcement, Steelman announced she would run for Governor.
Steelman ran against Republicans Kenny Hulshof
Kenny Hulshof
Kenneth C. "Kenny" Hulshof is a politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, and represented in the United States House of Representatives. He was the unsuccessful nominee of the Republican Party for Governor of Missouri in the 2008 election.- Biography :...
, Scott Long and Jen Sievers, losing to Hulshof's 194,616 votes with her 176,847. Had she won the primary and won in the general election, she would have been Missouri's first female governor.
Steelman taught one class titled "Leadership and Changing Public Policy" in the Fall semester of 2009 at Missouri State University
Missouri State University
Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
2012 run for U.S. Senator
Steelman is the first Republican to file. The incumbent is Democrat Claire McCaskillClaire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
, who is running for her second term. Steelman will face U.S. 2nd district Congressman Todd Akin
Todd Akin
William Todd Akin is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes the western St. Louis suburbs of Ballwin, Kirkwood, Chesterfield, Wildwood, Town and Country, and Des Peres located along Interstate 270 in West County and the...
in the August 2012 primary. Akin officially declared his candidacy May 17, 2011. St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
businessman John Brunner is also seen as a likely opponent in the primary, but has yet to officially file to run.
External links
- Sarah Steelman for U.S. Senate 2012 – current campaign website
- Sarah Steelman for Governor archived campaign website
- Project Vote Smart - Sarah Steelman (MO) profile
- Follow the Money - Sarah Steelman