Jeff Backer | |
---|---|
Member of the MinnesotaHouseofRepresentatives from the 9A district | |
Assumed office January 6, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Jay McNamar |
Personal details | |
Born | Browns Valley,Minnesota,U.S. | January 3,1967
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Judy |
Children | 1 |
Residence(s) | Browns Valley,Minnesota,U.S. |
Education | St. Cloud State University (BS) |
Occupation | |
Website | Government website Campaign website |
Jeff Backer Jr. (born January 3, 1967) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Backer represents District 9A in western Minnesota, which includes the city of Fergus Falls, Grant, Traverse, and Wilkin Counties, and parts of Otter Tail County. [1] [2]
Backer was Woodbury Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens' pick for lieutenant governor in the Republican primary for the 2018 Minnesota gubernatorial election; the pair withdrew from the race during the Republican party state convention. [3] [4]
Backer was born and raised in Browns Valley, Minnesota and graduated from Browns Valley High School. He attended St. Cloud State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and public administration. [1]
Backer has served as a volunteer EMT for Browns Valley Ambulance since 1995. Backer was a member of the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training from 2007 to 2010. [5] He served as a member of the Browns Valley School Board, and was elected to Browns Valley City Council in 2000. Backer was elected mayor in 2004 and served until 2010. [1] Backer was mayor during a major flood in 2007 in Browns Valley and sought federal and state disaster assistance, eventually receiving $2 million in flood relief fom the state legislature. [6] [7] Following the flood, Backer led efforts on a flood prevention and control project. [8] [9]
Backer was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2014 and has been reelected every two years since. He defeated one-term DFL incumbent Jay McNamar. [1] [10] Backer dubbed his opponent "Metro Jay" and attacked him for his votes on taxes, increasing the minimum wage, and to legalize protections for same-sex marriage. [11] [12] [13]
Backer serves as the minority lead for the Legacy Finance Committee, and also sits on the Health Finance and Policy and Human Services Policy Committees. [1]
Backer has opposed environmental protections and agricultural regulations, calling them "reckless" and "irresponsible". [14] He sponsored bills to limit the authority of Governor Mark Dayton's administration to make rules on farm fertilizers, and criticized Dayton's executive orders to protect pollinators. [15] [16] Backer advocated requiring departments get legislative approval before making new regulations and rules. [17] [18]
Backer opposed measures to raise the minimum wage in Minnesota. [19] He attacked Governor Dayton for his commitment to the Southwest light rail project. [20] Backer was a member of a task force to reform child protection laws, and supported a 2018 bill to extend funding for mental health care for children. [21] [22] He signed on to a letter calling on the University of Minnesota to stop participating in research on "aborted human fetal organs," and signed on to a letter calling on Attorney General Lori Swanson to investigate Planned Parenthood for allegedly selling fetal body parts. [23] [24] Backer praised a bill passed by the House in December 2020 providing aid to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. [25]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Backer | 1,777 | 55.55 | |
Republican | Nancy A. Taffe | 1,422 | 44.45 | |
Total votes | 3,199 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Backer | 8,725 | 51.85 | |||
Democratic (DFL) | Jay McNamar (incumbent) | 8,065 | 47.93 | |||
Write-in | 38 | 0.23 | ||||
Total votes | 16,828 | 100.0 | ||||
Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Backer (incumbent) | 13,021 | 60.46 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Jay McNamar | 8,498 | 39.46 | |
Write-in | 17 | 0.08 | ||
Total votes | 21,536 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Backer (incumbent) | 11,382 | 62.02 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Murray Smart | 6,959 | 37.92 | |
Write-in | 10 | 0.05 | ||
Total votes | 18,351 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Backer (incumbent) | 14,769 | 66.87 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Murray Smart | 7,299 | 33.05 | |
Write-in | 17 | 0.08 | ||
Total votes | 22,085 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Backer (incumbent) | 12,248 | 66.30 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Nancy Jost | 6,172 | 33.41 | |
Write-in | 54 | 0.29 | ||
Total votes | 18,474 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Backer lives in Browns Valley, Minnesota with his wife, and has one child. [1] Backer taught fifth and sixth grade release time at Browns Valley's Zion Lutheran Church, where he is an active member. He is a member of the Browns Valley Lions Club. [5]
Rick Hansen is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2005. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Hansen represents District 53B in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes the cities of South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Cottage Grove and St. Paul Park, and parts of Dakota and Washington Counties.
Frank Hornstein is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2003. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Hornstein represents District 61A, which includes parts of the city of Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Gregory Michael Davids is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2009, and from 1991 to 2006. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Davids represents District 26B in southeastern Minnesota, which includes the cities of La Crescent and Spring Valley, and parts of Fillmore, Houston, and Mower Counties.
Michael V. Nelson is an American politician and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represents District 38A, which includes the cities of Brooklyn Park and Osseo in Hennepin County in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Leon Michael Lillie is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2005. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Lillie represents District 44B in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Oakdale, North St. Paul, and Maplewood and parts of Ramsey and Washington Counties.
Paul H. Anderson is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2009. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Anderson represents District 12A in central Minnesota, which includes the cities of Morris and Benson and portions of Big Stone, Pope, Stearns, Stevens and Swift Counties.
Debra L. Kiel is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2011. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Kiel represents District 1B in northwest Minnesota, which includes the cities of Crookston and East Grand Forks and Norman, Polk, Clay and Red Lake Counties.
Joseph P. McDonald is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2011. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, McDonald represents District 29A northwest of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Delano and Rockford and parts of Wright, Meeker, and Hennepin Counties.
Ron Kresha is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2013. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Kresha represents District 10A in north-central Minnesota, which includes the city of Little Falls and parts of Aitkin, Crow Wing, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Morrison Counties.
Brian Johnson is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2013. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Johnson represents District 32A in eastern Minnesota, which includes the cities of Cambridge, Isanti, and North Branch, and parts of Chisago and Isanti Counties.
Peggy Bennett is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Bennett represents District 23A in southern Minnesota, which includes the city of Albert Lea and parts of Faribault, Freeborn, Steele and Waseca Counties.
Joshua Heintzeman is a Minnesotan politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Heintzeman represents District 6B, which includes the city of Brainerd and parts of Crow Wing County in central Minnesota.
Dave Baker is an American politician serving as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Baker represents District 16B in west-central Minnesota, which includes the city of Willmar and parts of Kandiyohi County.
James A. Nash is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Nash represents District 48A in the western Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Waconia, Victoria, and Chaska, and parts of Carver County.
Anne E. Neu Brindley is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2017. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Neu Brindley represents District 28B in east-central Minnesota, including the cities of Wyoming, Chisago, and North Branch, and parts of Chisago County.
Heather Edelson is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Edelson represents District 50A in the western Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes the city of Edina and parts of Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Hodan Hassan is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Hassan represents District 62A, which includes parts of Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Hassan served as an assistant majority leader of the House DFL caucus from 2019 to 2020.
Sydney Jordan is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2020. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Jordan represents District 60A, which includes parts of Minneapolis in Hennepin County.
Kaela Berg is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2021. A member of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Berg represents District 55B in the southern Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes the city of Burnsville and parts of Dakota County.
Bjorn Olson is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2021. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Olson represents District 22A in south-central Minnesota, including the city of Fairmont and parts of Blue Earth, Faribault, Martin, and Watonwan Counties.