Kurt Bills | |
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Member of the MinnesotaHouseofRepresentatives from the 37B district | |
In office January 4, 2011 –January 7, 2013 | |
Preceded by | Phil Sterner |
Succeeded by | Nolan West |
Personal details | |
Born | Sauk Prairie,Wisconsin,U.S. | January 8,1970
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Cindy Bills |
Children | 4 |
Education | Winona State University (BA,MA) |
Kurt P. Bills (born January 8,1970) is an American educator and former politician. He has taught and coached high school since 1994. He served on the Rosemount City Council from 2008 to 2010. He then served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2012. He was the Republican nominee for United States Senate in Minnesota in 2012,losing in a landslide to Democratic incumbent Amy Klobuchar. [1]
Bills attended Winona State University earning a B.S. in secondary social studies education,B.A. in US history,and M.A. in education.
Since 1996,Bills has worked as a secondary social studies teacher at Rosemount High School,teaching courses in Microeconomics,Macroeconomics [2] and American Government &Politics.[ citation needed ] He is also the former head coach of the wrestling team. [3]
In 2008,Bills was elected to the Rosemount City Council from a field of 26 candidates. [4]
Bills cited his students for his reason to enter the political arena. In Bills words:"In 2007,when studying fiscal policy,national debt,deficits,and entitlements,a student asked why solutions are not sought if we know that we have structural problems. I explained how politicians make self-interested choices just like the rest of us. After a short discussion about party structure,media and election cycle politics,one of my more politically active students,in a mixture of depression,anger and frustration asked,'Mr. Bills,what are we supposed to do about this?'" [5]
Bills ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2010 in District 37B. He defeated incumbent Democratic State Representative Phil Sterner,58%–42%. [6]
Bills's district included Rosemount and parts of Apple Valley,in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area. [7]
Bills was a chief author of bills supporting scholarships for early high school graduation;reduction of pay for legislators if the budget were not balanced by the end of the legislative session;and making gold and silver legal tender in Minnesota. [8]
On May 21,2011,Bills joined the House Republican Majority in voting for a constitutional amendment to constitutionally ban marriage for same-sex couples. [9] He was also among those legislators during the July 2011 Minnesota government shutdown who declined their pay. [10]
In March 2012, Bills announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Amy Klobuchar. [12] He was endorsed by GOP presidential contender Ron Paul, [13] U.S. Senator Rand Paul and Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers. [14]
At the state Republican convention in May 2012, Bills received the Senate endorsement on the second ballot. [15] He won the Republican primary on August 14, 2012.
Klobuchar defeated Bills in the general election on November 6, 2012. Bills carried only two counties (Rock County and Pipestone County) while Klobuchar swept the rest of the state, winning with 65% of the vote. [16]
In March 2013, Forbes.com added Bills as a contributor to its website. [17]
In July 2013, H&H Partners Consulting Corporation named Bills to its board of directors as Executive Chairman and a Senior Advisor. [18]
Bills and his wife, Cindy, own a licensed home daycare that she operates. They reside in Rosemount with their four children. [19]
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Phillip M. Sterner is a Minnesota politician, DFL Party member and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represented State Senate District 37B, which included portions of Dakota County in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area.
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The 2012 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives as well as various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar faced Republican State Representative Kurt Bills. Klobuchar was reelected in a landslide, defeating Bills by almost one million votes and carrying all but two of the state's 87 counties by double digits. This election marked the first time since 1996 that an incumbent Democratic senator was re-elected and the first time since 1976 that an incumbent Democratic senator was re-elected to this seat.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the eight U.S. representatives from the state of Minnesota. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate. Primary elections were held on August 14, 2012.
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The 2014 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Minnesota, concurrently with the election of the Governor of Minnesota, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
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The 2014 Minnesota House of Representatives election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 4, 2014, to elect members to the House of Representatives of the 89th Minnesota Legislature. A primary election was held in several districts on August 12, 2014.
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The 2018 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 6, to elect the 41st Governor of Minnesota as incumbent Democratic governor Mark Dayton chose not to run for re-election for a third term. The Democratic nominee was congressman Tim Walz from Minnesota's 1st congressional district while the Republicans nominated Hennepin County commissioner Jeff Johnson. The Independence Party of Minnesota didn't field a candidate for the first time since 1994. Going into the election the polls showed Walz ahead and the race was characterized as lean or likely DFL.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a United States Senator from Minnesota. Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar was reelected in a landslide, defeating Republican state House of Representatives member Jim Newberger. This election was held alongside a special election for Minnesota's other Senate seat, which was held by Al Franken until he resigned in January 2018. U.S. House elections, a gubernatorial election, State House elections, and other elections were also held.
The 2018 United States Senate special election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a United States senator from Minnesota to replace incumbent Democratic senator Al Franken until the regular expiration of the term on January 3, 2021. Facing multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, Franken announced on December 7, 2017, that he would resign effective January 2, 2018. Governor Mark Dayton appointed Franken's successor, Tina Smith, on December 13, 2017, and she ran in the special election. This election coincided with a regularly scheduled U.S. Senate election for the Class 1 Senate seat, U.S. House elections, a gubernatorial election, State House elections, and other elections.
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"If you want to write a diatribe against me, I completely understand and it's probably well deserved," Bills joked with his students as he urged them to fill out an evaluation of the year's lessons in micro and macroeconomics. He also asked them what he could improve on next year -- just in case he's not on his way to Washington.
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has generic name (help)Bills and his wife, Cindy, have four children (Kyla, Cassandra, Hayden, and Olivia) and live in Rosemount, a suburb south St. Paul. They own a licensed home day care that she runs.