Peggy Bennett | |
---|---|
Member of the MinnesotaHouseofRepresentatives from the 23A district | |
Assumed office January 6, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Shannon Savick |
Personal details | |
Born | White Bear Lake,Minnesota | July 3,1958
Political party | Republican |
Residence | Albert Lea,Minnesota |
Education | Crown College (B.A.) St. Cloud State University M.A.) |
Occupation | |
Website | Government website Campaign website |
Peggy Bennett (born July 3, 1958) 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. [1] [2]
Bennett grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. She graduated from Mound Westonka High School in Mound, Minnesota; from Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, with a Bachelor of Arts in education; and from St. Cloud State University in 1981 with a Master of Arts in special education. [1] [3]
Prior to her entry into politics, Bennett was a first-grade public school teacher in Albert Lea for 33 years. [4] [5]
Bennett was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2014, and has been reelected every two years since. She defeated one-term DFL incumbent Shannon Savick, [1] criticizing Savic and Democrats for raising taxes. [4] During the 2016 Republican Presidential Primary, Bennett joined two dozen state lawmakers in endorsing Florida Senator Marco Rubio. [6]
Bennett is the minority lead on the Education Policy Committee and serves on the Education Finance and Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committees. From 2015-16, Bennett served as vice chair of the Education Innovation Policy Committee. She was an assistant minority leader from 2019 to 2022. [1]
Bennett has called for more local control in education decisions. [7] She opposed efforts to provide free meals to all school children, regardless of family income, calling it a "shotgun approach". [8] [9] She supported a bill that would speed up the licensing process for substitute teachers in response to workforce shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that DFL proposals didn't go far enough. [10] Bennett has spoken against bills to increase recruitment of teachers of color. [11]
In 2018, Bennett authored legislation that passed unanimously creating a "sibling bill of rights" to help children in the foster care system avoid being separated from their siblings. [12] She supported legislation increasing penalties on distracted driving and on protestors that block freeways. [13] [14] Bennett has been in contact and worked directly with an anti-LGBTQ group in Minnesota, the "Child Protection League." [15] [16] [17] She has opposed proposals to raise the gas tax to pay for roads and bridges improvements. [18] Bennett stated she carries a handgun while at the State Capitol. [19]
Bennett led House Republican opposition of the Mayo Clinic for its vaccine mandate policy for employees, calling for a halt in state funding for health care facilities that fire employees "due to unrealistic vaccine mandate policies". [20] [21] [22]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Peggy Bennett | 8,155 | 53.04 | |||
Democratic (DFL) | Shannon Savick (incumbent) | 6,139 | 39.93 | |||
Independence | Thomas Keith Price | 1,066 | 6.93 | |||
Write-in | 14 | 0.09 | ||||
Total votes | 15,374 | 100.0 | ||||
Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Peggy Bennett (incumbent) | 12,329 | 61.71 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Gary Schindler | 7,633 | 38.21 | |
Write-in | 17 | 0.09 | ||
Total votes | 19,979 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Peggy Bennett (incumbent) | 9,957 | 56.52 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Terry Gjersvik | 7,651 | 43.43 | |
Write-in | 9 | 0.05 | ||
Total votes | 17,617 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Peggy Bennett (incumbent) | 13,416 | 63.43 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Thomas Martinez | 7,719 | 36.49 | |
Write-in | 16 | 0.08 | ||
Total votes | 21,151 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Peggy Bennett (incumbent) | 12,038 | 65.75 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Mary Hinnenkamp | 6,252 | 34.15 | |
Write-in | 19 | 0.10 | ||
Total votes | 18,309 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Bennett is single, and resides in Albert Lea, Minnesota. [1]
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