John Marty
Encyclopedia
This is the article about the State Senator from Minnesota. For the singer known as John Marty, see Marty Stuart
John J. Marty (born November 1, 1956) is a member of the Minnesota Senate
, representing District 54, which includes portions of Hennepin
and Ramsey
counties in the northern Twin Cities
metropolitan area. As a young state senator, he ran for Governor of Minnesota
in 1994. He won the DFL party nomination and the Democratic primary but was unsuccessful in the general election. He ran for governor again in 2010
, but withdrew from the race after failing to win his party's endorsement.
As senator, Marty serves the communities of Roseville
, St. Anthony
, Little Canada
, Vadnais Heights
, Lauderdale
, Gem Lake
, and Shoreview
.
, on November 1, 1956. He is the son of author and theologian Martin E. Marty
. He attended St. Olaf College
and graduated with a B.A.
in Ethics
in 1978. In 1979 and 1980 he worked in the DFL Party as a campaign aide and communications director. He became an administrator and researcher
for the Criminal Justice Committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives
in 1980, before working as a grant administrator at the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation
for two years beginning in 1985. After his election to the Minnesota Senate
in 1986, he became a member of the Board of Directors
of the National Youth Leadership Council
. Additionally, from 1993 to 1996 he served on the board of Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, a local non-profit organization.
on January 6, 1987, for the 75th legislative session. The 1992 legislative redistricting
, in conjunction with the U.S. Census
, changed Marty's Senate District from 63 to 54.
On November 7, 2006, Marty was reelected for a sixth term, winning 62.05% of the vote and carrying each of the seven suburbs in his district.
Governor Arne Carlson
. He was the endorsed nominee of the DFL party and won the DFL Primary, coming in 2% ahead of former state commerce commissioner and future Attorney General Mike Hatch
. The other contenders were former Minneapolis
Police Chief Tony Bouza
and Richard T. Van Bergen. His self-imposed campaign finance
limits, feasible in his small state senate reelection campaigns, severely handicapped his ability to reach as far as his opponent state-wide. The majority of his campaign funds spent on the close DFL Primary, he lost to Governor Arne Carlson
by nearly a two-to-one margin.
Four years later he was one of seven DFLers who entered the campaign, but he dropped out of
the race without filing for office. Eventually the party settled on state Attorney General
Hubert H. “Skip” Humphrey III
. However, in an upset, the Reform Party candidate and former wrestler Jesse Ventura
won the election.
On Tuesday, February 2, 2010, Marty finished in fourth place in a precinct caucus straw poll with approximately 9.5 percent of the vote. Marty finished behind Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Speaker of the Minnesota House Margaret Anderson Kelliher who both drew more than 20 percent of the vote. Uncommited voters came in third with approximately 14.7 percent of the vote.
On March 31, 2010, Marty announced that state senator Patricia Torres Ray
is his running mate for lieutenant governor.
On April 24, 2010, Marty withdrew from the race at the DFL state convention, after it became clear he could not win party endorsement. Marty ultimately threw his support behind the party's nominee, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher
.
was picking their 2004 presidential nominee
, Marty joined State Senate Majority Leader
John Hottinger
in endorsing Congressman Dennis Kucinich
of Ohio
. On Super Tuesday
, Kucinich received 17% percent of the vote in Minnesota's presidential caucus
, one of his best showings that year. During the 2008 presidential campaign
, Marty was a strong supporter of Barack Obama
.
and Minnesota Vikings
. He also is a supporter for the use of medical marijuana, and even made an appearance in the movie Super High Me
.
Marty Stuart
John Martin "Marty" Stuart is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for both his traditional style, and eclectic merging of rockabilly, honky tonk, and traditional country music...
John J. Marty (born November 1, 1956) is a member of the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
, representing District 54, which includes portions of Hennepin
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
and Ramsey
Ramsey County, Minnesota
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1849. As of 2010, the population was 508,640. Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county is named for Alexander Ramsey , the first governor of the Minnesota Territory...
counties in the northern Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
metropolitan area. As a young state senator, he ran for Governor of Minnesota
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
in 1994. He won the DFL party nomination and the Democratic primary but was unsuccessful in the general election. He ran for governor again in 2010
Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota for a four-year term to begin in January 2011. The general election was contested by the major party candidates State Representative Tom Emmer , former Senator...
, but withdrew from the race after failing to win his party's endorsement.
As senator, Marty serves the communities of Roseville
Roseville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,690 people, 14,598 households, and 8,598 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,543.9 people per square mile . There were 14,917 housing units at an average density of 1,126.4 per square mile...
, St. Anthony
St. Anthony, Minnesota
St. Anthony is the name of more than one place in the U.S. state of Minnesota:*St. Anthony, Stearns County, Minnesota*St. Anthony, Hennepin County, Minnesota-See also:*Saint Anthony Park , a neighborhood in Saint Paul, Minnesota...
, Little Canada
Little Canada, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,771 people, 4,375 households, and 2,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,445.8 people per square mile . There were 4,471 housing units at an average density of 1,119.1 per square mile...
, Vadnais Heights
Vadnais Heights, Minnesota
Vadnais Heights is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 12,302 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. It borders the cities of Shoreview, Little Canada, White Bear...
, Lauderdale
Lauderdale, Minnesota
Lauderdale is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,379 at the 2010 census. Lauderdale is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and is surrounded by Minneapolis, St...
, Gem Lake
Gem Lake, Minnesota
Gem Lake is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 393 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water...
, and Shoreview
Shoreview, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 25,377 people, Males: 12,303 , Females: 13,074 , 9,965 households, and 7,021 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,315.9 people per square mile . There are 10,127 housing units at an average density of 919.2 per square mile...
.
Early life, education and career
John Marty was born in Evanston, IllinoisEvanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, on November 1, 1956. He is the son of author and theologian Martin E. Marty
Martin E. Marty
Martin Emil Marty is an American Lutheran religious scholar who has written extensively on 19th century and 20th century American religion. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1956, and served as a Lutheran pastor from 1952 to 1962 in the suburbs of Chicago...
. He attended St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
and graduated with a B.A.
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...
in Ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
in 1978. In 1979 and 1980 he worked in the DFL Party as a campaign aide and communications director. He became an administrator and researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
for the Criminal Justice Committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
in 1980, before working as a grant administrator at the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 financial services organization with dual corporate headquarters based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Appleton, Wisconsin...
for two years beginning in 1985. After his election to the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
in 1986, he became a member of the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the National Youth Leadership Council
National Youth Leadership Council
The National Youth Leadership Council, or NYLC, is a national nonprofit organization located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that promotes service-learning in schools and communities across the United States. Founded in 1983 by Dr. James Kielsmeier, NYLC is the host of the annual National Service-Learning...
. Additionally, from 1993 to 1996 he served on the board of Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, a local non-profit organization.
State legislator: 1987–present
On November 4, 1986, Marty was elected as the State Senator from Senate District 63 and sworn inOath of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
on January 6, 1987, for the 75th legislative session. The 1992 legislative redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
, in conjunction with the U.S. Census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
, changed Marty's Senate District from 63 to 54.
On November 7, 2006, Marty was reelected for a sixth term, winning 62.05% of the vote and carrying each of the seven suburbs in his district.
1994 gubernatorial campaign
In 1994 Marty sought to unseat incumbent RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Governor Arne Carlson
Arne Carlson
Arne Helge Carlson, Sr. is an American politician and the 37th Governor of the state of Minnesota.-Early years, education and family:...
. He was the endorsed nominee of the DFL party and won the DFL Primary, coming in 2% ahead of former state commerce commissioner and future Attorney General Mike Hatch
Mike Hatch
Michael Allen Hatch is an American politician, and was Attorney General of Minnesota from 1999 to 2007. In 2006, he was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee for governor of Minnesota...
. The other contenders were former Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
Police Chief Tony Bouza
Tony Bouza
Anthony V. Bouza is a 40-year veteran of municipal police, serving as Minneapolis police chief from 1980 to 1989. Bouza came to the United States with his family at age 9. After graduating from Manual High School in Brooklyn and serving in the U.S...
and Richard T. Van Bergen. His self-imposed campaign finance
Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
limits, feasible in his small state senate reelection campaigns, severely handicapped his ability to reach as far as his opponent state-wide. The majority of his campaign funds spent on the close DFL Primary, he lost to Governor Arne Carlson
Arne Carlson
Arne Helge Carlson, Sr. is an American politician and the 37th Governor of the state of Minnesota.-Early years, education and family:...
by nearly a two-to-one margin.
Four years later he was one of seven DFLers who entered the campaign, but he dropped out of
the race without filing for office. Eventually the party settled on state Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Hubert H. “Skip” Humphrey III
Skip Humphrey
Hubert 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...
. However, in an upset, the Reform Party candidate and former wrestler 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...
won the election.
2010 gubernatorial campaign
On December 22, 2008, Marty announced that he launched an exploratory campaign for Governor due to encouragement from health care reformers. He made a formal announcement several months later.On Tuesday, February 2, 2010, Marty finished in fourth place in a precinct caucus straw poll with approximately 9.5 percent of the vote. Marty finished behind Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Speaker of the Minnesota House Margaret Anderson Kelliher who both drew more than 20 percent of the vote. Uncommited voters came in third with approximately 14.7 percent of the vote.
On March 31, 2010, Marty announced that state senator Patricia Torres Ray
Patricia Torres Ray
Patricia Torres Ray is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate who represents District 62, which includes portions of southeastern Minneapolis in Hennepin County, which is in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.A Democrat, Ray succeeded the retiring Wes Skoglund in 2007...
is his running mate for lieutenant governor.
On April 24, 2010, Marty withdrew from the race at the DFL state convention, after it became clear he could not win party endorsement. Marty ultimately threw his support behind the party's nominee, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Margaret Anderson Kelliher is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A Democrat, she represented District 60A, which includes portions of the city of Minneapolis in Hennepin County, located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area...
.
Support for other politicians
When the national Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
was picking their 2004 presidential nominee
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Marty joined State Senate Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
John Hottinger
John Hottinger
John Hottinger is a Minnesota politician and a former member and majority leader of the Minnesota Senate. First elected in 1990, he was re-elected in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2002. A Democrat, he represented the old District 24 prior to the 2002 redistricting, and the current District 23 thereafter...
in endorsing Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. On Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday
In the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated...
, Kucinich received 17% percent of the vote in Minnesota's presidential caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
, one of his best showings that year. During the 2008 presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Marty was a strong supporter of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Political positions
Marty is best known to Minnesota residents as an advocate on environmental issues, health care reform, and government ethics and campaign finance reform. Recently he has been known primarily for his authorship of the Minnesota Health Plan. As part of his position on campaign finance and ethics, he does not accept soft money contributions or contributions from lobbyists, and he sharply limits the amount of contributions he will accept from any one person. Among Marty's ethics legislation was the Minnesota law banning lobbyists from giving gifts to public officials. Marty opposes the public funding of stadiums and professional sports teams, outspoken in his criticism of recent proposals for new stadiums for the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He also is a supporter for the use of medical marijuana, and even made an appearance in the movie Super High Me
Super High Me
Super High Me is a 2007 documentary film about the effects of smoking cannabis for 30 days. The documentary stars comedian Doug Benson. The documentary's name and its poster are plays on the 2004 documentary Super Size Me.-Synopsis:...
.
Family and personal life
John Marty is married to Connie Marty (née Jaarsma). Together they live in Roseville, Minnesota, and they have two adult children, Elsa and Micah.Electoral history
- 2010 election for Minnesota Senate - District 54
- John Marty (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) 18,600 (56.52%)
- Tim Johnson (Republican) 14,277 votes (43.38%)
- 2006 election for Minnesota Senate - District 54
- John Marty (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) 21,847 (62.05%)
- Dan Williams (Republican) 13,328 votes (37.86%)
- 2002 election for Minnesota Senate - District 54
- John Marty (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) 21,609 (56.86%)
- Mark Zasadny (Republican) 16,359 votes (43.04%)
- 2000 election for Minnesota Senate - District 54
- John Marty (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) 23,614 (65.50%)
- Mark Zasadny (Republican) 12,440 votes (34.50%)
- 1994 election for Minnesota Governor
- Arne CarlsonArne CarlsonArne Helge Carlson, Sr. is an American politician and the 37th Governor of the state of Minnesota.-Early years, education and family:...
(R) (inc.), 63% - John Marty (D), 34%
- Arne Carlson
- 1994 election for Minnesota Governor - DFL Primary
- John Marty, 38%
- Mike HatchMike HatchMichael Allen Hatch is an American politician, and was Attorney General of Minnesota from 1999 to 2007. In 2006, he was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee for governor of Minnesota...
, 36% - Tony BouzaTony BouzaAnthony V. Bouza is a 40-year veteran of municipal police, serving as Minneapolis police chief from 1980 to 1989. Bouza came to the United States with his family at age 9. After graduating from Manual High School in Brooklyn and serving in the U.S...
, 25% - Richard T. Van Bergen, 1%
- 1992 election for Minnesota Senate - District 54
- John Marty (DFL), 56%
- Pat Igo (R), 44%
- 1990 election for Minnesota Senate - District 63
- John Marty (DFL), 64%
- Merlyn Scroggins (R), 36%
External links
- Minnesota Senate - Senator John Marty Web Page
- Minnesota Public Radio - Votetracker: John Marty Voting Record
- Project Vote Smart - Senator John Marty Profile
- Follow the Money - John J. Marty Campaign Contributions
- John Marty Official Campaign Web Site
- Apple Pie Alliance Newsletter editor
- Minnesota Health Act (S.F. 118/H.F. 135) chief author
- Campaign for the Minnesota Health Plan