Peter Kinder
Encyclopedia
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
(D) was elected Governor. Kinder is a member of the Republican Party
. He was considered the front runner in the 2012 Republican gubernatorial primary
before he faced multiple controversies. After businessman Dave Spence
entered the race, Kinder decide to run for re-election as Lieutenant Governor, and endorse Spence.
and the University of Missouri
in Columbia
. He graduated from St. Mary's University
School of Law in San Antonio, Texas in 1979 and was admitted to the Missouri Bar
in 1980.
After law school Kinder served as a member of the late U.S. Representative Bill Emerson
's staff in Washington, D.C. from 1980 to 1983. He returned to Missouri and worked as an attorney and real estate specialist for hotel developer Charles Drury of Drury Industries. In 1987 Kinder became associate publisher of the Southeast Missourian
newspaper, where he wrote weekly columns and editorials.
Southeast Missouri Hospital
in Cape Girardeau dedicated its Department of Pediatrics in memory to his father James A. Kinder, M.D. who died on July 1, 2000. His mother, who died on January 4, 2008, sang duets with the mother of Rush Limbaugh
for 50 years; Rush Limbaugh even attended the funeral.
Kinder is a member of the United Methodist Church, Beta Theta Pi
social fraternity, Missouri Farm Bureau, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, and Lions Club. He also remains active in many civic causes, including extensive work with Southeast Missouri Port Authority, United Way, Nature Conservancy, American Cancer Society, and Boy Scouts of America.
(D-Cape Girardeau). He became the second sitting President Pro Tempore to be elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri.
Following Governor Matt Blunt
's withdrawal from the 2008 gubernatorial race, Kinder announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for Governor. However, on February 8, 2008, Kinder withdrew from that contest in the interest of preserving party unity. He stated that he would seek a second four-year term as Lieutenant Governor. He was reelected as Lieutenant Governor in November 2008, defeating his Democratic
opponent, Sam Page
. He was the only Republican to win a statewide race in Missouri during the November 4, 2008 general election.
As Lieutenant Governor, Kinder serves as the official Senior Advocate for Missouri. While in the Missouri Senate, he sponsored and passed the Elderly Protection Act of 2003, which increased the penalties for elder abuse crimes. As President Pro Tem, the Senate crafted the Missouri Senior Rx plan, providing prescription drug coverage for the poorest seniors. In 2005, Senior Rx transitioned into Missouri Rx and now enrolls over 170,000 Missouri seniors. Kinder currently chairs the Missouri Rx Plan Commission.
He also promoted the Assisted Living Bill of 2006, a top priority of multiple senior advocacy organizations. This legislation clarified the definition of "Assisted Living" and gives seniors more options and choice in the type of long-term care facility they want to call home.
As President Pro Tem, Kinder chaired an interim committee that studied subsidizing Veterans' homes and providing assistance to Missouri troops returning home from combat in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other parts of the world. In 2005, he proposed and helped to pass the Missouri Military Family Relief Fund, which benefits family members of the Missouri National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been called to active duty.
Kinder is currently coordinating the Missouri Mentor Initiative, a pilot program that encourages state employees to mentor children by receiving up to 40 hours a year in paid time off to volunteer. He also advocated for funding the Amachi Program that assists Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Missouri to mentor children whose parents are incarcerated in Missouri prisons.
As Lieutenant Governor, Kinder serves on several boards and commissions including: Tourism Commission (Chair); Missouri Development Finance Board (Chair); and the Missouri Housing Development Commission. In 1996, he was named Chairman of the Education Task Force of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a Washington, D.C.-based association of state legislators. He served on three special committees in 2005 and 2006 and co-chaired the Mental Health Task Force, providing 25 recommendations to prevent abuse and neglect in the mental health system. The Government Review Commission made numerous recommendations to reform state government and agencies. The Energy Task Force examined ways to conserve energy usage and implement a comprehensive energy strategy.
Kinder has been recognized and honored by various groups.
published an expose' which revealed that Kinder maintained a long-term relationship with exotic dancer and former Penthouse
Pet Tammy Chapman. The article quoted Chapman as saying that Kinder invited her to move into his condominium apartment in suburban St. Louis. The article also published a photo of Kinder with Chapman. Kinder denies allegations of impropriety.
In mid-August, Kinder responded to the allegations in-depth, stating that he visited Chapman's club about 11 times, starting in the mid-1990s. According to Kinder, he stopped visiting the club after he concluded that it violated his religious beliefs. Kinder claimed that the photograph was taken in a brief chance encounter earlier that year.
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...
. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri in 2004 as 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...
was elected Governor. Kinder was reelected in 2008 at the same time Jay Nixon
Jay Nixon
Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon, Sr. is the 55th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008.-Political career:...
(D) was elected Governor. Kinder is a member of the Republican Party
Republican 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...
. He was considered the front runner in the 2012 Republican gubernatorial primary
Missouri gubernatorial election, 2012
The 2012 Missouri gubernatorial election will take place on November 6, 2012.Jay Nixon won the 2008 Missouri gubernatorial election with 58.4% of the vote against former U.S. representative, Kenny Hulshof...
before he faced multiple controversies. After businessman Dave Spence
Dave Spence
Dave Spence is an American politician and corporate president, CEO, and chairman. He is a candidate for the Republican nomination for the office of Governor of Missouri in the 2012 election. He is the former president and CEO of Alpha Packaging and the former chairman of Legacy Packaging.- Early...
entered the race, Kinder decide to run for re-election as Lieutenant Governor, and endorse Spence.
Education and early career
Kinder was born and raised in Cape Girardeau, the son of pediatrician James A. Kinder Jr. and Mary Frances Hunter Kinder. He attended Cape Girardeau Public Schools and then attended Southeast Missouri State UniversitySoutheast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
and the 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...
in Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
. He graduated from St. Mary's University
St. Mary's University, Texas
St. Mary's University is a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution located on northwest of downtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. St. Mary’s is a nationally recognized master’s level school ranked among the top colleges in the west for best value and academic reputation by U.S. News...
School of Law in San Antonio, Texas in 1979 and was admitted to the Missouri Bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1980.
After law school Kinder served as a member of the late U.S. Representative Bill Emerson
Bill Emerson
Norvell William "Bill" Emerson was an American politician from Missouri. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death in 1996. He was succeeded in the House by his widow, Jo Ann Emerson...
's staff in Washington, D.C. from 1980 to 1983. He returned to Missouri and worked as an attorney and real estate specialist for hotel developer Charles Drury of Drury Industries. In 1987 Kinder became associate publisher of the Southeast Missourian
Southeast Missourian
The Southeast Missourian is a daily newspaper published in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, and serves the southeastern portion of Missouri.- History :...
newspaper, where he wrote weekly columns and editorials.
Southeast Missouri Hospital
Southeast Missouri Hospital
Southeast Missouri Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Southeast Missouri Hospital first opened in 1928 and has grown into a regional medical complex serving over 600,000 people in 22 counties in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois...
in Cape Girardeau dedicated its Department of Pediatrics in memory to his father James A. Kinder, M.D. who died on July 1, 2000. His mother, who died on January 4, 2008, sang duets with the mother of Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
for 50 years; Rush Limbaugh even attended the funeral.
Kinder is a member of the United Methodist Church, Beta Theta Pi
Zeta Phi
The Zeta Phi Society was a fraternal organization founded at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri in 1870. The society became a chapter of Beta Theta Pi in 1890...
social fraternity, Missouri Farm Bureau, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, and Lions Club. He also remains active in many civic causes, including extensive work with Southeast Missouri Port Authority, United Way, Nature Conservancy, American Cancer Society, and Boy Scouts of America.
Political career
In 1992 Kinder made his first bid for public office, winning election to a seat in the Missouri State Senate representing Cape Girardeau and surrounding counties by defeating former Missouri First Lady and gubernatorial candidate Betty C. Hearnes (D). Kinder was reelected in 1996 and 2000. Kinder considered running for State Auditor of Missouri in 1998, Attorney General in 2000, and Governor of Missouri in 2004, but ultimately passed each time. When the Republicans gained a majority in the Missouri Senate for the first time in 53 years following a round of special elections in February 2001, Kinder became President Pro Tempore, the top official in the Missouri Senate. In 2004 he sought and won election as Missouri's Lieutenant Governor, defeating Bekki CookBekki Cook
Rebecca McDowell Cook is a politician from Missouri, USA. She served as Missouri Secretary of State from December 1994 to January 2001....
(D-Cape Girardeau). He became the second sitting President Pro Tempore to be elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri.
Following 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...
's withdrawal from the 2008 gubernatorial race, Kinder announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for Governor. However, on February 8, 2008, Kinder withdrew from that contest in the interest of preserving party unity. He stated that he would seek a second four-year term as Lieutenant Governor. He was reelected as Lieutenant Governor in November 2008, defeating his Democratic
Democratic 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...
opponent, Sam Page
Sam Page
Sam Page is an American physician and politician serving his third term in the Missouri House of Representatives. On June 5, 2007, Page announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri from his hometown of Van Buren, Missouri.- Political career :Page was...
. He was the only Republican to win a statewide race in Missouri during the November 4, 2008 general election.
As Lieutenant Governor, Kinder serves as the official Senior Advocate for Missouri. While in the Missouri Senate, he sponsored and passed the Elderly Protection Act of 2003, which increased the penalties for elder abuse crimes. As President Pro Tem, the Senate crafted the Missouri Senior Rx plan, providing prescription drug coverage for the poorest seniors. In 2005, Senior Rx transitioned into Missouri Rx and now enrolls over 170,000 Missouri seniors. Kinder currently chairs the Missouri Rx Plan Commission.
He also promoted the Assisted Living Bill of 2006, a top priority of multiple senior advocacy organizations. This legislation clarified the definition of "Assisted Living" and gives seniors more options and choice in the type of long-term care facility they want to call home.
As President Pro Tem, Kinder chaired an interim committee that studied subsidizing Veterans' homes and providing assistance to Missouri troops returning home from combat in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other parts of the world. In 2005, he proposed and helped to pass the Missouri Military Family Relief Fund, which benefits family members of the Missouri National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been called to active duty.
Kinder is currently coordinating the Missouri Mentor Initiative, a pilot program that encourages state employees to mentor children by receiving up to 40 hours a year in paid time off to volunteer. He also advocated for funding the Amachi Program that assists Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Missouri to mentor children whose parents are incarcerated in Missouri prisons.
As Lieutenant Governor, Kinder serves on several boards and commissions including: Tourism Commission (Chair); Missouri Development Finance Board (Chair); and the Missouri Housing Development Commission. In 1996, he was named Chairman of the Education Task Force of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a Washington, D.C.-based association of state legislators. He served on three special committees in 2005 and 2006 and co-chaired the Mental Health Task Force, providing 25 recommendations to prevent abuse and neglect in the mental health system. The Government Review Commission made numerous recommendations to reform state government and agencies. The Energy Task Force examined ways to conserve energy usage and implement a comprehensive energy strategy.
Kinder has been recognized and honored by various groups.
Controversy
In August, 2011, the St. Louis Riverfront TimesRiverfront Times
The Riverfront Times is a weekly newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri that consists of local politics, music, arts and dining news in the print edition and daily updates to blogs and photo galleries on its website...
published an expose' which revealed that Kinder maintained a long-term relationship with exotic dancer and former Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
Pet Tammy Chapman. The article quoted Chapman as saying that Kinder invited her to move into his condominium apartment in suburban St. Louis. The article also published a photo of Kinder with Chapman. Kinder denies allegations of impropriety.
In mid-August, Kinder responded to the allegations in-depth, stating that he visited Chapman's club about 11 times, starting in the mid-1990s. According to Kinder, he stopped visiting the club after he concluded that it violated his religious beliefs. Kinder claimed that the photograph was taken in a brief chance encounter earlier that year.
Electoral history
External links
- Peter Kinder, the Lieutenant Governor of Missouri official state site
- Team Kinder official campaign site