Skip Humphrey

Skip Humphrey
27th Attorney General of Minnesota
In office
January 3, 1983 – January 4, 1999
GovernorRudy Perpich
Arne Carlson
Preceded byWarren Spannaus
Succeeded byMike Hatch
Member of the Minnesota Senate
from the 44th district
In office
January 2, 1973 – January 3, 1983
Preceded byJohn C. Chenoweth
Succeeded byPhyllis W. McQuaid
Personal details
Born
Hubert Horatio Humphrey III

(1942-06-26) June 26, 1942 (age 82)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Nancy Jeffery
​
(m. 1963)​
Children3
Parent(s)Hubert Humphrey
Muriel Humphrey Brown
EducationAmerican University (BA)
University of Minnesota (JD)

Hubert Horatio "Skip" Humphrey III (born June 26, 1942) is an American retired politician who served as attorney general of the state of Minnesota (1983–1999) and State Senator (1973–1983). Humphrey led the Office of Older Americans as the assistant director at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

A Democrat, Humphrey is a son of Vice President Hubert Humphrey and U.S. Senator Muriel Humphrey Brown. He was the Democratic nominee for governor in the hotly contested three-way election of 1998.

Early life

[edit]

Hubert Horatio Humphrey III was born on June 26, 1942, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Humphrey graduated from American University, where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi, Beta Chi chapter, and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School.[1]

Political career

[edit]

Humphrey was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1972 and served as a state senator from 1973 to 1983. He was elected Minnesota Attorney General in 1982,[1] one of the DFL Party's most popular candidates ever in terms of popular vote. He served in the office for four consecutive terms, from 1983 to 1999.

On January 13, 1978, his father died of bladder cancer at the age of 66.

In 1988, he ran for the same US Senate seat that his father and his mother previously held, but was defeated by incumbent Independent-Republican Senator David Durenberger. After this loss he served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General, and in 1996 he was state chair of President Bill Clinton's reelection campaign.[2]

By 1998 he was again encouraged to run for higher office, and entered the DFL gubernatorial primary, winning handily in a crowded field[3] (which included another scion of an eminent Minnesota political family, Ted Mondale). In the general election, both Humphrey and Republican candidate Norm Coleman lost to the third-party candidacy of Jesse Ventura in a tumultuous race. On September 20, his mother died at the age of 86.

Political legacy

[edit]

Humphrey was an enthusiastic successor of his father's New Deal-inspired political philosophy, and throughout his career he remained devoted to traditional progressive ideals as well as their more modern manifestations: "If you think that being too liberal means raising the minimum wage, advocating health care for everyone, protecting the environment, taking on the tobacco industry, enacting campaign finance reform, and putting more cops on the streets, then guess what? That's what Minnesotans want."[4] One of his most passionately held principles was his opposition to tobacco and its powerful political lobby: in 1999, the World Health Organization awarded him the Director-General's Prize for outstanding global contribution to tobacco control.[5]

Personal life

[edit]

While a student at American University, Humphrey met Nancy Lee Jeffery, the daughter of a US Navy captain. The two were married while spending the summer of 1963 in Europe.[6] The Humphreys are the parents of three children, including Hubert H. "Buck" Humphrey IV, who ran for Minnesota Secretary of State in 2002, losing by three percentage points to Republican nominee Mary Kiffmeyer.

Humphrey was a senior fellow at the University of Minnesota, where he taught public health policy and law,[7] and was also Senior Vice President at Tunheim Partners, a Minnesota-based communications and public affairs firm.[8] Beginning in 2004, Humphrey served as the president of the Minnesota chapter of the AARP,[9] and later was a member of the Board of Directors of the National AARP.[10] In October 2011, Humphrey was appointed the assistant director of the Office of Older Americans at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.[11]

Electoral history

[edit]
Humphrey as Attorney General

1972

[edit]
1972 Primary Election for Minnesota State Senator, District 44[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Don Forseth 1,956 52.34%
Nonpartisan Skip Humphrey 1,637 43.81%
Nonpartisan Betty A. Harasyn 144 3.85%
Total votes 3,737 100%
1972 General Election for Minnesota State Senator, District 44[14][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Skip Humphrey 12,538 54.75%
Nonpartisan Don Forseth 10,361 45.25%
Total votes 22,899 100%

1976

[edit]
1976 General Election for Minnesota State Senator, District 44[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 15,890 68.62%
Republican Rick Sathre 7,268 31.38%
Total votes 23,158 100%

1980

[edit]
1980 DFL Primary Election for Minnesota State Senator, District 44[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 655 100%
Total votes 655 100%
1980 General Election for Minnesota State Senator, District 44[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 19,579 100%
Total votes 19,579 100%

1982

[edit]
1982 DFL Primary Election for Minnesota Attorney General[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey 473,950 100%
Total votes 473,950 100%
1982 General Election for Minnesota Attorney General[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey 1,082,539 61.72%
Republican Elliot Rothenberg 653,162 37.24%
Conservative People's Samuel Faulk 18,278 1.04%
Total votes 1,753,979 100%

1986

[edit]
1986 DFL Primary Election for Minnesota Attorney General[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 406,487 85.67%
Democratic (DFL) Wendy Alison Nora 27,544 5.81%
Democratic (DFL) Richard Bullock 24,151 5.09%
Democratic (DFL) Samuel Faulk 16,271 3.43%
Total votes 474,453 100%
1986 General Election for Minnesota Attorney General[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 985,569 70.32%
Republican Lew Freeman 399,483 28.51%
Green Derrick Grimmer 16,394 1.17%
Total votes 1,401,446 100%

1988

[edit]
1988 DFL Primary Election for US Senator[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey 153,808 90.58%
Democratic (DFL) Kent Herschbach 15,994 9.42%
Total votes 169,802 100%
1988 General Election for US Senator[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David Durenberger 1,176,210 56.18%
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey 856,694 40.92%
Progressive Issues Party Polly Mann 44,474 2.12%
Green Derrick Grimmer 9,016 0.43%
Libertarian Skip Humphrey 4,039 0.19%
Socialist Workers Wendy Lyons 3,105 0.15%
Total votes 2,093,538 100%

1990

[edit]
1990 DFL Primary Election for Minnesota Attorney General[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 335,339 100%
Total votes 335,339 100%
1990 General Election for Minnesota Attorney General[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 1,126,447 63.22%
Republican Kevin Johnson 655,282 36.78%
Total votes 1,781,729 100%

1994

[edit]
1994 DFL Primary Election for Minnesota Attorney General[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 329,417 87.92%
Democratic (DFL) Kent Herschbach 24,590 6.56%
Democratic (DFL) Lewis Smith 20,668 5.52%
Total votes 374,675 100%
1994 General Election for Minnesota Attorney General[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey (incumbent) 1,115,285 66.63%
Republican Sharon Anderson 488,753 29.20%
Grassroots Dean Anumdson 69,776 4.17%
Total votes 1,673,814 100%

1998

[edit]
1998 DFL Primary Election for Minnesota Governor and Lieutenant Governor[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey and Roger Moe 182,562 36.95%
Democratic (DFL) Mike Freeman and Ruth Johnson 93,714 18.97%
Democratic (DFL) Doug Johnson and Tom Foley 91,888 18.60%
Democratic (DFL) Mark Dayton and Julie Jansen 88,070 17.83%
Democratic (DFL) Ted Mondale and Deanna Weiner 36,237 7.33%
Democratic (DFL) Ole' Savior and Ron Moseng 1,598 0.32%
Total votes 494,069 100%
1998 General Election for Minnesota Governor and Lieutenant Governor[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Reform Jesse Ventura and Mae Schunk 773,403 37.00%
Republican Norm Coleman and Gen Olson 716,880 34.29%
Democratic (DFL) Skip Humphrey and Roger Moe 587,060 28.08%
Green Ken Pentel and Susan Jasper 7,034 0.34%
Libertarian Frank Germann and Michael C. Strand 1,932 0.09%
Grassroots Chris Wright and D.G. Paulson 1,727 0.08%
People's Champion Fancy Ray McCloney and Toni McCloney 919 0.04%
Socialist Workers Thomas Fiske and John Hawkins 787 0.04%
Write-in 776 0.04%
Total votes 2,090,518 100%

References

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  1. ^ a b Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, Minnesota Legislators Past & Present – Legislator Record (Retrieved August 15, 2010).
  2. ^ GAO; Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton, October 28, 1996 (Retrieved August 15, 2010).
  3. ^ CNN: Minnesota primary results, September 15, 1998. (Retrieved August 15, 2010).
  4. ^ Kamber, Victor (2003). Poison Politics: Are Negative Campaigns Destroying Democracy?; Basic Books, New York City; ISBN 978-0-7382-0872-5. See p.270: "As Hubert Humphrey III, son of HHH and now Minnesota's attorney general, said...."
  5. ^ "Prominent tobacco control activist receives prize" (Press release). World Health Organization. May 27, 1999. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  6. ^ Solberg, Carl (1984). Hubert Humphrey: A Biography; Borealis Books, St. Paul MN; ISBN 0-87351-473-4. See p.234: "In the summer of 1963... Hubert H. Humphrey III was also traveling to Europe... In August, Humphrey wrote his son's old headmaster: 'Skip has returned from Europe and believe it or not, he has married a very lovely young lady here in Virginia – Nancy Lee Jeffery. They were married in Europe so they could enjoy a little honeymoon there. We are very happy at the whole situation.'"...
  7. ^ Regents of the University of Minnesota (2010). "Faculty Biography: Hubert H. Humphrey III, J.D." Umn.edu. University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  8. ^ "Skip Humphrey to head AARP Minnesota". Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. 2004.
  9. ^ Wolfe, Warren (January 9, 2004). "Skip Humphrey to lead state AARP". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
  10. ^ "AARP Leadership Profile: Hubert H. Humphrey III". AARP. 2008. Archived from the original on March 26, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  11. ^ Financial Security Issues Facing Older Americans. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2013. p. 3.
  12. ^ "1972 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Elections Search". Minnesota Historical Election Archives. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  14. ^ "1972 General Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  15. ^ "1976 General Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  16. ^ "1980 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  17. ^ "1980 General Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  18. ^ "1982 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  19. ^ "1982 General Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  20. ^ "1986 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  21. ^ "1986 General Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  22. ^ "1988 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  23. ^ "1988 General Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  24. ^ "1990 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  25. ^ "1990 General Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  26. ^ "1994 Primary Election Results". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  27. ^ "1994 General Election Results". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  28. ^ "1998 Primary Election Results". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  29. ^ "1998 General Election Results". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
[edit]
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Minnesota
1983–1999 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Minnesota
1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Minnesota
(Class 1)
1988 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Minnesota
1998 		Succeeded by
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