Peter Kinder

Infobox_Lt_Governor
name= Peter Kinder


caption=Lt. Governor Kinder visiting the St. Louis Science Center, August 2007
order= 46^th
office= Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
term_start=January 10, 2005
governor= Matt Blunt
predecessor= Joe Maxwell
successor= Incumbent
birth_date= birth date and age |1954|05|12
birth_place= Cape Girardeau, Missouri
death_date=
death_place=
party= Republican
profession= Lawyer
footnotes=

Peter D. Kinder (born May 12, 1954 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri) is an American politician from the State of Missouri. In 2004 he was elected lieutenant governor of the state. He is a Republican.

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 there and then attended Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri at 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 staff member of Congressman Bill Emerson in Washington, DC from 1980 to 1983. He returned to Missouri and worked as an attorney and real estate specialist for hotel developer Charles Drury. 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.

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 defeated former Missouri first lady and gubernatorial candidate Betty C. Hearnes. Kinder was re-elected in 1996 and 2000. Kinder considered running for Missouri state auditor in 1998, attorney general in 2000, and governor in 2004, but ultimately passed each time. When the Republicans gained a majority in the Missouri Senate 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 Democrat Bekki Cook. He became the second sitting President "Pro Tempore" to be elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri.

Following Governor Matt Blunt's withdrawal from the 2008 Governor's 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 be seeking a second term as Lieutenant Governor.

External links

* [http://www.ltgov.mo.gov/ Peter Kinder the Lieutenant Governor of Missouri] official state site
* [http://www.teamkinder.com/ Team Kinder-The Official Campaign Website]
* [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200424&c=402002 Follow the Money - Peter Kinder] 2004 campaign contributions
* [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=BS028401 Project Vote Smart - Lt. Governor Peter D. Kinder (MO)] profile