Mae Schunk

Mae Schunk
Mae Schunk
45th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
In office January 4, 1999 – January 6, 2003
Governor	Jesse Ventura
Preceded by	Joanne Benson
Succeeded by	Carol Molnau
Personal details
Born	May 21, 1934 (1934-05-21) (age 77) Greenwood, Wisconsin
Political party	Reform/Independence
Spouse(s)	William Schunk
Profession	Teacher

Mae A. Schunk (née Gasparac) (born May 21, 1934, Greenwood, Wisconsin) served as the 45th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. Elected on the same ticket as Jesse Ventura in 1998, she became the first Reform Party member elected as lieutenant governor of any state (The party later changed its name to the Independence Party of Minnesota).

Prior to her tenure as lieutenant governor, she was a teacher for 37 years. In his memoir, Ventura mentioned that he chose her to "balance out all the testosterone". During her term in office, she visited schools throughout the state and frequently read to students as part of her efforts to encourage literacy and appreciation for reading among young people.

In the 2000 presidential campaign, as polls showed Texas Governor George W. Bush and U.S. Vice President Al Gore tied in Minnesota within 2 weeks of Election Day, Schunk endorsed Gore at a rally held on Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis while Ventura committed himself to a third-party candidate, John Hagelin.

In an interview with CNN, Ventura commented that Schunk had asked him before making the endorsement, and he consented to her decision.^[1]

Born to Croatian parents, Schunk lives with her husband of 42 years, William Schunk, in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; they have a son, Benjamin Schunk.

Electoral history

• 1998 Race for Governor/Lieutenant Governor
  • Ventura/Schunk (Ref.), 37%
  • Coleman/Olson (R), 34%
  • Humphrey/Moe (DFL), 28%

External links

• JAG Biography
• Minnesota Historical Society

References

1. ^ CNN Transcript – Special Event: Countdown To Election 2000: 7 Days To Go – October 31, 2000

Political offices
Preceded by Joanne Benson	Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota 1999–2003	Succeeded by Carol Molnau

Persondata
Name	Schunk, Mae
Alternative names
Short description	American politician
Date of birth	May 21, 1934
Place of birth	Greenwood, Wisconsin
Date of death
Place of death