Jeff Backer

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Jeff Backer
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Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 9A district
Assumed office
January 6, 2015
Preceded byJay McNamar
Personal details
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PartyRepublican
SpouseScript error: No such module "Detect singular".Judy
Children1
EducationSt. Cloud State University (BS)
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WebsiteGovernment website Campaign website

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Jeff Backer Jr. (born January 3, 1967) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Backer represents District 9A in western Minnesota, which includes the city of Fergus Falls, Grant, Traverse, and Wilkin Counties, and parts of Otter Tail County.[1][2]

Backer was Woodbury Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens' pick for lieutenant governor in the Republican primary for the 2018 Minnesota gubernatorial election; the pair withdrew from the race during the Republican party state convention.[3][4]

Early life, education, and career

Backer was born and raised in Browns Valley, Minnesota and graduated from Browns Valley High School. He attended St. Cloud State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and public administration.[1]

Backer has served as a volunteer EMT for Browns Valley Ambulance since 1995. Backer was a member of the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training from 2007 to 2010.[5] He served as a member of the Browns Valley school board, and was elected to Browns Valley City Council in 2000. Backer was elected mayor in 2004 and served until 2010.[1] Backer was mayor during a major flood in 2007 in Browns Valley and sought federal and state disaster assistance, eventually receiving $2 million in flood relief fom the state legislature.[6][7] Following the flood, Backer led efforts on a flood prevention and control project.[8][9]

Minnesota House of Representatives

Backer was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2014 and has been reelected every two years since. He defeated one-term DFL incumbent Jay McNamar.[1][10] Backer dubbed his opponent "Metro Jay" and attacked him for his votes on taxes, increasing the minimum wage, and to legalize protections for same-sex marriage.[11][12][13]

Backer serves as the minority lead for the Legacy Finance Committee, and also sits on the Health Finance and Policy and Human Services Policy Committees.[1]

Agriculture and the environment

Backer has opposed environmental protections and agricultural regulations, calling them "reckless" and "irresponsible".[14] He sponsored bills to limit the authority of Governor Mark Dayton's administration to make rules on farm fertilizers, and criticized Dayton's executive orders to protect pollinators.[15][16] Backer advocated requiring departments get legislative approval before making new regulations and rules.[17][18]

Other political positions

Backer opposed measures to raise the minimum wage in Minnesota.[19] He attacked Governor Dayton for his commitment to the Southwest light rail project.[20] Backer was a member of a task force to reform child protection laws, and supported a 2018 bill to extend funding for mental health care for children.[21][22] He signed on to a letter calling on the University of Minnesota to stop participating in research on "aborted human fetal organs," and signed on to a letter calling on Attorney General Lori Swanson to investigate Planned Parenthood for allegedly selling fetal body parts.[23][24] Backer praised a bill passed by the House in December 2020 providing aid to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.[25]

Electoral history

2014 Republican Primary for Minnesota State House - District 12A[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Script error: No such module "Political party". Jeff Backer 1,777 55.55
Script error: No such module "Political party". Nancy A. Taffe 1,422 44.45
Total votes 3,199 100.0
2014 Minnesota State House - District 12A[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Script error: No such module "Political party". Jeff Backer 8,725 51.85
Script error: No such module "Political party". Jay McNamar (incumbent) 8,065 47.93
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color; width: 2px;" | Write-in 38 0.23
Total votes 16,828 100.0
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2016 Minnesota State House - District 12A[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Script error: No such module "Political party". Jeff Backer (incumbent) 13,021 60.46
Script error: No such module "Political party". Jay McNamar 8,498 39.46
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color; width: 2px;" | Write-in 17 0.08
Total votes 21,536 100.0
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2018 Minnesota State House - District 12A[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Script error: No such module "Political party". Jeff Backer (incumbent) 11,382 62.02
Script error: No such module "Political party". Murray Smart 6,959 37.92
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color; width: 2px;" | Write-in 10 0.05
Total votes 18,351 100.0
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2020 Minnesota State House - District 12A[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Script error: No such module "Political party". Jeff Backer (incumbent) 14,769 66.87
Script error: No such module "Political party". Murray Smart 7,299 33.05
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color; width: 2px;" | Write-in 17 0.08
Total votes 22,085 100.0
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2022 Minnesota State House - District 9A[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Script error: No such module "Political party". Jeff Backer (incumbent) 12,248 66.30
Script error: No such module "Political party". Nancy Jost 6,172 33.41
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color; width: 2px;" | Write-in 54 0.29
Total votes 18,474 100.0
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Personal life

Backer lives in Browns Valley, Minnesota with his wife, and has one child.[1] Backer taught fifth and sixth grade release time at Browns Valley's Zion Lutheran Church, where he is an active member. He is a member of the Browns Valley Lions Club.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Backer, Jeff". leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rep. Jeff Backer (09A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Golden, Erin (May 5, 2018). "Woodbury mayor running for governor taps rural state representative as GOP running mate". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2018-05-05. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pugmire, Tim (May 2, 2018). "Giuliani Stephens picks rural lawmaker as running mate". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  5. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Meet Jeff". jeffbackerjr.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gunderson, Dan (March 14, 2007). "Cleanup begins in flooded town". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pugmire, Tim (August 26, 2007). "State flood aid may be a long time coming". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Minnesota News Network (May 6, 2008). "Browns Valley purchases land to control flooding". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.MPR News (March 18, 2010). "Flood project holds up in Browns Valley". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pugmire, Tim (November 19, 2014). "New Republicans in the MN House vow to set the agenda". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Scheck, Tom (October 15, 2014). "Republicans try to portray DFL as ignoring rural MN". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Condon, Patrick (January 25, 2015). "Urban-rural split in Minnesota grows deeper, wider". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bierschbach, Briana (2014-11-11). "How the House GOP conquered rural Minnesota". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Van Berkel, Jessie (April 30, 2022). "Minnesota legislators clash over climate change, environmental spending". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Marcotty, Josephine (April 25, 2018). "Overuse of farm fertilizer drives state's first effort to regulate it". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Lopez, Ricardo (September 13, 2016). "House GOP criticize Dayton's executive order on pollinator rules". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Marohn, Kristi (April 16, 2018). "Bill would require legislative approval for fertilizer rules". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Marcotty, Josephine (April 19, 2018). "Minnesota Legislature on collision course with Gov. Dayton on water bills". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bakst, Brian (April 25, 2019). "Local min. wage hikes emerge as Capitol sticking points". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Coolican, J. Patrick; Webster, MaryJo (March 20, 2017). "Metro contributes roughly half of state transportation dollars, gets fewer in return". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Simons, Abby (January 21, 2015). "Task force members unveil child protection legislation, say it's just the beginning". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Star Tribune Editorial Board. "EDITORIAL | Federal rule change threatens mental health care for Minnesota kids". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Multiple Authors (July 16, 2015). "Readers Write (July 17): Planned Parenthood, MNsure and the Affordable Care Act, Tennessee shooting". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Whelan, Abigail (January 15, 2016). "OPINION EXCHANGE | Fetal tissue research should cease at U". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Star Tribune Editorial Board (December 15, 2020). "EDITORIAL | Compromise produced COVID aid deal". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  26. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2014 Results for State Representative District 12A Primary". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2014 Results for State Representative District 12A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2016 Results for State Representative District 12A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  29. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2018 Results for State Representative District 12A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2020 Results for State Representative District 12A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  31. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2022 Results for State Representative District 9A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.

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