Jeff Backer

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]

Jeff Backer
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 9A district
Assumed office
January 6, 2015
Preceded byJay McNamar
Personal details
Born (1967-01-03) January 3, 1967
Browns Valley, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJudy
Children1
Residence(s)Browns Valley, Minnesota, U.S.
EducationSt. Cloud State University (BS)
Occupation
WebsiteGovernment website Campaign website

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 %
Republican Jeff Backer 1,777 55.55
Republican Nancy A. Taffe 1,422 44.45
Total votes 3,199 100.0
2014 Minnesota State House - District 12A[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Backer 8,725 51.85
Democratic (DFL) Jay McNamar (incumbent) 8,065 47.93
Write-in 38 0.23
Total votes 16,828 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic (DFL)
2016 Minnesota State House - District 12A[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Backer (incumbent) 13,021 60.46
Democratic (DFL) Jay McNamar 8,498 39.46
Write-in 17 0.08
Total votes 21,536 100.0
Republican hold
2018 Minnesota State House - District 12A[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Backer (incumbent) 11,382 62.02
Democratic (DFL) Murray Smart 6,959 37.92
Write-in 10 0.05
Total votes 18,351 100.0
Republican hold
2020 Minnesota State House - District 12A[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Backer (incumbent) 14,769 66.87
Democratic (DFL) Murray Smart 7,299 33.05
Write-in 17 0.08
Total votes 22,085 100.0
Republican hold
2022 Minnesota State House - District 9A[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Backer (incumbent) 12,248 66.30
Democratic (DFL) Nancy Jost 6,172 33.41
Write-in 54 0.29
Total votes 18,474 100.0
Republican hold

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
  1. "Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Backer, Jeff". leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  2. "Rep. Jeff Backer (09A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  3. 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. Pugmire, Tim (May 2, 2018). "Giuliani Stephens picks rural lawmaker as running mate". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  5. "Meet Jeff". jeffbackerjr.com. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  6. Gunderson, Dan (March 14, 2007). "Cleanup begins in flooded town". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  7. Pugmire, Tim (August 26, 2007). "State flood aid may be a long time coming". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  8. Minnesota News Network (May 6, 2008). "Browns Valley purchases land to control flooding". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  9. MPR News (March 18, 2010). "Flood project holds up in Browns Valley". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  10. Pugmire, Tim (November 19, 2014). "New Republicans in the MN House vow to set the agenda". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  11. Scheck, Tom (October 15, 2014). "Republicans try to portray DFL as ignoring rural MN". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  12. Condon, Patrick (January 25, 2015). "Urban-rural split in Minnesota grows deeper, wider". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  13. Bierschbach, Briana (2014-11-11). "How the House GOP conquered rural Minnesota". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  14. Van Berkel, Jessie (April 30, 2022). "Minnesota legislators clash over climate change, environmental spending". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  15. Marcotty, Josephine (April 25, 2018). "Overuse of farm fertilizer drives state's first effort to regulate it". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  16. Lopez, Ricardo (September 13, 2016). "House GOP criticize Dayton's executive order on pollinator rules". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  17. Marohn, Kristi (April 16, 2018). "Bill would require legislative approval for fertilizer rules". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  18. Marcotty, Josephine (April 19, 2018). "Minnesota Legislature on collision course with Gov. Dayton on water bills". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  19. Bakst, Brian (April 25, 2019). "Local min. wage hikes emerge as Capitol sticking points". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  20. 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. 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. Star Tribune Editorial Board. "EDITORIAL | Federal rule change threatens mental health care for Minnesota kids". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  23. 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. Whelan, Abigail (January 15, 2016). "OPINION EXCHANGE | Fetal tissue research should cease at U". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  25. Star Tribune Editorial Board (December 15, 2020). "EDITORIAL | Compromise produced COVID aid deal". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  26. "2014 Results for State Representative District 12A Primary". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  27. "2014 Results for State Representative District 12A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  28. "2016 Results for State Representative District 12A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  29. "2018 Results for State Representative District 12A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  30. "2020 Results for State Representative District 12A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  31. "2022 Results for State Representative District 9A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
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