Mae Schunk

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Mae Schunk
Mae Schunk
45^th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
In office January 4 1999 – January 6, 2003
Governor(s)	Jesse Ventura
Preceded by	Joanne Benson
Succeeded by	Carol Molnau

Born	May 21, 1934 (age 72) Greenwood, Wisconsin
Political party	Reform/Independence
Spouse	William Schunk
Profession	teacher

Mae Schunk (born on May 21, 1934, in 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.

She lives with her husband of 42 years, William Schunk, in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; they have a son, Benjamin Schunk, who lives with his wife, Jennifer, in a suburb of the Twin Cities.

[edit] Electoral history

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

Preceded by Joanne Benson	45th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota 1999 – 2003	Succeeded by Carol Molnau

Lieutenant Governors of Minnesota

Holcombe • Donnelly • Swift • Sherwood • Armstrong • Yale • Barto • Wakefield • Gilman • Rice • Ives • Clough • Day • Gibbs • L. Smith • Jones • Eberhart • E. Smith • Gordon • Burnquist • Sullivan • Frankson • Collins • Nolan • Adams • Arens • Solberg • Petersen • Richardson (acting) • Lindsten • Anderson • Thye • Miller • Anderson • Nelsen • Wright • Rolvaag • Keith • Goetz • Perpich • Olson • Wangberg • Johnson • Dyrstad • Benson • Schunk • Molnau