Matt Mead, 32nd Governor of Wyoming (R)

From his English Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Mead

Matthew Hansen "Matt" Mead (born March 11, 1962) is the 32nd Governor of Wyoming. A Republican, he is a maternal grandson of Governor and U.S. Senator Clifford Hansen.

Early life and career

Mead, the son of Peter Bradford Mead and Mary Elisabeth Hansen Mead, was born and reared in Jackson, Wyoming. Mead received a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a law degree from the University of Wyoming at Laramie. After law school, he served as a county and federal prosecutor and also practiced in a private law firm.

U.S. Attorney

In 2001, Mead was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming by President George W. Bush. He served until June 2007, when he resigned to seek the Senate seat vacated by the death of fellow Republican Craig L. Thomas.[2] His resignation was required under the Hatch Act of 1939.[3]

In accordance with the Wyoming state law, the Republican party selected the three candidates from which Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal could make his selection. On the third ballot, The Republican State Central Committee, by fourteen votes, eliminated Mead from consideration. Freudenthal chose state Senator John Barrasso; the others he considered were former State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis of Cheyenne and former Republican State Chairman and lobbyist Tom Sansonetti, who had been an aide to Thomas.[4]

Governor

In 2010, Mead won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 30,272 votes, defeating State Auditor Rita Meyer, who polled 29,558 votes, despite Meyer's endorsement by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.[5] Fort Bridger rancher Ron Micheli finished third, with 27,592 votes; State House Speaker Colin M. Simpson finished fourth with 16,673 votes.[6]

With Freudenthal not running for a third term, because of term limits,[7] Mead was a heavy favorite in the general election; Wyoming is heavily Republican.

Mead's campaign emphasized his support for gun rights. He opposed gay marriage, and said was against abortion, but that there should be exceptions to allow a woman to choose the procedure when her health or life is at stake and in cases of rape and incest. On November 2, 2010, Mead easily defeated Leslie Petersen, the former chairwoman of the Wyoming Democratic Party, receiving 72% of the vote to Petersen's 25%.[8]

Actions in office

On October 26, 2012, Mead named Buffalo, Wyoming businessman and rancher Mark Gordon as the state treasurer, to succeed Joseph B. Meyer, who died in office.[9]

2014 campaign

In late January 2013, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill, a Republican, announced that she would be a candidate in Wyoming's 2014 governor's race. A Tea Party favorite, Hill is likely to face Mead in the Republican primary scheduled for August 19, 2014.[10] Earlier in January, Mead had signed legislation sharply reducing the responsibilities of Hill's office, making the position largely ceremonial.[11]In the same primary, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi will face intraparty competition from Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.[12]

Family

Mead has an older brother, Bradford Scott "Brad" Mead, a Jackson attorney, and an older sister, Muffy Mead-Ferro of Salt Lake City, the author of Confessions of a Slacker Mom.[13]

Mead's mother, Mary, was the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 1990. Considered an expert horsewoman, she died in 1996, on her 61st birthday, in a horseback accident while working cattle in Grand Teton National Park. In 2003, Mead and his brother and sister put their family ranch in the park up for sale; the price was said to be $110 million.[14]

Mead and his wife Carol have two children.[15]

References

• 1. Washington Post biography
• 2. "Mead Seeking Seat". Jackson Hole News & Guide. June 12, 2007.
• 3. Angus M. Thuermer Jr. (June 8, 2007). "Mead quits federal post". Jackson Hole News & Guide.
• 4. "Wyoming Names Senate Replacement". CBS News. February 11, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
• 5. Linda Feldmann (July 30, 2010). "Sarah Palin anoints a new 'mama grizzly': Does it make a difference?". CSMonitor.com.
• 6. "It's Mead by a Hair". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. August 18, 2010.
• 7. Tom Morton (January 23, 2010). "Former U.S. Attorney Mead running for Wyoming governor". Casper Star-Tribune.
• 8. "Wyoming: Matt Mead elected governor; Democrats win no statewide offices". USA Today (Associated Press). November 4, 2010.
• 9. Trevor Brown. ""Mead selects treasurer"". Wyoming Tribune Eagle, October 27, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
• 10. John Celock (February 1, 2013). "Cindy Hill, Demoted Wyoming Schools Boss, Running For Governor". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
• 11. John Celock (February 28, 2013). "Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead Not Focused On Cindy Hill's Primary Challenge". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
• 12. "Cheney, Enzi announce Senate runs". wyomingnews.com. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
• 13. Mead-Ferro, Muffy (2004). Confessions of a Slacker Mom. Da Capo Lifelong. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-7382-0994-4.
• 14. Angus M. Thuermer Jr. "Mead Ranch on the Block". Jackson Hole News,. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
• 15. Bill McCarthy (January 23, 2010). "Mead officially running for governor". Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

External links

• Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matt Mead.
• Wyoming Governor Matt Mead official state site
• Biography at the National Governors Association
• Profile at Ballotpedia
• Profile at Notable Names Database
• Biography, interest group ratings, public statements, votes and actions, and campaign finances at *Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs

Party political offices

• Republican nominee for Governor of Wyoming 2010
  • Preceded by Ray Hunkins

Political offices

• Governor of Wyoming 2011–present
  • Preceded by Dave Freudenthal

United States order of precedence (ceremonial)

• Order of Precedence of the United States Within Wyoming
  • Preceded by Joe Biden as Vice President
  • Succeeded by Mayor of city in which event is held
  • Succeeded by Otherwise John Boehner as Speaker of the House of Representatives
• Order of Precedence of the United States Outside Wyoming
  • Preceded by Butch Otter as Governor of Idaho
  • Succeeded by Gary Herbert as Governor of Utah