Jim Vickerman
{{Short description|American politician (1931–2021)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jim Vickerman
| image =JVickerman.jpg
| imagesize=210px
| state_senate = Minnesota
| district = 22nd
| term_start = January 6, 1987
| term_end = January 3, 2011
| predecessor= Doran Isackson
| successor= Doug Magnus
| birth_name= James Murray Vickerman
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|5|1|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Tracy, Minnesota
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|1|19|1931|5|1}}
| death_place = Marshall, Minnesota
| residence = Tracy, Minnesota
| party = Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
| occupation = Legislator, Farmer
| majority =
| spouse = Wava Carlson Vickerman
| children = 6
| relatives = Barbara Vickerman (cousin-in-law)
}}
James Murray Vickerman (May 1, 1931 – January 19, 2021) was an American politician from Minnesota who served as Minnesota State Senator, first elected in 1986 in the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's "firestorm" that swept southwestern Minnesota during the height of the 1980s Midwestern farm crisis. In that election, he unseated incumbent Senator Doran Isackson, winning by a substantial margin. He was re-elected in 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2006.{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10688 | title=Vickerman, James A. "Jim" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present }} On February 22, 2010, he announced that he would not seek an eighth term, noting that he was doing so "with the satisfaction that when it's done right, our government can and does serve people."{{Cite web |url=http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/33075/ |title=Vickerman won't seek new term | Worthington Daily Globe | Worthington, Minnesota |access-date=February 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100226182936/http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/33075 |archive-date=February 26, 2010 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web | url=http://politicsinminnesota.com/blog/2010/02/vickerman-to-retire-from-state-senate/ | title=Vickerman to retire from state Senate – Minnesota Lawyer | date=February 22, 2010 }} His term officially ended on January 3, 2011.
Senate representation and leadership
Vickerman, who lived just outside Tracy, represented District 22, including all of Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock counties.{{cite web
|url=http://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=701
|title=District 22
|publisher=Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State
|accessdate=2008-12-04}} Prior to redistricting in the early 1990s, the area was known as District 28, and included all or portions of Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Redwood and Watonwan counties.
Vickerman was chair of the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Committee, and of the Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division of the Finance Committee. He served on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the Finance Committee, the State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee, and the Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Budget Division of the Finance Committee. He also previously served as chair of the Veterans and General Legislation Committee, the State and Local Government Operation Committee, and the Rules and Administration Committee, and as vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. He was Majority Whip from 2003 through 2007.{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10688 | title=Vickerman, James A. "Jim" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present }}
Vickerman served three terms on the Minnesota Rural Health Advisory Committee, being first appointed by Governor Arne Carlson in 1995. He was re-appointed by Governor Jesse Ventura in 1999, and by Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2003.{{Cite web |url=http://www.governor.state.mn.us/mediacenter/pressreleases/appointments/2003/PROD006435.html |title=Governor Pawlenty Appoints Nine to the Rural Healt |access-date=March 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923124202/http://www.governor.state.mn.us/mediacenter/pressreleases/appointments/2003/PROD006435.html |archive-date=September 23, 2006 |url-status=dead }}
Vickerman sponsored legislation and actively promoted the establishment of the Feeding Minnesota Task Force, which brings together leaders from the agriculture community to find ways to best help food banks across Minnesota. He noted that his motivation for creating the task force was because Minnesota's food shelves have a difficult time keeping up with demand, and the agricultural community is in a unique position to ensure that harvested food that is not sold gets to people who need it, rather than going to waste.http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/115670/{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S1507.1.html&session=ls86 |title=S.F. No. 1507, 1st Engrossment - 86th Legislative Session (2009-2010) |access-date=March 24, 2009 |archive-date=February 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214205805/https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S1507.1.html&session=ls86 |url-status=dead }}
Vickerman's special legislative concerns included taxes, the environment and natural resources, health and human services, agriculture, local and metro government and community issues, education, rural health issues, transportation, and veterans.{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10688 | title=Vickerman, James A. "Jim" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present }}
On May 8, 2010, Vickerman received the Walter and Joan Mondale Award for Outstanding Public Service, recognizing distinguished lifetime achievement in public service. The award was presented at the DFL Party's annual Humphrey Day Dinner in Minneapolis.{{Cite web |url=http://windomnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=21951 |title=Sen. Vickerman receives award for public service - News and Sports from Windom, MN and surrounding areas - Windom, MN |access-date=May 20, 2010 |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718053410/http://windomnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=21951 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://dfl.org/news/dfl-honors-senator-ellen-r-anderson-senator-jim-vickerman-and-jan-rein-humphrey-day-dinner |title=DFL Honors Senator Ellen R. Anderson, Senator Jim Vickerman and Jan Rein at Humphrey Day Dinner | Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |access-date=May 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007000316/http://dfl.org/news/dfl-honors-senator-ellen-r-anderson-senator-jim-vickerman-and-jan-rein-humphrey-day-dinner |archive-date=October 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }}
Rural roots and family background
Vickerman was raised in a Minnesota farm family in Murray County. His father was involved in local township government throughout most of the senator's childhood. This early exposure carved a path for Vickerman's second career in politics. He initially participated in local government as a twelve-year member of the area soil and water board, and later served as a Murray County Commissioner, prior to being elected to the Minnesota Senate. He and his wife, Wava, were married in 1950, and are the parents of six children.http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1065&ls=85/ {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} His cousin-in-law Barbara Vickerman also served in the Minnesota legislature.[https://www.leg.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10687 Minnesota Legislators Past & Present Barbara "Barb" Vickerman]
Vickerman died in Marshall, Minnesota, on January 19, 2021, at age 89.{{cite web|url=https://www.marshallindependent.com/news/local-news/2021/01/former-mn-state-sen-jim-vickerman-dies-at-89/ |title=Former MN state Sen. Jim Vickerman dies at 89 |publisher=Marshallindependent.com |date=2020-01-22 |accessdate=2020-01-22}} His wife, Wava, died in Tracy on August 25, 2022, at age 91.{{cite web|url=https://www.wheelherald.com/obituaries/wava-e-vickerman |title=Remembering Wava Vickerman |publisher=www.wheelherald.com |date=2022-09-01 |accessdate=2023-01-10}}
Election result: 1986-2006
{{Election box begin | title=2006 Minnesota Senate District 22 Election}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Jim Vickerman
|votes = 17,683
|percentage = 57.98%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Bill Weber
|votes = 12,789
|percentage = 41.94%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = N/A
|candidate = Write-In
|votes = 24
|percentage = 0.08%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=2002 Minnesota Senate District 22 Election}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Jim Vickerman
|votes = 20,187
|percentage = 62.04%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Alex Frick
|votes = 12,325
|percentage = 37.88%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=2000 Minnesota Senate District 22 Election}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Jim Vickerman
|votes = 19,456
|percentage = 65.11%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Roger Baumann
|votes = 10,425
|percentage = 34.89%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=1996 Minnesota Senate District 22 Election}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Jim Vickerman
|votes = 26,595
|percentage = 83.85%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = No candidate
|votes = 0
|percentage = 0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=1992 Minnesota Senate District 22 Election}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Jim Vickerman
|votes = 21,999
|percentage = 64.17%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Gary Spaeth
|votes = 11,414
|percentage = 33.29%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=1990 Minnesota Senate District 28 Election}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Jim Vickerman
|votes = 13,396
|percentage = 55.60%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Ron Harder
|votes = 10,246
|percentage = 42.53%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=1986 Minnesota Senate District 28 Election}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Jim Vickerman
|votes = 12,986
|percentage = 54.85%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Doran Isackson (Inc.)
|votes = 10,166
|percentage = 42.70%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://stephensfuneralservice.com/obituaries/james-jim-vickerman/174/ James "Jim" Vickerman Obituary]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090405211916/http://www.tpt.org/aatc/person/jim_vickerman Almanac: At the Capitol – Jim Vickerman]
{{MN-legdb|10688}}
- [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=33 Minnesota Public Radio – Votetracker: Jim Vickerman Voting Record]
- [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=3938 Project Vote Smart – Senator Jim Vickerman Profile]
- [http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1065&ls=85/ Senator Vickerman Web Page]
- Campaign Contributions: [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=96917 2008], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=82613 2006], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=75444 2004], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=11033 2002], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=59065 2000], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=36555 1996]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vickerman, Jim}}
Category:People from Tracy, Minnesota
Category:Farmers from Minnesota
Category:County commissioners in Minnesota
Category:Democratic Party Minnesota state senators
Category:People from Murray County, Minnesota