Yvonne Prettner Solon

{{Infobox officeholder

| image name= Governor of Minnesota German Delegates (8189164664) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Prettner Solon in 2012

| name = Yvonne Prettner Solon

| office = Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota

| order = 47th

| term_start = January 3, 2011

| governor=Mark Dayton

| term_end = January 5, 2015

| preceded = Carol Molnau

| succeeded = Tina Smith

| state2 = Minnesota

| state_senate2 = Minnesota

| district2 = 7th

| term_start2 = February 4, 2002

| term_end2= January 3, 2011

| preceded2 = Sam Solon

| succeeded2 = Roger Reinert

| majority =

| party = Democratic

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|02|03|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

| alma_mater = University of Minnesota Duluth (BSD, MA)

| occupation = psychologist, legislator

| spouse = Sam Solon (deceased)

| children = 2

| residence = Duluth, Minnesota

| religion =

}}

Yvonne Prettner Solon (born February 3, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 47th lieutenant governor of Minnesota,{{cite web|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/04/democrat-dayton-wins-minnesota-gov-recount/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205165125/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/04/democrat-dayton-wins-minnesota-gov-recount/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2010 |title=Democrat Dayton wins Minnesota Gov. recount |publisher=CNN |date=2010-12-04 |access-date=2010-12-04}} from 2011 to 2015. She is the sixth consecutive woman to serve in that capacity and is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. She served with Governor Mark Dayton, who successfully ran for reelection, while she chose to retire at the end of her term.{{cite news | author=Brian Bakst| title=Minn. Lt. Gov. Prettner Solon says no to 2nd term | newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle | url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Minn-LG-Prettner-Solon-says-no-to-2nd-term-5141482.php | date= January 14, 2014 | access-date= January 14, 2014}}{{cite news | author=Briana Bierschbach| title=Lt. Gov. Prettner Solon, announcing she won't run again, reflects on highlights, limited role | newspaper= MinnPost | url=http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2014/01/lt-gov-prettner-solon-announcing-she-won-t-run-again-reflects-highlights-lim | date= January 14, 2014 | access-date= January 15, 2014}}{{cite news | author=Tim Pugmire| title=Lt. Gov. Prettner Solon not running for re-election | newspaper= Minnesota Public Radio | url=http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/01/14/politics/prettner-solon?from=hp | date= January 14, 2014 | access-date= January 14, 2014}}

Education

Prettner Solon completed her secondary education at Stanbrook Hall Preparatory School, a Roman Catholic school for girls in Duluth, Minnesota. She received a B.S.D. and a M.A. from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

State Senate

Prettner Solon was a member of the Minnesota Senate representing District 7, which includes portions of St. Louis County in the northeastern part of the state. She was first elected in a January 2002 special election held after the death of her husband, Senator Sam Solon, on December 28, 2001. She was reelected in 2002 and 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10743 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Prettner Solon, Yvonne |publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |access-date=2010-07-20}} Her special legislative concerns included economic development, education, health care, the environment, transportation, and jobs.{{cite web|url=http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=10743 |title=Senator Yvonne Prettner Solon DFL District 07 |publisher=Minnesota Senate |access-date=2010-07-20}}

=Committees=

Prettner Solon was a member of the Senate's Capital Investment Committee, the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, the Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications Committee (which she chairs), and the Health, Housing and Family Security Committee. She also served on the Finance Subcommittee for the Health and Human Services Budget Division.

Lieutenant governor

On May 24, 2010, gubernatorial candidate and former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton announced that Prettner Solon would be his lieutenant governor running mate in the 2010 election.{{cite web|url=http://politicsinminnesota.com/blog/2010/05/dayton-picks-prettner-solon-for-lg-running-mate/ |title=Dayton picks Prettner Solon for LG running mate |publisher=Politics in Minnesota |date=2010-05-24 |access-date=2010-07-20}} In choosing her, Dayton said that "her thoughtful, sensitive and visionary leadership and public service are further informed by her life experiences, which have forged a woman I deeply respect and admire." Her selection was seen as bringing balance to the Dayton campaign.{{cite web|url=http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2010/05/24/18413/daytons_choice_of_solon_gives_ticket_regional_and_gender_balance |title=Dayton's choice of Solon gives ticket regional and gender balance |publisher=Minn Post |date=2010-05-24 |access-date=2010-11-04}}

On August 10, 2010, the Dayton-Prettner Solon ticket narrowly defeated Margaret Anderson Kelliher to earn the DFL nomination and a spot in the November general election. After a close election that included a recount, Dayton and Prettner Solon defeated Republican nominees Tom Emmer and Annette Meeks in the November general election.{{cite web|url=http://threewisemenblog.com/2010/12/04/democrat-wins-last-outstanding-governors-race/|title=Democrat wins last outstanding governor's race|date=4 December 2010|access-date=12 May 2017}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change| title=Minnesota Senate Election District 7, 2002{{cite web|url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/campaign2002/ap/results_legis15.shtml |title=Campaign 2002 Minnesota - Legislature Districts 1-15 |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=2010-11-04}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party

|candidate = Yvonne Prettner Solon (incumbent)

|votes = 19,314

|percentage = 73%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Justin Krych

|votes = 7,128

|percentage = 27%

}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=Minnesota Senate Election District 7, 2006{{cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/2006/campaign/results/stsenate_dist.php?district=07 |title=Campaign 2006 - Election results: Minnesota Senate District 7 |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |date=2009-07-01 |access-date=2010-11-04}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party

|candidate = Yvonne Prettner Solon (incumbent)

|votes = 21,861

|percentage = 74.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Steve Khalar

|votes = 7,243

|percentage = 24.8%

}}

References

External links

[http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1061&ls=85 Senator Prettner Solon Web Page]
[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=18 Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Prettner Solon]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110726190011/http://www.ironrangeresources.org/_site_components/lists/aboutrangeview/RV08Fall.pdf Iron Range Resources Board Profile: Yvonne Prettner Solon - Fall 2008 p.7]

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota|years=2010}}