# Steve Simon

Steve Simon (born December 12, 1969) is an American politician from the state of Minnesota serving as the 22nd Minnesota Secretary of State. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he previously represented District 46B in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

## Early life, education, and career

Simon graduated from Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, then went on to Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, receiving his B.A. in Political Science in 1992. He earned his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1996. He worked as an assistant attorney general for Minnesota attorneys general Hubert H. Humphrey III and Mike Hatch from 1996 to 2001, and has been an associate with the law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller, and Ciresi since 2001.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

Simon was first elected in 2004, and was re-elected in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012.
On Monday, May 2, 2011, Simon testified regarding and opposed a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Minnesota. His comments drew national attention: "How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around?"

## 2014, 2018 and 2022 Minnesota Secretary of State campaigns

On August 6, 2013, Simon announced his candidacy in the 2014 Minnesota Secretary of State election. He narrowly defeated Republican nominee Dan Severson. In 2018, Simon was reelected by a fairly large margin over Republican nominee John Howe. In 2022, he was reelected over Republican nominee Kim Crockett by an even larger margin. As of 2023, Simon has never lost an election.

## Personal life

Steve Simon is married to Leia Christoffer Simon, and they have two children together. Active in his local community, Simon is a member of the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, the American Cancer Society, the local League of Women Voters, the St. Louis Park Community Education Advisory Council, and the Lenox Foundation, which raises funds for the St. Louis Park Senior Program. He is a member of Temple Israel, serves on the board of the Minnesota Chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council, and is an attorney.

## Electoral history

Minnesota House of Representatives District 44A Election, 2004 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 11,643 | 55.55 |
| Republican | Jim Rhodes | 9,272 | 44.23 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 46 | 0.22 |
Minnesota House of Representatives District 44A Election, 2006 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon (inc.) | 10,886 | 70.21 |
| Republican | Jason Van Buren | 4,590 | 29.60 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 29 | 0.19 |
Minnesota House of Representatives District 44A Election, 2008 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon (inc.) | 14,394 | 68.54 |
| Republican | Tracy Leahy | 6,553 | 31.20 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 53 | 0.25 |
Minnesota House of Representatives District 44A Election, 2010 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon (inc.) | 9,538 | 65.36 |
| Republican | Stephen Manderfeld | 5,031 | 34.48 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 24 | 0.16 |
Minnesota House of Representatives District 46B Election, 2012 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 14,956 | 69.98 |
| Republican | David Arvidson | 6,372 | 29.81 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 45 | 0.21 |
Minnesota Secretary of State DFL Primary Election, 2014 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 65,634 | 42.67 |
| DFL | "Dick" Franson | 44,700 | 29.06 |
| DFL | Gregg Iverson | 43,478 | 28.27 |
Minnesota Secretary of State Election, 2014 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 901,450 | 47.04 |
| Republican | Dan Severson | 879,022 | 45.87 |
| Independence | Bob Helland | 94,065 | 4.91 |
| Libertarian | Bob Odden | 40,729 | 2.13 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 1,134 | 0.06 |
Minnesota Secretary of State Election, 2018 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 1,328,502 | 52.25 |
| Republican | John Howe | 1,109,093 | 43.62 |
| Independence | William Denney | 103,610 | 4.91 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 1317 | 0.05 |
Minnesota Secretary of State Election, 2022 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| DFL | Steve Simon | 1,345,678 | 54.5 |
| Republican | Kim Crockett | 1,119,954 | 45.4 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 2,095 | 0.08 |