Mary Stephens

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Mary Stephens

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Danville, Pa.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

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Mary Stephens (Republican Party) ran for election to the Minnesota State Senate to represent District 53. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Stephens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Mary Stephens was born in Danville, Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor's degree with distinction from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1977. She earned a J.D. cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in 1981. She attended Cambridge University, Queens College for graduate study in 1979.

Stephens' career experience includes working as an attorney, arbitrator, and mediator. Stephens has served as a city council member with the City of Woodbury, Minnesota, as a chair with the Housing & Redevelopment Authority in Woodbury, and as a president with the Economic Development Authority in Woodbury.

Stephens has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• Transportation Advisory Board, board member
• Women Owners of Woodbury, member
• Woodbury Area Chamber of Commerce, member and former board member
• Woodbury Lion's Club, member
• Youth Service Bureau Board, board member

Elections

2020

See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Minnesota State Senate District 53

Incumbent Susan Kent defeated Mary Stephens in the general election for Minnesota State Senate District 53 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susan Kent (D)	54.1	29,544
		Mary Stephens (R)	45.8	25,030
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	55

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 54,629
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 53

Incumbent Susan Kent defeated Marquita Stephens in the Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 53 on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susan Kent	66.3	6,318
		Marquita Stephens	33.7	3,214

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,532
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 53

Mary Stephens advanced from the Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 53 on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Stephens	100.0	2,889

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,889
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mary Stephens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Stephens' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Rochester, Minnesota where my father served patients as a doctor at the Mayo Clinic and my mother raised six children and volunteered in the community. I attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and received a bachelor's degree in political science and speech communications. I earned a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law and went to work for Moore, Costello & Hart, eventually becoming a partner specializing in construction litigation. I also worked as an arbitrator and mediator with the American Arbitration Association and as president of the Woodbury Economic Development Authority.

I served on the Woodbury City Council before being elected Mayor of Woodbury. (2007-2018) Woodbury was consistently rated among the top places to live in America, and as Mayor, I presided over significant growth and job creation in the city's economy due to an outreach program we undertook with local businesses to make sure they were positioned for success at the end of the last recession.

My husband, Greg, and I have lived in Woodbury for more than 35 years. We have two married adult children and two grandchildren. I have been active in community organizations as both a leader and a volunteer, including the Youth Service Bureau Board, Regional Council of Mayors, Transportation Advisory Board, Woodbury Area Chamber of Commerce, Woodbury Area Community Foundation, and Woodbury Lion's Club, and the Woodbury Athletic Association Soccer Board. We worship at Eaglebrook.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• After a year away from the mayor's office I miss working for my neighbors, solving problems and getting things done. That is why, with the encouragement of many, I am seeking to return to public service as a candidate for Minnesota State Senate.
• I want to bring the success we have in Woodbury, where our economic growth and civic pride are booming, to the Minnesota State Senate.
• The families of Woodbury, Maplewood, Oakdale, and Landfall deserve a State Senator dedicated full-time to the needs of the communities in which they live and a state government they can trust with their tax dollars.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare: Access to healthcare at affordable prices is important to our families and businesses. I will work to support policies that improve access to health care, provide price transparency, and reduce the cost of health care. Education: Education is one thing Minnesota's Constitution ascribes as a duty of the state, yet too often results are not the criteria prioritized in the state's budget. I am committed to education policy that puts kids first. Transportation: Commuters trying to get to and home from work and businesses moving their product to market require a safe and efficient transportation system. I will support investments in transportation that enhance business productivity and competitiveness , ensure safety and reduce time stuck in traffic. Economy & Taxes: Families and businesses in Minnesota work hard and are the backbone of a growing economy. I will support policies that reward their hard work and provide tax relief, allowing families to keep more of their hard earned money.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father. He was not an attorney or politician, so I didn't follow in his footsteps in that way. It is who he is and what he models in his everyday life that I admire and want to follow. My father made it clear he didn't care what we did when we grew up as long as we did it to the best of our ability. He always said: "If you are going to do something, do it right or don't do it at all." And my father modeled this behavior, whether raising a family, practicing as a cardiologist, or taking care of my mother around the clock when she developed Alzheimer's.
He was always there when we needed him, despite his demanding career. As I look back, I realize all the personal sacrifices he made. But to him they weren't sacrifices at all. He accomplished a tremendous amount: board certified cardiology and internal medicine; wrote a cardiology test book; discovered a new heart sound; diagnosed, treated, taught and published; set up an Echo lab and much more. As we were growing up he never talked about his accomplishments. He wanted us to learn the more important things. My father is a man of character and integrity. He is trustworthy, authentic, and likable. He treats everyone the same- titles never mattered to him. He is the same man in private as he is in public. He is humble, knows how to set priorities, work hard and is a lifelong learner. My father just celebrated his 93rd birthday.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Competency, character, and communication. Competency: Elected officials should have a desire and willingness to study, ask good questions, learn about the processes and the issues they are being called to act upon. Character: Elected offices should act with high integrity in private as well as in public. Communication: It is a two way street. An elected official should be able to communicate clearly and consistently. But they must also be good listeners, willing to listen to all sides.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have been told by others that I am a problem solver, servant leader approachable, collaborative, and a hard worker with endurance and resilience.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Amazing Grace. Even though my mother did not know her husband or children and her memory had faded she could still hum on key the song "Amazing Grace."

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, it is important to build relationships with other legislators and not just those from your own party. Working together, problem solving, and consensus building are some of the key elements in the legislative process. As an attorney, mediator, and mayor, I have learned that to be successful in these elements you must develop good, genuine relationships. It is important to be a good listener. In addition, it is important to understand where others are coming from in their positions and how it fits in with the overall policy issues and bills being discussed and working their way through the process. Getting to know one another develops those relationships and builds trust. Trust results in more collaboration and cooperation and allows you to get things done for those you were elected to serve.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I believe my experience as a city councilmember and mayor would allow me to use my knowledge of local government, taxes, economic development, and transportation in a way most helpful to the constituents I hope to serve.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Having served in local elected office for 12 years, there are many stories I could share. One that comes to mind is how, after 76 years, Harold Gifford and his sister, Joan Shoen, were finally able to welcome home their brother, Seaman Quentin Gifford. Radio 2nd Class Quentin Gifford was 22 years old when his ship the USS Oklahoma, capsized after being struck by torpedoes on Dec. 7, 1941. On May 11, 2018, Seaman Gifford's remains were flown to Minneapolis by Delta Airlines and then brought to the Wulff Funeral Home in Woodbury, Minnesota, for receiving with honors. I had the privilege of meeting Harold Gifford and sharing in that long awaited reunion. Harold took time to share stories. He is a great story teller and has a wonderful sense of humor. I learned about the gratitude he has for his brother for steering him in the right direction in life, how he had flown over the South Pacific, about his family and how he piloted the plan be that landed the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers safely in a cornfield.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Minnesota State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Bobby Champion

Majority Leader:Erin Murphy

Minority Leader:Mark Johnson

Senators

District 1

Mark Johnson (R)

District 2

Steve Green (R)

District 3

Grant Hauschild (D)

District 4

Rob Kupec (D)

District 5

Paul Utke (R)

District 6

Keri Heintzeman (R)

District 7

Robert Farnsworth (R)

District 8

Jen McEwen (D)

District 9

Jordan Rasmusson (R)

District 10

Nathan Wesenberg (R)

District 11

Jason Rarick (R)

District 12

Torrey Westrom (R)

District 13

Jeff Howe (R)

District 14

Aric Putnam (D)

District 15

Gary Dahms (R)

District 16

Andrew Lang (R)

District 17

Glenn Gruenhagen (R)

District 18

Nick Frentz (D)

District 19

John Jasinski (R)

District 20

Steve Drazkowski (R)

District 21

Bill Weber (R)

District 22

Rich Draheim (R)

District 23

Gene Dornink (R)

District 24

Carla Nelson (R)

District 25

Liz Boldon (D)

District 26

Jeremy Miller (R)

District 27

Andrew Mathews (R)

District 28

Mark Koran (R)

District 29

Vacant

District 30

Eric Lucero (R)

District 31

Calvin Bahr (R)

District 32

Michael Kreun (R)

District 33

Karin Housley (R)

District 34

John Hoffman (D)

District 35

Jim Abeler (R)

District 36

Heather Gustafson (D)

District 37

Warren Limmer (R)

District 38

Susan Pha (D)

District 39

Mary Kunesh-Podein (D)

District 40

John Marty (D)

District 41

Judy Seeberger (D)

District 42

Bonnie Westlin (D)

District 43

Ann Rest (D)

District 44

Tou Xiong (D)

District 45

Ann Stewart (D)

District 46

Ron Latz (D)

District 47

Vacant

District 48

Julia Coleman (R)

District 49

Steve Cwodzinski (D)

District 50

Alice Mann (D)

District 51

Melissa Wiklund (D)

District 52

Jim Carlson (D)

District 53

Matt Klein (D)

District 54

Eric Pratt (R)

District 55

Lindsey Port (D)

District 56

Erin Maye Quade (D)

District 57

Zach Duckworth (R)

District 58

Bill Lieske (R)

District 59

Bobby Champion (D)

District 60

Doron Clark (D)

District 61

Scott Dibble (D)

District 62

Omar Fateh (D)

District 63

Zaynab Mohamed (D)

District 64

Erin Murphy (D)

District 65

Sandra Pappas (D)

District 66

Clare Oumou Verbeten (D)

District 67

Foung Hawj (D)

Democratic Party (33)

Republican Party (32)

Vacancies (2)