Allen Quist
Encyclopedia
Allen J. Quist is a Minnesota
politician, a former state representative
, and a two-time candidate for governor
of the state.
, Quist was first elected to the House in 1982. He served four terms, retiring in 1989. He represented the old District 23B, which included portions of Blue Earth
, Brown
, Le Sueur
, Nicollet
and Renville
counties in the south central part of the state. He chaired the Health and Human Services Subcommittee on Social Services during the 1985-1986 biennium.
In December 1986, Quist's first wife, Diane, died in a car accident. He subsequently married conservative activist Julie Morse in 1987. He has ten children, nine by his first wife and one by his second.
in the 1994 gubernatorial election
, with former U.S. Senate candidate Doug McFarland
as his running mate. He campaigned on the premise that the pro-choice
Carlson was too liberal to lead the Republican Party. Although he won endorsement at his party's convention, he was soundly defeated by Carlson in the state's open primary. He ran for governor again in 1998, but withdrew before the state convention in favor of Saint Paul
Mayor Norm Coleman
.
in the 2010 race against incumbent Representative Tim Walz
.
In early December, Quist claimed that a marriage penalty exists in the U.S. House and Senate health care bills. The information he discovered was quickly picked up by the media, tax reform organizations, and other politicians.
Quist garnered some controversy for his December 7, 2009, speech at a Christmas Party of the Wabasha County
Republicans. The following remarks (included in the speech which lasted a total of seven and a half minutes) were criticized by some members of the media:
"“Our country is being destroyed. Every generation has had to fight the fight for freedom… Terrorism? Yes. That’s not the big battle,” he said. “The big battle is in D.C. with the radicals. They aren’t liberals. They are radicals. Obama, Pelosi, Walz: They’re not liberals, they’re radicals. They are destroying our country.”
Quist also spoke against the health care bill at the event. “This is the most insidious, evil piece of legislation I have ever seen in my life… Every one of us has to be totally committed to killing this travesty… I have to kill this bill.”
Following the Christmas Day 2009 terror plot, Representative Walz sought to exploit Quist's month-old remark in a fundraising email to his supporters.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician, a former state representative
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
, and a two-time candidate for governor
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
of the state.
State representative
A RepublicanRepublican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
, Quist was first elected to the House in 1982. He served four terms, retiring in 1989. He represented the old District 23B, which included portions of Blue Earth
Blue Earth County, Minnesota
Blue Earth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 64,013. Its county seat is Mankato.Blue Earth County is part of the Mankato–North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Brown
Brown County, Minnesota
Brown County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 25,893. Its county seat is New Ulm.-Geography:...
, Le Sueur
Le Sueur County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,426 people, 9,630 households, and 6,923 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile . There were 10,858 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
, Nicollet
Nicollet County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,771 people, 10,642 households, and 7,311 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile . There were 11,240 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
and Renville
Renville County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,154 people, 6,779 households, and 4,623 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile . There were 7,413 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
counties in the south central part of the state. He chaired the Health and Human Services Subcommittee on Social Services during the 1985-1986 biennium.
In December 1986, Quist's first wife, Diane, died in a car accident. He subsequently married conservative activist Julie Morse in 1987. He has ten children, nine by his first wife and one by his second.
1994 and 1998 gubernatorial runs
A conservative stalwart, Quist challenged incumbent Governor Arne CarlsonArne Carlson
Arne Helge Carlson, Sr. is an American politician and the 37th Governor of the state of Minnesota.-Early years, education and family:...
in the 1994 gubernatorial election
Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1994
The 1994 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1994. Republican Party of Minnesota candidate Arne Carlson defeated Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party challenger John Marty.-Results:-General election:...
, with former U.S. Senate candidate Doug McFarland
Doug McFarland
Douglas Dale McFarland is a college professor at Hamline University and is a Minnesota politician.-Biography and Titles:...
as his running mate. He campaigned on the premise that the pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
Carlson was too liberal to lead the Republican Party. Although he won endorsement at his party's convention, he was soundly defeated by Carlson in the state's open primary. He ran for governor again in 1998, but withdrew before the state convention in favor of Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
Mayor Norm Coleman
Norm Coleman
Norman Bertram Coleman, Jr. is an American attorney and politician. He was a United States senator from Minnesota from 2003 to 2009. Coleman was elected in 2002 and served in the 108th, 109th, and 110th Congresses. Before becoming a senator, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota, from 1994 to 2002...
.
2010 Congressional race
On November 19, 2009, Quist announced his candidacy for U.S. Representative in Minnesota's 1st Congressional DistrictMinnesota's 1st congressional district
Minnesota's 1st congressional district extends across southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin. The First District is primarily a rural district built on a strong history of agriculture, although this is changing rapidly due to strong population growth in...
in the 2010 race against incumbent Representative Tim Walz
Tim Walz
Timothy James Walz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party .The district comprises the state's southern end, running along the entire border with Iowa...
.
In early December, Quist claimed that a marriage penalty exists in the U.S. House and Senate health care bills. The information he discovered was quickly picked up by the media, tax reform organizations, and other politicians.
Quist garnered some controversy for his December 7, 2009, speech at a Christmas Party of the Wabasha County
Wabasha County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,610 people, 8,277 households, and 5,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile . There were 9,066 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
Republicans. The following remarks (included in the speech which lasted a total of seven and a half minutes) were criticized by some members of the media:
"“Our country is being destroyed. Every generation has had to fight the fight for freedom… Terrorism? Yes. That’s not the big battle,” he said. “The big battle is in D.C. with the radicals. They aren’t liberals. They are radicals. Obama, Pelosi, Walz: They’re not liberals, they’re radicals. They are destroying our country.”
Quist also spoke against the health care bill at the event. “This is the most insidious, evil piece of legislation I have ever seen in my life… Every one of us has to be totally committed to killing this travesty… I have to kill this bill.”
Following the Christmas Day 2009 terror plot, Representative Walz sought to exploit Quist's month-old remark in a fundraising email to his supporters.