John Steven Lesmeister (October 3, 1955 – February 28, 2006) was a North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

 politician who served as the 30th North Dakota State Treasurer

North Dakota State Treasurer

The North Dakota State Treasurer is a political office in North Dakota. The treasurer's duty is to assure sound financial oversight and absolute safety of all public funds collected, managed, and disbursed. The Office of the State Treasurer is separated into five divisions: Administration,...

 from 1981 to 1984.

Biography

Lesmeister was born in Dickinson, North Dakota

Dickinson, North Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,010 people, 6,517 households, and 4,020 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,690.7 inhabitants per square mile . There were 7,033 housing units at an average density of 742.7 per square mile...

, and grew up in Halliday, North Dakota

Halliday, North Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 227 people, 117 households, and 62 families residing in the city. The population density was 489.6 people per square mile . There were 155 housing units at an average density of 334.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 92.51% White, 6.17% Native...

, where he was graduated from high school in 1973.

After earning a history and English degree four years later from the University of Mary

University of Mary

The University of Mary is a four year Catholic university near Bismarck, North Dakota.The university is the largest degree granting institution in Bismarck...

 in Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...

, he sold real estate

Real estate broker

A real estate broker, real estate agent or realtor is a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate/real property and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy...

 and was Mary's admissions coordinator before he ran for state treasurer. He won the Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 endorsement in 1980 at age 25.

A Republican, Lesmeister was elected state treasurer in 1980, narrowly defeating incumbent Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 Bob Hanson

Robert E. Hanson

Robert E. Hanson is a North Dakota politician who served as the North Dakota State Treasurer from 1979 to 1980 and from 1985 to 1992 and as North Dakota Tax Commissioner from 1993 to 1996.-References:...

. Hanson ran against Lesmeister four years later and ousted him in another close race.

After the loss, Lesmeister ran unsuccessfully for state labor commissioner

North Dakota Labor Commissioner

In the U.S. state of North Dakota, the Commissioner of Labor, commonly referred to as Labor Commissioner, is an appointed official who heads the North Dakota Department of Labor...

 in 1986—it was an elected office at the time—and briefly sought Republican support two years later to run for secretary of state

North Dakota Secretary of State

The North Dakota Secretary of State is an elected office in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The current Secretary of State is Alvin Jaeger. The general duties of the Secretary of State include being the custodian of the state's Great Seal and other official state documents, recording the official...

.

He moved to Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...

, in 1990, where he worked at Innovis Health

Innovis Health

Innovis Health, located in Fargo, North Dakota, is an integrated healthcare system consisting of an 104-bed hospital and 21-clinic system serving eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota...

 and as a substitute teacher

Substitute teacher

A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is unavailable; e.g., because of illness, personal leave, or other reasons. "Substitute teacher" is the most commonly used phrase in the United States, Canada and Ireland, while supply teacher is the most commonly...

.

Lesmeister died in Fargo, North Dakota, on February 28, 2006, of natural causes

Death by natural causes

A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...

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