Jim Meffert

Jim Meffert (born 1967) is the executive director of the Minnesota Optometric Association and the former president of the Minnesota Parent-Teacher Association. Meffert lives in Edina, Minnesota and is the Democratic nominee for Minnesota's Third Congressional District. 

Background
Jim grew up in Marshall, Minnesota. His father was a teacher and his mother worked at an accounting firm, and both were actively involved in the community.

After graduating from Marshall Senior High School in 1985, Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Though he majored in political science, he spent much of his time in the music department playing percussion in the St. Olaf Band and Jazz Band. That is where he met his future wife, Karrin, who played clarinet. Karrin and Jim married in 1991. In 1992, they moved to Chicago so Karrin could attend graduate school at Northwestern University.

In Chicago, Jim worked for the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons on such issues as coverage for reconstruction after mastectomy and cleft lip and palate repair. He also worked to ensure that access to burn care and reconstructive surgery was included in the Clinton Health Plan proposals. He went on to work at the American Medical Association where his job depended on Jim’s skills as a consensus builder, and he was successful in finding agreement among groups and policymakers who did not often agree.

Jim and Karrin returned to Edina, Minnesota to raise their three children in a state with a strong cultural commitment to public education. Alex, Noah, and Katy all attend Edina public schools. Jim and Karrin served as Co-Presidents of the Parent Teacher Association at their children’s elementary school and Jim then served on the Minnesota State PTA board, where he served as president. Jim has also chaired the Minnesota Children’s Platform Coalition, a statewide network of child advocacy and related organizations. He is currently serving on the P-20 Partnership for Education and the Steering Committee for the “Rethinking Public Education” project by the Growth &amp; Justice Foundation.

Since 1998, Jim has worked full time as the executive director of the Minnesota Optometric Association.

2010 Election
On December 1, 2009, Meffert entered the campaign to unseat Erik Paulsen in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District. Meffert won the DFL endorsement in April 2010, edging out forensic psychiatrist Maureen Hackett.

On the Issues
Jim Meffert will be focusing on a number of different issues in the 2010 election.


 * Financial Reform: Jim understands the current financial crisis the country is in and wishes to prevent such a situation from occurring again. In order to prevent the domino effect that helped create the crisis, Jim wants to keep financial firms focused solely on their main purpose. When a firm does fail, it should be shut down and liquidated - no more taxpayer-funded bailouts. Jim has also made it a priority to protect consumers and guarantee fair financial products, which means stopping credit card companies from charging hidden fees and using teaser rates to lure consumers in.
 * Energy: Jim believes we need to create an energy policy that will produce safe and reliable power over the long term without risking the enormous devastation that we have seen with the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. The incumbent Republican Erik Paulsen has advocated strongly for offshore drilling and said the environmental risks are low.

Articles and resources
Tom Scheck, "Meffert considers a run in the 3rd," Minnesota Public Radio News, October 12, 2009.

Eric Black, "Jim Meffert officially enters Third CD race to challenge Erik Paulsen," Minn Post, December 1, 2009.

Doug Grow, "3rd District Democrat Jim Meffert says he's ready for his steep uphill run against Rep. Erik Paulsen," Minn Post,  April 16, 2010.

External Links

 * Jim Meffert for Congress
 * Jim Meffert on Facebook
 * Jim Meffert on Twitter