Peter Kinder

Lieutenant Governor of Missouri

Peter Kinder was elected Missouri's 46th lieutenant governor on November 2, 2004. On November 4, 2008, he was re-elected to a second term, and on November 6, 2012, he became only the second Missourian in state history to win the office three times, carrying 110 of Missouri's 114 counties.<br /> <br /> As lieutenant governor, Kinder has championed issues affecting Missouri's seniors and veterans. He also led a lawsuit by Missouri citizens against the nation's healthcare law. On August 4, 2010, by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, Missouri voters passed Proposition C, rejecting the federal law's mandate to purchase health insurance. Kinder's lawsuit sought to have the individual mandate declared unconstitutional.<br /> <br /> Prior to his election as Lieutenant Governor, Kinder served for 12 years in the Missouri Senate, representing the counties of Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, Perry and Scott. In 2001, Republicans gained a majority in the Senate. As a result, Kinder's colleagues elected him President Pro Tem, the Senate's top elected official. He was the first Republican to hold that position in 53 years.<br /> <br /> As lieutenant governor, Kinder is the official Senior Advocate for Missouri, and during his Senate service he was known for his work on behalf of the state's senior residents. He sponsored and passed the Elderly Protection Act of 2003, which increased the penalties for elder abuse crimes. With his leadership, Missouri crafted the Missouri Senior Rx plan, providing prescription drug coverage for the poorest seniors. In 2006, Lt. Governor Kinder was instrumental in passing the Assisted Living Bill, a top priority for many senior advocacy groups. This legislation gives seniors more options and choice in the type of long-term care facility they want to call home.<br /> <br /> Kinder has led the fight on issues affecting Missouri's veterans. In 2005, he proposed and helped to pass the Missouri Military Family Relief Fund, which benefits family members of the Missouri National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been called to active duty.