Matt Blunt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matt Blunt
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Official portrait, 2005
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| 54th Governor of Missouri | |
| In office January 10, 2005 – January 12, 2009 |
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| Lieutenant | Peter Kinder |
| Preceded by | Bob Holden |
| Succeeded by | Jay Nixon |
| 37th Secretary of State of Missouri | |
| In office January 8, 2001 – January 10, 2005 |
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| Governor | Bob Holden |
| Preceded by | Bekki Cook |
| Succeeded by | Robin Carnahan |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 139th district |
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| In office January 6, 1999 – January 8, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Phillip Wannemacher |
| Succeeded by | Brad Roark |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Matthew Roy Blunt
November 20, 1970 Greene County, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Melanie Anderson
(m. 1997) |
| Relations | Leroy Blunt (grandfather) Roy Blunt (father) Andrew Blunt (brother) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Springfield, Missouri, U.S. |
| Education | United States Naval Academy (BA) |
| Profession | Naval officer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Rank |  Lieutenant commander |
| Battles/wars | Operation Support Democracy Operation Enduring Freedom |
| Awards | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (4) |
Matthew Roy Blunt (born November 20, 1970) is an American politician and former naval officer. He served as the 54th governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before becoming governor, he was an officer in the United States Navy and the Missouri secretary of state.
As a member of the Republican Party, Blunt won the 2004 Missouri gubernatorial election. At the same time, Republicans won a majority in the Missouri General Assembly (the state's legislature). This made it easier for Blunt to pass new laws. At age 33, he was the second-youngest person ever elected governor of Missouri.
After serving one term, Blunt decided not to run for re-election. In 2011, he became the president of the American Automotive Policy Council. This group represents major American car companies in Washington, D.C. His father, Roy Blunt, was also a well-known politician who served as a U.S. Senator for Missouri.
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Early Life and Education
Matt Blunt was born in 1970 in Greene County, Missouri. His parents are politician Roy Blunt and Roseann Ray Blunt. His father was first elected to office in 1984. He became the Secretary of State for Missouri.
Matt Blunt went to Jefferson City High School in Jefferson City, Missouri. After high school, he was accepted into the United States Naval Academy. He earned a bachelor's degree in history there in 1993.
Blunt married Melanie Anderson in May 1997. They have two sons. William Branch Blunt was born in 2005. Brooks Anderson Blunt was born in 2010. Blunt is a member of several groups. These include the State Historical Society of Missouri and the American Legion. He is also part of the Missouri Farm Bureau.
As an officer in the United States Navy, Blunt served on two ships: the USS Jack Williams and the USS Peterson. His duties included being an engineering officer and a navigator.
He took part in several missions during his time on active duty. This included Operation Uphold Democracy, which involved a United Nations blockade of Haiti. ..... For his service, Blunt received many awards, including four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Blunt was called back to active duty. At the time, he was serving as Missouri's secretary of state. He served for six months in Great Britain as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He continued to do his job as secretary of state while serving in the military. He held the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserve.
Early Political Career
In 1998, Blunt was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. He represented the 139th legislative district for two years. In 2000, he was elected Missouri Secretary of State. He was a first-term state representative at the time. Blunt defeated Steve Gaw, who was the Speaker of the Missouri House.
Blunt was the only Republican elected to a statewide office in Missouri in 2000. He won the general election on November 7, 2000. He defeated Democratic opponent Steve Gaw with 51.4% of the vote. Gaw received 45.1%. Blunt was 29 on election day. He became the youngest person ever to win a statewide office in Missouri. His father had won the same office at age 34.
As Secretary of State, Blunt supported a state election reform bill in 2002. This bill was supported by both Republicans and Democrats. In 2004, Blunt made a rule. All electronic voting machines bought by the state had to produce a paper record for voters.
Governor of Missouri
How He Became Governor in 2004
In the 2004 election for governor, Blunt easily won the Republican primary. In the main election, he ran against Claire McCaskill, the Democratic candidate.
During their debates, Blunt and McCaskill discussed their different levels of experience. Blunt also talked about his support for an amendment to the state constitution about marriage. He described himself as someone who would bring change to Missouri. President George W. Bush helped him during his campaign.
Blunt won the election with strong support from rural areas of the state. He received 50.83% of the vote, becoming Missouri's second-youngest governor.
His Time as Governor
When Blunt became governor in 2005, his party controlled both the governor's office and the state legislature. This was the first time this had happened in Missouri in over 80 years. This made it easier for him and his allies to pass new laws.
Blunt and the legislature passed laws they believed would help businesses and create jobs. These included changes to the state's legal system and workers' compensation laws (rules for when people get hurt at work).
State Budget and Programs
Blunt believed he needed to cut state spending to balance the budget without raising taxes. Some of these cuts were to social programs that helped families.
Later in his term, he started the MO HealthNet program. This program was designed to give people more healthcare choices and reward them for healthy habits. He also created the Missouri Accountability Portal (MAP), a website that shows citizens how the state spends their tax money.
New Laws and Policies
During his time as governor, Blunt signed many new laws.
- Education: He increased state funding for schools each year. He also approved money for college construction projects and expanded scholarship programs.
- Gun Laws: He signed bills that expanded the right for people to carry firearms in Missouri.
- Energy: In 2006, he signed a law requiring gasoline in Missouri to contain 10% ethanol. He also supported other energy sources like wind and solar power. In 2008, he created a one-week sales tax holiday for people buying energy-efficient appliances.
- Immigration: He signed a bill that set new rules for immigration in Missouri.
Promoting Science
Blunt worked to make Missouri a center for bioscience (the study of living things). He created the Missouri Life Sciences Trust Fund and the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative. These programs used state money to support science research and new technology companies.
Decision Not to Run Again
In January 2008, Blunt surprised many people by announcing he would not run for a second term. At the time, polls showed he was behind the likely Democratic candidate, Jay Nixon. His approval ratings had been low early in his term but had risen to 57% by early 2008.
Life After Being Governor
After leaving office, Blunt worked for several companies. He was an advisor for a private equity firm and a consultant for lobbying and consulting firms.
In 2011, Blunt became the president of the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC). The AAPC is a group that represents America's "Big Three" car companies: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. His experience as governor of a major car-producing state was a key reason he was chosen for the job.
Blunt has continued to speak out on issues like government spending, education, and improving public schools.
