Ruth Ann Minner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruth Ann Minner
72nd Governor of Delaware
In office January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2009
Lieutenant	John Carney
Preceded by	Tom Carper
Succeeded by	Jack Markell
23rd Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
In office January 19, 1993 – January 3, 2001
Governor	Tom Carper
Preceded by	Dale E. Wolf
Succeeded by	John Carney
Member of the Delaware Senate from the 18th district
In office January 4, 1983 – January 5, 1993
Preceded by	William M. Murphy, Jr.
Succeeded by	Robert J. Voshell
Member of the Delaware House of Representatives from the 33rd district
In office January 7, 1975 – January 4, 1983
Preceded by	George A. Robbins
Succeeded by	Harry K. F. Terry
Personal details
Born	Ruth Ann Coverdale (1935-01-17)January 17, 1935 Milford, Delaware, U.S.
Died	November 4, 2021(2021-11-04) (aged 86) Milford, Delaware, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Frank R. Ingram ​ (died 1967)​ Roger Minner ​ ​ (m. 1969; died 1991)​
Children	3
Education	Delaware Technical Community College

Ruth Ann Minner (born Ruth Ann Coverdale; January 17, 1935 – November 4, 2021) was an American politician and businesswoman. She was from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. As a member of the Democratic Party, she made history. She was the 72nd and first female governor of Delaware. She served from 2001 to 2009. Before becoming governor, she worked in the Delaware House of Representatives. She also served in the Delaware Senate. Later, she became the 23rd lieutenant governor of Delaware.

Early Life and Education

Ruth Ann Coverdale was born on January 17, 1935, in Milford, Delaware. She left high school at age 16 to help her family. She married Frank Ingram and they had three children. Sadly, her husband died suddenly in 1967 when she was 32. This left her as a single mom.

In 1968, she earned her GED. She also went to Delaware Technical and Community College. She worked two jobs to support her family. In 1969, she married Roger Minner. Together, they ran a family towing business. Roger Minner passed away in 1991.

Starting Her Political Journey

Minner began her career in politics as a clerk. She worked in the Delaware House of Representatives. She was also a receptionist for Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt. In 1974, she was elected to the State House. She was part of a group of new lawmakers. They wanted to improve government.

Minner became a very powerful female politician in Delaware. She did this by working hard for many years. She represented a rural, small-town area. She built strong relationships and gained experience. She served four terms in the State House. This was from 1975 to 1982.

Key Roles in the House

During her time, she held important roles. She was the House Majority Whip. This means she helped lead her party. She also chaired the Bond Bill Committee. This committee handles important money decisions. She also led the Rules Committee. Here, she helped make changes to how votes were taken.

Moving to the Senate

In 1982, Minner was elected to the Delaware Senate. She served there from 1983 to 1992. In the Senate, she supported the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Act. This law helped protect 30,000 acres of land. It also created the Delaware Open Space Council. Money for this came from a special fund.

Becoming Lieutenant Governor

Minner was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1992. She served two terms. This was from January 19, 1993, to January 3, 2001. As Lieutenant Governor, she led a group called the Minner Commission. This group worked on making the government more organized and effective.

Governor of Delaware

Minner was elected Governor of Delaware on November 7, 2000. She had a lot of support from her party. This was because of her many years in the General Assembly. She also had won her Lieutenant Governor elections by large amounts. Her opponent was John M. Burris. Minner won the election easily.

She became governor when Thomas R. Carper resigned. He left to join the U.S. Senate. Minner finished his term. Then, she started her first full term on January 16, 2001. She was elected for a second term in 2004. In 2005, she became the first female president of the Council of State Governments.

Important Work as Governor

Minner was known as a "middle-of-the-road" politician. This means she had balanced views. She was careful with money but had modern social ideas. As governor, she worked to lower cancer rates in Delaware. She said she was "determined to reduce Delaware's high cancer rates." One big success was the Clean Indoor Air Act. This law greatly reduced harmful smoke in public places.

Focus on Education

She also cared a lot about education. She believed in setting high standards for students. She wanted to give students, teachers, and parents the right tools to improve. She supported giving local schools more control over money. She also expanded after-school programs. She helped place reading and math specialists in schools. In 2005, she signed a law creating the SEED Scholarship program. This program helps students go to college for free in Delaware if they keep good grades.

Other Key Issues

Minner supported adding sexual orientation to anti-discrimination laws. This meant people could not be treated unfairly because of who they loved. She did not support new gun control laws. However, she did support laws for trigger locks and gun safety classes. She also did not want more gambling sites in the state. She believed the state should not rely too much on gambling money.

In her second speech as governor in 2005, Minner shared her simple belief. She said, "Work hard. Do the right thing. And leave things better than you found them."

Before she left office in 2009, Senator Joe Biden resigned. He became Vice President. Minner then chose Ted Kaufman to fill his Senate seat.

Death

Ruth Ann Minner passed away on November 4, 2021. She was 86 years old. She died in Milford after complications from a fall.

Images for kids

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  Governor Ruth Ann Minner in January 2008

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  Official Seal of Ruth Ann Minner as Governor