Matt Bliss is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2021, who also served from 2017 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Bliss represents District 2B in northern Minnesota, which includes parts of Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, Itasca, and Mahnomen Counties.[1]
Matt Bliss | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 2B district | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | John Persell |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 7, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | John Persell |
| Succeeded by | John Persell |
| Constituency | 5A (2017-2018) |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Christine (died of cancer) Emily |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence(s) | Pennington, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Education | United States Navy |
| Occupation | |
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States Navy |
| Unit | Communications and electronics |
Early life, education, and career
editBliss was raised on a farm and is one of ten siblings. He joined the Navy after high school and was trained in communications and electronics.[2]
Bliss owns Bliss Point Resort along Cass Lake and worked as an IT director for the Red Lake Nation.[3] He was the president of the Pennington Resort Association.[4]
Bliss ran unsuccessfully for the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners in 2014.[5]
Minnesota House of Representatives
editBliss was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016. He defeated four-term DFL incumbent John Persell. In 2018, Bliss lost to Persell by 11 votes.[3][6] A state-mandated recount confirmed Persell's victory.[7] In 2020, Bliss once again defeated Persell, and was reelected in 2022.[1] Bliss criticized Persell for his co-authorship of a red-flag gun control proposal and Democrats for defunding the police, though Persell stated he advocated for more public safety funding.[8]
Bliss serves as the minority lead on the Veteran and Military Affairs Committee and also sits on the Children and Families Finance and Policy and the Elections Finance and Policy Committees.[1]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Bliss | 10,318 | 53.88 | |||
| Democratic (DFL) | John Persell | 8,808 | 45.99 | |||
| Write-in | 25 | 0.13 | ||||
| Total votes | 19,151 | 100.0 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | John Persell | 8,454 | 50.01 | |||
| Republican | Matt Bliss | 8,443 | 49.95 | |||
| Write-in | 7 | 0.04 | ||||
| Total votes | 16,904 | 100.0 | ||||
| Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Bliss | 11,482 | 53.37 | |||
| Democratic (DFL) | John Persell | 9,996 | 46.46 | |||
| Write-in | 36 | 0.17 | ||||
| Total votes | 21,514 | 100.0 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Bliss | 11,310 | 63.46 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Erika Bailey-Johnson | 6,505 | 36.50 | |
| Write-in | 8 | 0.04 | ||
| Total votes | 17,823 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Bliss | 14,372 | 63.73 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Michael Reyes | 8,168 | 36.22 | |
| Write-in | 10 | 0.04 | ||
| Total votes | 22,550 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Personal life
editBliss lives in Pennington, Minnesota with his wife Emily, and has four children.[1] He was previously married to Christine until she died of cancer. He is a member of the Minnesota Deer Hunters’ Association, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, and the Ruffed Grouse Society.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Bliss, Matt". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
- ^ a b "Matt Bliss announces plans to run for House dist. 5A". The Pilot-Independent. Adams Publishing Group. August 18, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
- ^ a b Van Berkel, Jessie (November 17, 2018). "Recount likely for Bemidji House seat". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ "ELECTION 2016: District 5A: Bliss defeats incumbent Persell". Brainerd Dispatch. November 9, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
- ^ Liedke, Matthew (August 7, 2015). "Bliss enters 2016 race for Minnesota House 5A seat". The Bemidji Pioneer. Forum Communications. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
- ^ Van Berkel, Jessie (December 5, 2018). "Bemidji Democrat John Persell holds on to beat Rep. Matt Bliss in state House recount". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ Bierschbach, Briana (December 5, 2018). "Recount pending in suburban state House race". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ Orenstein, Walker (2020-11-16). "What the results from a seesaw political rivalry in Bemidji says about the 2020 election". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ "2016 Results for State Representative District 5A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "2018 Results for State Representative District 5A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "2020 Results for State Representative District 5A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 2B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "Results for All State Representative Races". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved 18 November 2024.