{{Short description|American politician (born 1955)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kerry Gauthier | image = Kerry Gauthier.JPG | state = Minnesota | state_house = Minnesota | district = 7B | term_start = January 2011 | term_end = January 7, 2013 | preceded = Roger Reinert | succeeded = ''district redrawn'' | office2 = Member of the Duluth City Council | term_start2 = January 2010 | term_end2 = December 2, 2010 | office3 = Treasurer for the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party | term_start3 = May 21, 2005 | term_end3 = June 26, 2006 <ref name="publicradio2006">{{cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2006/06/dfl_treasurer_q.shtml |title=DFL treasurer quits |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |date= |accessdate=2012-08-21}}</ref> | preceded3 = | succeeded3 = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age |1955|11|06}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = College of St. Scholastica<br>University of Wisconsin at Superior | profession = Social services case manager, legislator | spouse = | children = }}
'''Kerry Gauthier''' (born November 6, 1955) is an American politician who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013, representing portions of St. Louis County. A Democrat, he served as Treasurer for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party from 2005 to 2006, and Democratic Chairman of the state's 8th Congressional District from 2000 to 2006. He had been an alderman for the Duluth City Council and campaign consultant, notably for Becky Lourey in the 2006 Minnesota gubernatorial election.<ref name="publicradio2006"/> He retired in 2013 in the wake of a sex scandal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-145749925.html?key=01-42160D517E19106C140E0B16046B4B2A225A24582E2626502749482C651B617E137119721B7B1D6B75174C |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413132815/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-145749925.html?key=01-42160D517E19106C140E0B16046B4B2A225A24582E2626502749482C651B617E137119721B7B1D6B75174C |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-04-13 |title=DFLers pick chair at Duluth convention |work=Duluth News-Tribune |accessdate=2012-08-21}}</ref>
==Education and political career== Born in Duluth, Gauthier graduated from Morgan Park High School and received his Bachelor of Arts degree at the College of St. Scholastica and his Master of Science in Counseling from the University of Wisconsin–Superior. Prior to entering politics, he was a social services case manager at Lake Superior Treatment Center.<ref name="state1">{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=15348 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Gauthier, Kerry |publisher=Minnesota Legislature |date= |accessdate=2012-08-21}}</ref>
From 2000 to 2006, Gauthier succeeded and preceded party activist Don Bye as the chairman of Minnesota's 8th congressional district. In June 2006, he supported Becky Lourey's primary run in the 2006 Minnesota gubernatorial election against the party-endorsed candidate, Mike Hatch. He resigned as treasurer of the state Democratic Party to assist her campaign.<ref name="publicradio2006"/> He was elected to the Duluth City Council in 2009 and served until his election to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2010.
Gauthier was elected to the legislature filling the seat vacated by Roger Reinert who opted to run for the Minnesota Senate. He served on the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance, the State Government Finance, and the Transportation Policy and Finance committees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=15348 |title=Kerry Gauthier (DFL) 07B - Minnesota House of Representatives |publisher=Minnesota Legislature |date= |accessdate=2012-08-21}}</ref> He is also a member of the Planned Parenthood Regional Advisory Committee.<ref name="state1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kerryforrep.com/kerry.html |title=Kerry Gauthier for State Representative |accessdate=2012-08-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819093811/http://kerryforrep.com/kerry.html |archivedate=2011-08-19 }}</ref>
In 2012, Gauthier endorsed Rick Nolan for United States Congress in Minnesota's 8th congressional district.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicsinminnesota.com/2011/10/rep-gauthier-endorses-nolan-in-cd-8-race/ |title=Rep. Gauthier endorses Nolan in CD 8 race |publisher=Politics in Minnesota |date=2011-10-17 |accessdate=2012-08-21}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Gauthier was one of four openly gay politicians serving in the Minnesota Legislature during his tenure.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lavendermagazine.com/uncategorized/hrc-declares-minnesota-"number-one-battleground-for-tolerance"-as-election-day/|title=HRC Declares Minnesota "Number-One Battleground for Tolerance" as Election Day|work=Lavender Magazine|date=2010-10-21|accessdate=2012-08-21}}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
On August 15, 2012, Gauthier became embroiled in a sex scandal after a liaison with a 17-year-old male at the Thompson Hill rest stop near Duluth. The age of consent is 16 under Minnesota law and Gauthier did not face any criminal wrongdoing.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/minnesota-democratic-lawmaker-faces-bipartisan-call-to-leave-office-amid-rest-stop-sex-scandal/2012/08/20/3fa5bc00-eb30-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_story.html |title=Minnesota Democratic lawmaker faces bipartisan call to leave office amid rest-stop sex scandal |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2012-08-20 |accessdate=2012-08-21}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> However, in light of the media controversy and proximity to Minnesota Amendment 1, legislative leaders called for him to step aside. Gauthier subsequently withdrew from the 2012 election stating, "I am a better person than this incident portrayed me." His final public statement discussed struggling to come to terms with his sexuality.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/22/kerry-gauthier_n_1822748.html|title=Kerry Gauthier, Minnesota Rep., Vows To Stay In Race After Rest-Stop Sex Scandal |first=Margita|last=Lohn|work=The Huffington Post|date=August 22, 2012|accessdate=January 22, 2013}}</ref> The Minnesota Supreme Court granted the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party permission to replace his name on the general election ballot. He was succeeded by Duluth firefighter and labor activist Erik Simonson.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/09/25/politics/gauthier-removed-from-ballot/ | title=Minn. Supreme Court removes Gauthier from ballot | date=25 September 2012 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{MN-legdb|15348}} * [http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=15348 Rep. Gauthier Web Page] * [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=123087 Project Votesmart - Rep. Kerry Gauthier Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101000609/http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=123087 |date=2010-11-01 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gauthier, Kerry}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Duluth, Minnesota Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:American gay politicians Category:LGBTQ state legislators in Minnesota Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature