{{Short description|American politician (1941–2025)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Mary Ann Tobin |image = |office = Auditor of Kentucky |governor = Martha Layne Collins<br />Wallace Wilkinson |term_start = January 2, 1984 |term_end = January 4, 1988 |predecessor = James B. Graham |successor = Bob Babbage |state_house1 = Kentucky |district1 = 18th |term_start1 = January 1, 1976 |term_end1 = January 1984 |predecessor1 = Alec Stone |successor1 = Donnie Gedling |birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|7|23}} |birth_place = Guston, Kentucky, U.S. |death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|6|23|1941|7|23}} |death_place = Irvington, Kentucky, U.S. |party = Democratic |education = University of Kentucky (BS) |website = {{URL|www.maryanntobinussenate.com|Campaign website}} }}

'''Mary Ann Tobin''' (July 23, 1941 – June 23, 2025) was an American politician who was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, serving from 1976 to 1984. She served as Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts from 1984 to 1988. She was a member of the Democratic Party.

==Background== Mary Ann Tobin was born to Joseph Dalton Tobin Sr. and Mary Hulett (Broadbent) Tobin on July 23, 1941.<ref name="AFH">{{cite web |title=Mary Ann Tobin 1941–2025 |url=https://www.irvingtonfh.com/obituary/mary-ann-tobin |website=Alexander Funeral Home |access-date=13 July 2025}}</ref> She had one brother, Joseph Dalton “Joe” Tobin Jr., who was a regional businessman.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=January 10, 2013 |title=Obituaries: Joseph Dalton "Joe" Tobin Jr. |url=https://admin.iadsnetwork.com/images/mydocs/2035/Obits/January%2009%202013.indd.pdf|newspaper=The Meade County Messenger |location= Brandenburg, Kentucky |access-date=July 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name = auditor>{{cite web|url=https://auditor.ky.gov/Documents/BicentennialPDF/MaryAnnTobin.pdf|title=Mary Ann Tobin|publisher=Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts}}</ref>

She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.<ref name = auditor/> While at UK, she was named the first Ms. Keeneland in 1963.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kyforward.com/silver-lining-while-keeneland-hall-readied-for-students-staff-find-forgotten-silver-stash/|title=Silver Lining: While Keeneland Hall readied for students, staff find forgotten silver stash|publisher=KYForward}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> She was also a member of Chi Omega sorority and Beta Alpha Psi honor society.<ref>{{cite book | title=Kentuckian Yearbook | publisher=University of Kentucky | issue=v. 65 | year=1963 | url=http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt7zcr5n9m7j_206 | accessdate=July 24, 2018 | pages=202}}</ref>

In later life she was a Sunday School teacher for the Irvington Methodist Church.<ref name = AFH/>

Tobin died on June 22, 2025, at the age of 83.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2013 |title=Former RPS secretary and registrar Ann Lewis dies |url=https://doi.org/10.1211/pj.2013.11132278 |journal=The Pharmaceutical Journal |doi=10.1211/pj.2013.11132278 |issn=2053-6186|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://kentuckylantern.com/briefs/former-kentucky-auditor-mary-ann-tobin-dies/ |title=Former Kentucky Auditor Mary Ann Tobin dies |website=KentuckyLantern.com |date=July 1, 2025 |access-date=July 3, 2025}}</ref><ref name="AFH"/>

==Political career== ===Kentucky House of Representatives=== In 1975, Tobin was elected to be a member of the Kentucky State House of Representatives from the 18th District which comprised Breckinridge and Meade counties. She served in the House from 1976 to 1984. In her first race, she defeated two other Democrats in the primaries (Lynn Thompson and Wade Glasscock) before she defeated Republican Henry Gibson in the general election (4,287 to 2,915 votes).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://elect.ky.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Election%20Results/1973-1979/75staterep.pdf|title= General and Primary Elections, 1975|publisher=Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Elections}}</ref> In 1977, she defeated Keenan O'Connell in the primary election and faced no organized candidate in the general election.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://elect.ky.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Election%20Results/1973-1979/76-79/77res_staterep4.txt|title= General and Primary Elections, 1977|publisher=Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Elections}}</ref> In 1979, she ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://elect.ky.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Election%20Results/1973-1979/76-79/79pstaterep.txt|title= Primary Elections, May 29, 1979|publisher=Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Elections}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://elect.ky.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Election%20Results/1973-1979/76-79/79res_staterep3.txt|title= General Elections, November 6, 1979|publisher=Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Elections}}</ref> In 1981, she defeated F. Wayne Moore in the primaries but again faced no opposition in the general election.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://elect.ky.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Election%20Results/1980-1989/1981/81pristaterep.txt|title= Primary Elections, May 26, 1981|publisher=Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Elections}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://elect.ky.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Election%20Results/1980-1989/1981/81res_staterep1.txt|title= General Elections, November 5, 1981|publisher=Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Elections}}</ref> While in the House, she served as Chair of the Capital Construction Oversight Committee as well as worked to update the state's judicial system, automobile title laws, and driver's license plan.<ref name = auditor/><ref name = taxcourt>{{cite web|url=https://www.ustaxcourt.gov/InOpHistoric/TOBIN.TCM.WPD.pdf|title=T.C. Memo. 1999-328|publisher=UNITED STATES TAX COURT|access-date=July 16, 2018|archive-date=December 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222004624/http://www.ustaxcourt.gov/InOpHistoric/TOBIN.TCM.WPD.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts=== In 1983, Tobin decided to campaign to be the Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts. In the Democratic Party primary, she beat out Jerry Lundergan, Ed W. Hancock, Tom Ray, Logan Turner, and Doris Faye with 143.836 votes. Lundergan was the second-place finisher with 77,419 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=377603|title=KY Auditor – D Primary 1983|publisher=Our Campaigns}}</ref>

In the general election, she defeated Republican Ronald B. Halleck with 503,954 votes to Halleck's 280,331 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=362624 | title=KY Auditor 1983|publisher=Our Campaigns}}</ref> She served in the position from 1984 until 1988.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/state_fact_sheets/ky|title=State Fact Sheet|publisher=Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University}}</ref>

As Auditor, she started a hotline to report fraud and established the Economy and Efficiency Audit Division as a way to try to stop waste in government.<ref name = auditor/>

===Kentucky Senate campaign=== Tobin sat out of politics for several years but in 1992 she decided to run for the district 5 seats in the Kentucky State Senate. She won the Democratic primary election which had seven candidates.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://elect.ky.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Election%20Results/1990-1999/1992/92pristatesenate1.txt|title= Primary Elections, May 26, 1992|publisher=Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Elections}}</ref> She lost the general election to Republican Virgil Moore by 2,590 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=552862|title=KY State Senate 05 1992|publisher=Our Campaigns}}</ref><ref name = auditor/>

===2020 U.S. Senate campaign=== {{main|2020 United States Senate election in Kentucky}} Tobin ran in the Democratic primary in Kentucky's 2020 election for the U.S. Senate. Tobin placed fourth behind Amy McGrath, Charles Booker, and Mike Broihier.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://web.sos.ky.gov/elections/candidatefilings/statewide/default.aspx?cand=8142|title= Information for Mary Ann Tobin, Candidate for United States Senator|publisher= Kentucky Secretary of State}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

==Business dealings== After leaving politics Tobin focused on her family's, and personal, businesses. She was the co-owner of Broadbent Wildlife Sanctuary in Meade County.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ket.org/kentuckylife/1000s/kylife1007.html|title=Down the Garden Path|publisher=Kentucky Life, Kentucky Educational Television|access-date=July 16, 2018|archive-date=June 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616093727/https://www.ket.org/kentuckylife/1000s/kylife1007.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://app.fw.ky.gov/rehabilitatorNew/|title=Rehabilitator List|publisher=Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources}}</ref> She was a part owner of First State Bank located in Irvington,{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} a co-owner of Brandenburg Telephone company and owned a 3,300-acre farm.<ref name = taxcourt/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=James B. Graham}} {{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts|years=1983}} {{s-aft|after=Bob Babbage}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=James B. Graham}} {{s-ttl|title=Auditor of Kentucky|years=1984–1988}} {{s-aft|after=Bob Babbage}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tobin, Mary Ann}} Category:1941 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Businesspeople from Kentucky Category:Democratic Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives Category:People from Meade County, Kentucky Category:Kentucky auditors of public accounts Category:University of Kentucky alumni Category:Women state legislators in Kentucky Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States Senate elections Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:20th-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:American Methodists