Vickerman, James A. "Jim"
Senate 1987-92 (District 28); Senate 1993-2010 (District 22)
Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Counties Served:
Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Watonwan
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
5/1/1931
Birth Place:
Tracy, Minnesota
Birth County:
Lyon
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
1/19/2021
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Methodist
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
Jim
City of Residence (when first elected):
Tracy
Occupation (when first elected):
Farmer
EDUCATION
Rural School; Elementary School; One Room Schoolhouse
Tracy High School; Secondary; 1949
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
County Government:
Murray County, Minnesota (Soil and Water Conservation Board, Supervisor, 12 years);
1969 to 1980
County Board/Commissioner:
Murray County, Minnesota (County Commissioner);
1981 to 1986
[Elected]
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Wava Carlson (married on April 5, 1950)
Children:
Six children: (one child was deceased while he was in office)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
Barbara Vickerman
- Cousin-in-Law
GENERAL NOTES
Special Legislative Concerns: taxes, environment and natural resources, health and human services, agriculture, local and metro concerns, education, rural health, transportation, veterans, local government.
He grew up on a farm.
Religion provided by the Natural Resources Defense Council's State Directories 2005 and Politics in Minnesota the Directory, 2005-2006, and the Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1987-88.
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/3/2007 to 1/3/2011
Counties Represented:
Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Veterans (Chair)
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Finance
-
Finance: Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division (Chair)
-
Finance: Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division
-
Finance: Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division: Energy Subdivision
-
Finance: Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division: Parks and Trails Legacy
-
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
-
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight: Gaming
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/3/2007 to 1/3/2011
Counties Represented:
Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Veterans (Chair)
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Finance
[He was a member in 2008 only.]
-
Finance: Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division (Chair)
-
Finance: Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division
-
Finance: Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division: Energy Subdivision
-
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
-
State and Local Government Operations and Oversight: Gaming
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/7/2003 to 1/2/2007
Counties Represented:
Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2005 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
-
Agriculture, Veterans and Gaming (Chair)
-
Finance: Environment, Agriculture and Economic Development Budget Division
-
Finance: State Government Budget Division
-
Finance: Transportation Budget Division
-
Rules and Administration (Chair)
-
State and Local Government Operations
-
Transportation
Leadership Position:
Majority Whip
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/7/2003 to 1/2/2007
Counties Represented:
Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture, General Legislation and Veterans Affairs-2003/Agriculture, Veterans and Gaming-2004 (Chair)
[He was the Chair in 2004 only.]
-
Finance: Environment, Agriculture and Economic Development Budget Division
[He was a member in 2004 only.]
-
Finance: State Government Budget Division
-
Rules and Administration
-
State and Local Government Operations (Chair)
Leadership Position:
Majority Whip
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/7/2000
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/3/2001 to 1/6/2003
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Redwood, Watonwan
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2001 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
-
Agriculture, General Legislation and Veterans Affairs
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Fish and Wildlife
-
Finance
-
Finance: State Government, Economic Development and Judiciary Budget Division
-
Rules and Administration
-
State and Local Government Operations (Chair)
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/2/2001
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Redwood, Watonwan
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Rural Development
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Environment and Natural Resources/Agriculture and Rural Development/State Government Finance: Environment and Agriculture Budget Division
-
Local and Metropolitan Government (Chair)
-
Taxes
-
Taxes/Local and Metropolitan Government: Property Taxes and Local Government Budget Division
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/2/2001
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Redwood, Watonwan
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Rural Development
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Environment and Natural Resources/Agriculture and Rural Development/State Government Finance: Environment and Agriculture Budget Division
-
Local and Metropolitan Government (Chair)
-
Taxes
-
Taxes/Local and Metropolitan Government: Property Taxes and Local Government Budget Division
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Redwood, Watonwan
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Rural Development
-
Health Care
-
Health Care: Health Care and Family Services Finance Division
-
Metropolitan and Local Government (Chair)
-
Metropolitan and Local Government: Intergovernmental Relations
-
Metropolitan and Local Government: Metropolitan Affairs
-
Rules and Administration
-
Transportation and Public Transit
-
Transportation and Public Transit: Transportation and Public Transit Finance Division
Body: Senate
District: 22
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Redwood, Watonwan
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Rural Development
-
Health Care
-
Health Care: Health Care and Family Services Finance Division
-
Rules and Administration
-
Transportation and Public Transit
-
Transportation and Public Transit: Transportation and Public Transit Finance Division
-
Veterans and General Legislation (Chair)
Body: Senate
District: 28
Elected: 11/6/1990
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993
Counties Represented:
Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Watonwan
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Rural Development
-
Agriculture and Rural Development: Joint Agriculture and Rural Development/Environment and Natural Resources Ad Hoc
-
Agriculture and Rural Development: Rural Development
-
Finance
-
Finance: Health and Human Services Division
-
Health and Human Services
-
Health and Human Services: Health Care Access Division
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Commercial Policy (Chair)
-
Transportation: Transportation Safety
-
Veterans and General Legislation
Body: Senate
District: 28
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented:
Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Watonwan
Occupation: Farmer/Former County Commissioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Rural Development
-
Agriculture and Rural Development: Agriculture Resources
-
Agriculture and Rural Development: Rural Development
-
Health and Human Services
-
Health and Human Services: Health and Health Financing
-
Health and Human Services: Social Services and Government Administration
-
Local and Urban Government
-
Local and Urban Government: Land Use, Zoning and Planning
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: General Policy, Rural and Commercial
-
Veterans and Military Affairs
Body: Senate
District: 28
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: Tracy
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented:
Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Watonwan
Occupation: Farmer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Agriculture: Agriculture Products/Processing
-
Agriculture: Agriculture Resources
-
Health and Human Services
-
Health and Human Services: Health and Health Financing
-
Health and Human Services: Social Services and Government Administration
-
Local and Urban Government
-
Local and Urban Government: Land Use, Zoning and Planning
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: General Policy and Rural and Commercial
Senate Photos
The photos in this collection were scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer
with the generous help of the Minnesota
Digital Library.
Articles & Books About
McGaughey, Ryan. "'Gentleman Jim' remembered for representing all." Worthington Globe, January 27, 2021.
"Vickerman, James Murray "Jim"" Star Tribune, January 24, 2021, B17.
Gau, Deb. "Former MN State Sen. Jim Vickerman Dies at 89: Tracy Area Farmer and Legislator Remembered as Advocate for Rural MN." Marshall Independent, January 22, 2021.
District Files
District File - 2000 District 22
District File - 2002 District 22
District File - 2001 District 22
District File - 2003 District 22
District File - 2004 District 22
District File - 2005 District 22
District File - 2006 District 22
District File - 2007 District 22
District File - 2008 District 22
District File - 2009 District 22
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.
The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.