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Lynn Simons
American politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lynn Simons is an American politician and educator who served as the 17th Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1979 to 1991, as a member of the Democratic Party. She unsuccessfully sought the Democratic senatorial nomination in 1988.
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Early life
Lynn Simons graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Colorado and a master's degree in American studies from the University of Wyoming.[3] In 1957, she joined the American Civil Liberties Union.[4]
Career
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Board of education
In 1971, Simons was appointed by Governor Stanley K. Hathaway to a six-year term on the Wyoming Board of Education to replace Harry F. Hays.[5] She was selected to serve as president of the Wyoming Committee on School Organization in 1975.[6] During her tenure on the Wyoming Board of Education, she served as vice-chair and chair of the board.[7]
Superintendent of Public Instruction
On April 5, 1978, Simons announced that she would seek the Democratic nomination for Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction.[8] She won the Democratic nomination against Sydney Spiegel, a history teacher, and defeated incumbent Republican Superintendent Robert Schrader.[9][10] She was reelected in 1982 and 1986.[11][12] In 1990, Simons sought reelection, but was defeated by Republican nominee Diana Ohman.[13]
During the 1980 presidential election Simons endorsed President Jimmy Carter for reelection.[14] In 1982, she gave support to a court case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the children of illegal immigrants could get a free public education.[15] During the 1984 presidential election she endorsed Senator Gary Hart for the Democratic presidential nomination.[16] In 1985, Simons led a twenty member education delegation that visited schools in China and the Soviet Union.[17] In 1985, Lynn was named to the Steering Committee of the Education Commission of the States.[18]
Simons sought the Democratic nomination for the 1988 United States Senate election, but lost in the Democratic primary to John P. Vinch.[19][20]
Simons is the last Democrat to serve in this position.
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Later life
Simons was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as a six-state region representative for Secretary of Education Richard Riley in 1993.[21] In 2003, she was appointed by Governor Dave Freudenthal to be Wyoming planning coordinator, but only served for five months before leaving the office.[22][23] During the 2020 presidential election Simons endorsed Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination.[24]
Electoral history
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References
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