Matt Bliss
American politician
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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]
District 5A (2021–2023)
Matt Bliss | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | John Persell |
| Constituency | District 2B (2023–present) District 5A (2021–2023) |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 7, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | John Persell |
| Succeeded by | John Persell |
| Constituency | District 5A (2017–2019) |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Christine (died of cancer) Emily |
| Children | 4 |
| 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
Bliss 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
Bliss 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 co-chairs the Veteran and Military Affairs Committee and sits on the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committees.[1]
Electoral history
| 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
Bliss 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]