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town of Strafford, near Springfield. He learned at a young age the values of faith, family, and hard work. He attended Missouri public schools and graduated from Jefferson City High School. Blunt is a sixth generation Missourian. Prior to his election as Governor, Blunt served as Missouri's 37th Secretary of State, represented the 139th Legislative District of Greene County in the Missouri House of Representatives, and worked in private business. Upon his graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1993, he began a naval career that has spanned 14 years, including more than five years on active duty. He serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve. Governor Blunt served in Operation Support Democracy, which involved the United Nations blockade of Haiti. He also participated in the interdiction of illegal Cuban immigrants and drug interdiction missions off the coast of South America. Blunt was awarded several military commendations, including four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal. On October 9, 2001, Matt Blunt became the first statewide elected official in the history of Missouri to be called into active military duty. He served for six months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the nation's military response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was promoted to his present rank subsequent to his return to the U.S. The people of Missouri elected Matt Blunt their 54th Governor on November 2, 2004. Blunt carried 101 of the state's 114 counties. He campaigned on a platform pledging to make education the state's top budget priority; create new family-supporting jobs by strengthening Missouri's economy and entrepreneurial climate; expand access to high-quality, affordable health care; and help family budgets, farms, and small businesses by holding the line on job-killing tax increases. The Governor has followed through on each promise, providing effective leadership for some of the most successful and productive legislative sessions in many years. Governor Matt Blunt was born in Greene County and spent his early years in the town of Strafford, near Springfield. He learned at a young age the values of faith, family, and hard work. He attended Missouri public schools and graduated from Jefferson City High School. Blunt is a sixth generation Missourian.
Governor Blunt inherited a billion dollar budget deficit when he took
office, but through responsible management, Missouri’s budget is
balanced with a significant surplus. In leading Missouri in a new and constructive direction, the Governor
has ended the liberal tax-and-spending policies that wrecked the state
budget. Blunt ended the former administration’s anti-child policy of
cutting aid to schools and stopped the practice of taking dollars from
classrooms and putting them into social welfare programs that were
growing uncontrollably. Governor Blunt’s record speaks for itself, and
Missourians know they have a Governor who will do what he promised, with
no new taxes, more for schools, and fiscally responsible state budgets.
Missourians for
Matt Blunt
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