He was elected to a four-year term in the Minnesota state Senate in 2016, reducing himself to beating his Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party opponent Dan Wolgamott by more than 100 votes in a count. Relph lost re-election to his seat this fall.
Pegi Broker-Relph said her husband loved serving the people of St. Louis. Cloud and “loved every minute.”
“Jerry dedicated his life to service and representing the 14th Senate was one of the highest honors he had. I can’t count the number of times he would come home at night and talk to me about helping solve the problem. of a component or a story he heard from someone at a parade or public event, or even someone he met during a “day on the hill” event, Broker-Relph said Friday.
“Jerry loved immersing himself in problems, finding commitments and working together to solve problems and I have no doubt he would have continued to solve problems outside the legislature,” he added.
Prior to joining the Minnesota legislature, Relph was a Marine Corps veteran serving in Vietnam, a lawyer, and a small businessman.
He was the lead author of a bipartisan bill in March that provided emergency funding to combat Covid-19 in Minnesota.
The top Republican in the Minnesota Senate called Relph a “true friend and colleague loved by so many.”
“For four years, he rolled up his sleeves and tackled difficult issues for our state. Senator Relph will always be remembered as a dedicated official,” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said Friday.
DFL state senator Carolyn Laine, who was also elected in 2016, reminded Relph as one of the “less partisan” lawmakers that she was “full of decency and integrity.”
Relph is survived by his wife, two children, four stepsons and grandchildren.
CNN’s Lechelle Benken contributed to this report.