He was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2016 for a four-year term, beating his opponent Dan Wolgamott by more than 100 votes in a recount. Relph lost reelection in his chair this fall.
Pegi Broker-Relph said her husband loved serving the people of St. Cloud and “cherished every minute of it.”
Jerry dedicated his life to service and representing Senate District 14 was one of the highest honors he had. story he heard from someone in a parade or at a public event, or even from someone he met at a ‘day on the hill’ event, ‘Broker-Relph said Friday.
“Jerry loved diving into problems, finding compromises and working together to solve problems and I have no doubt that he would have continued to solve problems outside the legislature,” she added.
Before joining the Minnesota legislature, Relph was a Marine Corps veteran serving in Vietnam, an attorney and a petty businessman.
He was the lead author of a bipartisan bill in March that provided emergency funding for the fight against Covid-19 in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Senate’s top Republican called Relph a “true friend and colleague, loved by so many.”
“For four years he rolled up his sleeves and tackled tough issues for our state. Senator Relph will always be remembered as a dedicated official,” Senate leader Paul Gazelka said in a statement Friday.
DFL State Senator Carolyn Laine, who was also elected in 2016, recalled Relph as “one of the least partisan” lawmakers, “full of decency and integrity.”
Relph leaves behind his wife, two children, four stepchildren and grandchildren.
CNN’s Lechelle Benken contributed to this report.