Kim Norton

Kim Norton (born September 22, 1957) is an American politician serving as the mayor of Rochester, Minnesota. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented District 25B, which consists mostly of the northern portion of the city of Rochester, in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She was elected to become the first female mayor of Rochester in 2018 and reelected in 2022.

Early life, education, and career Norton was born in Miami Beach, Florida at a military base. She earned a B.S. in Human Development and Special Education, specializing in Early Childhood Education, from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She also attended graduate school there, studying Deaf Education, Behavioral Impairments and Curriculum. In 2010, she was re-elected over Republican challenger Mike Rolih.

Norton stated in September 2015 that she would not seek re-election in the 2016 election saying "I've made the decision, after a couple of years of consideration, that it's time for me to retire, so I am not going to run for re-election in 2016. It makes me a little sad, I will say, but at the same time it feels like the right thing to do and the right time to do it."

Norton said that following her announcement not to run for reelection to the Minnesota House of Representatives that she was "fed-up" with partisan politics, and since leaving the House, she has worked to stay out of party politics. During her tenure as a state representative, she was widely viewed as a moderate, with a history of going against the DFL on some issues.

Election history

Personal life Norton has four children.