Quick Facts
Biography
Sally Pederson (born January 13, 1951 in Ottumwa, Iowa) was the 45th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa. A Democrat, she is a native of Vinton, Iowa. She graduated from Iowa State University in Ames.
Prior to being elected lieutenant governor on the Vilsack-Pederson ticket in 1998, Pederson served as an executive with the Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, Iowa. She also worked as an editor for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. She ran for lieutenant governor again in 2002 and was re-elected.
During the 2004 presidential election, prior to the selection of John Edwards as the vice presidential candidate, it was widely rumored that Vilsack would be asked to become presidential candidate John Kerry's running mate. It was later rumoredthat Vilsack would have been offered a cabinet-level position in the event of a Kerry victory. Had that occurred, Pederson would have become the first female Governor of Iowa.