Jeri Kehn Thompson (born September 30, 1966) is an American radio talk show host,

columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...

for ''

The American Spectator ''The American Spectator'' is a conservative American magazine covering news and politics, edited by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. and published by the non-profit American Spectator Foundation. It was founded in 1967 by Tyrrell (the current editor-in ...

'', political commentator, and former political consultant for the

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

law firm of Verner Liipfert. She has also worked for the

Senate Republican Conference The Senate Republican Conference is the formal organization of the Republican Party (United States), Republican senators in the United States Senate. Over the last century, the mission of the conference has expanded and been shaped as a means o ...

and the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...

. She was also employed with the public relations and lobbying firm Burson-Marsteller. From 2002 until his death in 2015, Thompson was married to

Fred Thompson Freddie Dalton Thompson (August 19, 1942 – November 1, 2015) was an American politician, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, actor, and radio personality. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as a Unite ...

, former

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

, lawyer, lobbyist, screen actor, and 2008 U.S. Republican Party

presidential candidate A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group or election to an office, in which case a ...

Early life

Thompson is a native of

Hastings, Nebraska Hastings is a List of cities in Nebraska, city in and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Neb ...

, but grew up in

Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 United State ...

, with her mother Vicki, stepfather Ron Keller, and a younger sister. She graduated with a degree in

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

from

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

DePauw University DePauw University ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Greencastle, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury College and changed its name to DePauw University in 1884. The college has a Methodist heritage and was ...

in 1988 and was a member of the

Pi Beta Phi Pi Beta Phi (), often known simply as Pi Phi, is an international Fraternities and sororities in North America, women's fraternity founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois on April 28, 1867, as I. C. Sorosis, the first national secret c ...

sorority.

Marriage and family

Jeri Kehn and Fred Thompson first met on July 4, 1996, while both were in the checkout line at a

Kroger The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cinc ...

supermarket. They were married on June 29, 2002, at First Congregational

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a socially liberal mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Restorationist, Continental Reformed, and Lutheran t ...

in Naperville. It was her first marriage and Fred Thompson's second. On September 27, 2003, she gave birth to a daughter, Hayden. A second child, Samuel, was born in November 2006. When they married in 2002, she was 35 years old and he was 59. A ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' article dated July 8, 2007 considered whether the so-called " May–December marriage" could become a campaign issue, noting that "she is not a

homewrecker A homewrecker (sometimes styled as home wrecker or home-wrecker) is a person, object or activity that causes or comes close to causing the breakup of a marriage (or similar partnership). The homewrecker is said to have taken one of the spouses ...

" and is "accomplished in her own right". In mid-December 2007, the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

asked some of the 2008 candidates what their favorite possession was. Fred Thompson responded

tongue-in-cheek Tongue-in-cheek is an idiom that describes a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walte ...

, "

trophy wife A trophy wife is a wife who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband. The term is often used in a derogatory or disparaging way, implying that the wife in question has little personal merit besides her physical attractiveness, requires subs ...

."Woodward, Calvin
"2008 Candidates and Their Keepsakes"
''Associated Press'', 2007-12-13.

Political involvement

According to news reports, Thompson wielded considerable influence within her husband's presidential campaign, as a top political adviser.Bailey, Holly
"Not-So-Hidden Power"
''Newsweek'' (2007-08-13). She urged her husband to run, recruited some of his staff, and was reportedly responsible for the dismissal of others. She is a board member of

Susan B. Anthony List Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (formerly Susan B. Anthony List) is an American 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that seeks to reduce and ultimately end abortion in the US, by supporting United States anti-abortion movement, anti-abortion poli ...

References

External links

The Rise Of Jeri Thompson
Alec MacGillis and John Solomon, ''Washington Post'' August 5, 2007 {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Jeri Kehn 1966 births Living people American political consultants DePauw University alumni Illinois Republicans Writers from Naperville, Illinois United Church of Christ members