Dave A. Thompson
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David A. Thompson (born October 2, 1961)Thompson, David A. "Dave"
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, Accessed November 29, 2010.
is a
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
politician and former member of the
Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...
. A member of the
Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the state affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party in Minnesota and the oldest active political party in the state. Founded in 1855, the party is headquartered in Edina, Minnesota, E ...
, he represented District 58, which included portions of
Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota ...
and Goodhue counties in the southern
Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
metropolitan area. He is also a former radio personality. Thompson was a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor in 2014.


Early life, education, and career

After spending his early years in Little Falls, Thompson moved with his mother and sister to East Grand Forks. He graduated from East Grand Forks Senior High School in 1980. In 1984, he graduated from the
University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (UND) is a Public university, public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territory, Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishm ...
with majors in economics and political science. He received his law degree from the
University of Minnesota Law School The University of Minnesota Law School is the law school of the University of Minnesota, a public university in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school confers four law degrees: a Juris Doctor (J.D.), a Master of Laws (LL.M.), a Master of Science in Pa ...
in 1987, and is a practicing attorney.


''The Dave Thompson Show''

Thompson hosted ''The Dave Thompson Show'' for seven and a half years. The radio talk show aired on KSTP in the
Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
metropolitan area. He also authored the accompanying
blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...
"And Another Thing", and was a regular participant in the debate segment known as "Face Off" on KSTP-TV's Emmy-winning news program "At Issue with Tom Hauser". Thompson's show promoted generally
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
views, while rejecting some aspects of
neoconservatism Neoconservatism (colloquially neocon) is a political movement which began in the United States during the 1960s among liberal hawks who became disenchanted with the increasingly pacifist Democratic Party along with the growing New Left and ...
. The content was mostly political, but Thompson occasionally discussed sports, culture and other lighter topics, and allowed callers to become a part of the show. The show's opening theme promoted him as "an ordinary man with extraordinary insights".


Minnesota Senate

When longtime State Senator
Pat Pariseau Patricia "Pat" (née Wright) Pariseau (August 10, 1936 – November 13, 2020) was an American nurse, politician, and a former member of the Minnesota Senate who represented District 36, which includes portions of Dakota County, Minnesota, D ...
announced she would not seek reelection in 2010, Thompson announced his candidacy for the position, gaining the outgoing senator's endorsement. He subsequently received the GOP endorsement and won the November general election with 63.05% of the vote, to DFL challenger Steve Quist's 36.84%. Thompson was reelected in 2012. In 2012, Thompson and Steve Drazkowski proposed an Employee Freedom Constitutional Amendment, which would require a statewide referendum on amending the Minnesota Constitution to include a right-to-work clause allowing workers to choose whether to join a union. Thompson did not seek re-election in 2016.


Personal life

Thompson and his wife, Rhonda, have been married since 1985. They are parents of two children.Biography of Dave Thompson
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References


External links


Project Vote Smart - Senator Dave Thompson Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Dave 1961 births American radio personalities Living people Minnesota lawyers Republican Party Minnesota state senators People from Dakota County, Minnesota University of Minnesota Law School alumni University of North Dakota alumni People from Little Falls, Minnesota People from East Grand Forks, Minnesota 21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature