David Howard Senjem ( ; born December 20, 1942) is an American politician currently serving on the
Olmsted County Board of
Commissioners
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a Wiktionary: commission, commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissi ...
. He is a 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 ...
, serving in that body from 2003 to 2023. He led the Republican caucus as
majority leader from 2011 to 2013. A moderate
Republican, Senjem has crossed party lines on many occasions, notably environmental policy and women's issues. He represented District 25, which at the time included portions of
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
and
Olmsted Olmsted may refer to:
People
* Olmsted (name)
Places
* Olmsted Air Force Base, inactive since 1969
* Olmsted, Illinois
* Olmsted County, Minnesota
* Olmsted Falls, Ohio
* Olmsted Point, a viewing area in Yosemite National Park
* Olmsted To ...
counties in the
southeastern part of the state. Much of the northern half of
Rochester was in his district.
In April 2022, Senjem announced that he would not seek reelection to the Minnesota Senate, and later announced that he would instead run for Olmsted County Commissioner for District 2.
Early life, education, and career
Senjem grew up in
Hayfield, Minnesota and attended Hayfield High School. After graduating, he earned a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree from
Luther College in
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is the largest city in and county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of Iowa ...
. He served on the
Rochester City Park Board for five years, then on the Rochester City Council from 1992 to 2002. He is a retired Environmental Affairs Officer for the
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...
in Rochester.
Senjem's family originates from Bingen,
Buskerud
Buskerud () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Innlandet, Vestland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardanger ...
County,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
; the original family name was Sønju. His great-great-grandfather John N. Hanson served as a Republican
state representative from
Dodge County from 1873 to 1874.
Political positions
Senjem is generally regarded as a moderate and centrist Republican. He has been reelected multiple times even when his district backed Democratic candidates in other races. He has received praise from both sides for his bipartisanship. In January 2021, Democratic
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
Keith Ellison
Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American politician and lawyer serving since 2019 as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. representative for fr ...
described Senjem as "open-minded" and said, "In an age where the parties are as polarized as at any point in our nation's history, Senjem is a guy who's willing to work across the aisle."
Environment
Senjem is a member of the
National Caucus of Environmental Legislators.
The NCEL awarded Senjem with the 2021 Leon G. Billings Environmental Achievement Award in recognition of his accomplishments in environmental policy.
Senjem served as the chair of the Senate Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee. In 2021, he supported the Energy Conservation and Optimization Act despite opposition from other Republicans.
Women's Issues
Senjem is the only male and sole Republican to serve on the Advisory Task Force on Expanding the Economic Security of Women. He was appointed to the task force by Democratic
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
Keith Ellison
Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American politician and lawyer serving since 2019 as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. representative for fr ...
. Ellison stated that Senjem's voting record shows his concern for women's issues.
Medical Marijuana
Senjem supports legalized medical marijuana. In 2014, he was one of eight Republican senators to back a bill allowing for medical marijuana in the state.
Economy
Senjem is rated highly by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the
National Federation of Independent Business
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is an association of small businesses in the United States. It is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with offices in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals. The stated goal of NFIB ...
.
Minnesota Senate
Senjem was first elected in 2002, and was reelected in 2006, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2020. He served as
minority leader from 2007 until January 3, 2011.
[Minnesota Senators Past and Present ](_blank)
/ref> On December 27, 2011, Senjem was elected majority leader after the previous majority leader, Amy Koch, resigned over an affair with a Senate staffer. Senjem became the third person to serve as both minority and majority leader, and the first to serve in both roles as a Republican.
Senjem tested positive for COVID-19 in November 2020. Upon finding out, the Minnesota Senate Republican chief of staff warned other Republicans of the positive test, but did not tell Democratic state legislators about the positive test, thus preventing them from taking the appropriate precautions.
References
External links
Senator Dave Senjem
''official Minnesota Senate website''
Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Senjem Voting Record
*''Follow the Money'' – David Senjem Campaign Contributions
20062002
Senator Dave Senjem
''official campaign website''
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, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Senjem, David H.
1942 births
Living people
Politicians from Rochester, Minnesota
Republican Party Minnesota state senators
American Lutherans
American people of Norwegian descent
Luther College (Iowa) alumni
People from Austin, Minnesota
People from Hayfield, Minnesota
21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature