Erik Simonson (born May 26, 1968) 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

Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is a political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota affiliated with the national Democratic Party. The party was formed by a merger between the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Minneso ...

(DFL), he represented District 7 which includes the city of

Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

in St. Louis County in northeastern Minnesota.

Early life

Simonson was born in

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

Minnesota legislature

Simonson was first elected to the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

in 2012 representing District 7B and served two terms. Simonson was then elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2016. Simonson served on the following committees during his tenure: * Ranking Minority Member Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy * Environment and Natural Resources Finance * Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy In 2020, Simonson was not endorsed by the DFL and was defeated in the primary election on August 11 to Jen McEwen.

Personal life

Simonson was an assistant chief for the Duluth Fire Department, retiring after serving as a firefighter for 27 years. He is married and has two children. After leaving his role as a legislator, Simonson became a

lobbyist Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

with

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

-based law firm Flaherty and Hood.

References

External links

Rep. Erik Simonson
''official Minnesota House of Representatives website''
Rep. Erik Simonson
''official campaign website'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Simonson, Erik 1968 births Living people Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature