Michael Edward Obermueller (born April 21, 1973) 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 ...

lawyer and politician, a former member of 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 ...

. He represented District 38B in the southeastern

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 from 2009 to 2011. In 2012 and 2014 Obermueller was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

in the second congressional district, challenging incumbent John Kline.

Early life, education and career

Raised on a

dairy farm Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

near

Glenwood City, Wisconsin Glenwood City is a city in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,306 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is known as the "City of 57 Hills." Glenwood City is the site of the annual St. Croix County Fai ...

, Obermueller attended

Loras College Loras College is a private Catholic college in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students and is the oldest post-secondary institution in the state of Iowa. Loras offers both undergraduate and graduat ...

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...

, graduating

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

in 1996 with a

B.A. 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 degree ...

in Media and Public Address, with a Political Science emphasis. He went on to the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. History The law school was founded in 1865 by George Grover Wright and Chester C. Cole as an independent la ...

Iowa City Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's fifth-most populous city. The Iowa City metropolitan area, which enc ...

, earning his J.D. With High Distinction in 2001. Between college and law school, he worked as Director of Campus Dining Services for Aramark Corporation at

Mount Marty College Mount Marty University is a private Benedictine university in Yankton, South Dakota. Campus Mount Marty University is in Yankton, South Dakota, a town of 15,000 people. Located on the bluffs of the Missouri River, the 80-acre campus has a mix of ...

Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. It became a city in 1889. The population was 15,411 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in South Dakota, 7th most po ...

. Obermueller is an attorney for the

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

law firm of Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A., where he focuses on commercial litigation and construction law.

Political career

Obermueller was first elected in 2008, succeeding three-term incumbent Rep. Lynn Wardlow. He was unseated by Republican

Doug Wardlow Douglas G. Wardlow (born July 3, 1978) is an American attorney and politician who served as a Minnesota state representative from district 38B. Wardlow was the unsuccessful Republican nominee in the 2018 Minnesota Attorney General election. E ...

in the 2010 general election. He was a member of the House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee, and also served on the Finance subcommittees for the Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division, of which he was vice chair, the Energy Finance and Policy Division, and the Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division.

2012 U.S. House campaign

In 2012 Obermueller won the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party for

Minnesota's 2nd congressional district Minnesota's 2nd congressional district covers the south Twin Cities metro area and contains all of Scott, Dakota, and Le Sueur counties. It also contains part of northern and eastern Rice County including the city of Northfield, as well as ...

, challenging five-term incumbent John Kline. He was unsuccessful, garnering 46% of the vote to Kline's 54%.

2014 U.S. House campaign

In 2014 Obermueller again was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for

. This time incumbent John Kline defeated Obermuller by a 17-point margin.

Personal life

Participating in his local community, Obermueller is a member of the Dakota County Regional

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

and the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic Church, Catholic Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney, Blessed Michael J. McGivney. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. ...

, a board member for the Eagan Art Festival, and a volunteer coach for the Eagan Athletic Association.

References

External links

Rep. Mike Obermueller
official Minnesota Legislature site
Mike Obermueller for U.S. Congress
official campaign site *
Session Weekly Working to unite: Obermueller hopes to represent by connecting
Minnesota Legislature, January 23, 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Obermueller, Mike 1973 births Living people People from Eagan, Minnesota Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Minnesota lawyers Loras College alumni University of Iowa College of Law alumni Candidates in the 2012 United States elections Candidates in the 2014 United States elections People from St. Croix County, Wisconsin 21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature