Dan Severson - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Daniel Mark "Dan" Severson (born August 31, 1954) is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

. He is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives

Minnesota House of Representatives

The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...

who represented District 14A, which includes portions of Benton

Benton County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 34,226 people, 13,065 households, and 8,518 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There were 13,460 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...

and Stearns

Stearns County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...

counties in the north central part of the state. He was also a candidate

Minnesota secretary of state election, 2010

The 2010 Minnesota secretary of state election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the next Minnesota Secretary of State, who will serve a four-year term to begin in January 2011. The primary elections were held August 10, 2010...

for Minnesota Secretary of State

Minnesota Secretary of State

The Minnesota Secretary of State is the state secretary of state of the state of Minnesota.The Secretary of State is the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota and files and certifies the authenticity of a wide variety of official documents...

in 2010. A Republican

Republican Party of Minnesota

The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...

, he is a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot

Fighter pilot

A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...

, business owner and substitute teacher.

Early life

Severson graduated from St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...

in St. Cloud

St. Cloud, Minnesota

St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...

in 1979 with a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

in Physics. He was a Navy fighter pilot, officer and commander from 1978 to 2000.

Military Career

Severson enlisted in the Navy in 1978 at the age of 21. Severson was in the Navy for 22 years, most of those years as a Strike-Fighter Pilot. Severson flew both the A-7 and FA-18 Hornet Strike Fighter during his career. Severson is a member of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School also known as TOPGUN. Severson was stationed in Asia, Southern California, and Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

During his time as a Naval Pilot, Severson's name was misread as Doc Severinson, earning him the call sign "Doc".

Elections

Severson was first elected in 2002, and was re-elected in 2004, 2006, and 2008. Since he ran for Secretary of State in 2010, he did not seek re-election to the House.

Committee assignments

Severson was a member of the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee for the Veterans Affairs Division, and the Finance subcommittees for the Housing Finance and Policy and Public Health Finance Division, the Public Safety Finance Division, and the Transportation Finance and Policy Division. He also served as a minority whip.

2010 statewide run

In October 2009, Severson announced that he had filed the paperwork to run for Minnesota Secretary of State

Minnesota Secretary of State

, with the intent being to seek the Republican Party's endorsement for his candidacy at their 2010 state convention. He received the party's endorsement on April 29, 2010, and will challenge incumbent Secretary of State Mark Ritchie

Mark Ritchie

Donald Mark Ritchie was elected the 21st Minnesota Secretary of State on November 7, 2006. He was re-elected in 2010. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. He grew up in Iowa, and graduated from Iowa State University in 1971...

in the November 2010 general election. In 2010, Severson received the Republican party's endorsement.

In his filing for Secretary of State, Severson sought to be listed using his Navy pilot call name Dan "Doc" Severson, some thought it to be an allusion to former Tonight Show band leader Doc Severinsen

Doc Severinsen

Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an American pop and jazz trumpeter. He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.-Early life:...

. Severson was challenged because he had not previously appeared on the ballot with the nickname "Doc." Severson said the nickname had been his call sign while a Naval pilot. He was later allowed to use the name after a court approval.

Severson ran for Secretary of State on the contention that there was widespread fraud in the recount of the 2008 Senate election

United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2008

The 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 4, 2008. After a legal battle lasting over eight months, Al Franken from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in one of the closest elections in the history of the Senate...

and a requirement that voters show a Photo ID to vote. He lost to incumbent Secretary of State Ritchie 45% to 49% in the November 2, 2010, general election.

2012 U.S. Senate run

On May 16, 2011, Severson announced that he will seek the Republican party's endorsement for the 2012 U.S. Senate race.

External links

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