David Senjem
Encyclopedia
David "Dave" H. Senjem (born December 20, 1942) is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate
representing District 29, which includes portions of Dodge
and Olmsted
counties in the southeastern part of the state.
, then went on to Luther College
in Decorah, Iowa
, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. He served on the Rochester
City Park Board for five years, then on the Rochester City Council from 1992 to 2002. He is Environmental Affairs Officer for the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester.
Senjem's family originates from Bingen, Buskerud
County, Norway, Norway
, with the original family name being "Sønju". His great great grandfather, John N. Hanson, served as a Republican state representative
from Dodge County from 1873 to 1874.
, Senjem was first elected in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006 and 2010. He served as the Senate minority leader
from 2007, until January 3, 2011, when the position was taken by Minority Leader Tom Bakk, a Democrat
.
Senjem is a member of the senate's Capital Investment Committee, the Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications Committee, the Higher Education Committee, the Rules and Administration, and the Taxes Committee. He also serves on the Finance Subcommittee for the Higher Education Budget and Policy Division, on the Rules and Administration subcommittees for Committees, for Conference Committees, and for Permanent and Joint Rules, and on the Taxes Subcommittee for the Property Tax Division.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
representing District 29, which includes portions of Dodge
Dodge County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,731 people, 6,420 households, and 4,853 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile . There were 6,642 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
and Olmsted
Olmsted County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 124,277 people, 47,807 households, and 32,317 families residing in the county. The population density was 190 people per square mile . There were 49,422 housing units at an average density of 76 per square mile...
counties in the southeastern part of the state.
Background
Senjem attended Hayfield High School in HayfieldHayfield, Minnesota
Hayfield is a city in Dodge County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,340 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Transportation:...
, then went on to Luther College
Luther College (Iowa)
Luther College is a four-year, residential liberal arts institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in Decorah, Iowa, USA...
in Decorah, Iowa
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,172 at the 2000 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S...
, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. He served on the Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
City Park Board for five years, then on the Rochester City Council from 1992 to 2002. He is Environmental Affairs Officer for the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
in Rochester.
Senjem's family originates from Bingen, Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
County, Norway, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, with the original family name being "Sønju". His great great grandfather, John N. Hanson, served as a Republican state representative
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...
from Dodge County from 1873 to 1874.
Service in the Minnesota Senate
A RepublicanRepublican 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:...
, Senjem was first elected in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006 and 2010. He served as the Senate minority leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
from 2007, until January 3, 2011, when the position was taken by Minority Leader Tom Bakk, a Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
.
Senjem is a member of the senate's Capital Investment Committee, the Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications Committee, the Higher Education Committee, the Rules and Administration, and the Taxes Committee. He also serves on the Finance Subcommittee for the Higher Education Budget and Policy Division, on the Rules and Administration subcommittees for Committees, for Conference Committees, and for Permanent and Joint Rules, and on the Taxes Subcommittee for the Property Tax Division.
External links
- Senator Senjem Web Page
- Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Senjem Voting Record
- Follow the Money – David Senjem Campaign Contributions