Dean Urdahl
Encyclopedia
Dean L. Urdahl is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
representing District 18B, which includes portions of Meeker
and Wright
counties in the central part of the state just west of the Twin Cities
metropolitan area. A Republican
, he is also a retired teacher and coach.
Urdahl was first elected in 2002, and has been re-elected every two years since then. He is currently a member of the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs, and also serves on the Finance subcommittees for the Capital Investment Finance Division, the Cultural and Outdoor Resources Finance Division, and the Transportation and Transit Policy and Oversight Division, on which he is the ranking minority party member.
Urdahl graduated from Litchfield High School in Litchfield
. His roots run deep in the area, as his ancestors helped to settle Litchfield Township in 1856. He attended St. Cloud State University
in St. Cloud
, earning a B.S.
in Social Studies. He got his start in politics working on U.S. Representative John Zwach's campaign staff in 1970.
Urdahl was an American History teacher and coach for the New London
-Spicer
School District from 1971-2006. He has served on the Minnesota Education in Agriculture Leadership Council, the Minnesota Commission on Public Service Reform, and on the Minnesota State Board of Nursing. In July 2008, he was appointed as the Minnesota representative to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
.
Also an author, Urdahl has written a book about former members of the Minnesota Twins
baseball team and about famous Minnesotans. His two latest books have been historical fiction set in Minnesota during the Dakota War of 1862
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 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...
representing District 18B, which includes portions of Meeker
Meeker County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,644 people, 8,590 households, and 6,133 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 9,821 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
and Wright
Wright County, Minnesota
Wright County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1855. As of 2010, the population was 124,700. Its county seat is Buffalo.-History:...
counties in the central part of the state just west of the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
metropolitan area. 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 also a retired teacher and coach.
Urdahl was first elected in 2002, and has been re-elected every two years since then. He is currently a member of the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs, and also serves on the Finance subcommittees for the Capital Investment Finance Division, the Cultural and Outdoor Resources Finance Division, and the Transportation and Transit Policy and Oversight Division, on which he is the ranking minority party member.
Urdahl graduated from Litchfield High School in Litchfield
Litchfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,562 people, 2,624 households, and 1,653 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,748.4 people per square mile . There were 2,741 housing units at an average density of 730.3 per square mile...
. His roots run deep in the area, as his ancestors helped to settle Litchfield Township in 1856. He attended 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...
, earning a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Social Studies. He got his start in politics working on U.S. Representative John Zwach's campaign staff in 1970.
Urdahl was an American History teacher and coach for the New London
New London, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,066 people, 415 households, and 261 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,103.4 people per square mile . There were 439 housing units at an average density of 454.4 per square mile...
-Spicer
Spicer, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,126 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,038.4 people per square mile . There were 605 housing units at an average density of 557.9 per square mile...
School District from 1971-2006. He has served on the Minnesota Education in Agriculture Leadership Council, the Minnesota Commission on Public Service Reform, and on the Minnesota State Board of Nursing. In July 2008, he was appointed as the Minnesota representative to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission was the Congressionally created 14-member federal commission focused on planning and commemorating the 200th birthday of the United States' 16th president on February 12, 2009. The commission served for ten years, from 2000 to 2010...
.
Also an author, Urdahl has written a book about former members of the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
baseball team and about famous Minnesotans. His two latest books have been historical fiction set in Minnesota during the Dakota War of 1862
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, was an armed conflict between the United States and several bands of the eastern Sioux. It began on August 17, 1862, along the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota...
External links
- Rep. Urdahl Web Page
- Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Rep. Dean Urdahl
- Project Votesmart - Rep. Dean Urdahl Profile
- Dean Urdahl Campaign Web Site