Dick Day
Encyclopedia
Richard "Dick" Day is Minnesota
politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate
who represented District 26, which includes portions of Dodge
, Freeborn
, Goodhue
, Mower
, Olmsted
, Rice
, Steele
and Waseca
counties in the southeastern part of the state. A Republican
, he was first elected in 1990, and was re-elected in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2006. Prior to redistricting
in 1992 and 2002, he represented the old districts 30 and 28.
, Minnesota, where he graduated from Rochester High School. He earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Political Science and Business Administration from Winona State College, now Winona State University
.
Day currently lives in Owatonna, Minnesota
where he has worked in printing sales, franchise sales, Director of Franchise Sales and Development for Century 21, a real estate broker, and an IBM
Salesman, from which he is now retired. He served on the Owatonna City Council from 1976 to 1980, and was a Steele County commissioner from 1980 to 1988. He is married to wife, Janet, and has four children: Dan, Steve, Debbie and Julie. He is Catholic.
from 1997 to 2007.
. He lost to Brian J. Davis, a physician who was endorsed by the party, and who went on to lose the general election to incumbent Congressman Tim Walz
.
football stadium. Long an outspoken advocate of race track slots, he is now leading the newly formed nonprofit Racino Now, which has already received substantial backing from influential horse owners in the state, and from business and political insiders. A special election to fill the seat was held on January 26, 2010, and was won by Republican Mike Parry
of Waseca
.
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 former 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...
who represented District 26, 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...
, Freeborn
Freeborn County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 32,584 people, 13,356 households, and 9,015 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 people per square mile . There were 13,996 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
, Goodhue
Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 46,183. Its county seat is Red Wing. Nearly all of Prairie Island Indian Community is within the county.-History:...
, Mower
Mower County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,603 people, 15,582 households, and 10,315 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 16,251 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
, 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...
, Rice
Rice County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 56,665 people, 18,888 households, and 13,353 families residing in the county. The population density was 114 people per square mile . There were 20,061 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
, Steele
Steele County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,680 people, 12,846 households, and 9,082 families residing in the county. The population density was 78 people per square mile . There were 13,306 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile...
and Waseca
Waseca County, Minnesota
-External links:**...
counties in the southeastern part of the state. 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 was first elected in 1990, and was re-elected in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2006. Prior to redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
in 1992 and 2002, he represented the old districts 30 and 28.
Background
Day was born on a farm in RochesterRochester, 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...
, Minnesota, where he graduated from Rochester High School. He earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Political Science and Business Administration from Winona State College, now Winona State University
Winona State University
Winona State University is a comprehensive public university in Winona, Minnesota, United States, a college and river town located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, with around 8,900 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students...
.
Day currently lives in Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August....
where he has worked in printing sales, franchise sales, Director of Franchise Sales and Development for Century 21, a real estate broker, and an IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
Salesman, from which he is now retired. He served on the Owatonna City Council from 1976 to 1980, and was a Steele County commissioner from 1980 to 1988. He is married to wife, Janet, and has four children: Dan, Steve, Debbie and Julie. He is Catholic.
Minnesota Legislature
Prior to his resignation, Day was a member of the senate's Business, Industry and Jobs Committee, Capital Investment Committee, Finance Committee, State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee, and Transportation Committee. He also served on the Finance Subcommittee for the Transportation Budget and Policy Division, and on the State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Subcommittee for Gaming. He served as minority leaderMinority 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 1997 to 2007.
2008 Congressional Race
On May 27, 2008, Day entered the Republican primary in Minnesota's 1st congressional districtMinnesota's 1st congressional district
Minnesota's 1st congressional district extends across southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin. The First District is primarily a rural district built on a strong history of agriculture, although this is changing rapidly due to strong population growth in...
. He lost to Brian J. Davis, a physician who was endorsed by the party, and who went on to lose the general election to incumbent Congressman Tim Walz
Tim Walz
Timothy James Walz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party .The district comprises the state's southern end, running along the entire border with Iowa...
.
Senate resignation and Racino promotion
On December 8, 2009, Day announced that he was resigning his senate seat effective January 8, 2010, to lobby full-time for slots at the state's two horse-racing tracks, with the thought that some of the proceeds generated by the slots could be used for a new Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
football stadium. Long an outspoken advocate of race track slots, he is now leading the newly formed nonprofit Racino Now, which has already received substantial backing from influential horse owners in the state, and from business and political insiders. A special election to fill the seat was held on January 26, 2010, and was won by Republican Mike Parry
Mike Parry (politician)
Michael J. "Mike" Parry is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate representing District 26, which includes portions of Dodge, Freeborn, Goodhue, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, and Waseca counties in the southeastern part of the state.-Early life, education, and business...
of Waseca
Waseca, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,493 people, 3,388 households, and 2,219 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,215.6 people per square mile . There were 3,563 housing units at an average density of 929.5 per square mile...
.
Electoral history
- 2006 Race for Minnesota Senate – District 26
- Dick Day(R) 54.48% (16148 votes)
- Jeremy Eller (DFL), 45.37% (13450 votes)
- Write-in, 0.15% (44 votes)
- 2002 Race for Minnesota Senate – District 26
- Dick Day(R) 59.97% (18444 votes)
- Jeremy Eller (DFL), 36.33% (11174 votes)
- John E. Gibson (Green) 3.61%(1111 votes)
- Write-in, 0.08% (26 votes)
- 2000 Race for Minnesota Senate – District 28
- Dick Day(R) 63.53% (21407 votes)
- Fred Knudsen (DFL), 36.47% (12291 votes)