Kent Eken
Encyclopedia
Bernhard Kent Eken is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
representing District 2A, which includes portions of Becker
, Clearwater
, Mahnomen
, Norman and Polk
counties in the northwestern part of the state. A Democrat
, he is also a teacher.
Eken was first elected to the House in 2002, and was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. He currently serves as an assistant minority leader
, and is the DFL Lead on the Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance Committee. He is also a member of the Transportation Policy and Finance and the Ways and Means committees. He was chair of the Environment Policy and Oversight Committee from 2007-2010.
Eken attended Twin Valley High School in Twin Valley
, then went on to Concordia College in Moorhead
, receiving his B.A.
in Political Science and Education. He later attended St. Cloud State University
in St. Cloud
, earning his M.A.
in History. In addition to his work as a teacher and adjunct college professor, he is also a sugar beets truck driver during the harvest season. Sugar beets are an important local crop, and Minnesota leads the nation in sugar beet production.
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 2A, which includes portions of Becker
Becker County, Minnesota
Becker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 32,504. Its county seat is Detroit Lakes. A portion of the White Earth Indian Reservation extends into the county.-History:...
, Clearwater
Clearwater County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,423 people, 3,330 households, and 2,287 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile . There were 4,114 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
, Mahnomen
Mahnomen County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,190 people, 1,969 households, and 1,366 families residing in the county. The population density was 9 people per square mile . There were 2,700 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...
, Norman and Polk
Polk County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,369 people, 12,070 households, and 8,050 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 14,008 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...
counties in the northwestern part of the state. 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...
, he is also a teacher.
Eken was first elected to the House in 2002, and was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. He currently serves as an assistant minority leader
Minnesota House Minority Leader
This is a list of Minority Leaders of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The current minority leader is Rep. Paul Thissen...
, and is the DFL Lead on the Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance Committee. He is also a member of the Transportation Policy and Finance and the Ways and Means committees. He was chair of the Environment Policy and Oversight Committee from 2007-2010.
Eken attended Twin Valley High School in Twin Valley
Twin Valley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 865 people, 360 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was 987.0 people per square mile . There were 399 housing units at an average density of 455.3 per square mile...
, then went on to Concordia College in Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
, receiving his 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 Political Science and Education. He later 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 his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in History. In addition to his work as a teacher and adjunct college professor, he is also a sugar beets truck driver during the harvest season. Sugar beets are an important local crop, and Minnesota leads the nation in sugar beet production.