Loren Solberg
Encyclopedia
Loren A. Solberg is a Minnesota
politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
who represented District 3B, which includes portions of Aitkin
and Itasca
counties in the northern part of the state. A Democrat
, he is also a retired educator.
Solberg was first elected in 1982, and was re-elected every two years until the 2010 general election, when he was unseated by Republican
Carolyn McElfatrick
. He left office on January 3, 2011.
Solberg was chair the House Ways and Means Committee, and was a member of the Finance, the Rules and Legislative Administration, and the Taxes committees. He also served on the Finance Subcommittee for the Commerce and Labor Subcommittee for the Labor and Consumer Protection Division, and on the Finance Subcommittee for the Capital Investment Finance Division. He previously chaired the Ways and Means Committee from 1993–1998, and chaired the Ethics Committee from 1989-1990. He was an assistant minority leader
from 1999-2002.
Solberg graduated from Blackduck High School in Blackduck
, then attended the University of Minnesota
in Duluth
and Bemidji State University
in Bemidji
, graduating with a B.S.
in Mathematics Education in 1965. He later earned his M.S.
in Mathematics Education from Bemidji State University in 1972, and his M.P.A.
through a Bush Fellowship from Harvard University
in 1990. He served as mayor of the town of Bovey
from 1970-1982.
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 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 3B, which includes portions of Aitkin
Aitkin County, Minnesota
Aitkin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population is 16,202. Its county seat is Aitkin. A portion of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is in the county.-History:...
and Itasca
Itasca County, Minnesota
Itasca County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is named after Lake Itasca, which is in turn a shortened version the Latin words veritas caput, meaning 'truth' and 'head', a reference to the source of the Mississippi River. As of 2010, the population was 45,058. Its county seat...
counties in the northern 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 retired educator.
Solberg was first elected in 1982, and was re-elected every two years until the 2010 general election, when he was unseated by 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:...
Carolyn McElfatrick
Carolyn McElfatrick
Carolyn J. McElfatrick is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represents District 3B, which includes portions of Aitkin and Itasca counties in the northern part of the state. A Republican, she is also a retired registered nurse.McElfatrick was first...
. He left office on January 3, 2011.
Solberg was chair the House Ways and Means Committee, and was a member of the Finance, the Rules and Legislative Administration, and the Taxes committees. He also served on the Finance Subcommittee for the Commerce and Labor Subcommittee for the Labor and Consumer Protection Division, and on the Finance Subcommittee for the Capital Investment Finance Division. He previously chaired the Ways and Means Committee from 1993–1998, and chaired the Ethics Committee from 1989-1990. He was an assistant 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 1999-2002.
Solberg graduated from Blackduck High School in Blackduck
Blackduck, Minnesota
Blackduck is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 785 as of the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and is water. -Demographics:...
, then attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
in Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
and Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It is a part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities .-History:BSU was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School...
in Bemidji
Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,...
, graduating with 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 Mathematics Education in 1965. He later earned his M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Mathematics Education from Bemidji State University in 1972, and his M.P.A.
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
through a Bush Fellowship from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1990. He served as mayor of the town of Bovey
Bovey, Minnesota
Bovey is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. It is part of Minnesota's Iron Range. The population was 804 at the 2010 census.U.S...
from 1970-1982.