Paul Gardner (Minnesota politician)
Encyclopedia
Paul Gardner is a Minnesota
politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
who represented District 53A, which includes all or portions of the northern suburbs of Lino Lakes
, Circle Pines
, Lexington
, North Oaks
, Shoreview
and Blaine
. A Democrat
, he was first elected in 2006 in a huge upset, narrowly defeating 16 year incumbent Rep. Phil Krinkie by 51 votes. He was re-elected in 2008, defeating challenger John Louis Kappler by 1035 votes, but was unseated by Republican
former state senator Linda Runbeck
in the 2010 general election.
Gardner has a Master of Public Affairs
degree from the University of Minnesota
and a Bachelor of Arts
degree in History
from Grinnell College
. He was also the Executive Director of the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM), a nonprofit group providing leadership at the Capitol and within industry to promote recycling.
Gardner has made a name for himself through his strong advocacy for government transparency and responsiveness. In 2007, he launched his own blog which informs his constituents of his daily activities, visitors to his office, and a summary of every single letter or phone call that his office receives.
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 53A, which includes all or portions of the northern suburbs of Lino Lakes
Lino Lakes, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,791 people, 4,857 households, and 4,162 families residing in the city. The population density was 595.1 people per square mile . There were 4,921 housing units at an average density of 174.4 per square mile...
, Circle Pines
Circle Pines, Minnesota
Circle Pines is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,918 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Lake Drive / County 23 serves as a main route in the...
, Lexington
Lexington, Minnesota
Lexington is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,049 at the 2010 census. There is also Lexington Township in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.-Geography:...
, North Oaks
North Oaks, Minnesota
North Oaks is a suburb north of Saint Paul in Ramsey County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 4,469 at the 2010 census.Formerly a gated community that now posts private access signage, all land is owned by homeowners with the North Oaks Home Owners Association maintaining all...
, Shoreview
Shoreview, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 25,377 people, Males: 12,303 , Females: 13,074 , 9,965 households, and 7,021 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,315.9 people per square mile . There are 10,127 housing units at an average density of 919.2 per square mile...
and Blaine
Blaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
. 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 was first elected in 2006 in a huge upset, narrowly defeating 16 year incumbent Rep. Phil Krinkie by 51 votes. He was re-elected in 2008, defeating challenger John Louis Kappler by 1035 votes, but 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:...
former state senator Linda Runbeck
Linda Runbeck
Linda Runbeck is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represents District 53A, which includes portions of Anoka and Ramsey counties and all or portions of the communities of Lino Lakes, Circle Pines, Lexington, North Oaks, Shoreview and Blaine in the...
in the 2010 general election.
Gardner has a Master of Public Affairs
Master of Public Affairs
The Master of Public Affairs , one of several public affairs degrees, historically has been a master level professional degree offered in public policy schools that provides training in public policy and the operation of government. Courses required for this degree educate students in public and...
degree from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and a Bachelor of Arts
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...
degree in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
. He was also the Executive Director of the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM), a nonprofit group providing leadership at the Capitol and within industry to promote recycling.
Gardner has made a name for himself through his strong advocacy for government transparency and responsiveness. In 2007, he launched his own blog which informs his constituents of his daily activities, visitors to his office, and a summary of every single letter or phone call that his office receives.