Sondra Erickson
Encyclopedia
Sondra Erickson is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
who represents District 16A, which includes portions of Benton
, Mille Lacs
, Morrison
and Sherburne
counties in the west central part of the state. A Republican
, she is also a retired English teacher at Princeton High School in Princeton
.
Erickson was first elected to the House in a 1998 special election, held after Rep. LeRoy Koppendrayer resigned to accept an appointment to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
by Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson
. She was re-elected in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Prior to the 2002 legislative redistricting
, she represented the old District 17A. She was unseated by Gail Kulick Jackson
in the 2008 election, losing by just 89 votes after a recount. In 2010, she ran again, unseating Jackson with 55.38% to 44.39% of the vote.
Erickson currently serves as chair of the Education Reform Committee, and also serves on the Education Finance, the Ethics, and the Taxes committees. During her previous tenure in the House, she served as chair of the Ethics Committee from 2003-2007.
Erickson graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead
, receiving her B.S.
in English. She later attended graduate school at the University of St. Thomas
in Saint Paul
. In addition to her career as an educator, she served on the Minnesota Board of Teaching from 1992–1997, and on the Minnesota Statehood Sesquicentennial Commission from 2006-2008.
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...
who represents District 16A, which includes portions of Benton
Benton County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,226 people, 13,065 households, and 8,518 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There were 13,460 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, Mille Lacs
Mille Lacs County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,330 people, 8,638 households, and 6,003 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 10,467 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
, Morrison
Morrison County, Minnesota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,712 people, 11,816 households, and 8,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 13,870 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
and Sherburne
Sherburne County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,417 people, 21,581 households, and 16,746 families residing in the county. The population density was 148 people per square mile . There were 22,827 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
counties in the west central 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:...
, she is also a retired English teacher at Princeton High School in Princeton
Princeton, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,933 people, 1,624 households, and 998 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.7 people per square mile . There were 1,670 housing units at an average density of 376.9 per square mile...
.
Erickson was first elected to the House in a 1998 special election, held after Rep. LeRoy Koppendrayer resigned to accept an appointment to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is the consumer protection agency in the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with the regulation of public utilities such as electric and telephone service. Its commissioners are appointed by the governor....
by Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson
Arne Carlson
Arne Helge Carlson, Sr. is an American politician and the 37th Governor of the state of Minnesota.-Early years, education and family:...
. She was re-elected in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Prior to the 2002 legislative 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...
, she represented the old District 17A. She was unseated by Gail Kulick Jackson
Gail Kulick Jackson
Gail Kulick Jackson is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represented District 16A, which includes portions of Benton, Mille Lacs, Morrison and Sherburne counties in the west central part of the state. A Democrat, she is also an...
in the 2008 election, losing by just 89 votes after a recount. In 2010, she ran again, unseating Jackson with 55.38% to 44.39% of the vote.
Erickson currently serves as chair of the Education Reform Committee, and also serves on the Education Finance, the Ethics, and the Taxes committees. During her previous tenure in the House, she served as chair of the Ethics Committee from 2003-2007.
Erickson graduated from 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 her 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 English. She later attended graduate school at the University of St. Thomas
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic, liberal arts, and archdiocesan university located in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States...
in Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. In addition to her career as an educator, she served on the Minnesota Board of Teaching from 1992–1997, and on the Minnesota Statehood Sesquicentennial Commission from 2006-2008.