Tom Emmer

Thomas Earl "Tom" Emmer, Jr.
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 19B district
In office January 4, 2005 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Dick Borrell
Succeeded by	Joe McDonald
Personal details
Born	(1961-03-03) March 3, 1961 South Bend, Indiana
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jacqueline
Children	Tripp, Jack, Bobby, Katie, Joey, Billy and Johnny
Residence	Delano, Minnesota
Alma mater	University of Alaska Fairbanks William Mitchell College of Law
Occupation	lawyer, radio talk show host
Religion	Roman Catholic
Website	official campaign website for governor official campaign website for Congress

Thomas Earl "Tom" Emmer, Jr.^[1] (born March 3, 1961) was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 until 2011 and the Republican nominee for governor in the 2010 election. He represented District 19B, which includes portions of Wright and Hennepin Counties and the cities of Otsego, Albertville, St. Michael, Rockford, Delano, Montrose, and Waverly.^[2] He was born in South Bend, Indiana, and grew up in Edina, Minnesota. On June 5th, 2013, he announced he would seek the 6th Congressional District seat being vacated by Michele Bachmann.^[3]

Early life, education, and early political career

Emmer attended St. Thomas Academy, an all-male, Catholic, military, college-preparatory high school, located in Mendota Heights near Saint Paul.^[4] He then attended Boston College^[2] followed by the University of Alaska at Fairbanks,^[1] where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1984. He also played hockey for both schools. He received a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1988.^[5]

Prior to his election to the House, Emmer served as a member of the Independence and Delano City Councils.^[2]

Minnesota House of Representatives

Elections

In 2004, incumbent Republican State Representative Dick Borrell, of Minnesota's 19B House District, decided to retire. Emmer decided to run and defeated Democrat Lori M. Schmidt, an attorney, 60%-40%.^[6] In 2006, he won re-election to a second term with 61% of the vote.^[7] In 2008, he won re-election to a third term with 61% of the vote.^[8] In 2010, he decided to retire in order to run for Governor of Minnesota.

Committee assignments

He served on the Finance Committee, the Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight Committee, and the State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections Committee. He was also a member of the Finance Subcommittee for the Health Care and Human Services Finance Division, and of the Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight Subcommittee for the Licensing Division.^[2]

2010 gubernatorial election

Primary

Emmer officially announced his candidacy for governor of the State of Minnesota in July 2009.^[9][10] In January 2010, Emmer came in second to Marty Seifert in a non-binding straw poll of Republican Party caucus participants.^{[citation needed]} In April 2010, Emmer announced that his running mate would be Metropolitan Council member Annette Meeks. Emmer received the endorsements of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, ^[11] Governor Tim Pawlenty, and Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau.^[12] On April 30, 2010, the Republican Party of Minnesota officially endorsed Tom Emmer as its candidate for governor at the state convention in Minneapolis. His main opponent, Marty Seifert, withdrew from the race and endorsed Emmer when it became apparent that Emmer was nearing the threshold for party endorsement. On August 10, 2010, Emmer won the Republican primary by a landslide of 82% of the vote, a 75-point margin over the distant second place candidate Bob Carney.^[13][14]

Corporate sponsorship

The race has attracted national attention as the "first case in this election cycle of a company hit by national protests over a campaign donation".^[15] Minnesota-based Target Corporation donated $150,000 to Minnesota Forward, a new political action committee paying for advertising that supports Emmer's gubernatorial election.^[16] Emmer has said he views the Target giving as an exercise in free speech and wants to keep his campaign focused on economic issues.^[17] Best Buy has donated $100,000 to MN Forward.^[18]

Results

Emmer trailed by 9,000 votes behind his Democratic opponent Mark Dayton in the un-certified election results, though the count was close enough to trigger an automatic recount. Most analysts felt it was unlikely that the Emmer campaign could overcome such a deficit in a recount.^[19] On December 8, 2010, Emmer conceded the election.^[20]

Post 2010 election activities

Emmer is now a registered lobbyist in Minnesota,^[21] and co-hosts a morning talk radio program with Bob Davis on KTCN in Minneapolis.

In early 2011, he ran for an open Minnesota seat on the Republican National Committee, but lost that election to Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.^[22]

Emmer hosted a 2011 event promoting the launch of Representative Ron Paul's presidential campaign in Minnesota.^[23]

2014 Congressional Election

Upon the surprise retirement of U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann, Emmer was considered a possible successor in the Sixth Congressional District seat.^[24] On June 5, 2013, Emmer officially announced he would seek the Republican nomination in the 2014 election.^[25]

Political positions

Pharmacy conscience clause

He has supported "conscience clause" legislation that would allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense contraception on the basis of "ethical, moral or legal grounds as long as the pharmacist notifies their employer in advance and the employer can ensure a patient has timely access to the drug or device".^[26]

State Sovereignty

Emmer sponsored an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that would allow the state to nullify federal laws, which presumably would require all federal laws to be approved by the state government, and which would probably be unconstitutional under the United States Constitution.^[27]

Abortion

Emmer identifies as pro-life.^[28]

Taxes

Emmer strongly opposes tax increases. He has also proposed gradually reducing the state corporate tax, with the eventual goal of repealing it altogether.^[29]

Minimum wage

Emmer introduced an amendment within the Minnesota House of Representatives that would have eliminated Minnesota's minimum wage law in 2005.^[30]

'Tip credit'

On July 5, 2010, after visiting a restaurant in St. Paul Minnesota, Emmer was asked during a press conference if he supported the idea of a tip credit, the financial policy of allowing businesses to subtract tips from a server's hourly wage. His response was "Yes... if you didn't have a minimum wage law..." His reasoning for implementing the tip credit is that "...somebody could be taking home well over one hundred thousand dollars as a server" while the restaurant owner could be making much less.^[31][32]

One week after his ‘tip credit’ press conference, Emmer announced a proposal that would exempt the first $20,000 a server makes in tips from state taxes.^[33] At the same press conference a protester dumped $20 in pennies on Emmer's lap.^[34]

Drunk driving

In 2009, Emmer sponsored a bill that would shorten the period of license revocation for driving while impaired and for refusing to take a sobriety test. Additionally, though "suspected drunken drivers [currently] face revocation before they go to court," Emmer's bill would delay revocations until after conviction.^[35] Supporters of Emmer's bill have said "it's needed because pre-conviction revocations penalize drivers before proving they're guilty."^[36] Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the head of the Minnesota DWI task force opposed the legislation^[37] because it would allow arrested drivers to continue to drive during the time between their arrest and hearing.^[38]

Emmer's own history became an issue in relation to his bill.^[39] Emmer, at the age of 20, received a driving under the influence-related ticket in 1981. In 1991 he pled guilty to careless driving while two charges for DWI and a license plate violation were dropped.^[40] He denies that his own drunk driving and legal consequences played a part in the bill, stating, "We all come to the Legislature with life experiences, but it has nothing to do with this bill."^[35] Emmer also stated that his sentence in 1981 should have been harsher. Had it been, Emmer felt that he "...probably wouldn't have taken the second chance" that led to his subsequent arrests and guilty plea in 1991.^[41]

On May 13, 2010, Emmer was one of three legislators not to vote on a bill that would have provided such tougher penalties for drunk drivers. Emmer said that he missed the vote when a previously scheduled lunch ran long, and that he had "no idea" how he would have voted on the bill, but that he "assume[d]" he would have supported it.^[42]

Same sex marriage

Emmer supported a state constitutional amendment banning civil recognition of same-sex marriages or its legal equivalent, stating, "I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman."^[43] In March 2007, Emmer introduced HF 1847, a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution "recognizing as marriage or its legal equivalent only a union between one man and one woman."^[44]

Bullying & hate crime legislation

Emmer's 2010 campaign stated that he "is a supporter of traditional marriage, and he strongly opposes any kind of violence or unfair discrimination against any group."^[45] Nonetheless, on November 4, 2010, Emmer's campaign made a $250 cash contribution to Christian punk rock ministry You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International.^[45] Emmer also met with the CEO and president of the group, Bradlee Dean, on his radio show "Sons of Liberty" in early 2010.

During an October 9, 2010, televised debate, Emmer said he would oppose legislation to combat school bullying against gay and lesbian young people. Emmer, who in the past voted against anti-bullying legislation as a state lawmaker, said that teachers are most responsible for halting bullies, but suggested that the threat of lawsuits keeps them from doing so. "I don't think we need more laws; I think we need more understanding," he said.^[46]

BPA

In 2009, Emmer voted against S.F. 247.^[47] This Minnesota law states that by January 1, 2010, no manufacturer, retailer, or wholesaler may sell or offer for sale in Minnesota any children's product that contains Bisphenol-A, except for used children's products which will be prohibited after January 1, 2011.^[48] Emmer stated that he voted against the law because of fear of “increased costs.” As well-intentioned as people may be, he said, "they don't think about what this vote means five steps down the line."^[49]

Personal life

The great-grandfather of Emmer, along with his two brothers, founded Emmer Brothers Lumber in 1910. It is now called Viking Forest Products LLC, an employee-owned company.^[50] Emmer has seven children with his wife of more than 20 years, Jacqueline Emmer.^[51] He is an avid hockey player, having played in college, and continuing the sport by coaching.^[1] During the legislative session, Emmer regularly rides the bus to the Minnesota State Capitol.^[1]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Category:Tom Emmer.

• Tom Emmer at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
• Representative Tom Emmer (R) official MN State Legislature site
• Emmer for Governor official gubernatorial campaign site
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Voting record (2005-2008) at Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker