OpenLLM-France/wikimedia huggingface dataset:
# Ulrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard

Ulrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard (probably before 1428 – 13 July 1471) was ruling duke in the portion of the duchy of Mecklenburg designated Mecklenburg-Stargard from 1466 to 1471. He was the youngest child of Duke Henry, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard, and his wife Ingeborg of Pomerania.

## Life

Ulrich II was probably born before 1428 and reigned jointly with his father Henry. After his father's death in 1466 he assumed full power.
He was married to Catherine, daughter of Prince William of Werle. The marriage had been planned for 1446. However, it came about only after a lengthy dispute over the dowry. Through the mediation of Mayor Otto Voge of Stralsund, an amicable agreement, the Treaty of Ribnitz, was reached on 24 February 1454. The sticking point was a dispute over the share of Catherine's mother, Sophia of Pomerania, in the inheritance of her brother, Duke Barnim VIII of Pomerania, who had died in 1451. The Mecklenburg side claimed this share as a dowry for Catherine's wedding. This affected the Lordships of Barth, Zingst and Damgarten, which Barnim VIII had pledged to Catherine for 20000florins. The exact date of the wedding is not known, but probably between 24 February (the date of the treaty) and 15 September 1454 (the first documented mention of Catharine as his wife). Catharine was last mentioned on 21 July 1475.
Ulrich died in 1471; there were rumours that he was poisoned. He was buried in Wanzka Monastery. As he had no male heirs, Stargard fell back to the line of Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg, who already ruled the rest of Mecklenburg.

## Issue

* Ingeborg (died probably 8 April 1509), married Eberwin II of Bentheim
* Elisabeth (died 1532), Prioress of Rehna Abbey
# André N. Skjelstad

André Nikolai Skjelstad (born 27 August 1965) is a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party.
He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Nord-Trøndelag in 2005. Prior to this he worked as a farmer, and served as Deputy Mayor of Verran Municipality and as a regional council member for Nord-Trøndelag County Municipality. Skjelstad has argued for diversification and investment in the region, to prevent stagnation and reliance upon the oil industry.
# Keith Downey (politician)

Keith S. Downey (born November 10, 1960) is a Minnesota politician and the former chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota. A former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, he represented District 41A, which primarily included portions of the cities of Edina and Minnetonka in Hennepin County in the southwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area. He is also a consultant for state and local governments on strategy, operations, and technology.

## Early life, education, and career

Downey grew up in Edina, attending Morningside Elementary School, Southview Middle School, and East High School, graduating in 1979. He went on to the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, where he received his B.B.A. in 1983 and later his M.I.S. Prior to his current consultant work, he was a partner with Virchow Krause, and also worked for Unisys and Epic Systems.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

Downey was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2008, defeating nine-term Rep. Ron Erhardt, and was re-elected in 2010. He was a member of the House's K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee and Taxes Committee, and also served on the Finance subcommittees for the Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division, on which he was the ranking minority party member, the Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division, and the State Government Finance Division.

## 2012 Minnesota Senate campaign

In 2012, after incumbent state senator Geoff Michel (Senate District 41) decided not to run for re-election to the Senate, Keith Downey decided not to seek re-election to the House seat (41B) and instead sought election to the State Senate for newly renumbered Senate District 49. In the general election of November 2012, Downey was defeated by the DFL endorsed candidate Melisa Franzen. The race was the most expensive in state history.

## Leadership of the Republican Party of Minnesota

Downey was elected the Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota on April 6, 2013, succeeding Pat Shortridge.

## Personal life

Downey is married to his wife, Amy. They have three children and reside in Edina, Minnesota. He is a member of the Minneapolis Regional and Edina Chambers of Commerce. From 2004 to 2007, he served the Minneapolis Regional Chamber as a board member, executive committee member and public policy committee chairman. He was a member of the Hennepin County SW Transportation Corridor Policy Advisory Committee from 2006 to 2008. In 2008, Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed him as a board member of the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation.
# Dave Brown (Minnesota politician)

David M. Brown (born June 26, 1961) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 15, which included portions of Benton, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Sherburne and Wright counties in the central part of the state. The district also included the trust lands of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Grand Casino Mille Lacs.

## Early life, education, and career

Brown grew up in Mount Auburn-La-Porte City, Iowa, and later attended Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, graduating in 1983 with a B.A. in Behavioral Sciences.
Dave Brown works for UnitedHealth Group in Austin, Texas. He worked as an insurance agent with the Breitenfeldt Group until 2017. Preceding his insurance career, he worked with Word Entertainment, a major Christian music company based in Nashville, Tennessee.

## Minnesota Senate

Brown was first elected in 2010 and was re-elected in 2012. He did not seek re-election in 2016.
# Susan Kent (politician)

Susan Kent (born November 18, 1963) is a Minnesota politician and former minority leader of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 53 in the eastern Twin Cities metropolitan area from 2013 to 2023.

## Early life, education, and career

Kent was born in 1963 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

## Minnesota Senate

Kent was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2012.
In late 2019, it was reported that Kent intended to challenge Minority Leader Tom Bakk for his caucus leadership post. On February 1, 2020, after a private meeting that lasted more than six hours, the caucus elected Kent as its new leader. In September 2021 Susan Kent announced that she would not run for re-election, also choosing to step down as Senate Minority Leader.

## Personal life

Kent met her husband, Chris, a Maplewood native and 3M employee, in Austin, Texas. The couple moved to Woodbury, Minnesota in the mid-2000s. They have one child.
# Dan Skogen

Dan Skogen (born December 14, 1957) is a Minnesotan politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate who represented District 10, which includes all or parts of Becker, Otter Tail, and Wadena Counties in the northwestern part of the state.

## Education and professional career

Skogen grew up near Phelps Mill in Maine Township. He graduated from Battle Lake High School and has an audio communications degree from Thief River Falls Technical College. He is the sports director at radio stations in Wadena. He resides near Hewitt with his wife, Dee, and has two children.

## Service in the Minnesota Senate

A Democrat, Skogen was first elected in 2006. He lost his reelection bid in 2010 to Republican Gretchen Hoffman. While in office, his special legislative concerns included the environment, agriculture, and education.
Skogen was a member of the Senate's Agriculture and Veterans Committee, the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, the Education Committee, and the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. He also served on and chaired the Environment and Natural Resources Subcommittee for Public Lands and Waters, and on the Finance subcommittees for the Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division and the E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division.
In 2012, Skogen ran for Minnesota Senate again in the redrawn Senate District 8 and lost to Bill Ingebrigtsen.

## Electoral history

2012 Minnesota State Senate District 8
* Bill Ingebrigtsen (R), 22,712 votes, 52.86%
* Dan Skogen (DFL), 20,213 votes, 47.04%
2010 Minnesota State Senate District 10
* Gretchen Hoffman (R), 17,048 votes, 54.79%
* Dan Skogen (DFL), 14,040 votes, 45.12%
* Write-In, 29 votes, 0.09%
2006 Minnesota State Senate District 10
* Cal Larson (R), 14,191 votes, 44.71%
* Dan Skogen (DFL), 17,530 votes, 55.23%
* Write-In, 18 votes, 0.06%
# Aric Putnam

Aric Putnam (/ˈɛərɪk ˈpʌtnəm/ AIR-ik PUTT-nəm; born July 7, 1972) is an American politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), he represents District 14, which includes parts of Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns counties in central Minnesota.

## Early life, education, and career

Putnam was born on Andrews Air Force Base while his father fought in the Vietnam War. After returning, his family moved to California, where he grew up. After graduating from high school, Putnam earned his B.A. at San Francisco State University. He later moved to Maine, where he completed his M.A. at the University of Maine. In the late 1990s, Putnam moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he completed his PhD at the University of Minnesota. He has been a professor of communications at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University since 2003.

## Minnesota State Senate

Putnam was elected in 2020, defeating incumbent Republican Jerry Relph, who died after the election. He was an unsuccessful candidate for District 14A of the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016 and 2018 against Republican incumbent Tama Theis.
Putnam serves on the following committees:
* Aging and Long-Term Care Policy
* Higher Education Finance and Policy
* Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy

## Electoral history

Minnesota Senate 14th district election, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Aric Putnam | 15,350 | 52.29 |
| | Republican | Tama Theis | 13,969 | 47.58 |
| | Write-in | | 37 | 0.13 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 29,356 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |
Minnesota Senate 14th district election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Aric Putnam | 18,318 | 46.39 |
| | Republican | Jerry Relph (incumbent) | 18,002 | 45.59 |
| | Legal Marijuana Now | Jaden Partlow | 3,127 | 7.92 |
| | Write-in | | 41 | 0.10 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 39,488 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican | Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican | Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican | Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican |
Minnesota House of Representatives 14A district election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tama Theis (incumbent) | 9,079 | 52.10 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Aric Putnam | 8,348 | 47.90 |
| | Write-in | | 3 | 0.02 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,430 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
Minnesota House of Representatives 14A district election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tama Theis (incumbent) | 10,961 | 54.65 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Aric Putnam | 9,059 | 45.17 |
| | Write-in | | 37 | 0.18 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,057 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
# Yvonne Selcer

Yvonne M. Selcer (born March 3, 1953) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 48A, which included Hennepin County.

## Early life, education, and career

Selcer grew up in Winsted, Minnesota, where she attended high school. After graduating from Holy Trinity High School (Winsted, Minnesota), Selcer moved to Winona, Minnesota to study at the College of Saint Teresa, where she earned her BS in Elementary Education, graduating in 1975.
Selcer first became involved in politics when she was elected to the Hopkins School Board in 2004. She served for a total of eight years, three of which she spent as a director, two as the board's treasurer, and three as its chair.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

In 2012, Selcer defeated incumbent Republican Kirk Stensrud by 202 votes. During the campaign, Selcer filed an official complaint against the Republican Party, which sent out a campaign mailer alleging that Selcer had not paid her property taxes. Hennepin County confirmed that Selcer did indeed pay her taxes on time. In 2014, Selcer again defeated Stensrud, both in the general election by 36 ballots, and in a recount conducted November 19, 2014, when her margin of victory increased to 41 votes. She did not seek re-election in 2016.

### Committee assignments

Selcer served on the House Education Finance, Transportation Policy, and Energy Policy committees.

## Personal life

Selcer's brother, Tom Ollig, has served intermittently on Winsted's City Council for the past twenty years. Her brother-in-law, John Hoffman, is currently serving as the Minnesota state senator for District 36.
# Joyce Peppin

Joyce J. Peppin (born July 2, 1970) is an American politician and former majority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, she represented District 34A, which included portions of Hennepin County in the northwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area.

## Early life, education, and career

Raised on a farm near Randall, Peppin graduated from Little Falls High School in Little Falls, then attended the University of Minnesota in Duluth, receiving her B.A. in political science and speech communications in 1992. In 2007, she earned her M.B.A. at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul. She was a communications consultant for the Minnesota House from 1992 to 1997, worked as a communications manager and vice president of public relations for U.S. Bancorp from 1997 to 2001, and was a communications specialist for the Minnesota House Republican Caucus until running for the House herself in 2004.
Peppin has also been active in her local community, serving on the Hassan Township Parks Commission from 1998 to 2004, as a member of the I-94 West Chamber of Commerce, and as chair of the Mary Queen of Peace Catholic School Advisory Board from 2002 to 2004.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

Peppin was first elected in 2004; and she was reelected in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. In 2015, she became Majority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives. She resigned effective July 2, 2018, to join the Minnesota Rural Electric Association as director of government affairs and general counsel.

### Elections

2014 Minnesota State Representative- House 34A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Joyce Peppin (Incumbent) | 12,411 | 97.05 | +32.81 |
2012 Minnesota State Representative- House 34A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Adam Fisher | 7983 | 35.65 | |
| | Republican | Joyce Peppin (Incumbent) | 14386 | 64.24 | −6.73 |
2010 Minnesota State Representative- House 32A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic (DFL) | David B. Hoden | 6556 | 28.95 | |
| | Republican | Joyce Peppin (Incumbent) | 16072 | 70.97 | +4.74 |
2008 Minnesota State Representative- House 32A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Grace A. Baltich | 9827 | 33.65 | −1.52 |
| | Republican | Joyce Peppin (Incumbent) | 19340 | 66.23 | +1.48 |
2006 Minnesota State Representative- House 32A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Grace A. Baltich | 7591 | 35.17 | |
| | Republican | Joyce Peppin (Incumbent) | 13977 | 64.75 | +10.93 |
2004 Minnesota State Representative- House 32A :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic (DFL) | Caroll Holmstrom | 7122 | 26.82 |
| Republican | Joyce Peppin | 14273 | 53.82 |
| Independence | Arlon Lindner | 5114 | 19.28 |
# Erik Simonson

Erik Simonson (born May 26, 1968) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 7 which includes the city of Duluth in St. Louis County in northeastern Minnesota.

## Early life

Simonson was born in Duluth, Minnesota.

## Minnesota legislature

Simonson was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2012 representing District 7B and served two terms.
Simonson was then elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2016.
Simonson served on the following committees during his tenure:
* Ranking Minority Member Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy
* Environment and Natural Resources Finance
* Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
In 2020, Simonson was not endorsed by the DFL and was defeated in the primary election on August 11 to Jen McEwen.

## Personal life

Simonson was an assistant chief for the Duluth Fire Department, retiring after serving as a firefighter for 27 years. He is married and has two children.
After leaving his role as a legislator, Simonson became a lobbyist with Saint Paul-based law firm Flaherty and Hood.
# Svein Inge Valvik

Svein Inge Valvik (born 20 September 1956) is a retired Norwegian discus thrower. He represented SK Vidar, IF Kamp-Vestheim, IK Tjalve, Stabæk IF and Urædd.
He finished seventh in the discus final at the 1994 European Championships with a throw of 62.02 metres. He competed at the 1988 and 1996 Summer Olympics as well as the World Championships in 1987, 1991 and 1995 without reaching the final. He became Norwegian champion in discus throw in the years 1977, 1985 and 1990-1996.
His personal best throw was 68.00 metres, achieved in May 1982 in Juárez. This makes him the second best discus thrower in Norwegian history after Knut Hjeltnes.
He currently works as a teacher at Porsgrunn Videregående Skole.

## Achievements

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| Representing Norway ||||||
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 14th | Discus | 60.64 m |
| 1990 | European Championships | Split, Yugoslavia | 13th (q) | Discus | 60.34 m |
| 1994 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 7th | Discus | 62.02 m |
# Kathy Tingelstad

Kathy Tingelstad (born March 21, 1958) is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represented District 49B, which primarily includes portions of the cities of Andover and Coon Rapids in Anoka County in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. Prior to the 2002 legislative redistricting, the area was known as District 50B. A Republican, she is also a business consultant.
Tingelstad was first elected in 1996, succeeding four-term Rep. Teresa Lynch, who did not seek re-election. She was re-elected every two years until 2006, and did not run in 2008. While in the House, she served as chair of the Governmental Operations and Veterans Affairs Committee during the 2005–2006 biennium, and was a member of the Capital Investment, Environment and Natural Resources, Health and Human Services, Redistricting, and Rules and Legislative Administration committees, and of various committee incorporations and subcommittees relevant to each.
Tingelstad graduated from South Saint Paul High School in South Saint Paul, then went on to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, earning her B.A. in Communications. She later earned a M.B.A. certificate in Organization Management from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul. She was an intern in Minnesota Congressman Al Quie's office in the 1970s.
Tingelstad served as a member of the board of the Anoka-Hennepin School District. She was appointed to the position in January 2009, filling the seat vacated by her successor in the legislature, Rep. Jerry Newton. She was elected to a full term on the board in the November 2009 general election. She resigned from the board in March 2012 after casting the only vote against a settlement with the US Justice Department over the district's handling of issues involving bullying and sexual orientation. Students had said the district did not adequately respond to their complaints of persistent physical and verbal harassment based on real or perceived sexual orientation.
Tingelstad was employed by Anoka County as the Chief Lobbyist, until October 2014 and is currently retired however volunteers in several organizations, the most notable of which is her position as President of the Federation of Republican Women.
# Tama Theis

Tama Theis (born February 9, 1960) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, she represented District 14A in central Minnesota.

## Education

Theis attended St. Cloud Technical and Community College, graduating with an A.A.S.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

Theis was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in a special election in 2013.

## Opposition to COVID vaccine mandates

In December 2021, Theis joined 37 other Republican members of the Minnesota House in signing a letter to the Mayo Clinic challenging its policy requiring staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The letter said in part, "We will not support state funding for programs like these, or any other funding, for any healthcare facility that fires their employees due to unrealistic vaccine mandate policies."

## Personal life

Theis is married to Greg Theis. They have two children and reside in St. Cloud, Minnesota.