Dave Senjem
David Howard Senjem (born December 20, 1942) is an American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. He served as its majority leader from 2011 to 2013. A moderate Republican, Senjem has crossed party lines on many occasions, notably environmental policy and women's issues. He represents District 25, which includes portions of Dodge and Olmsted counties in the southeastern part of the state. Much of the northern half of Rochester lies in his district. Early life, education, and career. Senjem grew up in Hayfield, Minnesota and attended Hayfield High School. After graduating, he earned a Bachelor of  Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He served on the Rochester City Park Board for five years, then on the Rochester City Council from 1992 to 2002. He is a retired Environmental Affairs Officer for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Senjem's family originates from Bingen, Buskerud County, Norway; the original family name was Sønju. His great-great-grandfather John N. Hanson served as a Republican state representative from Dodge County from 1873 to 1874. Political positions. Senjem is generally regarded as a moderate and centrist Republican. He has been reelected multiple times even when his district backed  Democratic candidates in other races. He has received praise from both sides for his bipartisanship. In January 2021, Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison described Senjem as "open-minded" and said, "In an age where the parties are as polarized as at any point in our nation's history, Senjem is a guy who's willing to work across the aisle." Environment. Senjem is a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. The NCEL awarded Senjem with the 2021 Leon G. Billings Environmental Achievement Award in recognition of his accomplishments in environmental policy. Senjem is currently the chair of the  Senate Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee. In 2021, he supported the Energy Conservation and Optimization Act despite opposition from other Republicans. Women's Issues. Senjem is the only male and sole Republican to serve on the Advisory Task Force on Expanding the Economic Security of Women. He was appointed to the task force by Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison. Ellison stated that Senjem's voting record shows his concern for women's issues. Medical Marijuana. Senjem supports legalized medical marijuana. In 2014, he was one of eight Republican senators to back a bill allowing for medical marijuana in  the state. Economy. Senjem is rated highly by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business. Minnesota Senate. Senjem was first elected in 2002, and was reelected in 2006, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2020. He served as minority leader from 2007 until January 3, 2011. On December 27, 2011, Senjem was elected majority leader after the previous majority leader, Amy Koch, resigned over an affair with a Senate staffer. Senjem became the third person to serve as both minority and majority leader, and the first to serve in both roles as a Republican. Senjem tested positive  for COVID-19 in November 2020. Upon finding out, the Minnesota Senate Republican chief of staff warned other Republicans of the positive test, but did not tell Democratic state legislators about the positive test, thus preventing them from taking the appropriate precautions.