Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Skip Navigation Links
  • LRL Home
    • >
  • Legislators Past & Present
    • >
  • Member Record
    • Legislators Past & Present Home

    Gimse, Joseph R. "Joe"

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    Senate 2007-2012 (District 13)

    Party when first elected:  Republican

    Counties Served:  Kandiyohi, Pope, Stearns

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 7/31/1957
    Birth Place: Richmond, Minnesota
    Birth County: Stearns
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Male
    Religion: Catholic
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names: Joe
    City of Residence (when first elected): Willmar
    Occupation (when first elected): Home Builder/Land Developer/Self-Employed; Construction and Tree Service, Gimse Brothers Construction

    EDUCATION

    Willmar High School; Secondary; Graduate
    Ridgewater College; A.A.S.; Automotive Technology, Certificate in Supervisory Management

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    Military: United States Army; 1974 to 1978

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Lanae
    Children: Four children: Nicole, Jennifer, Jeffrey, and Kayli Jo
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    Special Legislative Concerns: education, health care, economic development, transportation, business development.

    He was raised on a farm near Mora, Minnesota.

    He ran unsuccessfully for the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 1998 election and for the Minnesota Senate in the 2002 and 2012 elections.

    He was a licensed private airline pilot.

    Religion provided by the 2006 WCCO TV Voters' Guide.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 2198

    SESSIONS SERVED

    87th Legislative Session (2011-2012)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/4/2011
    Body: Senate
    District: 13
    Elected: 11/2/2010
    Residence: Willmar
    Term of Office: 1/3/2011 to 1/6/2013
    Oath Date: 1/4/2011
    Counties Represented: Kandiyohi, Pope, Stearns
    Occupation: Home Builder/Land Developer
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:  2011 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2011 1st Sp.S. - Author
    2012 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2012 1st Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Capital Investment
    • Higher Education
    • Transportation (Chair)
    term photo
    Click to view

    86th Legislative Session (2009-2010) (second half of Senate term)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/2009
    Body: Senate
    District: 13
    Elected: 11/7/2006
    Residence: Willmar
    Term of Office: 1/1/2007 to 1/2/2011
    Oath Date: 1/3/2007
    Counties Represented: Kandiyohi, Pope, Stearns
    Occupation: Home Builder, Gimse Brothers Construction/Land Developer
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Agriculture and Veterans
    • Business, Industry and Jobs
    • Business, Industry and Jobs: Bioscience and Renewable Energy Development
    • Finance: Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division
    • Finance: Transportation Budget and Policy Division
    • State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
    • State and Local Government Operations and Oversight: Elections
    • Transportation
    Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader
    term photo
    Click to view

    85th Legislative Session (2007-2008)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2007
    Body: Senate
    District: 13
    Elected: 11/7/2006
    Residence: Willmar
    Term of Office: 1/1/2007 to 1/2/2011
    Oath Date: 1/3/2007
    Counties Represented: Kandiyohi, Pope, Stearns
    Occupation: Home Builder/Land Developer/Self-Employed; Construction and Tree Service, Gimse Brothers Construction
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Agriculture and Veterans
    • Business, Industry and Jobs
    • Finance: Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division
    • Finance: Transportation Budget and Policy Division
    • State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
    • State and Local Government Operations and Oversight: Elections
    • Transportation
    term photo
    Click to view

    OTHER INFORMATION

    News Sources

    The Library maintains newspaper clippings on individual legislators during their terms. Clippings are available from 1973 to the present in a variety of formats: 1973-1999, microfiche available at the Library; 2000-2009, scanned in yearly compilations and digitally available on the legislative network; 2009-present, archived in a searchable database maintained by the Library and available on the legislative network.

    District News Files

    2007 (13)
    2008 (13)
    2009 (13)
    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

    Legislators Past & Present Home