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Baker, Dave

House 2015-2022 (District 17B); House 2023-Present (District 16B)

Party when first elected:  Republican

Counties Served:  Kandiyohi

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 3/27/1962
Birth Place:
Birth County:
Birth Country:
Date of Death:
Gender: Male
Religion: Catholic
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
City of Residence (when first elected): Willmar
Occupation (when first elected): Small-Business Owner

EDUCATION

Aitkin High School; Secondary;
St. Cloud Area Vocational Technical Institute; Vocational-Technical School; Sales and Management

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

Member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Willmar, Minnesota

Grew up in Hamel, Minnesota.

Total Days Served: 4103

SESSIONS SERVED

94th Legislative Session (2025-2026)

  Session Details   Convened Date: 1/14/2025
Body: House
District: 16B
Elected: 11/5/2024
Residence: Willmar
Term of Office: 1/6/2025 to 1/3/2027
Oath Date: 1/14/2025
Counties Represented: Kandiyohi
Occupation: Small business owner
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Special Session Bills Authored:     2025 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
  • Energy Finance and Policy Minutes
  • Ways and Means Minutes
  • Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy (Chair) Minutes [He was chair until 3/17/2025, when he became co-chair.]

93rd Legislative Session (2023-2024)

  Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2023
Body: House
District: 16B
Elected: 11/8/2022
Residence: Willmar
Term of Office: 1/2/2023 to 1/5/2025
Oath Date: 1/3/2023
Counties Represented: Kandiyohi
Occupation: Small-business owner
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Human Services Finance Minutes
  • Human Services Policy Minutes
  • Workforce Development Finance and Policy Minutes
Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader

92nd Legislative Session (2021-2022)

  Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/2021
Body: House
District: 17B
Elected: 11/3/2020
Residence: Willmar
Term of Office: 1/4/2021 to 1/1/2023
Oath Date: 1/5/2021
Counties Represented: Kandiyohi
Occupation: Small-business owner
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Special Session Bills Authored:  2021 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2021 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
  • Human Services Finance and Policy: Behavioral Health Policy Division Minutes
  • Workforce and Business Development Finance and Policy Minutes
Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader

91st Legislative Session (2019-2020)

  Session Details   Convened Date: 1/8/2019
Body: House
District: 17B
Elected: 11/6/2018
Residence: Willmar
Term of Office: 1/7/2019 to 1/3/2021
Oath Date: 1/8/2019
Counties Represented: Kandiyohi
Occupation: Small-Business Owner
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Education Policy Minutes
  • Rules and Legislative Administration Minutes
  • Ways & Means: Energy and Climate Finance & Policy Division Minutes
  • Ways & Means: Health and Human Services Finance Division Minutes

90th Legislative Session (2017-2018)

  Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2017
Body: House
District: 17B
Elected: 11/8/2016
Residence: Willmar
Term of Office: 1/2/2017 to 1/6/2019
Oath Date: 1/3/2017
Counties Represented: Kandiyohi
Occupation: Small-Business Owner
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Health & Human Services Reform Minutes
  • Health & Human Services Reform: Subcommittee on Aging & Long-Term Care Minutes
  • Job Growth & Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Minutes
  • Rules & Legislative Administration Minutes
  • Transportation Finance Minutes
  • Ways & Means Minutes

89th Legislative Session (2015-2016)

  Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/2015
Body: House
District: 17B
Elected: 11/4/2014
Residence: Willmar
Term of Office: 1/5/2015 to 1/1/2017
Oath Date: 1/6/2015
Counties Represented: Kandiyohi
Occupation: Small-Business Owner
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Aging & Long-Term Care Policy Minutes
  • Health and Human Services Reform Minutes
  • Job Growth & Energy Affordability Policy & Finance Minutes
Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader

Session Interviews

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.
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

Photographs

A student, wearing a hospitality school uniform, speaks into a microphone at the testifier's table, as Rep. Dave Baker listens, smiling.
Paula Anderson sits at the testifier's table and speaks to someone out of view. Rep. Dave Baker sits beside her, looking over at her. Three women stand in the background, also looking at Paula Anderson.
Johanna Clyborne sits at the testifier's table, leaning over to speak to someone out of view. Rep. Dave Baker sits to her left, looking downwards.
Jeff Kazel, seated at the testifiers table, holds his right hand to his face and appears emotional. Rep. Dave Baker is sitting to his left with his hands folded, looking downwards.

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