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    Bly, David

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 2007-2010 (District 25B); House 2013-2018 (District 20B)

    Party when first elected:  Democratic-Farmer-Labor

    Counties Served:  Le Sueur, Rice, Scott

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 1/8/1952
    Birth Place: Dubuque, Iowa
    Birth County:
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Male
    Religion: Congregational
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    City of Residence (when first elected): Northfield
    Occupation (when first elected): Educator; High School English Teacher, Northfield Alternative Learning Center

    EDUCATION

    Northfield High School; Secondary; Graduate, 1970
    Oxford University, England; Attended College; 2 Terms (through St. Olaf College)
    Minneapolis Technical College; Vocational-Technical School; Graphic Arts Certificate, 1978
    St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota; B.A.; English, 1974
    St. Mary's University, Minneapolis; M.A.; Education, 2004
    Mankato State University; E.B.D.; Special Education License, 1984

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Divorced (when first elected); Dominique (remarried in December 2012)
    Children: Two children: Gareth (son), Julia (daughter)
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    He was raised in Northfield, Minnesota.

    He ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsed candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 2002 election. His opponent, Ray Cox, defeated him by so few votes that an automatic recount occurred. The recount confirmed that Ray Cox had won, by 46 votes.

    He ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsed candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 2004 election. He lost by 586 votes.

    He ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsed candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 2010 election. His opponent, Kelby Woodard, defeated him by 31 votes so an automatic recount occurred. The recount confirmed that Kelby Woodard had won.

    He also was a Special Education Teacher in the Faribault Public Elementary Schools, 1984-87.

    Religion provided by his 2006 campaign Web page.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 3654

    SESSIONS SERVED

    90th Legislative Session (2017-2018)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2017
    Body: House
    District: 20B
    Elected: 11/8/2016
    Residence: Northfield
    Term of Office: 1/2/2017 to 1/6/2019
    Oath Date: 1/3/2017
    Counties Represented: Le Sueur, Rice
    Occupation: Retired
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:     2017 1st Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    term photo
    Click to view

    89th Legislative Session (2015-2016)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/2015
    Body: House
    District: 20B
    Elected: 11/4/2014
    Residence: Northfield
    Term of Office: 1/5/2015 to 1/1/2017
    Oath Date: 1/6/2015
    Counties Represented: Le Sueur, Rice
    Occupation: Retired
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:  2015 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2015 1st Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    term photo
    Click to view

    88th Legislative Session (2013-2014)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/8/2013
    Body: House
    District: 20B
    Elected: 11/6/2012
    Residence: Northfield
    Term of Office: 1/7/2013 to 1/4/2015
    Oath Date: 1/8/2013
    Counties Represented: Le Sueur, Rice
    Occupation: Retired Educator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:     2013 1st Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Education Policy Minutes
    • Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance Minutes
    • Housing Finance and Policy Minutes
    • Judiciary Finance and Policy Minutes
    term photo
    Click to view

    86th Legislative Session (2009-2010)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/2009
    Body: House
    District: 25B
    Elected: 11/4/2008
    Residence: Northfield
    Term of Office: 1/5/2009 to 1/2/2011
    Oath Date: 1/6/2009
    Counties Represented: Rice, Scott
    Occupation: Educator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:     2010 2nd Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Finance: Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division Minutes
    • Finance: Energy Finance and Policy Division Minutes
    • Finance: Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division Minutes
    • Finance: Housing Finance and Policy and Public Health Finance Division Minutes
    Ran in next election? Yes. Defeated in general election
    term photo
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    85th Legislative Session (2007-2008)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2007
    Body: House
    District: 25B
    Elected: 11/7/2006
    Residence: Northfield
    Term of Office: 1/1/2007 to 1/4/2009
    Oath Date: 1/3/2007
    Counties Represented: Rice, Scott
    Occupation: Educator; High School English Teacher, Northfield Alternative Learning Center
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Finance: Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division: Early Childhood Learning Finance Division Minutes
    • Finance: Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division: Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division Minutes
    • Finance: Energy Finance and Policy Division Minutes
    • Finance: Minnesota Heritage Finance Division Minutes
    Session Notes: His margin of victory over Ray Cox was so close an automatic recount occurred. After the recount he was declared the winner by 60 votes.
    term photo
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    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books About

    Session Interviews

    Articles & Books By

    • Bly, David. We All Do Better: Economic Priorities for a Land of Opportunity. St. Paul, MN: Levins Publishing, 2016.

    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 (25B)
    2008 (25B)
    2009 (25B)
    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

    Video

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