Clark, Karen J.
House 1981-82 (District 59A); House 1983-92 (District 60A); House 1993-2012 (District 61A); House 2013-2018 (District 62A)
Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Counties Served:
Hennepin
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
7/23/1945
Birth Place:
, Oklahoma
Birth County:
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
Gender:
Female
Religion:
Catholic
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
City of Residence (when first elected):
Minneapolis
Occupation (when first elected):
Nurse-Practitioner, Hennepin County Health Department
EDUCATION
Edgerton Public High School; Secondary; 1963
College of St. Teresa, Winona; B.S.; Nursing, Training as a Nurse Practitioner in OB/GYN
Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government; M.P.A.; Public Administration
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
State Board/Commission/Council:
Minnesota Council on the Economic Status of Women;
19?? to 19??
State Board/Commission/Council:
Minnesota Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans;
19?? to 19??
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse/Partner:
Single (when first elected); Jacquelyn Zita (around 1989)
Children:
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
GENERAL NOTES
She was the first openly gay person to run and be elected to the Minnesota Legislature, without previously having held a seat in it. She was the first openly lesbian member to serve in the Minnesota Legislature. She is also the longest serving openly lesbian member to serve in a state legislature in the United States. Allan Spear was the first openly gay member of the Minnesota Legislature.
She grew up on a sharecropping farm in Rock County, Minnesota.
Her mother was Mayor of a small town.
Religion provided by the Natural Resources Defense Council's State Directories 2005.
Body:
House
District:
62A
Elected:
11/8/2016
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/2/2017 to 1/6/2019
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture Finance
Minutes
-
Environment & Natural Resources Policy and Finance
Minutes
-
Job Growth & Energy Affordability Policy and Finance
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
62A
Elected:
11/4/2014
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/5/2015 to 1/1/2017
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture Finance
Minutes
-
Environment & Natural Resources Policy & Finance
Minutes
-
Job Growth & Energy Affordability Policy & Finance
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
62A
Elected:
11/6/2012
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/7/2013 to 1/4/2015
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
Minutes
-
Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance
Minutes
-
Housing Finance and Policy (Chair)
Minutes
-
Jobs and Economic Development Finance and Policy
Minutes
-
Ways and Means
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/2/2010
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/3/2011 to 1/6/2013
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/4/2008
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/5/2009 to 1/2/2011
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
College Instructor; Holistic Medicine, College of St. Catherine; and Women in Politics, University of Minnesota
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Finance
Minutes
-
Finance: Capital Investment Finance Division
Minutes
-
Finance: Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division
Minutes
-
Finance: Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Minutes
-
Finance: Housing Finance and Policy and Public Health Finance Division (Chair)
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/7/2006
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/1/2007 to 1/4/2009
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
College Instructor; Adjunct Faculty, College of St. Catherine and the University of Minnesota
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Finance
Minutes
-
Finance: Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Finance Division: Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division
Minutes
-
Finance: Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division
Minutes
-
Finance: Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division: Drinking Water Source Protection
Minutes
-
Finance: Housing Policy and Finance and Public Health Finance Division (Chair)
Minutes
-
Ways and Means
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/2/2004
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/3/2005 to 12/31/2006
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
College Instructor/Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2005 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
-
Commerce and Financial Institutions
Minutes
-
Jobs and Economic Opportunity Policy and Finance
Minutes
-
Ways and Means
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/5/2002
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/6/2003 to 1/2/2005
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Government
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2003 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
-
Commerce, Jobs, and Economic Development
Minutes
-
Commerce, Jobs, and Economic Development: Economic Development and Tourism Division
Minutes
-
Environment and Natural Resources Policy
Minutes
-
Jobs and Economic Development Finance
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/7/2000
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/1/2001 to 1/5/2003
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Legislator/College Instructor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Commerce, Jobs, and Economic Development
Minutes
-
Jobs and Economic Development Finance
Minutes
-
Ways and Means
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/3/1998
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/4/1999 to 12/31/2000
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Commerce
Minutes
-
Jobs and Economic Development Finance
Minutes
-
Jobs and Economic Development Policy
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/5/1996
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/6/1997 to 1/3/1999
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Economic Development and International Trade
-
Economic Development and International Trade: Economic Development
-
Economic Development and International Trade: Economic Development Finance Division
-
Economic Development and International Trade: Housing and Housing Finance Division (Chair)
-
Financial Institutions and Insurance
Minutes
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/8/1994
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/2/1995 to 1/5/1997
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance
-
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance: Transportation Finance Division
-
Housing (Chair)
-
Housing: Reclaiming and Recycling Vacant Housing
Body:
House
District:
61A
Elected:
11/3/1992
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/4/1993 to 1/1/1995
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Commerce and Economic Development
-
Commerce and Economic Development: Economic Equality
-
Commerce and Economic Development: International Trade, Technology and Economic Development Division
-
Ethics
-
Health and Human Services
-
Health and Human Services: Health and Housing Finance Division
-
Housing (Chair)
-
Housing: Manufactured Housing
Body:
House
District:
60A
Elected:
11/6/1990
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/7/1991 to 1/3/1993
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Human Resources Division
-
Economic Development
-
Economic Development: International Trade and Technology Division
-
Economic Development: Quality Workforce and Competitiveness
-
Financial Institutions and Insurance
-
Housing (Chair)
-
Housing: Community Revitalization
Body:
House
District:
60A
Elected:
11/8/1988
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/2/1989 to 1/6/1991
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Health and Human Services Division
-
Economic Development
-
Economic Development: Community Stabilization and Development Division (Chair)
-
Financial Institutions and Housing
-
Financial Institutions and Housing: Housing Division
Body:
House
District:
60A
Elected:
11/4/1986
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/5/1987 to 1/1/1989
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Legislator/Ob-Gyn Nurse Practitioner
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Economic Development and Housing
-
Economic Development and Housing: Job Development and Training (Chair)
-
Governmental Operations
-
Governmental Operations: Pensions
-
Health and Human Services
-
Health and Human Services: Social Services
-
Regulated Industries
Body:
House
District:
60A
Elected:
11/6/1984
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/7/1985 to 1/4/1987
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Nurse
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Governmental Operations
-
Health and Human Services
-
Health and Human Services: Health Care
-
Local and Urban Affairs
-
Local and Urban Affairs: Metropolitan Affairs
Body:
House
District:
60A
Elected:
11/2/1982
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/3/1983 to 1/6/1985
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Nurse
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Governmental Operations
-
Governmental Operations: Jobs Creation and Unemployment Issues (Chair)
-
Health and Welfare
-
Health and Welfare: Departmental Affairs
-
Local and Urban Affairs
-
Local and Urban Affairs: Physical and Economic Development
Body:
House
District:
59A
Elected:
11/4/1980
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/5/1981 to 1/2/1983
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Nurse-Practitioner, Hennepin County Health Department
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Governmental Operations
-
Governmental Operations: Pensions and Investments
-
Health and Welfare
-
Health and Welfare: Departmental Affairs
-
Local and Urban Affairs
-
Local and Urban Affairs: Economic Development
-
Regulated Industries
-
Regulated Industries: Rates Under Bond-Interim Rates
Articles & Books About
District Files
2001 (61A)
2002 (61A)
2003 (61A)
2004 (61A)
2005 (61A)
2007 (61A)
2008 (61A)
2009 (61A)
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.
Photographs
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.