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Koering, Paul E.

Senate 2003-2010 (District 12)

Party when first elected:  Republican

Counties Served:  Crow Wing, Morrison

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 12/17/1964
Birth Place: Brainerd, Minnesota
Birth County: Crow Wing
Birth Country: United States
Date of Death:
Gender: Male
Religion: Catholic
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
City of Residence (when first elected): Fort Ripley
Occupation (when first elected): Small Business Owner

EDUCATION

Brainerd High School; Secondary;

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

County Board/Commissioner: Crow Wing County, Minnesota (County Commissioner); 2013 to ? [Elected]

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse/Partner: Single
Children:
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

Special Legislative Concerns: education, health care, transportation, agriculture.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Senate in the 1996 and 2000 elections.

He ran unsuccessfully for the Minnesota Senate in the 2010 election. He lost the Republican endorsement for the Minnesota Senate in the 2010 primary election. He announced, in September 2010, that he would run as a write-in candidate. He lost the general election to Paul Gazelka.

"Koering served two terms as a Republican, but said Wednesday he's leaving the party after it helped elect former state representative Paul Gazelka of Brainerd." (Sommerhauser, Mark. "Koering to Back DFL's Stevenson After Leaving GOP." St. Cloud Times, August 12, 2010)

Koering said in August that he's no longer a Republican, citing what he called a recent "purification process" for Republicans who don't adhere to all the party's positions." (Sommerhauser, Mark. "Koering Will Run Write-In Campaign." St. Cloud Times, September 20, 2010.)

He was the first openly gay Republican to serve in the Minnesota Legislature (he acknowledged that he was gay while in office in 2005).

Religion provided by the Natural Resources Defense Council's State Directories 2005 and Politics in Minnesota the Directory, 2005-2006.

Total Days Served: 2919

SESSIONS SERVED

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

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 12
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Fort Ripley
Term of Office: 1/3/2007 to 1/3/2011
Counties Represented: Crow Wing, Morrison
Occupation: Small Business Owner, Funeral Car Service
Party: Republican Party Notes: "Koering served two terms as a Republican, but said Wednesday he’s leaving the party after it helped elect former state representative Paul Gazelka of Brainerd." (Sommerhauser, Mark. "Koering to Back DFL's Stevenson After Leaving GOP." St. Cloud Times, August 12, 2010) "Koering said in August that he's no longer a Republican, citing what he called a recent "purification process" for Republicans who don't adhere to all the party's positions." (Sommerhauser, Mark. "Koering Will Run Write-In Campaign." St. Cloud Times, September 20, 2010.)
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Agriculture and Veterans
  • Capital Investment
  • Finance: Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division
  • Finance: Health and Human Services Budget Division
  • Finance: Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
  • Health, Housing and Family Security
  • Higher Education
Ran in next election? Yes. Defeated in general election

85th Legislative Session (2007-2008)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 12
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Fort Ripley
Term of Office: 1/3/2007 to 1/3/2011
Counties Represented: Crow Wing, Morrison
Occupation: Small Business Owner, Funeral Motor Service
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Committees:
  • Agriculture and Veterans
  • Capital Investment
  • Finance: Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division
  • Finance: Health and Human Services Budget Division
  • Finance: Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
  • Health, Housing and Family Security
  • Higher Education

84th Legislative Session (2005-2006) (second half of Senate term)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 12
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Fort Ripley
Term of Office: 1/7/2003 to 1/2/2007
Counties Represented: Crow Wing, Morrison
Occupation: Small Business Owner
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Special Session Bills Authored:  2005 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2005 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
  • Agriculture, Veterans and Gaming
  • Capital Investment
  • Finance: Health and Human Services Budget Division
Session Notes: His margin of victory over Don Samuelson was so close an automatic recount occurred. After the recount he was declared the winner by 138 votes.

83rd Legislative Session (2003-2004)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 12
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Fort Ripley
Term of Office: 1/7/2003 to 1/2/2007
Counties Represented: Crow Wing, Morrison
Occupation: Small Business Owner
Party: Republican
Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
Special Session Bills Authored:     2003 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
  • Agriculture, General Legislation and Veterans Affairs-2003/Agriculture, Veterans and Gaming-2004
  • Capital Investment
  • Finance: Health, Human Services and Corrections Budget Division
Session Notes: His margin of victory over Don Samuelson was so close an automatic recount occurred. After the recount he was declared the winner by 138 votes.

District Files

District File - 2003 District 12
District File - 2004 District 12
District File - 2005 District 12
District File - 2006 District 12
District File - 2007 District 12
District File - 2008 District 12
District File - 2009 District 12
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.