Senate 2006-2012 (District 19)
Party when first elected: Republican
Counties Served: Hennepin, Wright
Buffalo High School; Secondary; Graduate, 1991Concordia College, Moorhead; Attended College; 1991-1992Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, California; Postsecondary; Russian Language Certificate, GraduateSt. Cloud State University; B.E.S.; Business Minor, 1999
Spouse: Christopher "Chris" while in office; divorced Children: One child: Rachel (daughter) Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
Special Legislative Concerns: transportation, reducing the size of government.She was raised on a hobby farm near Buffalo, Minnesota. She lived in California and Washington D.C. before she returned to Buffalo, Minnesota around 1995.She was the first female to serve as Senate Majority Leader.She was a member of the 4-H club.She was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Buffalo, Minnesota.Religion provided by the 2006 WCCO TV Voters' Guide and The Catholic Spirit, 1/20/2011.