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    Franson, Mary

    Official House Web Page Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 2011-2012 (District 11B); House 2013-2022 (District 8B); House 2023-Present (District 12B)

    Party when first elected:  Republican

    Counties Served:  Douglas, Otter Tail, Pope, Stearns, Todd

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 3/1/1977
    Birth Place: Saginaw, Minnesota
    Birth County: St. Louis
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Female
    Religion: Evangelical Covenant
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    Former Name: Bensoni
    City of Residence (when first elected): Alexandria
    Occupation (when first elected): Licensed Childcare Provider/Former Employee, A.T. and T. Telephone Company

    EDUCATION

    AlBrook High School; Secondary; Graduate
    University of Minnesota, Duluth; B.A.; Psychology Major, Humanities Minor

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Single
    Children: Three children: Helena, Karl, and Kahllin
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    Her religion is provided by her campaign website. She is a member of the Alexandria Covenant Church, which is part of a fellowship of believers known as the Evangelical Covenant Church.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 5232

    SESSIONS SERVED

    94th Legislative Session (2025-2026)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/14/2025
    Body: House
    District: 12B
    Elected: 11/5/2024
    Residence: Alexandria
    Term of Office: 1/6/2025 to 1/3/2027
    Oath Date: 1/12/2025
    Counties Represented: Douglas, Pope, Stearns
    Occupation: Homemaker, former licensed child care provider, self-employed
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Capital Investment (Chair) Minutes [She was chair until 3/17/2025, when she became co-chair.]
    • Health Finance and Policy Minutes
    • Human Services Finance and Policy Minutes
    term photo
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    93rd Legislative Session (2023-2024)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2023
    Body: House
    District: 12B
    Elected: 11/8/2022
    Residence: Alexandria
    Term of Office: 1/2/2023 to 1/5/2025
    Oath Date: 1/3/2023
    Counties Represented: Douglas, Pope, Stearns
    Occupation: Homemaker, former licensed childcare provider, self-employed
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    term photo
    Click to view

    92nd Legislative Session (2021-2022)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/2021
    Body: House
    District: 08B
    Elected: 11/3/2020
    Residence: Alexandria
    Term of Office: 1/4/2021 to 1/1/2023
    Oath Date: 1/5/2021
    Counties Represented: Douglas, Otter Tail
    Occupation: Homemaker, former licensed childcare provider, self-employed
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:     2021 1st Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Minutes
    • Early Childhood Finance and Policy Minutes
    • Health Finance and Policy: Preventative Health Policy Division Minutes
    term photo
    Click to view

    91st Legislative Session (2019-2020)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/8/2019
    Body: House
    District: 08B
    Elected: 11/6/2018
    Residence: Alexandria
    Term of Office: 1/7/2019 to 1/3/2021
    Oath Date: 1/8/2019
    Counties Represented: Douglas, Otter Tail
    Occupation: Homemaker, Former Licensed Childcare Provider, Self-Employed
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:  2019 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2019 1st Sp.S. - Author
    2020 2nd Sp.S. - Chief Author    2020 2nd Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Ways & Means: Education Finance Division/Health and Human Services Finance Division: Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division Minutes
    • Ways & Means: Health and Human Services Finance Division Minutes
    • Ways & Means: Higher Education Finance & Policy Division Minutes
    term photo
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    90th Legislative Session (2017-2018)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2017
    Body: House
    District: 08B
    Elected: 11/8/2016
    Residence: Alexandria
    Term of Office: 1/2/2017 to 1/6/2019
    Oath Date: 1/3/2017
    Counties Represented: Douglas, Otter Tail
    Occupation: Homemaker, Former Licensed Childcare Provider, Self-Employed
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Commerce & Regulatory Reform Minutes
    • Health & Human Services Finance Minutes
    • Health & Human Services Reform Minutes
    • Health & Human Services Reform: Subcommittee on Childcare Access & Affordability (Chair) Minutes
    term photo
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    89th Legislative Session (2015-2016)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/2015
    Body: House
    District: 08B
    Elected: 11/4/2014
    Residence: Alexandria
    Term of Office: 1/5/2015 to 1/1/2017
    Oath Date: 1/6/2015
    Counties Represented: Douglas, Otter Tail
    Occupation: Homemaker/Self-Employed, Former Licensed Childcare Provider
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Aging & Long-Term Care Policy Minutes
    • Agriculture Policy Minutes
    • Health and Human Services Finance Minutes
    • Health and Human Services Reform Minutes
    term photo
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    88th Legislative Session (2013-2014)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/8/2013
    Body: House
    District: 08B
    Elected: 11/6/2012
    Residence: Alexandria
    Term of Office: 1/7/2013 to 1/4/2015
    Oath Date: 1/8/2013
    Counties Represented: Douglas, Otter Tail
    Occupation: Homemaker/Self-employed
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:  2013 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2013 1st Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Early Childhood and Youth Development Policy Minutes
    • Health and Human Services Policy Minutes
    • Higher Education Finance and Policy Minutes
    Session Notes: Her margin of victory over Bob Cunniff was only one vote so an automatic recount occurred. Her lead increased by 11 votes after 35 ballots were randomly discarded as a result of a judge's order due to errors in three precincts. After the recount she was declared the winner by 12 votes.
    term photo
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    87th Legislative Session (2011-2012)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/4/2011
    Body: House
    District: 11B
    Elected: 11/2/2010
    Residence: Alexandria
    Term of Office: 1/3/2011 to 1/6/2013
    Oath Date: 1/4/2011
    Counties Represented: Douglas, Todd
    Occupation: Licensed Childcare Provider/Former Employee, A.T. and T. Telephone Company
    Party: Republican
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance Minutes
    • Health and Human Services Finance Minutes
    • Health and Human Services Reform Minutes
    term photo
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    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books About

    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.

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