NFIB Members Step Up to Serve in Minnesota House, Senate

November 29, 2022 Last Edit: June 5, 2025

NFIB Members Step Up to Serve in Minnesota House, Senate

When the Minnesota Legislature reconvenes on January 3, 2023, a record number of NFIB members will be among the ranks of returning and incoming lawmakers. Seventeen NFIB members will bring the Voice of Small Business to St. Paul, and work to protect Main Street from higher taxes, more regulation, and overreach. The NFIB member-legislators bring a wealth of small business experience, from insurance sales to dock manufacturing to hospitality management. With Minnesotans facing one-party control of state government and a troubling agenda for small business, it will be vital for these lawmakers to share the unique experience of being a small employer in our state. We are grateful to them for answering the call to serve their communities and standing up for Main Streets across our state. Minnesota Senate Sen. Mark Johnson, District 1, 3^rd Term. Johnson was first elected in 2016, easily re-elected in 2020, and was unopposed in this year’s general election. During the 2021-22 sessions Johnson chaired the Senate Redistricting Committee. An attorney, he and his wife own Sage Legal in East Grand Forks. Johnson is also co-owner of a family concrete construction business in Mentor. In November 2022, Johnson was elected to serve as minority leader in the Minnesota Senate. With the Senate divided by just one vote – 34 Democrats to 33 Republicans – Johnson will try to leverage the narrow gap to prevent overreach during single-party control. Sen. Jason Rarick, District 11, 3^rd Term. First elected to the Senate in a hotly contested special election in 2019, Sen. Rarick previously served two full terms in the Minnesota House. During the 2021-22 sessions, Rarick chaired the Senate Labor and Industry Policy Committee. A Pine County native, he owns Rarick Electric – an electrical contract firm in Brook Park. Sen.-elect Glenn Gruenhagen, District 17, 1^st Term. Gruenhagen was elected to the Senate in 2022 after serving six terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Gruenhagen served on Healthcare and Human Services committees throughout his time in the House and was a vocal opponent of government over-regulation of private healthcare. Since 1978, he has owned Gruenhagen Insurance and Financial Services in Glencoe. Sen. Rich Draheim, District 22, 3^rd Term. An accomplished small businessman from Madison Lake, Draheim was first elected in one of the most-watched races of 2016. Like Johnson, Draheim was re-elected by a solid margin in 2020 and faced no opposition this year. Draheim chaired the Senate Housing Finance and Policy Committee in 2021-22. He is a real estate agent at a firm based in Mankato. Sen. Carla Nelson, District 24, 5^th Term. Nelson was first elected to the Senate in 2010 and previously served one term in the Minnesota House. A longtime resident of Rochester, Nelson is one of only two Republicans to represent part of the city in the 93^rd Legislature. During the 2021-22 sessions, she chaired the Senate Tax Committee and advanced one of the largest tax cut proposals in state history through the Minnesota Senate. A former teacher, Nelson co-owns the Olmsted Group – an insurance and investment firm in Rochester. Minnesota House Rep. John Burkel, District 1A, 2^nd Term. Burkel, a fourth-generation turkey farmer from Badger, was first elected in 2020. He was re-elected by a wide margin in 2022. At the Capitol, Burkel has prioritized tax relief, rural economic growth, and agricultural issues. He is a lifelong resident of Northwestern Minnesota. Rep. Deb Kiel, District 1B, 7^th Term. Kiel was first elected in 2010 and has been re-elected by increasing margins ever since. In the 2017-18 sessions, Kiel chaired the House Aging & Long-Term Care Subcommittee and has been a longtime leader on elder care and agricultural issues. She is co-owner of a soybean farm in Crookston, where she resides. Rep. Jeff Backer, District 9A, 5^th Term. The former mayor of Browns Valley and a longtime small business owner, Backer has served in the Minnesota House since 2014. Backer’s district runs along the Minnesota-Dakotas border and he’s a strong voice for reducing taxes and regulation to keep border communities competitive with neighboring states. In addition to his small business ventures, Backer is a longtime volunteer EMT. Rep.-elect Tom Murphy, District 9B, 1^st Term. Murphy is a longtime owner of agricultural supply businesses and has resided in Otter Tail County for 30 years. In addition to bringing decades of small business experience to the Legislature, Murphy also served as a township supervisor and on the board of directors for a local communications services provider. Rep.-elect Jeff Dotseth, District 11A, 1^st Term. Dotseth brings decades of experience in real estate and construction to the Minnesota House. Based in Kettle River, Dotseth has served on the NFIB MN Leadership Council and been a dedicated voice for small businesses over the years. His real estate business serves clients throughout East Central and Northern Minnesota. Rep. Nathan Nelson, District 11B, 3^rd Term. Nelson was first elected in a 2019 special election to fill the House seat vacated by Sen. Jason Rarick. Nelson is a lifelong resident of Pine County, where he and his wife are third generation owners of a family farm east of Hinckley. Prior to his election to the House, he served on his local township board for nine years. Rep. Lisa Demuth, District 13A, 3^rd Term. Demuth hails from Cold Spring, where she and her husband co-own and manage commercial property. They also own Avon Plastics, a maker of recycled plastic outdoor living and landscaping materials. Prior to her election to the House, Demuth served on the ROCORI (Rockville, Cold Spring, Richmond) School Board for 11 years. Entering her third term in the Minnesota House, Demuth will take on the role of minority leader in the closely divided chamber (70 Democrats to 64 Republicans). She will lead her caucus’s opposition to what is likely a very progressive agenda from the majority. Rep. Paul Torkelson, District 15B, 8^th Term. A fourth-generation pork, soybean and corn farmer from Southern Minnesota, Torkelson was first elected in 2008 and has been comfortably re-elected since then. A former chair of the House Transportation and Capital Investment Committees, Torkelson was appointed Deputy Minority Leader for the 2023-24 sessions. Torkelson resides in Hanska with his wife. Rep. Dave Baker, District 16B, 5^th Term. Baker was first elected in 2014, winning one of the most contested state House races that year. He is a longtime entrepreneur and owner of hospitality businesses, including lodging establishments and Green Lake Cruises in Spicer. His small business roots run deep, all the way back to managing his in-laws’ Red Owl grocery store in his early 20s. In addition to being a champion on small business issues, Baker also focuses on improving mental health and addiction recovery services at the Capitol. Rep.-elect Dawn Gillman, District 17A, 1^st Term. In addition to her small business experience, Gillman brings a background in connecting people for a common cause to the Minnesota House. A mother of five, Gillman started Let Them Play – a group dedicated to re-opening youth sports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gillman and her husband own Porta-Dock, Inc. in Dassel. A second-generation family business, Porta-Dock is a leader in roll-in docks, watercraft lifts and related accessories. Rep. Joe Schomacker, District 21A, 7^th Term. Schomacker was first elected in 2010 and has been re-elected every two years since then. He is a past chair of the House Aging & Long-Term Care and Health and Human Services Reform Committees, and a respected voice on healthcare issues at the Capitol. A steadfast ally of small business, Schomacker has also focused on workforce and funding challenges in long-term care and nursing facilities around the state. Schomacker lives in Luverne, where is a partner in the family-run Schomacker Cleaning, Flooring and Appliance. Rep.-elect Marj Fogelman, District 21B, 1^st Term. Fogelman was elected to succeed retiring Rep. Rod Hamilton, who served the area for nine terms in the Minnesota House. Fogleman and her husband own Mike’s Mini Excavating, a small business that provides a variety of basement, septic and other excavation-related services. They reside in Fulda.

Topics:

Taxes

State:

Minnesota

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