Tom Bakk

Tom Bakk
Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office January 8, 2013
Preceded by	Dave Senjem
Minnesota Senate Minority Leader
In office January 4, 2011 – January 7, 2013
Preceded by	Dave Senjem
Succeeded by	David Hann
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 3rd district 6th (2003–2013)
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2003
Preceded by	redrawn district
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 6A district
In office January 3, 1995 – January 6, 2003
Preceded by	David Peter Battaglia
Succeeded by	district redrawn
Personal details
Born	June 8, 1954 Virginia, Minnesota[1]
Political party	Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Laura
Children	4
Residence	Cook, Minnesota[1]
Alma mater	Mesabi Community College (A.A.) University of Minnesota Duluth (B.A.)
Occupation	legislator
Religion	Lutheran

Thomas M. "Tom" Bakk (born June 8, 1954) is a Minnesota politician and the Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represents District 3, which includes portions of Cook, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis counties in the northeastern part of Minnesota. He is a retired labor official.^[1]

Education

Bakk completed his secondary education at Cook High School in Cook, Minnesota, and went on to receive an A.A. from Mesabi Community College and a B.A. from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Bakk represented District 6A in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.^[1]

Minnesota Senate

Bakk was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2012. He is the chair of the Senate's Rules and Administration Committee and also serves on the Taxes Committee, which he chaired from 2007 to 2010. He previously served on the Rules and Administration subcommittees for Committees and Conference Committees.^[1]

After the 2010 election, Bakk was elected by his caucus to serve as the minority leader during the 2011–2012 session.^[2] He was the first DFLer to serve as minority leader since party identification returned to the Minnesota Legislature in 1973. After the DFL regained a majority in the 2012 election, Bakk was elected by his caucus to serve as majority leader, a position he assumed when the Legislature convened on January 8, 2013.^[3]

2010 Minnesota gubernatorial campaign

Bakk at a DFL gubernatorial debate in November 2009

Bakk campaigned in the 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election. He led in early fundraising among the DFL candidates, raising $146,000 in 2008. He began 2009 with a little more than $131,000. He ended his campaign in March 2010.^[4]

Electoral history

Minnesota Senate 3rd district election, 2012[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	DFL	Tom Bakk (incumbent)	28,427	64.59
	Republican	Jennifer Havlick	15,509	35.24

Minnesota Senate 6th district election, 2010[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	DFL	Tom Bakk (incumbent)	21,728	62.94	-8.39pp
	Republican	Jennifer Havlick	12,742	36.91	+8.50pp

Minnesota Senate 6th district election, 2006[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	DFL	Tom Bakk (incumbent)	25,275	71.33	-0.93pp
	Republican	Jennifer Havlick	10,065	28.41

Minnesota Senate 6th district election, 2002[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	DFL	Tom Bakk	24,934	72.26
	Independence	Tom Norman	9,467	27.44

Personal life

Bakk and his wife, Laura, have four children.^[1]

See also

• Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2010

References

1. "Bakk, Thomas M. "Tom"". Legislators Past & Present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
2. Shaw, Charley (November 4, 2010). "Tom Bakk elected Senate minority leader". Politics in Minnesota. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
3. "Bakk chosen as Minnesota Senate majority leader". Duluth News Tribune. November 8, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
4. Scheck, Tom (March 20, 2010). "Sen. Bakk drops out of race for governor". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
5. "Results for State Senator District 3". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
6. "State Senator District: 06". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
7. "State Senator District 06". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
8. "State Senator District 06". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 25, 2013.

External links

• Tom Bakk at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
• Senator Bakk Web Page
• Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Tom Bakk