David A. Thompson (born October 2, 1961)Thompson, David A. "Dave"
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, Accessed November 29, 2010. is a

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

politician and former member of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...

. A member of the

Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the oldest active political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Republican Party’s platform is relatively moderate. The party’s main issues are economic growth, education, healthcare, civi ...

, he represented District 58, which included portions of

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, a ...

and Goodhue counties in the southern

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

metropolitan area. He is also a former radio personality. Thompson was a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor in 2014.

Early life, education, and career

After spending his early years in Little Falls, Thompson moved with his mother and sister to East Grand Forks. He graduated from East Grand Forks Senior High School in 1980. In 1984, he graduated from the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...

with majors in economics and political science. He received his law degree from the

University of Minnesota Law School The University of Minnesota Law School is the law school of the University of Minnesota, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school confers four law degrees: a Juris Doctor (J.D.), a Master of Laws (LL.M.), a Master of Science in Patent Law ...

in 1987, and is a practicing attorney.

''The Dave Thompson Show''

Thompson hosted ''The Dave Thompson Show'' for seven and a half years. The radio talk show aired on KSTP in the

metropolitan area. He also authored the accompanying

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

"And Another Thing", and was a regular participant in the debate segment known as "Face Off" on KSTP-TV's Emmy-winning news program "At Issue with Tom Hauser". Thompson's show promoted generally

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

views, while rejecting some aspects of

neoconservatism Neoconservatism is a political movement that began in the United States during the 1960s among liberal hawks who became disenchanted with the increasingly pacifist foreign policy of the Democratic Party and with the growing New Left and ...

. The content was mostly political, but Thompson occasionally discussed sports, culture and other lighter topics, and allowed callers to become a part of the show. The show's opening theme promoted him as "an ordinary man with extraordinary insights".

Minnesota Senate

When longtime State Senator Pat Pariseau announced she would not seek reelection in 2010, Thompson announced his candidacy for the position, gaining the outgoing senator's endorsement. He subsequently received the GOP endorsement and won the November general election with 63.05% of the vote, to DFL challenger Steve Quist's 36.84%. Thompson was reelected in 2012. In 2012, Thompson and

Steve Drazkowski Steve Drazkowski (born November 27, 1964) is an American politician serving as a member of the Minnesota Senate from District 20, representing all of Wabasha County, large parts of Olmsted County, Goodhue County, and Winona County, and a small ...

proposed an Employee Freedom Constitutional Amendment, which would require a statewide referendum on amending the Minnesota Constitution to include a right-to-work clause allowing workers to choose whether to join a union. Thompson did not seek re-election in 2016.

Personal life

Thompson and his wife, Rhonda, have been married since 1985. They are parents of two children.Biography of Dave Thompson
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References

External links

Project Vote Smart - Senator Dave Thompson Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Dave 1961 births American radio personalities Living people Minnesota lawyers Republican Party Minnesota state senators People from Dakota County, Minnesota University of Minnesota Law School alumni University of North Dakota alumni 21st-century American politicians People from Little Falls, Minnesota People from East Grand Forks, Minnesota