Dario Anselmo (born May 2, 1962) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
politician and former member of the
Minnesota House of Representatives. He is nonpartisan-affiliated.
Early life, education, and career
Anselmo was born on May 2, 1962.
His father was a district court judge in
Duluth, Minnesota.
He grew up in Orono, MN and graduated from Orono High School before attending
Whittier College,
Boston University, and the
University of Minnesota.
At age 21, Dario co-founded a technology company that dealt with the emerging market for personal computers called Radix, Inc. After his first business, Anselmo went on to own the Fine Line Music Cafe in
Minneapolis for 20 years before selling it in 2013. He served on the boards of several non-profit and civic groups, including Edina Give and Go, the Edina Education Fund, and the Minneapolis Downtown Council. Anselmo was also the president of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, which later merged with the Mental Health Association of Minnesota.
He is a co-founder of the Warehouse District Business Association and a commercial real estate owner and operator.
Minnesota House of Representatives
Anselmo was first elected to the
Minnesota House of Representatives in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, as a Republican representing District 49A in the southwestern
Twin Cities metropolitan area. He sat on the Education Committee and Legacy Funding Committee.
While in office, Anselmo introduced legislation to increase the age required to purchase cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and chewing tobacco in Minnesota to 21 and co-sponsored legislation for universal background checks before gun purchases. Later, Anselmo appeared on the Twin Cites PBS show Almanac to discuss the need for “Tobacco 21” legislation.
He also passed a bill that reduced Social Security taxes by 50% and co-authored a bill to reduce property taxes for small businesses.
According to the Pioneer Press, Anselmo held an W-NOMINATE score of 0.197, which made him one of the most moderate members of the state legislature during his tenure.
In 2018, Anselmo lost his re-election bid to
Heather Edelson
Heather Edelson (born April 4, 1981) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Edelson represents District 50A in the western Twin Ci ...
. After Anselmo's loss, he shared a drink with Edelson that ended up in a story on MPR News online.
2020 Hennepin County Commissioner Election
On October 30, 2019, Anselmo announced his run for Hennepin County Commissioner in District 6. The seat is currently held by Jan Callison, who announced that she would not be running for re-election.
On August 11, 2020, Anselmo advanced from the primary election. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Personal life
Anselmo and his wife, Jeanne, have resided in
Edina, Minnesota for the past twenty years. They have three children, all of whom have or are currently attending Edina High School.
References
External links
Dario Anselmo Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anselmo, Dario
1962 births
Living people
Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians
Whittier College alumni
Boston University alumni
University of Minnesota alumni
People from Edina, Minnesota