Gerald Edward Sikorski (born April 26, 1948) is an American
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
and
lawyer from
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 ...
. He was the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
Minnesota's 6th congressional district
Minnesota's 6th congressional district includes most or all of Benton, Carver, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright, Anoka, and Washington counties. Many of the Twin Cities' northern and northwestern suburbs are included within the boundaries of t ...
as a
DFL member from January 3, 1983, to January 3, 1993, in the
98th,
99th,
100th,
101st
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute mul ...
, and
102nd Congresses, serving as Whip-at-Large and as a member of the Committees on
Energy and Commerce and Post Office and Civil Service. Sikorski was defeated by
Rod Grams
Rodney Dwight Grams (February 4, 1948 – October 8, 2013) was an American politician and television news anchor who served in both the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. A local news anchor, Grams became well-known ...
in 1992 after he was revealed to have had 697 overdrafts on the
House Bank, which he attributed to his and his wife's sloppy bookkeeping.
Sikorski graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree,
summa cum laude from the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
in 1970 and a
Juris Doctor 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 L ...
in 1973; he was admitted to the Minnesota bar in 1973 and commenced practice in
Stillwater. He served in 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 h ...
from 1976 to 1982. After his departure from Congress, Sikorski became a
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
attorney and
lobbyist
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...
. He is
Polish American
Polish Americans ( pl, Polonia amerykaĆska) are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.83 ...
.
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sikorski, Gerry
1948 births
Living people
People from Breckenridge, Minnesota
American politicians of Polish descent
Democratic Party Minnesota state senators
Minnesota lawyers
University of Minnesota alumni
University of Minnesota Law School alumni
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota