John Sterling Persell, Jr. (born 1950) 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 ...

DFL politician who represented District 5A in northern

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 ...

, first winning election in 2008.

Early life, education, and career

Persell majored in biology at

Bemidji State University Bemidji State University (BSU) is a public university in Bemidji, Minnesota. Founded as a preparatory institution for teachers in 1919, it provides higher education to north-central Minnesota. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Univ ...

, and served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

. He was a member of the Beltrami County Soil and Water Conservation Board, and of the Frohn Township Board of Supervisors. Persell is a member of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

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, and has worked as a mentor in the STEM Program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) at

Leech Lake Tribal College Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) is a public tribal land-grant community college in Cass Lake, Minnesota. It was established in 1990 and designated a land-grant college in 1994. The college includes approximately 70 faculty, staff, administrator ...

in Cass Lake. He is also a retired water quality specialist and environmental policy analyst for the

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, also known as the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (Ojibwe: ''Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Ojibweg'') is an Ojibwe band located in Minnesota and one of six making up the ...

Minnesota House of Representatives

Persell was elected in 2008, running after two-term Representative Frank Moe opted not to seek reelection. He was reelected in 2010, 2012, and 2014. In 2016 he lost

reelection The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Matt Bliss. In a rematch in 2018, Persell beat Bliss by just 11 votes. He has been chosen to lead the Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee. In 2020, he was challenged by Bliss again, and defeated by 1,485 vote

References

External links

Official House of Representatives website

Official campaign website

Project Votesmart - Rep. John Persell Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Persell, John 1950 births Living people People from Beltrami County, Minnesota Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives 21st-century American politicians