Joseph R. "Joe" Gimse (born July 31, 1957) is a
Minnesota politician and a former member of the
Minnesota Senate who represented District 13, which included portions of
Kandiyohi,
Pope and
Stearns counties in the west central part of the state. A
Republican, he was first elected to the Senate in 2006, and was reelected in 2010. He also ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2002 against former Senator
Dean Johnson. He served as an
assistant minority leader.
Gimse ran for reelection in 2012 in the newly drawn 17th District, but was defeated by Clara City DFLer
Lyle Koenen
Lyle J. Koenen (born June 16, 1956) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 17, which included portions of Chippewa, Kandiyo ...
.
Gimse was a member of the Senate's Agriculture and Veterans Committee, the Business, Industry and Jobs Committee, the State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee, and the Transportation Committee. He also served on the Business, Industry and Jobs Subcommittee for Bioscience and Renewable Energy Development, on the Finance subcommittees for the Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division and the Transportation Budget and Policy Division, and on the State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Subcommittee for Elections.
His special legislative concerns included education, health care, economic development, transportation, and business development.
Gimse is a
home builder
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
and
land developer by profession. He attended Willmar High School in
Willmar, then served as a specialist in the
United States Army in
Germany from 1975 to 1979. He attended
Ridgewater College
Ridgewater College is a public community college in Willmar and Hutchinson, Minnesota
Hutchinson is the largest city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. It lies along the South Fork of the Crow River. The population was 14,599 at the ...
(formerly Willmar Technical College)in Willmar, earning an
A.A.S.
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree.
The f ...
in automotive technology in 1981, and a Certificate in supervisory management in 1987.
Gimse is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He is a member of the
National Rifle Association of America,
Ducks Unlimited,
Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, Inc. (PF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization, is dedicated to conserving wildlife habitat suitable for pheasants. Formed in 1982 as a response to the continuing decline of upland wildlife and habitat throughout th ...
, and the Rocky Mountain Elks Association. He is also a member of the
Experimental Aircraft Association, the
Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the
Knights of Columbus. In Minnesota, he is a member of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and the Minnesota Turkey Hunters Association. He has been a member of and active in the Kandiyohi County Republican Party since 1981.
References
External links
Senator Gimse Web PageMinnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Joseph GimseProject Vote Smart - Senator Joseph Gimse ProfileJoseph Gimse Campaign Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gimse, Joseph
1957 births
Living people
People from Stearns County, Minnesota
Republican Party Minnesota state senators
People from Willmar, Minnesota
21st-century American legislators
21st-century Minnesota politicians