Lawrence "Larry" J. Pogemiller (born September 18, 1951) is an American politician 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 ...

, and the Commissioner of the

Minnesota Office of Higher Education The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is an executive branch agency that is responsible for the coordination of higher education information, financial aid programs, statistics, and policy in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The agency does not run ...

. A member of the

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party 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 i ...

, he represented northeast

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

districts in the Minnesota Legislature from 1981 to 2011, and served as the Senate's 9th

majority leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.

from 2007 to 2011. As majority leader, he was chair of the Senate Rules Committee and its subcommittees, and also served on the Senate Tax Committee. Pogemiller was born in

and graduated from DeLaSalle High School in 1969. He was first elected to the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint ...

in 1980, serving as the representative of District 55A from 1981 to 1983. After serving one term, he was elected to the Senate in 1982, serving the old District 58 prior to the 1992 redistricting and, thereafter, District 59. He was re-elected in every general election. He was appointed Director of the Higher Education office in October 2011 by

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...

Mark Dayton Mark Brandt Dayton (born January 26, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019. He was a United States Senator for Minnesota from 2001 to 2007, and the Minnesota State Auditor from 1991 to ...

. Pogemiller is known for his outspoken, assertive leadership style and his strategic thinking. Reporter Tom Scheck of

Minnesota Public Radio Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, YourClassical MPR and The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest. MPR ha ...

called him "a brilliant and combative political tactician who often speaks his mind". Former Minnesota House Speaker Steve Sviggum called him "a very frustrating individual as he runs the clock past midnight all the time." Pogemiller had a rocky relationship with former

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 ...

Governor

Tim Pawlenty Timothy James Pawlenty (; born November 27, 1960) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 39th governor of Minnesota from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House o ...

References

External links

Senator Lawrence J. Pogemiller Web PageMinnesota Public Radio – Votetracker: Lawrence Pogemiller Voting RecordProject Vote Smart – Senator Lawrence Pogemiller ProfileSenator Pogemiller Campaign Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pogemiller, Lawrence J. Living people 1951 births University of Minnesota alumni Harvard University alumni Democratic Party Minnesota state senators Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Politicians from Minneapolis 21st-century American politicians State cabinet secretaries of Minnesota DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis) alumni Catholics from Minnesota