Linda Runbeck (born June 11, 1946) is an American politician who served as a member of 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 Pa ...

from 1989 to 1993 and again from 2011 to 2021. She was also a member of 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 hel ...

from 1993 to 2001.

Early life, education, and career

Runbeck earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and social work from Bethel University

Arden Hills, Minnesota Arden Hills is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,552 at the 2010 census. Bethel University and Seminary is located in the city of Arden Hills. Also, the campus of University of Northwestern – St. Paul st ...

Career

Prior to serving in the

Minnesota Legislature The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...

, she was a member of the Circle Pines City Council. She was president of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, served on the Northwest

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

’s Advisory Board, receiving its Distinguished Leader Award in 2007, and was also development director at the Minnesota Free Market Institute. She has also been a frequent guest on ''Almanac'', a weekly public affairs television show in Minnesota. She previously worked as director of advertising for County Seat Stores and vice president for Dahlberg Incorporated, a hearing aid manufacturer. She later owned a Miracle-Ear hearing aid franchise. She and her husband Richard own Braham Monument Company in

Braham, Minnesota Braham is a city in Isanti and Kanabec counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 1,769 at the 2020 census. Braham is 12 miles north of Cambridge, 15 miles southwest of Pine City, 16 miles south-southeast of Mora, and 12 mile ...

Minnesota Legislature

Runbeck served in the

, representing District 53 from 1993 to 2001, leaving to make an unsuccessful run for the

U.S. House of Representatives 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 ...

in Minnesota's 4th District in 2000 against

Betty McCollum Betty Louise McCollum (born July 12, 1954) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2001. She is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). McCollum's district centers on St. Paul, Minnesota's ...

. She also served in the House previously, representing the old District 52A from 1989 to 1993 after winning a 1989 special election held after Rep. Gordon Voss resigned to accept an appointment by Governor

Rudy Perpich Rudolph George Perpich Sr. (June 27, 1928 September 21, 1995) was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota, serving a total of just over 10 years. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34t ...

as chief administrator of the Minnesota Metropolitan Waste Control Commission. Runbeck was elected to the

in 2010 and re-elected in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. She did not seek re-election in 2020 and was succeeded by Donald Raleigh.

Political positions

Runbeck is a conservative Republican, receiving a lifetime score of 89% from the

American Conservative Union The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded on ...

. She supported the 2012 amendments to the Minnesota State Constitution that intended to ban gay marriage and to require a photo ID to vote. Both of these proposals were later rejected by voters. Runbeck opposes abortion and voted to ban them past 20 weeks. She has voted to reduce funding for

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

. She supports lifting the moratorium on nuclear power in the state.Minnesota Public Radio VoteTracker – Lifting Minnesota's moratorium on nuclear power plants – 2011
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References

External links

Rep. Runbeck Web Page
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Project Votesmart – Rep. Linda Runbeck Profile

Linda Runbeck Campaign Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Runbeck, Linda 1946 births Living people People from Circle Pines, Minnesota Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Republican Party Minnesota state senators Women state legislators in Minnesota American Lutherans 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians