Introduction
David Howard "Dave" Senjem (born December 20, 1942) is a Minnesota politician. He served as the Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate from 2011 to 2013. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represents District 25, which includes portions of Dodge and Olmsted counties in the southeastern part of the state.
Early life, education, and career
Senjem attended Hayfield High School in Hayfield, Minnesota, then went on to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He served on the Rochester City Park Board for five years, then on the Rochester City Council from 1992 to 2002. He is a retired Environmental Affairs Officer for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Senjem's family originates from Bingen, Buskerud County, Norway; the original family name was Sønju. His great-great-grandfather John N. Hanson served as a Republican state representative from Dodge County from 1873 to 1874.
Minnesota Senate
Senjem was first elected in 2002, and was reelected in 2006, 2010 and 2012. He served as the Senate Minority Leader from 2007 until January 3, 2011. On December 27, 2011, Senjem was elected Senate Majority Leader after the previous majority leader, Amy Koch, resigned over an affair with a Senate staffer. Senjem became the third person to serve as both minority and majority leader, and the first to serve in both roles as a Republican.