Branden Petersen

Branden Petersen
Minnesota State Senate District 35
Incumbent
In office
January 8, 2013 - present
Term ends
January 3, 2017
Years in position	0
Party	Republican
Compensation
Base salary	$31,140.90/year
Per diem	$96/day
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 6, 2012
First elected	November 6, 2012
Next election	November 8, 2016
Term limits	N/A
Prior offices
Minnesota House of Representatives District 49B
2011-2013
Personal
Birthday	February 4, 1986
Profession	Sales Manager
Websites
Office website
Campaign website

Branden Petersen (b. February 4, 1986) is a Republican member of the Minnesota State Senate, representing District 35 since 2013. He previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 49B from 2011 to 2013.

Petersen is a sales manager.

Issues

Campaign themes

Petersen's website highlights the following campaign themes:

Creating an environment for job creation

• Excerpt:"Government does not create jobs. It can only take from one person and give to another. Businesses create jobs and they can do more of it when the government moves out of the way."

Tax Reform

• Excerpt:"Our state, much like the federal government, has a highly complicated and inefficient tax code. On top of this, we have some of the highest net taxes in the entire world. This is not a recipe for success"

Budgeting/Spending Reform

• Excerpt:"The status quo way of operating government had lead us to a situation where government never seems to stop growing. This is in large part due to the very way that our state creates its budgets. Our state builds its budget on the previous budgets spending levels. It is time to start looking at our budget from the ground up."

Transportation Priorities

• Excerpt:"We have spent hundreds of million of dollars on projects that do nothing but continue to demand even more subsidies for operation."

Education

• Excerpt:"Our education system must continue to shift its focus from an old, adult focused system, to one that places student achievement at the center of critical decision making."

Committee assignments

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Petersen served on the following committees:

Minnesota Committee Assignments, 2012
• Education
• Higher Education and Workforce Development
• State and Local Government

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Petersen served on these committees:

Minnesota Committee Assignments, 2011
• Education Finance
• Education Reform

Elections

2012

See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2012

Petersen won election to the open District 35 seat in the Minnesota State Senate. He was unopposed in the August 14 Republican primary and defeated Peter Perovich (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.

Minnesota State Senate, District 35, General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Branden Petersen	54.3%	22,874
	Democratic	Peter Perovich	45.7%	19,253
Total Votes				42,127

2010

See also: Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2010

Petersen won election to the District 49B Seat in 2010. He had no primary opposition. He defeated Gerald Newton (DFL) and Harley Swarm (C) in the general election on November 2, 2010.

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 49B (2010)
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Jerry Newton (DFL)		6,760	47.1%
Branden Petersen (R)		7,171	49.97%
Harley Swarrm		410	2.86%
Write-In		11	0.08%

Campaign donors

2012

Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.

2010

In 2010, Petersen raised $22,552 in contributions.

His three largest contributors were:

Donor	Amount
Public Fund	$4,876
Senate Dist 49	$2,250
Petersen, Branden	$1,890

Personal

Petersen has a wife, Jessica.

External links

Suggest a link

• House website
• Biography from Project Vote Smart
• Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
• Campaign contributions: 2010

References

Political offices
Preceded by Claire Robling (R)	Minnesota State Senate District 35 2013–present	Succeeded by NA
Preceded by Gerald Newton (DFL)	Minnesota House of Representatives District 49B 2011–2013	Succeeded by Paul Rosenthal (DFL)