Dave Thompson

Dave Thompson
Minnesota State Senate District 58
Incumbent
In office
2011 - present
Term ends
January 3, 2017
Years in position	2
Party	Republican
Compensation
Base salary	$31,140.90/year
Per diem	$96/day
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 6, 2012
First elected	November 2, 2010
Next election	November 8, 2016
Term limits	N/A
Education
Bachelor's	University of North Dakota
J.D.	University of Minnesota
Personal
Birthday	October 2, 1961
Profession	Attorney/Radio Host
Websites
Office website
Campaign website

Dave Thompson (b. October 2, 1961) is a Republican member of the Minnesota State Senate, representing District 58 since 2013. He previously represented District 36 from 2011 to 2013.

Thompson is a practicing attorney, focusing his practice on small business work, contracts, estate planning and litigation. Dave also has experience on radio and TV, hosting The Dave Thompson Show on AM 1500 for seven and a half years, and participating in a debate segment on At Issue with Tom Hauser, an Emmy Award winning news program.

Thompson graduated from the University of North Dakota with double majors in Economics and Political Science. He earned his law degree from the University Of Minnesota Law School in 1987.

Issues

Campaign themes

Thompson's website highlights the following campaign themes:

Jobs and Business

• Excerpt:"Like everyone, I am concerned about high unemployment and the pressure this puts on families. Good jobs are provided by thriving businesses."

Taxes

• Excerpt:"Taxes are a necessary evil. The revenues are used to fund public goods. However, taxes are a drag on the economy. Therefore taxes should be as low as possible, and tax laws should be straightforward and easy to understand."

Social Policy

• Excerpt:"I am and always have been staunchly pro life. Society must protect its most vulnerable members. It is horrifying to think of the number of people who have been killed in the name of privacy rights. I believe in the traditional definition of family."

Education

• Excerpt:"Education policy should be set at the local level. Parents, family members, friends and neighbors are in the best position to determine what is best for their children. I am a strong supporter of home schooling and private education as well."

Committee assignments

2013-2014

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

Minnesota Committee Assignments, 2013
• Education
• State and Local Government
• Taxes

2011-2012

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

Minnesota Committee Assignments, 2011
• Commerce and Consumer Protection
• Education
• Judiciary and Public Safety
• State Government Innovation and Veterans

Issues

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Dave Thompson endorsed Rick Santorum in the 2012 presidential election.

Elections

2014

See also: Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2014

In March 2013, Thompson confirmed that he was weighing a potential bid for Governor of Minnesota in 2014, and said to expect a final decision in the coming weeks. Thompson would be running as a challenger to incumbent Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat first elected in 2010.

2012

See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2012

Thompson won election in District 58 for the Minnesota State Senate. He was unopposed in the Republican primary on August 14 and defeated Andrew Brobston (D) in the general election on November 6.

Minnesota State Senate, District 58, General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Dave Thompson Incumbent	57.7%	24,097
	Democratic	Andrew Brobston	42.3%	17,686
Total Votes				41,783

2010

See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2010

Thompson had no opponent in the primary. He defeated Steve Quist (DFL) in the general election.

Minnesota State Senate, District 36 (2010)
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Dave Thompson (R)		23426	63.05%
Steve Quist (DFL)		13686	36.84%
Write-In		42	0.11%

Campaign donors

2012

Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.

2010

In 2010, Thompson raised $41,199 in contributions.

His four largest contributors were:

Donor	Amount
Public Fund	$14,341
Senate District 36 Republican Party Of Minnesota	$3,000
Thompson, Dave	$2,100
Pariseau For Senate Cmte	$1,000

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term Dave + Thompson + Minnesota + Senate

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Dave Thompson News Feed

• Thompson: Everyone Pays More Under DFL Tax and Budget Plan - Patch.com
• Lawmakers pump $485 million more into schools - Republican Eagle
• Dayton's approval ratings slip in poll, but he still has big leads over GOP ... - Pioneer Press
• Democrats, Republicans push their take on the legislative session - Minnesota Public Radio
• MN Senate to ponder pay raise amendment - Minnesota Public Radio
• Dayton vetoes two controversial items in Legacy projects bill - MinnPost.com
• Legacy bill survives ... bruised and battered - MinnPost.com
• Legislature adjourns as tax bill closes $627 million state budget deficit - Coon Rapids Herald
• GOP gubernatorial hopefuls won't try to repeal marriage law - Minnesota Public Radio
• Dayton: Use Cigarette, Corporate Taxes For Stadium - CBS Local

Personal

Thompson and his wife Rhonda have two children.

External links

Suggest a link

• Campaign site
• House website
• Biography from Project Vote Smart
• Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
• Campaign Contributions: 2010
• Facebook profile

References

Political offices
Preceded by Linda Higgins (DFL)	Minnesota State Senate District 58 2013–present	Succeeded by NA
Preceded by Patricia Pariseau (DFL)	Minnesota State Senate District 36 2011–2013	Succeeded by John Hoffman (R)