Amy Klobuchar

Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat has been the junior Senator for the state of Minnesota since 2007.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Biography
Born in a Twin Cities suburb in 1960, Klobuchar graduated from Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School. After graduation, she joined a private law practice. In 1998, she was elected Hennepin County Attorney, a position to which she was reelected in 2002. Klobuchar and her husband John have one daughter. 

Hennepin County Attorney
Klobuchar was initially elected Hennepin County Attorney in 1998. Since then she has led the Attorney's office to a 90 percent conviction rate, aimed to increase the number of jury trials, reduced the size of the staff at the Attorney's office, and reduced the use of outside council in prosecuting cases.

Klobuchar has led an aggressive effort to convict drunken drivers and defendants accused of gun crimes. Those receiving the maximum penalty for these crimes has been markedly higher in Hennepin County than in other counties throughout the state. Overall, crime has fallen in Hennepin County since Klobuchar took office, however, the past year has seen a surge in violent crime in Minneapolis and the county at large.

2006 Senate race
Klobuchar entered the Senate race facing Democrats Patty Wetterling, a child advocate and candidate for Congress in 2004, and veterinarian Ford Bell in the Democratic primary. Klobuchar quickly rounded up support from Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party state legislators and women's groups; she received support from EMILY's List in September of 2005. In January, Klobuchar's toughest opponent, Wetterling, dropped out of the race allowing Klobuchar to cruise to victory in the primary.

In facing Republican congressman Mark Kennedy, Klobuchar focused on their differences over the war in Iraq and took a populist stance on economic issues, lambasting health maintenance organizations and prescription drug companies. Klobuchar opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning and she stated in February that she "would like to see a drawdown of the troops this year, a significant drawdown of the troops. I don't believe that at this point we can set a specific date to get each and every troop out of Iraq, as much some people would like to see that."

Klobuchar attempted to paint her opponent as a foot-soldier for President Bush who votes lock step with the Republican Party. Kennedy was forced to make admissions of mistakes in Iraq and sounded defensive on the topic of war, and even issued advertisements where he admitted that the war had not gone well.

Klobuchar is a supporter of abortion rights and has stated her desire to work to reduce the number of abortions. She also supports both adult and embryonic stem cell research and has stated that "stem cell research is the new frontier for research for cures."

Klobuchar defeated Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy 58%-38% to replace Sen. Mark Dayton, who did not seek reelection. 

Money in politics
cid=N00027500&cycle=2008

Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * Joint Economic Committee
 * Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
 * Subcommittee on Nutrition and Food Assistance, Sustainable and Organic Agriculture, and General Legislation
 * Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support
 * Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
 * Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
 * Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
 * Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
 * Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation
 * Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety
 * Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
 * Subcommittee on Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight and Children's Health Protection
 * Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security and Water Quality

Resources

 * Amy Klobuchar for Congress, official campaign site.
 * See how you compare to Amy Klobuchar

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Centrisity
 * MN Publius.com

Articles

 * Tom Scheck, " Wetterling drops out of Senate race; backs Klobuchar," Minnesota Public Radio, January 20, 2006.
 * Jonathan Singer, "MyDD Conversation with MN-Sen Candidate Amy Klobuchar," MyDD.com, February 23, 2006.
 * Tom Curry, "Iraq war fires up Minnesota's Senate race," MSNBC, May 31, 2006.
 * Tom Scheck, "Stem cell veto could become a campaign issue," Minnesota Public Radio, July 19, 2006.
 * Richard Keil, "Bush Loyalist Kennedy Plays Down Ties in Fight for Senate Seat," Bloomberg, August 18, 2006.
 * Tom Scheck, "Senate candidates take different views of health care," Minnesota Public Radio, October 6, 2006.
 * Spencer S. Hsu, "War at Forefront in Minn. Debate," Washington Post, October 16, 2006.
 * Patrick Condon, "Minn. Candidate Plays Up Iraq Stance," Associated Press, October 24, 2006.
 * Patrick Condon, "For Klobuchar, dad's story is key to her own rapid rise," Associated Press, October 25, 2006.
 * Ellen Tomson, "A life of achievement … and individuality," Pioneer Press, October 27, 2006.
 * Patrick Condon, "Senate Candidates Debate in Minnesota," Associated Press, October 29, 2006.