Tim Pawlenty, American lawyer and politician, 39th Governor of Minnesota
Timothy James Pawlenty (; born November 27, 1960) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 39th governor of Minnesota from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003, and as House Majority Leader from 1999 to 2003. In 2011, he ran for the Republican presidential nomination and was subsequently a leading contender to be Mitt Romney's running mate before serving as co-chair of Romney's campaign.
Pawlenty was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and raised in nearby South St. Paul. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in political science and a J.D. His early career included stints as a labor law attorney and the vice president of a software as a service company. After settling in Eagan with his wife, Pawlenty was appointed to the city's Planning Commission and was elected to the Eagan City Council at the age of 28. In 1992 he was elected to represent District 38B, in suburban Dakota County. He was reelected four times and was voted majority leader by House Republicans in 1998.
After narrowly winning the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2002, Pawlenty won the three-way general election. He was reelected in 2006 by a margin of less than one percent. His campaign platform focused on balancing the budget without raising taxes. During Pawlenty's governorship, he did not raise income taxes, but did increase some taxes and user fees. His administration advocated for numerous public works projects, including work on the Northstar Commuter Rail Line and the construction of Target Field (a Major League Baseball stadium in Minneapolis). He signed a bill mandating 20% ethanol in gasoline by 2013. He cut health care costs in an attempt to balance the budget and borrowed funds from the state's K-12 education and low income programs. He signed an executive order rejecting federal funds related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He also led worldwide trips for business leaders and trade delegations to explore trade opportunities. In the 2007–08 term, Pawlenty served as chairman of the National Governors Association.
Pawlenty was rumored to be a contender for both the Republican presidential and vice presidential nominations in the 2008 election, and he ran for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination from May to August 2011. After withdrawing from that race, he became a finalist to join Mitt Romney on the 2012 ticket as a vice presidential candidate. Pawlenty was not selected, but he served as co-chair of Romney's campaign. In September 2012, he left the campaign to become a Washington lobbyist for financial institutions. Pawlenty sought a third term as governor of Minnesota in the 2018 election, but lost the Republican primary to Jeff Johnson.As of 2021, Pawlenty is the most recent Republican to win statewide office in Minnesota, in his 2006 reelection as governor.