Daniel Kirk Wolgamott (born October 24, 1990)[1] is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Wolgamott represents District 14B in central Minnesota, which includes the city of St. Cloud and parts of Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns Counties.[1]
Dan Wolgamott | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Wolgamott in 2022 | |
| Speaker pro tempore of the Minnesota House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Liz Olson |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 14B district | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Knoblach |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daniel Kirk Wolgamott October 24, 1990 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Saint John's University (BA) |
Early life, education, and career
editWolgamott was raised in the Elkhorn neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from Elkhorn High School.[2][3] He attended Saint John's University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. In 2011, he was an intern in U.S. Representative Tim Walz's office.[1]
Minnesota House of Representatives
editWolgamott ran for Minnesota House in District 14A in 2014, losing to Republican Tama Theis.[4] He then ran for the Minnesota Senate in District 14 in 2016, losing to Republican Jerry Relph by 141 votes.[5] He was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected every two years since.[1]
In the 2021–22 legislative session, Wolgamott was an assistant majority leader for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party House Caucus. He was sworn in as speaker pro tempore of the House on January 3, 2023. Wolgamott is the vice chair of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee and sits on the Capital Investment, Labor and Industry Finance and Policy, and Rules and Legislative Administration Committees.[1]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tama Theis | 7,292 | 54.90 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Dan Wolgamott | 5,972 | 44.96 | |
| Write-in | 18 | 0.14 | ||
| Total votes | 13,282 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jerry Relph | 17,519 | 47.40 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Dan Wolgamott | 17,378 | 47.02 | |
| Libertarian | Stephen Zilberg | 2,021 | 5.47 | |
| Write-in | 41 | 0.11 | ||
| Total votes | 39,959 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Dan Wolgamott | 7,950 | 58.07 | |||
| Republican | Jim Knoblach | 5,705 | 41.67 | |||
| Write-in | 36 | 0.26 | ||||
| Total votes | 13,691 | 100.0 | ||||
| Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Dan Wolgamott | 9,422 | 55.93 | |
| Republican | Paul Brandmire | 7,383 | 43.82 | |
| Write-in | 42 | 0.25 | ||
| Total votes | 16,847 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Dan Wolgamott | 7,652 | 51.80 | |
| Republican | Aaron Henning | 7,112 | 48.14 | |
| Write-in | 9 | 0.06 | ||
| Total votes | 14,773 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Personal life
editWolgamott has two children. He resides in St. Cloud, Minnesota.[1] In 2014, he married Nicole Wolgamott (née Swanson); the couple divorced in 2021.[10] In June 2024, Wolgamott announced his engagement to Erika Mejía.[11]
Legal issues
editOn January 9, 2021, Wolgamott's vehicle was found abandoned in a yard in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Police investigated, noted the roads were icy at the time, and cited Wolgamott with a misdemeanor for abandoning his vehicle on private property without the property owner's consent.[12][13]
On July 7, 2023, Wolgamott was arrested in Kanabec County, Minnesota, for driving while intoxicated.[14] Two weeks later, surveillance video from a liquor store showed him drinking from a bottle of alcohol in the parking lot before getting in his car and driving away.[13] On August 7, after blood test results showed a blood alcohol content of 0.09, above Minnesota's legal limit of 0.08, Wolgamott was charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated.[15] He pleaded guilty in September and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Wolgamott, Dan". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ "From private colleges to state capitol". www.mnprivatecolleges.org. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
- ^ "Dan Wolgamott - Football". Saint John's University Athletics. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
- ^ a b "State & Federal Results in Legislative District 14A". Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ "District 14 recount confirms Relph as winner, GOP to have Senate majority". FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ^ "2016 Results for State Senator District 14". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "2018 Results for State Representative District 14B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "2020 Results for State Representative District 14B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 14B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ In the Marriage of Daniel Kirk Wolgamott and Nicole Lee Swanson Wolgamott, 71-FA-21-285 (Sherburne County District Court (Minnesota) 2021-08-17).
- ^ Cordes, Kelly (5 June 2024). "Minnesota State Representative Announces Engagement". 98.1 - Minnesota's New Country. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ Gockowski, Anthony (2023-07-14). "Wolgamott cited in 2021 for abandoning vehicle after crash". Alpha News. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
- ^ a b Tribune, Ryan Faircloth Star (20 July 2023). "'I take full responsibility': DFL state Rep. Dan Wolgamott apologizes for recent DWI arrest". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
- ^ "State Representative Dan Wolgamott Arrested for DWI". MPR News. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Tribune, Rochelle Olson Star (7 August 2023). "DFL Rep. Dan Wolgamott charged with drunken driving". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
- ^ Altmann, Erik (2023-09-14). "DFL Rep. Wolgamott sentenced for DWI". KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News. Retrieved 2024-07-06.