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'{{Short description|American politician (born 1963)}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Bobby Joe Champion |image = Bobby Joe Champion (26140594060) (cropped).jpg |office = 17th [[List of presidents of the Minnesota Senate|President of the Minnesota Senate]] |term_start = January 3, 2023 |term_end = |predecessor = [[David Osmek]] |successor = |state_senate1 = Minnesota |district1 = 59th |term_start1 = January 8, 2013 |term_end1 = |predecessor1 = [[Linda Higgins]] {{small|(Redistricting)}} |successor1 = |state_house2 = Minnesota |district2 = 58B |term_start2 = January 6, 2009 |term_end2 = January 8, 2013 |predecessor2 = [[Augustine Dominguez]] |successor2 = [[Raymond Dehn]] {{small|(Redistricting)}} |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|12|17}} |birth_place = [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]], U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |spouse = Angela |children = 3 |education = [[Macalester College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[William Mitchell College of Law]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]]) }} '''Bobby Joe Champion''' (born December 17, 1963) is an American attorney and politician serving as a member of the [[Minnesota Senate]]. A member of the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] (DFL), he represents the 59th district, which includes portions of downtown and north [[Minneapolis]] in [[Hennepin County, Minnesota|Hennepin County]].<ref name="state1">{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=15317 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Champion, Bobby Joe |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |access-date=2010-07-20}}</ref> He is the incumbent [[List of presidents of the Minnesota Senate|President of the Minnesota Senate]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Olson |first1=Rochelle |title=Minnesota Senate Democrats choose Kari Dziedzic of Minneapolis as new majority leader |url=https://www.startribune.com/senate-dfl-chooses-kari-dziedzic-of-minneapolis-as-new-majority-leader/600224376/ |access-date=11 November 2022 |publisher=Star Tribune |date=11 November 2022}}</ref> ==Early life and education== Champion was born in [[Minneapolis]] and graduated from [[Minneapolis North High School]]. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from [[Macalester College]] and a [[Juris Doctor]] from the [[William Mitchell College of Law]]. == Career == Champion worked as an assistant [[Minnesota Attorney General|Minnesota attorney general]] under [[Skip Humphrey]] and [[Mike Hatch]], and as an attorney for a legal rights center. He also worked with [[Flyte Tyme Records|Flyte Tyme Productions]] and was co-founder and director of the [[Grammy]]-nominated Excelsior Choir. He was executive director of the Midwest chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors and program director for Social Spaces with Stairstep Initiative.<ref name="state1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=109081 |title=Project Vote Smart - Representative Bobby Joe Champion - Biography |publisher=Votesmart.org |date=1963-12-17 |access-date=2010-07-20}}</ref> '''Career in Law''' In 2022 Bobby Joe Champion was a defense attorney in the case in which Leon Bond III and Camille Lashay Dennis-Bond were accused of the horrific murder of 22-year-olds Dalton Lee Ford and Tayler Nicole Garza. The young people he was defending were accused of racing and reaching speeds of 115mph in a 50mph zone, resulting in a deadly accident from which they escaped with minor injuries, but that killed another young couple. Bobby Joe Champion's defense consisted instead of accusing the young couple of causing the accident by turning into an avenue without looking carefully enough. Leon Bond III ended up only going to juvenile rehabilitation for being 17 at the time, being released when he was 21. Camille was sentenced to 15 years in prison. After the fact Bobby Joe championed a bill to have the age to be tried as a juvenile raised to 21 years old.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Burnsville woman, who was racing teen brother, gets 15-year prison term for Wisconsin couple’s crash deaths |url=https://www.twincities.com/2023/03/24/burnsville-woman-racing-brother-sentenced-wisconsin-couples-crash-deaths/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLvWg0VV5gQ |title=The Moment She Realized She Killed Two People |date=2024-09-30 |last=Midwest Crime |access-date=2024-11-04 |via=YouTube}}</ref> === Minnesota House of Representatives === Champion was elected to the House in 2008, unseating first-term incumbent [[Augustine Dominguez]]. He was reelected in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20101102/ElecRslts.asp?M%3DLG%26R%3DALL%26LD%3D58B |title=Election Reporting |access-date=2010-11-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313122613/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20101102/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&R=ALL&LD=58B |archive-date=2012-03-13 }}</ref> === Minnesota Senate === In November 2012, Champion was elected to the [[Minnesota Senate]], defeating [[Republican Party of Minnesota|Republican]] Jim Lilly by a margin of 82%–18%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Election Results|url=http://www.kare11.com/news/elections/results/results.aspx?raceid=69|work=kare11.com|access-date=4 January 2013}}</ref> Champion was reelected to the Minnesota Senate in 2016, defeating challenger [[Jennifer Carnahan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/minnesota-state-senate-district-59 |title=Minnesota 59th District State Senate Results: Bobby Joe Champion Wins |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2017-08-01 |access-date=2017-11-13}}</ref> Champion was also re-elected in 2020 and 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=136&scenario=StateSenate&DistrictId=547&show=Go |title=Results for State Senator District 59 |publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State: Election Results}}</ref> In 2022, he was chosen to serve as president of the Senate by his caucus. He is the first African-American to ever hold this position. In addition, Champion currently chairs the Committee on Jobs and Economic Development.<ref name="state1" /> Champion was author and primary sponsor of MN Senate Bill SF 3904.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF3904&version=0&session=ls93&session_year=2024&session_number=0|work=Minnesota State Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes|access-date=10 October 2024 |title=SF 3904 as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) }}</ref> Bill SF 3904 seeks to extend the upper age limit for juvenile jurisdiction to individuals under age 21. ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == {{MN-legdb|15317}} * [http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1212 Senator Bobby Joe Champion] ''official Minnesota Senate website'' * [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=109081 Project Votesmart - Rep. Bobby Joe Champion Profile] {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[David Osmek]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[List of Presidents of the Minnesota Senate|President of the Minnesota Senate]]|years=2023–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}} {{Current Minnesota statewide political officials}} {{U.S. State Senate Presidents}} {{Minnesota Senate Presidents}} {{Minnesota State Senators}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Champion, Bobby Joe}} [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:20th-century African-American politicians]] [[Category:21st-century African-American politicians]] [[Category:21st-century American legislators]] [[Category:African-American state legislators in Minnesota]] [[Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives]] [[Category:Democratic Party Minnesota state senators]] [[Category:Lawyers from Minneapolis]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Macalester College alumni]] [[Category:Politicians from Minneapolis]] [[Category:William Mitchell College of Law alumni]] [[Category:21st-century Minnesota politicians]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections]]'