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American politician (born 1963) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[1] He is the incumbent President of the Minnesota Senate.[2]
Bobby Joe Champion | |
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17th President of the Minnesota Senate | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Preceded by | David Osmek |
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 59th district | |
Assumed office January 8, 2013 | |
Preceded by | Linda Higgins (Redistricting) |
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 58B district | |
In office January 6, 2009 – January 8, 2013 | |
Preceded by | Augustine Dominguez |
Succeeded by | Raymond Dehn (Redistricting) |
Personal details | |
Born | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | December 17, 1963
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Angela |
Children | 3 |
Education | Macalester College (BA) William Mitchell College of Law (JD) |
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.
Champion worked as an assistant Minnesota attorney general under Skip Humphrey and Mike Hatch, and as an attorney for a legal rights center. He also worked with 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.[1][3]
Champion was elected to the House in 2008, unseating first-term incumbent Augustine Dominguez. He was reelected in 2010.[4]
In November 2012, Champion was elected to the Minnesota Senate, defeating Republican Jim Lilly by a margin of 82%–18%.[5] Champion was reelected to the Minnesota Senate in 2016, defeating challenger Jennifer Carnahan.[6] Champion was also re-elected in 2020 and 2022.[7] 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.[1]