15 Facts About Deb Kiel

Debra L Kiel is an American politician who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2025.

Deb Kiel was born and raised on a farm south of Crookston, Minnesota.

Deb Kiel graduated from Crookston High School and attended Concordia College in Moorhead.

Deb Kiel was a member of the Crookston School Board for seven years, serving as its chair and treasurer.

Deb Kiel was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2010 and has been reelected every two years since.

Deb Kiel served as the minority lead of the Human Services Policy Committee and served on the Health Finance and Policy and Ethics Committees during her term.

Deb Kiel supported increasing funding for student loan forgiveness for doctors who agree to practice in rural areas, and increasing that program to include nurses, dentists, and mental health workers.

Deb Kiel opposed increasing the state tobacco tax, saying people in her district would drive to North Dakota to buy cigarettes.

Deb Kiel co-authored an op-ed arguing that employers need to "hold on" to older workers to solve workforce shortage issues.

Deb Kiel opposes abortion rights and has sponsored legislation to increase inspection requirements at abortion facilities and require them to be specially licensed.

Deb Kiel has called for audits of Planned Parenthood and said it should be able to show it is "not marketing baby parts".

In 2011, Deb Kiel was one of four Republican representatives to vote against roughly $1 billion in budget cuts to local government aid and higher education.

Deb Kiel visited Israel and the West Bank in 2019 with a bipartisan delegation from the Minnesota legislature.

Deb Kiel is active at her home church, Our Savior's Lutheran.

On March 20,2023, Deb Kiel announced she had a stroke while at the State Office Building, and returned home to recover.