15 Facts About Karin Housley

Karin Housley is an American politician serving since 2013 as a member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 33.

Karin Housley was born and raised in South St Paul, Minnesota.

Karin Housley graduated from South St Paul High School in 1982 and briefly attended Augsburg College before moving to Buffalo, New York, after her high school sweetheart, Phil Housley, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres.

Karin Housley then worked as a news producer for WGRZ and WKBW in Buffalo until 1991.

Karin Housley has represented Forest Lake, Stillwater, and communities along the St Croix Valley in the Minnesota Senate since 2013.

Karin Housley was instrumental in creating the first Minnesota Senate committee on aging, which she chaired.

In 2019, Karin Housley authored "landmark" legislation to provide enhanced protections for elderly and vulnerable adults in senior care facilities and licensed assisted living facilities in Minnesota for the first time.

Karin Housley was selected by her colleagues to serve as an assistant majority leader in both the 91st and 92nd sessions of the Minnesota Legislature.

Karin Housley was reelected in 2016 by more than 20 points.

In 2014, Karin Housley was selected by Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Honour, a businessman from Orono, to be his candidate for lieutenant governor of Minnesota.

In December 2017, Karin Housley announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2018 special election for United States Senate.

Karin Housley won the Republican primary and lost to Smith in the general election.

Karin Housley was criticized during the campaign for a 2009 Facebook post in which she made a comparison between then-First Lady Michelle Obama's posture and Ronald Reagan's character in Bedtime for Bonzo.

In March 2019, Karin Housley registered a political action committee to assist conservative candidates running for office in Minnesota, fueling speculation that she would run for the same US Senate seat again in 2020.

Karin Housley ultimately decided against it, instead announcing she would run for reelection to the Minnesota Senate.