53 Facts About Mark Dayton

Mark Brandt Dayton was born on January 26,1947 and is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019.

Mark Dayton was a United States Senator for Minnesota from 2001 to 2007, and the Minnesota State Auditor from 1991 to 1995.

Mark Dayton embarked on a career in teaching and social work in New York City and Boston after graduating from Yale University in 1969.

In 1978, Mark Dayton was appointed the Minnesota Economic Development Commissioner and married Alida Rockefeller Messinger, a member of the Rockefeller family.

Mark Dayton ran for the US Senate in 1982 against Republican Party incumbent David Durenberger.

Mark Dayton defeated former US senator Eugene McCarthy in the Democratic primary, and the general election became one of the most expensive in state history.

Durenberger won the election, and Mark Dayton returned to the Perpich administration until his election as Minnesota State Auditor in 1990.

In 1998, Mark Dayton ran for governor, losing the Democratic nomination to Hubert Humphrey III.

In 2010, Mark Dayton defeated Republican Tom Emmer to become governor of Minnesota despite national success for the Republican Party, including in the Minnesota legislature.

Mark Dayton won a second term in 2014 over Republican opponent Jeff Johnson and opted not to run for a third term in 2018.

Mark Dayton was born on January 26,1947, in Minneapolis and is the eldest of Gwendolen May and Bruce Bliss Mark Dayton's four children.

Mark Dayton is a great-grandson of businessman George Dayton, the founder of the Dayton's department store chain.

Bruce Dayton founded the B Dalton bookstore chain in 1966.

Mark Dayton was raised in Long Lake, Minnesota and graduated from the Blake School in Minneapolis, where he was an all-state ice-hockey goaltender as a senior.

Mark Dayton attended Yale University, where he played varsity hockey until an accident on the ice.

Mark Dayton protested the Vietnam War in April 1970 at one of Minnesota's major antiwar protests against Honeywell, where he was maced by police.

Mark Dayton's father served on the Honeywell board of directors and the two had a strained relationship after the incident.

From 1977 to 1978, Mark Dayton served as an aide to Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich.

In 1998, Mark Dayton ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor, losing the Democratic nomination to Hubert Humphrey III.

Mark Dayton was elected Minnesota State Auditor in 1990 and served until 1995.

Mark Dayton first ran for the United States Senate in 1982 but lost to Republican incumbent David Durenberger.

Mark Dayton defeated former US Senator Eugene McCarthy in the Democratic primary, and the general election became one of the most expensive in state history.

Mark Dayton was elected to the Senate in 2000, defeating Republican incumbent Rod Grams.

Mark Dayton was succeeded in the Senate by Amy Klobuchar, another DFL member.

On September 22,2005, the 44th anniversary of the day President John F Kennedy signed the Peace Corps into law, Dayton became the first US Senator to introduce legislation creating a cabinet-level Department of Peace.

In September 2006, Mark Dayton requested a review of the Rogers, Minnesota tornado to determine whether the National Weather Service had acted properly and the deaths of victims were unavoidable.

Hanson sued under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, claiming that Mark Dayton had discriminated against him because of a perceived disability.

Mark Dayton argued that he was immunized from suit by the speech or debate clause of the United States Constitution.

Mark Dayton claimed that Hanson's duties were directly related to Mark Dayton's legislative functions, and that the decision to fire him could not be challenged.

Mark Dayton reached a settlement with Hanson in 2009, shortly after Mark Dayton became a candidate for governor.

On January 16,2009, Mark Dayton announced his candidacy for Governor of Minnesota.

Mark Dayton stated he made that decision because the primary election is a more democratic method of choosing a candidate.

Mark Dayton took the oath of office to become Governor of Minnesota on January 3,2011.

The first DFLer to serve as governor in 20 years, Mark Dayton succeeded Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty.

In March 2011, Mark Dayton signed a law increasing penalties on those who injure or kill police dogs.

Mark Dayton led an effort to have a new stadium constructed for the Minnesota Vikings.

In 2012, Mark Dayton commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Dakota War of 1862 with a call for reconciliation, and repudiation of former governor Alexander Ramsey's position.

One supporter, the mother of a child with severe epilepsy, alleged Mark Dayton told her in a meeting that he would not legalize the drug but she could buy the drug illegally instead.

Franken resigned on January 2,2018, and Mark Dayton then appointed Smith to the US Senate seat.

In July 2000, Mark Dayton answered an election questionnaire saying he would expand Medicare prescription-drug coverage.

Mark Dayton favors keeping Social Security intact, and opposes privatization of Social Security.

Until 2013, Mark Dayton opposed the legalization of medical cannabis and drug policy reform, adopting the same position as his Republican predecessor Tim Pawlenty.

Mark Dayton voted against a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage in June 2006, and supported civil marriage equality in his gubernatorial platform.

On May 14,2013, Governor Mark Dayton signed into law a bill passed by the Minnesota House and Senate to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

In October 2002, Mark Dayton voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq.

Mark Dayton followed up three years later by introducing Senate Bill 1756 to create a cabinet-level Department of Peace a week after Dennis Kucinich introduced a similar bill in the House.

Mark Dayton was born into one of Minnesota's most famous families.

Mark Dayton's father built the family business into a retail empire.

Mark Dayton is a recovering alcoholic and has been treated for mild depression.

In December 2012, Mark Dayton underwent vertebral fusion surgery at the Mayo Clinic to treat his spinal stenosis.

In January 2016, Mark Dayton fainted while speaking at a campaign event in Woodbury, Minnesota.

In December 2020, Mark Dayton married former congressional intern and campaign staffer Ana Orke.

Mark Dayton first met her at a 2005 political fundraiser when he was in the US Senate.