Amy Klobuchar

Amy Klobuchar
Official portrait, 2013
United States Senator
from Minnesota
Assumed office
January 3, 2007
Serving with Tina Smith
Preceded byMark Dayton
Senate positions
Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2025
Preceded byJohn Boozman
Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Policy Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2025
LeaderChuck Schumer
Vice ChairJeanne Shaheen
Preceded byDebbie Stabenow (Policy and Communications)
Chair of the Senate Rules Committee
In office
February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025
Preceded byRoy Blunt
Succeeded byMitch McConnell
Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering Committee
In office
January 3, 2015[a] – January 3, 2025
LeaderHarry Reid
Chuck Schumer
Vice ChairJeanne Shaheen
Preceded byMark Begich
Succeeded byHerself (Steering and Policy)
County Attorney of Hennepin County
In office
January 5, 1999 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byMichael Freeman
Succeeded byMichael Freeman
Personal details
Born
Amy Jean Klobuchar

(1960-05-25) May 25, 1960
Plymouth, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (DFL)
Spouse
John Bessler
(m. 1993)
Children1
ParentJim Klobuchar (father)
RelativesZola Jesus (cousin)
EducationYale University (BA)
University of Chicago (JD)
Signature
WebsiteSenate website
Campaign website

Amy Jean Klobuchar (/ˈklbəʃɑːr/ KLOH-bə-shar; born May 25, 1960) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Minnesota's affiliate of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the county attorney of Hennepin County, Minnesota.

Born in Plymouth, Minnesota, Klobuchar graduated from Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School. She was a partner at two Minneapolis law firms before being elected county attorney of Hennepin County in 1998, making her responsible for all criminal prosecution in Minnesota's most populous county. Klobuchar was first elected to the Senate in 2006, succeeding Mark Dayton to become Minnesota's first elected female United States senator. She became Minnesota's senior senator in 2009, when Norm Coleman left the Senate following his defeat. She was reelected by a landslide in 2012, winning 85 of the state's 87 counties, before being reelected again in 2018.[1] Klobuchar's political positions align with modern liberalism. She has focused on healthcare reform, consumer protection, abortion rights, agriculture, and climate change.[2][3][4]

On February 10, 2019, Klobuchar announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in the 2020 election; on March 2, 2020, she suspended her campaign and endorsed Joe Biden.[5][6] In 2021, she became the chair of the Senate Rules Committee. She was reelected to a fourth Senate term in 2024, defeating Republican nominee Royce White.


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  1. ^ Bostock, Bill (November 7, 2018). "Amy Klobuchar is being talked up as a 2020 contender who could 'bury' Trump after she won re-election in Minnesota". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  2. ^ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (November 26, 2018). "Amy Klobuchar Is 'Minnesota Nice.' But Is That What Democrats Want for 2020?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  3. ^ DeLong, Matt; Tribune, Chase Davis • Star (November 25, 2018). "How Amy Klobuchar fared in Trump country". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  4. ^ Halper, Evan (February 10, 2019). "Sen. Amy Klobuchar offers Democrats a Midwestern road to the White House". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Schneider, Elena (March 2, 2020). "Klobuchar to drop out of 2020 campaign, endorse Biden". Politico. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  6. ^ Dan Merica; Kyung Lah; Jasmine Wright; Kate Sullivan (March 2, 2020). "Amy Klobuchar ends 2020 presidential campaign and endorses Joe Biden". CNN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.