David Minge

David Minge has been a long term resident of rural Minnestoa and now lives in St Paul. David graduated from St. Olaf College and the University of Chicago Law School. He was an associate at the Faegre & Benson law firm in and taught at the University of Wyoming College of Law. He moved to rural Montevideo, MN in 1977 and practiced with the law firm of Nelson, Oyen, Torvik, Minge and Gilbertson for 15 years. He was elected to the local school board and in 1992, was narrowly elected to Congress to represent ’s Second District. He held office for four terms (eight years), with major committee assignments being the Budget Committee and the Agriculture Committee. While in Congress, among other efforts, he worked to establish the Minnesota River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, was a founding member of the co-chairing its budget efforts, and was a leader in the US-Japan Legislative Exchange. He lost the 2000 election by 156 votes, going through an extended recount. In 2002, David became an appellate judge, serving on the Minnesota Court of Appeals until 2012 when he reached Minnesota’s mandatory judicial retirement age. Since 2012, David has served as a facilitator for a State-Federal agriculture water quality program, taught a seminar on Ag & the Environment at the University of Minnesota Law School, taught Constitutional Law at St Olaf College, and served as a retired (senior) judge. Other activities include fellowships with the Kellogg Foundation and the Woodrow Wilson Center, serving on the boards of community, conservation, and environmental organizations, and participation in numerous Congress-to-Campus visits. David is married to Karen Aaker Minge. They have two sons, Erik and Olaf, and four grandchildren. He enjoys biking, canoeing, and cross-country skiing.