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Senator Norm Coleman

Senator Norm Coleman

In more than three decades of public service, Senator Norm Coleman has earned a reputation as a leader who brings people together and gets things done.

Norm displayed leadership from a young age. He was a student activist in the 60s, was Minnesota’s chief prosecutor and Solicitor General in the 70s and 80s, and the Mayor of St. Paul in the 90s. 

Norm was elected Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1993.  As Mayor, Norm harnessed his leadership skills to build an environment in which businesses created thousands of new jobs, where taxes were not raised for eight years and crime rates fell across the City.

In 2002, Norm Coleman won a hard fought United States Senate race against Vice President Walter Mondale, who had replaced Senator Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash 10 days before the election.

In the U.S. Senate, Norm quickly developed a reputation as a hard worker and displayed a willingness to work with both parties to get things done for Minnesota and the nation.

As Chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), Coleman rooted out billions of dollars of government waste, fraud and abuse.  His groundbreaking investigation of the U.N. Oil-for-Food program led to important reforms at the U.N., and exposed the corruption of officials across the world.

Senator Coleman worked diligently as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to ensure that America remain a powerful force for democracy and compassion in the world.  Coleman's commitment to a nuclear free Iran, steadfast commitment to human rights and freedom in places like Cuba and his tireless commitment to fighting the scourge of AIDS in Africa, earned him kudos from Democrats and Republicans.  His seat on the Board of the National Endowment for Democracy provides continued involvement in these critical issues.

Senator Coleman also served on the Homeland Security Committee and co-authored legislation enhancing our nation’s port security.  From his seat on the Agriculture Committee, he championed energy independence, expansion of nuclear energy and a commitment to renewable fuels. 

On Election Night, November 2008, Senator Coleman received over 700 more votes tallied than his opponent, Al Franken.  A certification of machine tallies gave Senator Coleman a 215 vote margin of victory.  However, a subsequent recount and decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court awarded the election to Al Franken. Despite the opportunity to contest the results further, Senator Coleman stepped aside and conceded the election to Franken.

Norm Coleman's voice and commitment to conservative values and causes will continue in the future.  His belief in the free market, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility and a strong national security will lead him to support causes and efforts that will help restore confidence in the Republican Party and center-right conservative principles and ideals.
Senator Coleman and his wife Laurie reside in St. Paul and have two children, Jacob, 23, a student at the University of Minnesota Law School, and Sarah, 19, a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame.