# Tom Emmer _Minnesota House member, 2010 Republican nominee for governor, United States representative from Minnesota's Sixth District and House Majority Whip, on the November 3, 2026 ballot for re-election — his offices, his official acts and votes that bear on the subjects of the parent article, and what the record does and does not tie to him_ | Tom Emmer | | |---|---| | Full name | Thomas Earl Emmer Jr. (Thomas Earl Emmer II in the Legislative Reference Library's record) | | Born | March 3, 1961, South Bend, Indiana | | Party | Republican | | Private practice | trial attorney; later his own law firm | | Local office | Independence City Council, 1995–2002; Delano City Council, 2003–2004 | | Minnesota House | District 19B, January 2005 – January 2011 (elected 2004; re-elected 2006 and 2008); Deputy Minority Leader, 2007 – July 2008 | | U.S. representative from Minnesota | Sixth District, January 3, 2015 – present | | House posts | Chairman, National Republican Congressional Committee, 2019–2022; House Majority Whip, 118th and 119th Congresses | | Candidate | governor of Minnesota, 2010 (Republican-endorsed April 30, 2010; lost after an automatic recount) | | Minnesota instruments signed | none (he never served as governor) | | On the November 3, 2026 ballot | yes — Republican nominee for the Sixth District | | Parent article | [[How Minnesota Got Here]] | | Status | architect article on a living candidate; restates the record and sets out the readings; adjudicates nothing | **Thomas Earl Emmer Jr.** (born 1961) is a United States representative from Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District, in office since January 3, 2015, and House Majority Whip since 2023; he is the Republican nominee for re-election in the general election of November 3, 2026.[^1][^2][^3][^4] Before Congress he served on the Independence and Delano city councils, represented District 19B in the Minnesota House from 2005 to 2011, and was [[2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election|the Republican nominee for governor in 2010]], conceding to Mark Dayton after a statewide recount.[^2][^5] He chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2019 to 2022.[^3] This article treats Emmer as one of the six figures the project calls architects, and applies to him the same standard that the companion article on [[Amy Klobuchar]] applies to her. He has never served as governor and has signed no Minnesota statute. The record ties him to the subjects of [[How Minnesota Got Here]] in four ways: as a state legislator, through his recorded votes on the bills that amended [[Minn. Stat. § 43A.191]] and the [[Minnesota Human Rights Act]], and through the committees that received those bills and the Metropolitan Council governance bills of his last term; as the 2010 candidate for governor, through his proposal to eliminate the [[Minnesota Department of Human Rights|Department of Human Rights]] and the [[Metropolitan Council (Minnesota)|Metropolitan Council]]; as a congressman, through his Somalia caucus and remittance work, his votes and letters on federal civil-rights and identity-based measures, and his oversight of the [[Feeding Our Future]] case; and through his statements and acts on the 2025–2026 federal actions against the State, including a 2026 bill aimed at the Metropolitan Council's structure.[^6][^7][^8][^9][^10] The corpus attributes to him several things the record does not support. The files it calls the Emmer open letter are the project author's open letter to him, not a letter of his. It describes him as Speaker of the Minnesota House, when the record shows a rank-and-file member who served for a time as deputy minority leader. It says his committees oversaw § 43A.191, when the record shows committees that received two of the bills amending it. And it dates § 43A.191 to 1981, when the section was enacted in 1985.[^11][^2][^12][^13] These and other corrections are collected in [[#Corpus claims checked]]. ## Scope and method The article follows the method of its parent: officials in their official capacity, instruments described by what they require, the readings the record supports stated side by side.[^14][^15] Because Emmer is a living candidate on the 2026 ballot, it records only official acts, recorded votes, filings, his own public statements and campaign facts — offices sought, dates and results — each dated and attributed. It omits reporting on the management of his staff, anonymous accounts of his conduct, his family's history, private conduct outside office and personal anecdotes, because none of these is an official act; the article on Amy Klobuchar omits the same categories for her.[^11] His House votes are cited to the *Congressional Record* and his Minnesota House votes to the House's own vote records where their pages could be read; votes that appear only in roll-call databases whose site rules bar this project's retrieval tool are listed as open items.[^16][^6][^17] ## Early life and career Emmer was born on March 3, 1961 in South Bend, Indiana, and was raised in Edina, Minnesota.[^2] The Legislative Reference Library records that he attended St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights and Boston College, took a bachelor's degree in history and political science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1984, and graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in 1988; it notes that he played hockey for Boston College, the University of Alaska and the United States Hockey League.[^2] He moved to Independence around 1988 and to Delano around 2002, and gave his occupation when first elected as trial attorney.[^2] His official biography says that "After practicing law for several years, he opened his own law firm."[^3] He was admitted to practice in North Dakota in February 1999; the state's lawyer record lists him at Emmer Law Office in Delano and shows the license as expired.[^1] ## City councils and the Minnesota House, 1995–2011 Emmer served on the Independence City Council from 1995 to 2002 and the Delano City Council from 2003 to 2004.[^2] He was elected to the Minnesota House from District 19B, covering parts of Hennepin and Wright counties, in 2004 and re-elected in 2006 and 2008, serving from January 2005 to January 2011.[^2] In the 85th Legislature (2007–2008) he was Deputy Minority Leader; the Legislative Reference Library records that "He resigned as Deputy Minority Leader in July 2008."[^2] His committee assignments were Civil Law and Elections, Ethics, Health Policy and Finance, and Regulated Industries in 2005–2006; Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections, Health and Human Services, and Public Safety and Civil Justice in 2007–2008; and Finance, three health and human services panels, and State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections in 2009–2010.[^2] When he won the 2010 endorsement, Minnesota Public Radio noted that "Democrats have controlled the Legislature for the past four years."[^18] ### Bills authored The Revisor's lists for his three terms show 318 bills and resolutions on which he was an author — 292 House files, 24 Senate files carried in the House and 2 House resolutions — 100 of them as chief author.[^19][^20][^21] They include a 2005 bill, H.F. 1129, under which the names, home addresses and other listed data of applicants for appointment to public bodies would have been public "from the time an application is submitted, regardless of whether the applicant is a finalist"; it was introduced and went no further.[^22][^19] They also include H.F. 1847 of 2007, a proposed constitutional amendment that the Revisor summarizes as "Marriage recognized as a union between one man and one woman," which did not become law.[^20] None of the 318, by the Revisor's short descriptions, amends § 43A.191, chapter 363A or the governance of the Metropolitan Council; the nearest is a 2006 bonding bill for metropolitan regional parks, of which he was a co-author.[^19][^20][^21] ### Votes on the § 43A.191 bills [[Minn. Stat. § 43A.191]], the agency affirmative-action statute that the 2026 federal suit cites, was enacted in 1985; its history line credits three session laws of Emmer's tenure.[^13][^23] His committee on Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections reported the House companions of the first two — H.F. 1267 on March 19, 2007 and H.F. 3309 on March 10, 2008 — before the Senate files were substituted for them on the floor.[^12][^24] His recorded floor votes were these: | Date | Bill | Change to § 43A.191 | House vote | His vote | Sources | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | April 27, 2007 | S.F. 1236 (Laws 2007, ch. 35), "making technical and housekeeping changes" | re-enacted subd. 3 with one change: subdivisions 4 to 7 of § 43A.15 were removed from the list of appointments counted toward an agency's limit on missed opportunities | 94–35 | nay | [^6][^25] | | April 14, 2008 | S.F. 3202 (Laws 2008, ch. 204), "codifying the transfer of employee relations duties to the Department of Finance" | revisor's instruction replacing references to the Department of Employee Relations with Finance, in § 43A.191, § 473.143 and other sections | 127–2 | yea | [^26][^27] | | April 23 and May 14, 2009 | S.F. 2082 (Laws 2009, ch. 101), the state-government omnibus | revisor's instruction renaming Finance as Management and Budget wherever the terms appear | 69–62; 85–49 on repassage | nay; nay | [^28][^29] | As the 2007 bill re-enacted it, the subdivision required an agency that did not meet its hiring goals to "justify its nonaffirmative action hires" and limited its missed opportunities to 25 percent; that language is not in the current statute.[^13][^25] The bill's title described its changes as technical and housekeeping; the 2008 and 2009 changes to the section were renamings inside larger bills.[^25][^27][^29] No floor statement of his on any of the three was located. He offered floor amendments to two of the omnibus bills he opposed — one to H.F. 829 in 2007, which failed 59–73, and three to S.F. 2082 in 2009, one of which was adopted 119–13; the vote pages do not describe their subjects.[^30][^28] Another section of the 2009 law amended § 473.142, the Metropolitan Council's preference for small targeted-group businesses, to extend it to veteran-owned small businesses.[^29] ### The Human Rights Act On April 14, 2008 he was one of seven members voting against S.F. 2915, which passed 124–7 and became Laws 2008, chapter 215; it raised the cap on punitive damages under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, § 363A.29, subd. 4, from $8,500 to $25,000.[^7][^31] On April 15, 2010 he voted for S.F. 1246, which passed 123–3 and became Laws 2010, chapter 271; it added to chapter 363A provisions on the accessibility of public records and continuing education for persons with disabilities.[^32][^33] He voted against H.F. 829 of 2007, the public-safety appropriations bill that carried the Department of Human Rights' budget and amended § 363A.06, on passage and on both repassages; the bill became Laws 2007, chapter 54.[^30][^34] ### The Metropolitan Council bills Two Metropolitan Council governance bills of his last term were referred to his committee on State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections: H.F. 721 (2009), whose summary reads "Metropolitan Council restructured as a council of governments", which Representative Frank Hornstein and fifteen co-authors sponsored and the committee's Local Government Division sent back to the full committee with a recommendation to pass; and H.F. 3775 (2010), "Metropolitan Council oversight transferred to the legislature", introduced by Representatives Joe Hoppe and Paul Kohls, which had no action after referral.[^35][^36] Emmer authored neither, and neither reached a full-committee or floor vote; no recorded vote of his on Council governance was found.[^35][^36][^21] ## Campaigns, 2010–2014 Emmer entered the 2010 race for governor in July 2009.[^18] On April 27, 2010 he named Annette Meeks as his running mate; Minnesota Public Radio described her as a member of the Metropolitan Council since 2003 and as the author of the 1998 *Minnesota Policy Blueprint* for the Center of the American Experiment, and quoted Emmer: "This person has actually written the book."[^37] On April 30 the Republican state convention endorsed him after the second ballot: he had led Marty Seifert 53 percent to 43 percent on the first, and Seifert conceded when Emmer neared the required 60 percent on the second.[^18] During the campaign he proposed reducing the number of state agencies. MPR reported in June 2010 that he had specifically named five for elimination — the Department of Human Rights, the Bureau of Mediation Services, the Housing Finance Agency, the Office of Enterprise Technology and the Metropolitan Council — and that eliminating them would cut $232 million, about 4 percent of the projected $5.8 billion deficit for the next budget cycle.[^8] In a debate he said that "The Department of Human Rights needs to go away" and, of the Council, that "The Met Council needs to go away."[^8] Elsewhere he said of the department that "we have an EEOC that does essentially the same thing"; Velma Korbel, the department's commissioner from 2003 until the month before, told MPR that the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission does not take housing, education, public-accommodations or credit complaints that the state law covers.[^8] MPR also reported that in October 2009 he had sent every state agency a request, on Minnesota House letterhead, for budget details, job descriptions and organization charts.[^8] In the November 2 general election he finished second to Mark Dayton; on election night a Hennepin County reporting error briefly overstated the county's totals and was found within about 45 minutes, according to the county's elections manager, though corrected totals were not posted until about 12:30 a.m.[^38] MPR reported Election Night totals showing Dayton ahead by 8,770 votes; by the second day of the statewide recount Emmer's campaign had challenged 597 ballots and Dayton's 143.[^39] Emmer conceded on December 8. The Associated Press reported that the recount had increased Dayton's margin to 9,080 votes, while also describing the canvassing board's certified margin as 8,770, and the Secretary of State signed Dayton's election certificate on December 16.[^5] The final certified figure is listed under [[#Open items]]. In December 2011 he was named Minnesota chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, which *Minnesota Lawyer* described as an opponent of same-sex marriage, ahead of the 2012 vote on the proposed constitutional amendment on marriage.[^40] In February 2013, when a group formed to encourage him to run for governor in 2014, MPR described him as a talk-radio host, and he wrote that "I am not currently planning to run for any office in 2014."[^41] Elected to the United States House from the Sixth District, he took office on January 3, 2015.[^2][^3] ## In the House ### Committees and leadership Emmer sits on the House Financial Services Committee and is vice chairman of its Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence.[^3][^42] In 2017 he served on its subcommittees on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, Monetary Policy and Trade, and Terrorism and Illicit Finance.[^43] He chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2019 to 2022.[^3] On November 15, 2022 the House Republican Conference elected him whip in a secret ballot: on the first ballot Jim Banks had 82 votes, Emmer 72 and Drew Ferguson 71, and on the second Emmer defeated Banks 115 to 106.[^44] He has been Majority Whip in the 118th and 119th Congresses.[^3] On October 24, 2023, after the removal of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the conference nominated him for Speaker with 117 votes in a closed-door roll call; he withdrew hours later, after former President Donald Trump objected to the nomination and members said he lacked the votes to win on the floor.[^45] The Committee on House Administration's September 2026 list of congressional member organizations shows him as co-chair of the Congressional Crypto Caucus.[^46] ### Votes and resolutions on civil-rights measures His recorded votes on the federal measures nearest the parent article's subject, as printed in the *Congressional Record*, are these: | Date | Measure | Question | Result | His vote | Source | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | July 19, 2022 | H.R. 8404, [[Respect for Marriage Act]] | passage | 267–157 | yea | [^16] | | December 8, 2022 | H.R. 8404, Respect for Marriage Act | motion to concur in the Senate amendment | 258–169 | yea | [^47] | | January 3, 2025 | H. Res. 5, rules of the 119th Congress, including § 2(f), "Striking Office of Diversity and Inclusion" | adoption | 215–209 | yea | [^48][^49] | Section 2(f) of the rules resolution struck clause 9 of House Rule II and the references to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in Rule X; the section-by-section analysis printed with the resolution says the subsection "conforms the Rules to reflect the reorganization of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion."[^49][^48] On both Respect for Marriage Act votes he was the only Minnesota Republican voting yea: Representatives Pete Stauber and Michelle Fischbach voted nay in July, and Stauber, Fischbach and Brad Finstad in December.[^16][^47] Two other acts of his bear on sex- and race-specific programs. On March 31, 2016 he announced the Young Women Leadership Program for the Sixth District, which "will allow high school girls to learn firsthand about different career options from professional women".[^50] On May 26, 2023 he joined a letter led by Representative Brad Finstad to the Department of Education's Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. The letter invoked Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against a University of Minnesota undergraduate internship program offered "only to Students of Color and Native Americans", and Emmer said the program "explicitly excludes students of certain races".[^51] ### Somalia and remittances On June 23, 2015 Emmer and Representative [[Keith Ellison]] announced a [[Congressional Somalia Caucus]] to advocate for peace and stability in Somalia, including the defeat of al-Shabaab, and for good-governance standards; their joint statement said that for them and their constituents Somalia was "a matter of domestic policy and national security."[^9] He was not among the twelve members of Congress — Senators Klobuchar, Al Franken and Sherrod Brown among them — who had written on February 6, 2015 asking for a meeting on an emergency plan to keep money transfers to Somalia open.[^52] At a 2015 town hall in St. Cloud he called Somalis "some of the fastest-assimilating populations", comparing their experience with that of German, Polish and Chinese immigrants, and he called a proposal to bar further Somali settlement in the city un-American.[^53][^54] The caucus is not among the organizations on the September 2026 House list.[^46] A letter released by Ellison on February 23, 2016, and also signed by Emmer and three other members, congratulated Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on a new Somali anti-money-laundering and terror-financing law.[^55] On July 18, 2017 he took part in, and for part of the session presided over, a hearing of the Terrorism and Illicit Finance Subcommittee titled "Managing Terrorism Financing Risk in Remittances and Money Transfers."[^56][^43] In his opening statement he said that "Minnesota has the largest number of refugees per capita in the United States" and that his district was home to one of the country's largest Somali-American populations, which relies heavily on money services businesses.[^56] His office's release said he wanted to "keep these lines of transfer open while ensuring the dollars sent are used for good, not evil."[^43] On November 14, 2017 he was the first-listed cosponsor of Ellison's H. Res. 620, condemning the October 14, 2017 truck bombing in Mogadishu, and on September 20, 2018 he introduced H.R. 6851, the Bank Secrecy Reporting Review Act, directing the Attorney General to give the Treasury annual statistics on law enforcement's use of Bank Secrecy Act reports.[^57][^58] In 2025 he voted for H.R. 1, the reconciliation bill: on passage, 215–214, on the legislative day of May 21, and on the motion to concur in the Senate amendment, 218–214, on the legislative day of July 2.[^59][^60] The enacted law, Pub. L. 119-21, added [[26 U.S.C. § 4475]], a tax "equal to 1 percent of the amount" of a remittance transfer, applying only where the sender pays with cash, a money order, a cashier's check or a similar physical instrument; transfers funded from an account at a covered financial institution or with a U.S.-issued debit or credit card are exempt, and the tax applies to transfers after December 31, 2025.[^61] No statement by him on § 4475 was located. ### Child nutrition and Feeding Our Future Emmer's committee is Financial Services; the House committees whose jurisdiction over the child-nutrition programs his November 2023 letter invoked were Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, and Oversight.[^3][^62] On July 20, 2023 he joined the Minnesota Republican members and the chairs of the Agriculture, Oversight and Education and Workforce committees in a follow-up letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Feeding Our Future, requesting the department's documents and communications about the organization and its oversight; he said that Minnesotans "want answers about how their tax dollars were allowed to be stolen".[^63] Earlier, on the legislative day of March 13, 2020, he had been one of 40 members voting against House passage of the [[Families First Coronavirus Response Act]], which passed 363–40; the Department of Agriculture later cited § 2202(a) of that act as its authority for nationwide waivers in the child-nutrition programs.[^64][^65] No statement of his explaining the vote was located. On November 14, 2023 he was one of seven signers of a letter to Minnesota Education Commissioner Willie Jett asking for the documents the department had given the [[Office of the Legislative Auditor (Minnesota)|Office of the Legislative Auditor]] for its review of the department's oversight of Feeding Our Future; the letter was copied to [[Tim Walz|Governor Tim Walz]].[^62] His 2026 questioning at [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|Oversight Committee]] hearings on Minnesota fraud is described in the next section. ## The 2025–2026 federal actions The parent article traces a series of federal actions in 2025 and 2026 against the State of Minnesota and its institutions.[^66] Emmer's recorded acts and statements on them are these. **The Title VII suit.** On January 14, 2026 the United States sued the State of Minnesota under Title VII, alleging that the State's affirmative-action hiring statutes and policies discriminate by race and sex; the complaint does not name him.[^67][^23] No statement by him on the suit was located in his House or whip-office releases read for this article or in the coverage of his 2026 statements; that is a bounded negative, listed under [[#Open items]].[^11] His recorded acts nearest the question are his 2025 vote for the House rules that struck the Office of Diversity and Inclusion from the rules, the 2023 Title VI letter on the University of Minnesota internship, and his 2026 letter and bill on the Metropolitan Council, described below.[^48][^51][^68][^10] **Title IX and elections.** On November 19, 2025 he led the Minnesota Republican delegation in a letter to Governor Walz asking that the State High School League reverse its policy allowing students to compete "consistent with their gender identity or expressions"; his release cites the federal education and health departments' September 30, 2025 finding that the league and the Minnesota Department of Education were in violation of Title IX.[^69] On February 2, 2026 he cosponsored Representative Pete Stauber's Minnesota Voter Integrity Act of 2026, which would condition the State's Help America Vote Act funding on its providing voting records; his release cites the Justice Department's September 2025 suit for the statewide voter-registration list.[^70] **[[Operation Metro Surge]].** On February 12, 2026, when Border Czar Tom Homan announced the end of the federal immigration-enforcement surge in the Twin Cities, Emmer's statement said: "Job well done, Tom Homan."[^71] No earlier statement of his on the operation was located in the releases read.[^71] **Fraud, Feeding Our Future and the House Oversight Committee.** On November 24, 2025 he wrote to U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen asking for an investigation of reports that proceeds of Minnesota fraud were reaching al-Shabaab; Breitbart News first reported the letter.[^72] On December 29, 2025 his whip office called for denaturalizing Somalis convicted of defrauding taxpayers; the release stated that roughly 90 percent of those charged with fraud in Minnesota were of Somali descent, and quoted him: "I have three words regarding Somalis who have committed fraud against American taxpayers: Send them home."[^73] On January 7, 2026 he joined the Oversight Committee's first hearing on fraud in Minnesota and questioned three state legislators about whether Walz had known of the fraud.[^74] On March 4, 2026, at the committee's hearing with Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, he "waived on" and questioned Ellison about a December 2021 meeting with people later charged in the [[United States v. Feeding Our Future defendants (federal child-nutrition fraud)|Feeding Our Future case]], saying his concern was that Ellison had obstructed the investigation "in exchange for campaign donations" and ending: "If these concerns are proven to be true, you should be disbarred and you should go to jail."[^75] The committee majority staff's final report of June 2026 records that Ellison "was also unable to answer questions posed by Representative Tom Emmer" about that meeting; the interim report of March 2026 does not mention Emmer.[^76][^77] On June 10, 2026 he joined the delegation's letter calling on Walz and Ellison to resign, and on July 2 he joined Stauber's FRAUD Act, which would require governors and other state officials to report credible suspicions of fraud involving federal funds to the FBI within 180 days.[^78][^79] **Denaturalization and statements on Somali Minnesotans.** On January 20, 2026 he introduced H.R. 7156, the [[Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act|Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act]], with 42 Republican cosponsors. It would make a conviction for, or admission of, fraud of at least $10,000 against a government program, association with a foreign terrorist organization, or an aggravated felony or espionage offense prima facie evidence for civil denaturalization when the conduct began or occurred within ten years of naturalization.[^80][^81] On January 9, 2026 he joined the Sharia Free America Caucus; his release said that in 2009, as a state legislator, he "filed language to ban Sharia law from certain government services", language that was not located for this article.[^82] In a Fox News interview in July 2025 he said "These Somali gangs are incredibly dangerous".[^83] On Fox Business in December 2025 he said that 80 percent of crimes in the Twin Cities were committed by Somalis; the *Minnesota Reformer* called the statement false, noting that police data record race rather than nationality and that a state dashboard showed 37 percent of people arrested in the seven-county area since 2021 were Black.[^54] At a Faith and Freedom Coalition event in Washington in late June 2026 he said he was "done being careful" and, of Somalis, that "if they don't assimilate, then they should go the hell back to where they came from"; Representatives Ilhan Omar and Angie Craig criticized the remarks.[^84] On July 23, 2026 he led the delegation in a letter to Rosen on Somali gang violence, saying: "if you won't assimilate, then get the hell out of here."[^85] **The Metropolitan Council.** On May 23, 2025 he led the Minnesota Republican delegation in asking House transportation appropriators to eliminate federal funding for the [[Northstar commuter rail line]], the Blue Line light-rail extension and the Northern Lights Express; his later releases say the delegation wrote to the same subcommittee again in 2026.[^86][^87] On April 21, 2026 he wrote to the Metropolitan Council opposing the "Community Consideration" component of its 2026 Federal Funding Solicitation, which his release called "DEI in disguise"; he said that "DEI should not be considered when determining funding for transportation projects," and the release stated that the Council had declined a county's request for a federal Department of Transportation review of the criteria.[^68] Scott County made the same assertion in a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy; the Council's written response, attached to the minutes of its April 22 meeting, says it has no record of a specific request for federal review and that the criteria are consistent with federal guidelines.[^88] The letter itself could not be read for this article. On April 22 the Council voted to release the 2026 Regional Solicitation; the minutes record Chair Robin Hutcheson noting that the Council "remains compliant with all federal transportation planning requirements", and one member, Wendy Wulff, said she would vote no.[^88] On September 17, 2026 he introduced H.R. 10493, the [[Reclaim Local Control Act]], under which any metropolitan planning organization "composed entirely of gubernatorial appointees" would have to be redesignated or restructured within a year; his release identifies the Metropolitan Council as the only such organization in the nation.[^10][^87] No earlier bill of his on Council governance, state or federal, was found.[^19][^20][^21] **Treasury's Minnesota order.** On January 13, 2026 the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a geographic targeting order requiring banks and money transmitters in Hennepin and Ramsey counties to keep and report records of certain payments of $3,000 or more, effective from February 12 to August 10, 2026, "in furtherance of Treasury's efforts to combat international money laundering of the proceeds of government benefits fraud in Minnesota."[^89] No statement of his on the order was located in the releases read. ## The 2026 campaign Emmer sought re-election to the House in 2026. On August 11 he won the Republican primary in the Sixth District over Mike Foley and Chris Corey; CBS Minnesota described the district as including Anoka, Benton and Carver counties and parts of Sherburne, Stearns and Wright counties.[^4] After the result he called the general election "an election of chaos vs common sense, communism vs freedom."[^4] He faces Doug Chapin, who was unopposed in the DFL primary, on November 3.[^4] He is not a candidate for governor; the Republican nominee for governor is Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth.[^90] The whip is chosen by the Republican Conference before each Congress, as on November 15, 2022 for the 118th; his official biography describes the post as the third-highest in House Republican leadership.[^44][^3] The sources read show H.R. 10493 and the SCAM Act only as introduced.[^10][^80] ## Connections to the other architects | Figure | Documented contact | What is not documented | Sources | |---|---|---|---| | [[Amy Klobuchar]] | Delegation colleagues; his cosponsorship of H. Res. 519 and her S. Res. 301 (2025) both condemned the June 14, 2025 attacks on Minnesota legislators; at the January 7, 2026 Oversight hearing he named her among the Democratic members from whom Republicans had "seen nothing" on Minnesota fraud; opposing major-party figures on the November 3, 2026 ballot in different races | any joint legislation; he was not among the signers of the February 2015 Somalia remittance letters that she joined | [^91][^92][^74][^52] | | [[Walter Mondale]] | none found; the nearest point of contact is his 2017 hearing statement on Minnesota's refugee population, a subject of the Mondale article | any act of his on the Refugee Act itself | [^56][^11] | | [[Hubert Humphrey]] | none found | — | [^11] | | [[Harold Stassen]] | none found | — | [^11] | | [[Harlan Cleveland]] | none found | — | [^11] | ## Timeline | Date | Event | Sources | |---|---|---| | March 3, 1961 | Born in South Bend, Indiana | [^2] | | 1984; 1988 | B.A., University of Alaska Fairbanks; J.D., William Mitchell College of Law | [^2] | | 1995–2002 | Independence City Council | [^2] | | 2003–2004 | Delano City Council | [^2] | | January 2005 | Takes his seat in the Minnesota House, District 19B | [^2] | | February 17, 2005 | Introduces H.F. 1129 on applicant data for public bodies | [^22][^19] | | March 19, 2007 | His committee reports H.F. 1267, the House companion of S.F. 1236 | [^12] | | April 17, 2007 | Votes against H.F. 829, the public-safety and human-rights appropriations bill | [^30] | | April 27, 2007 | Votes against S.F. 1236, amending § 43A.191, subd. 3 | [^6] | | April 14, 2008 | Votes for S.F. 3202 and against S.F. 2915 | [^26][^7] | | July 2008 | Resigns as Deputy Minority Leader | [^2] | | March 23, 2009 | Local Government Division acts on H.F. 721, the council-of-governments bill, in his committee | [^35] | | April 23, 2009 | Votes against S.F. 2082 | [^28] | | October 2009 | Requests budget and staffing details from every state agency | [^8] | | April 13, 2010 | H.F. 3775 referred to his committee | [^36] | | April 15, 2010 | Votes for S.F. 1246, adding accessibility provisions to ch. 363A | [^32][^33] | | April 27, 2010 | Names Metropolitan Council member Annette Meeks as running mate | [^37] | | April 30, 2010 | Republican endorsement for governor | [^18] | | June 2010 | MPR reports his proposal to eliminate five agencies, including the Department of Human Rights and the Metropolitan Council | [^8] | | November 2, 2010 | General election; Dayton leads | [^38][^39] | | December 8, 2010 | Concedes after the recount | [^5] | | December 9, 2011 | Named Minnesota chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition | [^40] | | January 3, 2015 | U.S. House term begins | [^2] | | June 23, 2015 | Announces the Congressional Somalia Caucus with Ellison | [^9] | | February 23, 2016 | Letter he signed on Somalia's anti-money-laundering law is released | [^55] | | March 31, 2016 | Announces the Young Women Leadership Program | [^50] | | July 18, 2017 | Remittances hearing, Terrorism and Illicit Finance Subcommittee | [^56] | | November 14, 2017 | Cosponsors H. Res. 620 | [^57] | | September 20, 2018 | Introduces H.R. 6851 | [^58] | | 2019–2022 | Chairman, National Republican Congressional Committee | [^3] | | March 13, 2020 (legislative day) | Votes against the Families First Coronavirus Response Act | [^64] | | July 19, 2022 | Votes for the Respect for Marriage Act | [^16] | | November 15, 2022 | Elected House Republican whip | [^44] | | December 8, 2022 | Votes to concur in the Senate's Respect for Marriage Act | [^47] | | May 26, 2023 | Joins Title VI letter on the University of Minnesota internship | [^51] | | July 20, 2023 | Joins Feeding Our Future letter to Secretary Vilsack | [^63] | | October 24, 2023 | Nominated for Speaker by the Republican Conference; withdraws | [^45] | | November 14, 2023 | Signs letter to Commissioner Jett on Feeding Our Future | [^62] | | January 3, 2025 | Votes for H. Res. 5, the 119th Congress rules | [^48] | | May 21 and July 2, 2025 | Votes for H.R. 1, which adds the remittance tax, 26 U.S.C. § 4475 | [^59][^60][^61] | | May 23, 2025 | Leads letter seeking elimination of Northstar and Blue Line Extension funding | [^86] | | June 17, 2025 | Cosponsors H. Res. 519 | [^91] | | November 19, 2025 | Leads Title IX letter to Governor Walz | [^69] | | November 24, 2025 | Letter to U.S. Attorney Rosen on al-Shabaab reports | [^72] | | December 29, 2025 | "Send them home" statement | [^73] | | January 7, 2026 | First Oversight hearing on Minnesota fraud | [^74] | | January 9, 2026 | Joins the Sharia Free America Caucus | [^82] | | January 13, 2026 | Treasury issues the Hennepin and Ramsey targeting order | [^89] | | January 14, 2026 | United States sues Minnesota under Title VII | [^67] | | January 20, 2026 | Introduces H.R. 7156, the SCAM Act | [^80] | | February 2, 2026 | Cosponsors the Minnesota Voter Integrity Act | [^70] | | February 12, 2026 | Statement on the end of Operation Metro Surge | [^71] | | March 4, 2026 | Questions Ellison at the Oversight hearing | [^75] | | April 21, 2026 | Letter to the Metropolitan Council on its funding criteria | [^68] | | April 22, 2026 | Council releases the 2026 Regional Solicitation | [^88] | | June 10, 2026 | Joins demand that Walz and Ellison resign | [^78] | | late June 2026 | Faith and Freedom Coalition remarks | [^84] | | July 2, 2026 | Joins the FRAUD Act | [^79] | | July 23, 2026 | Leads letter to Rosen on Somali gang violence | [^85] | | August 11, 2026 | Wins Republican primary in the Sixth District | [^4] | | September 17, 2026 | Introduces H.R. 10493, the Reclaim Local Control Act | [^10] | | November 3, 2026 | General election | [^4] | ## Corpus claims checked The project's corpus on Emmer consists of an open letter addressed to him with its source document, fact sheet and factual audit; a Sixth District profile; dossier and essay files on the Metropolitan Council, remittances and the Somalia caucus; profiles prepared for other wiki pages; and record rows.[^11] | Corpus claim | Verdict | What the record shows | Sources | |---|---|---|---| | The Emmer open letter files are a letter of his | corrected | They are the project author's open letter to him, dated April 25, 2026, written in reply to his April 21 letter to the Metropolitan Council; no record shows it was sent | [^11][^68] | | He was Speaker of the Minnesota House, 2005–2011 | false | He was a member for District 19B and Deputy Minority Leader until July 2008 | [^2] | | He served in the Minnesota House during 2011–2014; he has been a U.S. representative since 2014 | false; corrected | His House service ended in January 2011; his congressional term began January 3, 2015 | [^2] | | He is Thomas Earl Emmer III | false | The Legislative Reference Library styles him Thomas Earl Emmer II; the North Dakota record, Thomas Earl Emmer Jr. | [^2][^1] | | He practiced law through, or was employed by, the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust | not supported | His official biography says he opened his own firm; the North Dakota record lists Emmer Law Office; no source tying him to the trust was located | [^3][^1] | | His committees oversaw chapter 473 and § 43A.191 | corrected | His committees received the House companions of the 2007 and 2008 § 43A.191 bills and the 2009–2010 Council governance bills | [^12][^24][^35][^36] | | § 43A.191 was signed by Governor Quie in 1981 | false | The section was enacted in 1985; the 1981 act created chapter 43A and § 43A.19 | [^13][^93] | | § 43A.191 was amended twice, or five times, or more than ten times | corrected (twice; five times); consistent (more than ten) | Its history line lists thirteen session laws after 1985, three of them from 2007–2009, while he served | [^13] | | He chief-authored 100 bills and co-authored 316 | corrected | 318 bills in all, 100 of them as chief author | [^19][^20][^21] | | No Minnesota House bill of his on affirmative action; no statement on *United States v. Minnesota* | confirmed as bounded negatives | None located | [^19][^20][^21][^67] | | The 2010 platform would abolish five agencies, including the Metropolitan Council and the Department of Human Rights | confirmed | MPR, June 2010 | [^8] | | His running mate was a sitting Metropolitan Council member | confirmed | A member since 2003, per MPR | [^37] | | He lost by 8,770 votes and conceded on December 8, 2010 | confirmed, with a qualification | MPR gave 8,770 as the Election Night lead; the AP gives 8,770 as the canvassing board's certified margin and, in the same report, 9,080 as the margin after the recount | [^39][^5] | | A Hennepin County error inflated Dayton's lead by about 60,000 votes | confirmed as reported | MPR: the error briefly put Dayton ahead by 60,000 votes; the county's elections manager described a reporting error found within about 45 minutes, with corrected totals posted about 12:30 a.m. | [^38] | | He made no written challenge to the Metropolitan Council before April 21, 2026 | corrected | The April 2026 letter is the first located on the Council's funding criteria; he proposed eliminating the Council in 2010 and sought to end funding for its rail projects in May 2025 and, per his releases, again in 2026 | [^8][^86][^68] | | He filed bills to require election of Council members | corrected | H.R. 10493 requires an all-appointee planning organization to be redesignated or restructured; it provides for no direct elections, though his release says planning organizations were designed to be composed of local elected officials | [^10][^87] | | The April 2026 letter went to Council Chair Charlie Zelle and alleged a Title VI violation | not confirmed | The letter could not be read; the Council's chair at its April 22 meeting was Robin Hutcheson, and his release refers to federal guidelines | [^88][^68] | | The Council's refusal of a federal review shows consciousness of guilt, and its past certifications were false statements | not supported | Scott County and his release assert a refusal; the Council's written response says it has no record of such a request; no body has made such a finding, and the minutes record the chair noting that the Council remains compliant | [^68][^88] | | Council reform bills were filed in each of his terms and he joined none | confirmed for 2009–2010 | H.F. 721 and H.F. 3775 went to his committee; he authored neither; earlier bills were not read | [^35][^36] | | The Somalia Caucus was designed to support refugee resettlement, or to keep remittances flowing | not supported | The stated aims were peace and stability, the defeat of al-Shabaab, governance standards and the formal economy; his remittance work followed in 2016–2017 | [^9][^55][^56] | | He co-founded the Somalia Caucus with Ellison in June 2015 | confirmed | Announced June 23, 2015; not on the September 2026 House list | [^9][^46] | | The February 23, 2016 letter to Somalia's president cannot be verified | corrected | MPR reports that he signed it | [^55] | | He called Somalis "fastest-assimilating" on public radio in 2016 | partly confirmed | He said it at a 2015 St. Cloud town hall; the audio aired on the public-radio program *This American Life*, on a date not given in the source | [^53] | | The "go the hell back" and "done being careful" remarks | confirmed | Reported June 26, 2026 as made that week at a Faith and Freedom Coalition event | [^84] | | He demanded Ellison's disbarment | corrected | The statement was conditional: if the concerns proved true | [^75] | | He called Ellison a liar | not supported | Not in the transcripts and releases read | [^75][^74] | | The 80 percent statement on Somali crime | confirmed as made | The *Minnesota Reformer* called it false | [^54] | | The SCAM Act would strip citizenship within ten years of naturalization | corrected | The ten-year window in H.R. 7156 applies to when the conduct began or occurred, not to when citizenship could be revoked | [^80] | | The Sixth District includes Minneapolis | false | Anoka, Benton and Carver counties and parts of Sherburne, Stearns and Wright | [^4] | | As whip he holds subpoena authority | not supported | No source | [^3] | | He chaired the NRCC from 2019 to 2023 | corrected | 2019–2022 | [^3] | | He was the only Minnesota Republican to vote for the Respect for Marriage Act | confirmed | On July 19, 2022 Stauber and Fischbach voted nay; on December 8, 2022 Stauber, Fischbach and Finstad voted nay | [^16][^47] | | Claims in the corpus about a third party connected to him by district | excluded | No direct relationship with Emmer is documented; claims about the third party are outside this article | [^11] | | Staff management, anonymous accounts of his conduct, family history, private conduct outside office and personal anecdotes | excluded | Not official acts; the Klobuchar article applies the same exclusion | [^11] | ## The two readings The parent article's two readings apply to Emmer as follows; neither is this article's conclusion.[^94] **The inheritance reading.** On this reading Emmer's state record is that of a minority-party legislator who inherited statutes he did not write: the session laws of his tenure that touched § 43A.191 were a housekeeping bill and two agency renamings inside larger bills, and he voted against two of them.[^25][^27][^29][^6][^28] He chaired no committee, and no Metropolitan Council governance bill of 2009–2010 reached a floor vote.[^2][^35][^36] The statutes in the Title VII suit date from 1981 and 1985, before his service, and neither the complaint nor the Oversight reports attribute them to him.[^93][^13][^67] In 2010 he proposed, on the record, eliminating the Department of Human Rights and the Metropolitan Council, and lost by fewer than 10,000 votes.[^8][^5] In Congress he has acted on the Council by letter and by bill, voted to strike the House diversity office from the rules, and joined a Title VI letter about a university program that had been restricted by race and, by the time of the letter, opened to all applicants.[^68][^10][^48][^51] His 2015–2018 Somalia and remittance work concerned anti-money-laundering compliance and keeping lawful transfers open, and was done largely with Democratic colleagues.[^9][^55][^56][^57] He voted against the 2020 act whose waiver authority the Department of Agriculture later invoked for the child-nutrition programs, and his recorded acts on Feeding Our Future are oversight letters and hearing questions.[^64][^65][^62][^75] **The structural reading.** On this reading, of 318 bills he authored over six years none, by the Revisor's descriptions, touched § 43A.191, chapter 363A or Council governance, though his committees received the § 43A.191 companions of 2007–2008 and the Council bills of 2009–2010.[^19][^20][^21][^12][^35] He voted against raising the Human Rights Act's punitive-damages cap and against the appropriations bill that funded the Department of Human Rights.[^7][^30] No statement of his on *United States v. Minnesota* has been located; his 2026 release on the Council's funding criteria invokes federal guidelines and does not mention § 473.143, the Minnesota statute on the Council's affirmative-action plans, and his first located written act on its funding criteria and his first bill on its structure date from April and September 2026, after the federal actions of 2025 and January 2026 had begun.[^67][^68][^95][^10][^66] He voted for the 2025 law that taxes cash-funded remittances, after a hearing at which he had called for "the continued flow of money to friends and family members abroad".[^60][^61][^56] His recorded words on Somali Minnesotans changed between the 2015 town hall and the 2025–2026 statements.[^53][^73][^84][^85] **What both readings foreclose.** Both readings rest on the same votes, letters, bills and statements; they differ on whether a minority legislator's votes on technical amendments, and a congressman's oversight and statements, are part of the architecture the parent article describes.[^6][^75] Neither is supported by attributing to him the Speakership of the Minnesota House, authorship of § 43A.191, a bill to elect Council members or the open letter written to him.[^2][^13][^10][^11] Some of his acts fit neither reading cleanly: his office's leadership program for high school girls, his vote for the Respect for Marriage Act after authoring a 2007 marriage amendment, and his vote for the 2010 disability-access additions to chapter 363A.[^50][^16][^20][^32] ## Open items 1. **The 2010 margin.** Reconcile the AP's certified 8,770 with its post-recount 9,080 against the Secretary of State's canvass.[^5] 2. **House roll calls not printed in the pages read.** His votes on other civil-rights measures, from the bound *Record*.[^17] 3. **Committee roll calls.** Any recorded votes in his committees on H.F. 1267, H.F. 3309 and H.F. 721.[^12][^24][^35] 4. **The 2009 Sharia language.** The amendment or bill his 2026 release describes, from the 2009 House Journal.[^82] 5. **The April 21, 2026 letter.** Its text, addressee and authorities; the PDF on his House site could not be read.[^68] 6. **The Somalia Caucus.** Its registration in earlier Congresses, its activity after 2018 and the 2015 founding release.[^9][^46] 7. **Statements on the 2025–2026 federal actions.** A sweep of his floor statements, interviews and campaign releases for any statement on *United States v. Minnesota* or § 43A.191.[^67] 8. **Recordings.** The 2015 St. Cloud town hall, the December 2025 Fox Business interview and the June 2026 Faith and Freedom Coalition remarks, including the event's date.[^53][^54][^84] 9. **Election returns.** The 2014 general election and the August 11, 2026 primary totals; the Secretary of State's results pages bar this project's retrieval tool.[^4] 10. **The Council's planning-organization status.** Any earlier congressional vote of his on the grandfathering of the Council's status, which his 2026 release dates to 1991.[^87] ## Red-link work list Titles linked from this article that the wiki does not have yet, grouped by project; the cross-spine list is `_spines/redlinks.tsv`. - **Federal statutes and bills:** [[Respect for Marriage Act]] · [[Families First Coronavirus Response Act]] · [[26 U.S.C. § 4475]] · [[Reclaim Local Control Act]] · [[Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act]] - **Congress:** [[Congressional Somalia Caucus]] - **Minnesota elections:** [[2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election]] ## See also - [[How Minnesota Got Here]] - [[United States v. State of Minnesota (affirmative-action hiring)]] - [[Metropolitan Council (Minnesota)]] - [[Feeding Our Future]] - [[Minn. Stat. § 43A.191]] - [[Harold Stassen]] · [[Hubert Humphrey]] · [[Walter Mondale]] · [[Harlan Cleveland]] · [[Amy Klobuchar]] ## Notes [^1]: North Dakota Court System, lawyer record, Thomas Earl Emmer Jr. (Bar ID 05643) — Emmer Law Office, Delano; William Mitchell College of Law; admitted 02/03/1999; "Admitted, license has expired". https://www.ndcourts.gov/lawyers/05643 [^2]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, Legislators Past & Present, record of Thomas Earl (Tom) Emmer II — born 3/3/1961, South Bend, Indiana; education; Independence council 1995–2002, Delano council 2003–2004; House District 19B 2005–2010 (elected 2004, 2006, 2008; Hennepin and Wright counties); committees by session; Deputy Minority Leader (85th), "He resigned as Deputy Minority Leader in July 2008"; 2010 governor's race and automatic recount; U.S. representative from 01/03/2015. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=12260 [^3]: Office of the House Majority Whip, "Biography" — Sixth District; whip for the 118th and 119th Congresses, "the third-highest position in House Republican leadership"; Financial Services Committee and vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence; NRCC chairman 2019–2022; "After practicing law for several years, he opened his own law firm." https://www.majoritywhip.gov/about/ [^4]: CBS News Minnesota, "Minnesota's primary election 2026: Follow the latest updates" (Aug. 11, 2026) — Emmer projected winner of the Republican nomination in the 6th District over Mike Foley and Chris Corey; the district's counties; his primary-night statement; Doug Chapin unopposed in the DFL primary; the Nov. 3 general election. https://cbsnews.com/minnesota/live-updates/minnesota-primary-election-2026 [^5]: CBS Minnesota (Associated Press), "Dayton Gets Election Certificate In Minn." (Dec. 16, 2010) — canvassing board margin of 8,770; Emmer's concession on Dec. 8; recount margin of 9,080. https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/dayton-to-collect-election-certificate-in-minn/ [^6]: Minnesota House, vote details, S.F. 1236 (2007) — passage as amended, 94–35, Apr. 27, 2007 (Journal p. 4857); Emmer among the nays. https://www.house.mn.gov/votes/Details?BillNumber=SF1236&SessionKey=229 [^7]: Minnesota House, vote details, S.F. 2915 (2008) — passage as amended, 124–7, Apr. 14, 2008; Emmer among the nays. https://www.house.mn.gov/votes/Details?BillNumber=SF2915&SessionKey=229 [^8]: MPR News (Tom Scheck), "A closer look at Tom Emmer's plan to cut state agencies" (June 14, 2010) — the five agencies; $232 million; his debate statements; Velma Korbel's response; the October 2009 letterhead request. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/06/12/emmer-budget-changes [^9]: MPR News, "Ellison, Emmer form Somalia caucus" (June 23, 2015). https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/06/23/ellison-emmer-form-somalia-caucus [^10]: H.R. 10493, 119th Cong. (Sept. 17, 2026), Reclaim Local Control Act, introduced by Mr. Emmer for himself and Reps. Stauber, Fischbach and Finstad; referred to Transportation and Infrastructure — metropolitan planning organizations "composed entirely of gubernatorial appointees". https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr10493ih/html/BILLS-119hr10493ih.htm [^11]: Minnesota record, Emmer corpus files (the open letter addressed to him, with its source document, fact sheet and factual audit; the Sixth District profile; profiles, essays and dossiers prepared for other wiki pages; the Metropolitan Council and remittance files; and the record rows), as checked in the Emmer fact sheet of Oct. 28, 2026. [^12]: H.F. 1267, 85th Legislature, status (Morgan) — referred to Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Feb. 22, 2007; committee report Mar. 19, 2007; S.F. 1236 substituted Apr. 13, 2007. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=house&f=HF1267&ssn=0&y=2007 [^13]: Minn. Stat. § 43A.191, "Agency Affirmative Action Programs," with history line. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/43A.191 [^14]: Minnesota record, *How Minnesota Got Here — Minnesota's Administrative Discrimination Regime* (merged master, footnoted; compiled June 12, refreshed June 19, 2026), preface and §0 — the discipline (structural claims about institutions; individuals in official capacity only; verdicts reserved to the grand jury, the court and the Division) and the two readings built to be cited by both sides. [^15]: Minnesota record, *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified companion, June 18, 2026), opening register and method note — combative to the game, critical of each team, neutral on the players; judges the container, never the merits; "symmetric or void". [^16]: Congressional Record, House, July 19, 2022, H.R. 8404, Respect for Marriage Act, passage (Roll No. 373) — 267 yeas, 157 nays; Emmer yea; Stauber and Fischbach nay. https://www.govinfo.gov/link/crec/168/h/6859 [^17]: Roll-call pages of the House Clerk and the Senate, and the Voteview database. The sites' rules bar this project's retrieval tool, so votes not printed in the Congressional Record pages read for these articles are listed as open items for confirmation against the bound Congressional Record. [^18]: MPR News (with the Associated Press), "Emmer wins endorsement after Seifert concedes" (Apr. 30, 2010) — first ballot 53 to 43 percent; entry into the race the previous July; "Democrats have controlled the Legislature for the past four years." https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/04/30/pawlenty-convention-speech [^19]: Office of the Revisor of Statutes, bills authored by Emmer, 84th Legislature (2005–2006) — 146 documents, including H.F. 1129 and H.F. 2864. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/status_result.php?body=House&session=0842005&author%5B%5D=&legid=12260 [^20]: Office of the Revisor of Statutes, bills authored by Emmer, 85th Legislature (2007–2008) — 76 documents, including H.F. 1847. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/status_result.php?body=House&session=0852007&author%5B%5D=&legid=12260 [^21]: Office of the Revisor of Statutes, bills authored by Emmer, 86th Legislature (2009–2010) — 96 documents, including H.F. 1305. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/status_result.php?body=House&session=0862009&author%5B%5D=&legid=12260 [^22]: H.F. 1129, 84th Legislature (2005), as introduced (Emmer) — amending Minn. Stat. § 13.43, subd. 3, on applicant data. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1129&version=0&session=ls84&session_year=2005&session_number=0 [^23]: Complaint, *United States v. State of Minnesota*, No. 0:26-cv-00273 (D. Minn. filed Jan. 14, 2026), Title VII §§ 703(a)(1)–(2), with the Department of Human Services hiring-justification policy as Exhibit B; the complaint cites Minn. Stat. § 43A.191. https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1423361/dl [^24]: H.F. 3309, 85th Legislature, status (Pelowski; Poppe) — committee report to pass, Mar. 10, 2008; S.F. 3202 substituted Apr. 10, 2008. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=house&f=HF3309&ssn=0&y=2008 [^25]: Laws of Minnesota 2007, ch. 35 (S.F. 1236) — "making technical and housekeeping changes"; § 1 re-enacting Minn. Stat. § 43A.191, subd. 3. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2007/0/35/ [^26]: Minnesota House, vote details, S.F. 3202 (2008) — passage, 127–2, Apr. 14, 2008; Emmer among the yeas. https://www.house.mn.gov/votes/Details?BillNumber=SF3202&SessionKey=229 [^27]: Laws of Minnesota 2008, ch. 204 (S.F. 3202) — "codifying the transfer of employee relations duties to the Department of Finance"; § 42, revisor's instruction listing §§ 43A.191 and 473.143. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2008/0/204/ [^28]: Minnesota House, vote details, S.F. 2082 (2009) — passage as amended, 69–62, Apr. 23, 2009, and repassage as amended by conference, 85–49, May 14, 2009; Emmer among the nays on both. https://www.house.mn.gov/votes/Details?BillNumber=SF2082&SessionKey=232 [^29]: Laws of Minnesota 2009, ch. 101 (S.F. 2082) — state government operations; art. 2, § 109, revisor's instruction renaming the commissioner and Department of Finance as Management and Budget. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2009/0/101/ [^30]: Minnesota House, vote details, H.F. 829 (2007) — passage, 96–34, Apr. 17, 2007; repassage, 82–52, May 3, 2007; repassage, 124–6, May 4, 2007; Emmer among the nays on each. https://www.house.mn.gov/votes/Details?BillNumber=HF0829&SessionKey=229 [^31]: Laws of Minnesota 2008, ch. 215 (S.F. 2915) — amending Minn. Stat. § 363A.29, subd. 4 (punitive damages). https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2008/0/215/ [^32]: Minnesota House, vote details, S.F. 1246 (2010) — passage as amended, 123–3, Apr. 15, 2010; Emmer among the yeas. https://www.house.mn.gov/votes/Details?BillNumber=SF1246&SessionKey=232 [^33]: Laws of Minnesota 2010, ch. 271 (S.F. 1246) — public records and continuing-education accessibility for persons with disabilities; new coding in chapter 363A. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2010/0/271/ [^34]: Laws of Minnesota 2007, ch. 54 (H.F. 829) — public-safety appropriations including human rights; amending § 363A.06, subd. 1. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2007/0/54/ [^35]: H.F. 721, 86th Legislature, status (Hornstein and 15 others) — "Metropolitan Council restructured as a council of governments"; referred to State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections; Local Government Division action Mar. 23, 2009. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=house&f=HF721&ssn=0&y=2009 [^36]: H.F. 3775, 86th Legislature, status (Hoppe; Kohls) — "Metropolitan Council oversight transferred to the legislature"; introduced and referred Apr. 13, 2010. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=house&f=HF3775&ssn=0&y=2010 [^37]: MPR News, "Emmer picks Annette Meeks as running mate" (Apr. 27, 2010). https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/04/27/emmer-running-mate [^38]: MPR News, "Elections official says Hennepin glitch was in reporting, not vote count" (Nov. 3, 2010). https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/11/03/hennepin-county-election-day-problem [^39]: MPR News, "Recount Day 2: Dayton loses 37 votes" (Nov. 30, 2010) — 8,770-vote lead; 597 and 143 ballots challenged. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/11/30/recount-day-2-dayton-loses-37-votes [^40]: Minnesota Lawyer, "Emmer tapped as Faith and Freedom Coalition's MN chair" (Dec. 9, 2011). https://minnlawyer.com/2011/12/09/emmer-tapped-as-faith-and-freedom-coalitions-mn-chair/ [^41]: MPR News, "Draft Emmer?" (Feb. 4, 2013) — "I am not currently planning to run for any office in 2014." https://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/02/04/draft-emmer [^42]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Committees and Caucuses" — House Committee on Financial Services; Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence. https://emmer.house.gov/sixth-district/committees-and-caucuses [^43]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer Works to Target Terror Financing" (July 19, 2017) — the hearing; his subcommittees; "keep these lines of transfer open". https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-works-to-target-terror-financing [^44]: New Jersey Monitor (States Newsroom), "U.S. House GOP picks leadership team for next Congress: McCarthy, Scalise and Emmer" (Nov. 15, 2022) — first ballot 82, 72, 71; second ballot 115 to 106. https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/11/15/u-s-house-gop-picks-leadership-team-for-next-congress-mccarthy-scalise-and-emmer/ [^45]: PBS NewsHour (Associated Press), "Tom Emmer withdraws bid for House speaker hours after GOP nomination" (Oct. 24, 2023). https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/tom-emmer-withdraws-bid-for-house-speaker-hours-after-gop-nomination [^46]: Committee on House Administration, *119th Congress Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs)* (updated Sept. 24, 2026) — Congressional Crypto Caucus co-chair Rep. Tom Emmer; no Somalia caucus listed. https://cha.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/cha.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/6ceec7c1c2d6f271687eecb12d5c58b090f056f97cae0df79062ea26a2eb7c48.2026-09-25-cmo-list.pdf [^47]: Congressional Record, House, Dec. 8, 2022, H.R. 8404, motion to concur in the Senate amendment (Roll No. 513) — 258 yeas, 169 nays, 1 present; Emmer yea; Stauber, Fischbach and Finstad nay. https://www.govinfo.gov/link/crec/168/h/8837 [^48]: Congressional Record, House, Jan. 3, 2025, H. Res. 5, rules of the 119th Congress, adoption (Roll No. 5) — 215 yeas, 209 nays; Emmer yea; section-by-section analysis of § 2(f). https://www.govinfo.gov/link/crec/171/h/10 [^49]: H. Res. 5, 119th Cong., as engrossed — § 2(f), "Striking Office of Diversity and Inclusion." https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hres5eh/html/BILLS-119hres5eh.htm [^50]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer Announces Launch of Young Women Leadership Program" (Mar. 31, 2016). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-announces-launch-of-young-women-leadership-program [^51]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer, Minnesota Republicans Call for Investigation into Taxpayer-Funded University Internship Program" (May 26, 2023). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-minnesota-republicans-call-for-investigation-into-taxpayer-funded-university-internship-program [^52]: Office of Rep. Hank Johnson, "Rep. Johnson calls for meeting with agencies on maintaining remittance lifelines between U.S., Somalia" (Feb. 10, 2015) — the Feb. 6, 2015 letters of Sens. Klobuchar, Franken and Brown and nine House members (Ellison, Waters, Paulsen, Lynch, Vargas, Smith, Pingree, Moore, Lee). https://hankjohnson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-johnson-calls-meeting-agencies-maintaining-remittance-lifelines [^53]: Gigafact (MinnPost, Brian Arola), "Did Rep. Tom Emmer once say Somalis were among the fastest-assimilating immigrant groups?" (Dec. 17, 2025) — the 2015 St. Cloud town hall; the audio aired on This American Life. https://gigafact.org/?p=12206 [^54]: Minnesota Reformer, report on Emmer's Fox Business statement on Somali crime (Dec. 4, 2025) — the 80 percent statement; "That is false"; the state arrest dashboard; the 2015 St. Cloud town hall. https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/12/04/u-s-rep-tom-emmer-lies-about-somali-crime-on-national-tv/ [^55]: MPR News, "Ellison, Emmer hail new Somali law to keep remittances from terrorist groups" (Feb. 23, 2016). https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/02/23/somali-remittances-new-law [^56]: House Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance, *Managing Terrorism Financing Risk in Remittances and Money Transfers* (hearing, July 18, 2017, Serial No. 115-32) — Emmer's opening statement; "Mr. Emmer [presiding]." https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-115hhrg29451/html/CHRG-115hhrg29451.htm [^57]: H. Res. 620, 115th Cong. (Nov. 14, 2017), submitted by Mr. Ellison for himself, Mr. Emmer and others — the Oct. 14, 2017 Mogadishu attack. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-115hres620ih/html/BILLS-115hres620ih.htm [^58]: H.R. 6851, 115th Cong. (Sept. 20, 2018), Bank Secrecy Reporting Review Act, introduced by Mr. Emmer. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-115hr6851ih/html/BILLS-115hr6851ih.htm [^59]: Congressional Record, House, legislative day of May 21, 2025, H.R. 1, passage (Roll No. 145) — 215 yeas, 214 nays; Emmer yea. https://www.govinfo.gov/link/crec/171/h/2300 [^60]: Congressional Record, House, legislative day of July 2, 2025, H.R. 1, motion to concur in the Senate amendment (Roll No. 190) — 218 ayes, 214 noes; Emmer aye. https://www.govinfo.gov/link/crec/171/h/3100 [^61]: 26 U.S.C. § 4475, imposition of tax on remittance transfers, added by Pub. L. 119-21, title VII, § 70604 (July 4, 2025) — 1 percent; limited to cash and similar physical instruments; exemptions; effective for transfers after Dec. 31, 2025 (Legal Information Institute). https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/4475 [^62]: Letter of Reps. Foxx, Comer, Thompson, Finstad, Emmer, Fischbach and Stauber to Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett (Nov. 14, 2023) — committee jurisdiction under Rule X; documents provided to the Office of the Legislative Auditor; cc: Gov. Walz. https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/letter_to_mn_ed_foxx_and_others_final.pdf [^63]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer, Minnesota Republicans Demand Accountability in Feeding Our Future Scandal" (July 20, 2023). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-minnesota-republicans-demand-accountability-in-feeding-our-future-scandal [^64]: Congressional Record, House, legislative day of Mar. 13, 2020, H.R. 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, motion to suspend the rules and pass (Roll No. 102) — 363 yeas, 40 nays, 1 present; Emmer nay. https://www.govinfo.gov/link/crec/166/h/1691 [^65]: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, nationwide waiver no. 87 (COVID-19 child nutrition), as posted by the Indiana Department of Education — cites § 2202(a) of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which "permits the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a waiver for all States for the purposes of providing meals under the Child Nutrition Programs". https://www.in.gov/doe/files/covid19nationwidewaiver87s.pdf [^66]: Minnesota record, *How Minnesota Got Here — Minnesota's Administrative Discrimination Regime* (merged master, footnoted; compiled June 12, refreshed June 19, 2026), §5 — eleven federal actions traced to the substrate of the instrument each names, with the June 2026 status refresh. [^67]: Complaint, *United States v. State of Minnesota* (D. Minn. filed Jan. 14, 2026), Title VII — the State as sole defendant; Minn. Stat. § 43A.191. https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1423361/dl [^68]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer Condemns MET Council's DEI Practices" (Apr. 21, 2026) — the letter to the Metropolitan Council; "Community Consideration"; the county's request for federal review. The letter itself (met-council-letter.pdf on his House site) returned no readable text. https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-condemns-met-council-s-dei-practices [^69]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer, Minnesota Republican Delegation Call on Gov. Walz to Adhere to Title IX and Keep Boys Out of Girls' Sports" (Nov. 19, 2025). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-minnesota-republican-delegation-call-on-gov-walz-to-adhere-to-title-ix-and-keep-boys-out-of-girls-sports-1 [^70]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer Cosponsors Minnesota Voter Integrity Act of 2026 to Secure Minnesota's Elections" (Feb. 2, 2026). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-cosponsors-minnesota-voter-integrity-act-of-2026-to-secure-minnesota-s-elections [^71]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Whip Emmer statement on Border Czar Tom Homan's Operation Metro Surge announcement" (Feb. 12, 2026). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/whip-emmer-statement-on-border-czar-tom-homan-s-operation-metro-surge-announcement [^72]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer demands answers on Minnesota fraud schemes funding Al-Shabaab terrorists" (Nov. 24, 2025). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-demands-answers-on-minnesota-fraud-schemes-funding-al-shabaab-terrorists [^73]: Office of the House Majority Whip, "SEND THEM HOME": Whip Emmer calls for denaturalization of Somali fraudsters (Dec. 29, 2025). https://www.majoritywhip.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3966 [^74]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "ICYMI: Whip Emmer blasts Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, Somali fraudsters in Oversight Committee hearing on Minnesota fraud" (Jan. 7, 2026), with transcript. https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-whip-emmer-blasts-tim-walz-keith-ellison-somali-fraudsters-in-oversight-committee-hearing-on-minnesota-fraud [^75]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "ICYMI: Whip Emmer grills Keith Ellison in House Oversight Committee hearing on Minnesota fraud" (Mar. 4, 2026), with transcript. https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-whip-emmer-grills-keith-ellison-in-house-oversight-committee-hearing-on-minnesota-fraud [^76]: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, majority staff, final staff report on fraud in Minnesota (June 8, 2026) — including the March 4, 2026 hearing: Ellison "was also unable to answer questions posed by Representative Tom Emmer". https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MN-Fraud-Final-Staff-Report.pdf [^77]: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, majority staff, interim report on fraud in Minnesota (Mar. 4, 2026). https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Cost-of-Doing-Nothing_How-Tim-Walz-and-Keith-Ellison-Fueled-Minnesotas-Fraud-Explosion_3.4.26_FINAL.pdf [^78]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer, Minnesota Republican Delegation Demand Walz and Ellison Resign Following New Fraud Report" (June 10, 2026). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-minnesota-republican-delegation-demand-walz-and-ellison-resign-following-new-fraud-report [^79]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer, Minnesota Republican Delegation Introduce Legislation to Prevent Fraud" (July 2, 2026) — the FRAUD Act. https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-minnesota-republican-delegation-introduce-legislation-to-prevent-fraud [^80]: H.R. 7156, 119th Cong. (Jan. 20, 2026), Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act (SCAM Act), introduced by Mr. Emmer for himself and 42 others; referred to the Judiciary Committee. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr7156ih/html/BILLS-119hr7156ih.htm [^81]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Whip Emmer introduces SCAM Act to denaturalize fraudsters, terrorists, felons" (Jan. 20, 2026). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/whip-emmer-introduces-scam-act-to-denaturalize-fraudsters-terrorists-felons [^82]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Whip Emmer joins Sharia Free America Caucus" (Jan. 9, 2026). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/whip-emmer-joins-sharia-free-america-caucus [^83]: Minnesota Reformer, "Rep. Tom Emmer criticized for comments about Somali Minnesotans on Fox News" (July 25, 2025). https://minnesotareformer.com/?p=32002 [^84]: KTTC, "Rep. Emmer criticized for comments about Somali Minnesotans" (June 26, 2026). https://www.kttc.com/2026/06/26/rep-emmer-criticized-comments-about-somali-minnesotans/ [^85]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer, Minnesota Republican Delegation Urge U.S. Attorney Rosen to Stamp Out Somali Gang Violence" (July 23, 2026). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-minnesota-republican-delegation-urge-us-attorney-rosen-to-stamp-out-somali-gang-violence [^86]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, release on the delegation letter to eliminate funding for the Northstar Commuter Rail, the Blue Line Light Rail Extension and the Northern Lights Express (May 23, 2025). https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-leads-minnesota-republican-delegation-effort-to-eliminate-funding-for-the-northstar-commuter-rail-the-blue-line-light-rail-extension-and-the-northern-lights-express-commuter-line [^87]: Office of Rep. Tom Emmer, "Emmer Introduces Legislation to Reclaim Local Control" (Sept. 17, 2026) — the 1991 grandfathering; the Council as the only all-appointee MPO. https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-introduces-legislation-to-reclaim-local-control [^88]: Metropolitan Council, minutes of the meeting of Apr. 22, 2026 — business item 2026-68 (2026 Regional Solicitation); Chair Hutcheson's statement; Council Member Wulff; "Motion carried." https://metrocouncil.org/getdoc/6d0bf3a4-9166-410f-8e97-c5ce9d223459/Minutes.aspx [^89]: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Geographic Targeting Order (Hennepin and Ramsey counties), 91 Fed. Reg. 1246 (Jan. 13, 2026), FR Doc. 2026-00449. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-13/pdf/2026-00449.pdf [^90]: MPR News, "Amy Klobuchar will face off against Lisa Demuth in Minnesota governor's race" (Aug. 11, 2026) — Klobuchar and Demuth nominated for the November general election. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/08/11/amy-klobuchar-kendall-qualls-lisa-demuth-mike-lindell-seek-nods-in-minnesota-governors-race [^91]: H. Res. 519, 119th Cong. (June 17, 2025), submitted by Rep. Morrison for herself and Reps. McCollum, Emmer, Stauber, Craig, Omar, Fischbach and Finstad — the June 14, 2025 attacks. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hres519ih/html/BILLS-119hres519ih.htm [^92]: S. Res. 301, 119th Cong. (June 24, 2025), submitted by Sen. Klobuchar — condemning the June 14, 2025 attacks on Minnesota legislators. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119sres301is/html/BILLS-119sres301is.htm [^93]: Laws of Minnesota 1981, ch. 210 (S.F. No. 876), approved May 15, 1981 — repeals Minnesota Statutes 1980, chapter 43 and enacts chapter 43A: § 1 [43A.01] subd. 2 (the affirmative-action policy), § 13 [43A.13] subd. 7 ("expanded certification"), § 19 [43A.19] (the statewide affirmative action program), § 53 [43A.47] (transitional provisions). https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/1981/0/Session+Law/Chapter/210/ "All rights, privileges, liabilities and obligations possessed or created under chapter 43" [^94]: Minnesota record, *How Minnesota Got Here — Minnesota's Administrative Discrimination Regime* (merged master, footnoted; compiled June 12, refreshed June 19, 2026), §0 and §6 — the defense (inheritance and immunization) and prosecution (structurally compromised apparatus; receivership argument) readings, and the third reading both foreclose. [^95]: Minn. Stat. § 473.143 — Metropolitan Council affirmative-action plans. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/473.143