# Duane Quam *American politician, member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (since 2011)* Duane Robert Quam II, born July 2, 1960, is an engineer and a [[Republican Party of Minnesota]] legislator who has held a seat in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] since 2011. As of the source's October 2026 retrieval, he represented District 24A in southeast [[Minnesota]]. The district takes in Kasson and Byron, part of Rochester, and portions of Dodge and Olmsted Counties.[^1] The Republican Party of Minnesota is the state affiliate of the [[Republican Party (United States)]]. This entry rests on a single secondary source, an encyclopedia article. No primary record of Quam's elections, votes, committee assignments or filings has yet been verified for it, and the facts below are stated on that basis.[^1] ## Early life, education, and career Quam grew up on a farm. He finished high school at Byron High School. He then studied at the University of Texas at Dallas, earning a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's degree in physics.[^1] His earlier public roles were in education. He sat on the Byron School Board. He chaired the governing board of the Zumbro Education District and the writing committee for the Minnesota State Academic Science Standards. He also served on the United Way Community Resource Allocation Committee. The source further reports that he consults on educational texts and takes part in several MCA committees.[^1] ## Minnesota House of Representatives Quam first won his House seat in 2010. The seat opened when the incumbent, Randy Demmer, resigned to seek election in Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Quam has won reelection in each biennial election since, as of the source's retrieval date.[^1] In the Taxes Committee, Quam is the minority's lead member on the Property Tax Division. His other committee seats are on Elections Finance and Policy, Health Finance and Policy, and Human Services Finance.[^1] ## 2018 debate incident During an October 2018 debate, Quam took a microphone out of the hand of his opponent, Jamie Mahlberg. The incident was reported in the press. He next attempted to give the microphone back. Mahlberg declined to take it, and Quam set it down in front of her. He apologized afterward.[^1] In that year's election, Quam won another term with 53.6% of the vote.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Duane Quam* (revision 1366455968, retrieved 2026-10-26) — biography, district, education, prior education roles, 2010 election, committee assignments, 2018 debate incident and vote share; CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Quam