# Elliott Engen *American politician; member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (since 2023)* Elliott Engen, born October 6, 1998, has sat in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] since 2023 as a member of the [[Republican Party of Minnesota]].[^1] His seat, District 36A, lies in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area and takes in Lino Lakes, Circle Pines, White Bear Township, and portions of Anoka and Ramsey Counties.[^1] After a 100-vote loss to one-term DFL incumbent Ami Wazlawik in 2020, Engen won the seat in 2022. That year it was an open seat, the product of legislative redistricting and Wazlawik's retirement.[^1] The Wikipedia article identifies him as the first Republican of Generation Z to win election to the [[Minnesota Legislature]].[^1] His record in the pack covers three things. In 2025 he entered the race for [[state auditor]] and withdrew on June 3, 2026, following a DWI arrest and an ethics controversy. In 2026 he joined House Republicans in blocking a vote on a package of gun and school-safety bills. The state DFL also filed an ethics complaint against him.[^1] ## Early life, education, and career Engen graduated from White Bear High School in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He holds a bachelor's degree from Hamline University in legal studies and political science.[^1] As a Hamline student he founded a campus chapter of Turning Point USA, a conservative student group.[^1] According to the Wikipedia article, Iowa state representative Joe Mitchell urged him to seek office during a conversation at a Turning Point USA Student Action Summit.[^1] Before entering the legislature, Engen left a job with a wildlife conservation organization that worked on preventing invasive species.[^1] ## Minnesota House of Representatives Within the House Republican caucus Engen holds the post of assistant minority leader. His committee assignments are Human Services Policy; Public Safety Finance and Policy; and Rules and Legislative Administration.[^1] Engen entered the 2025 race for Minnesota State Auditor with a launch centred on recent fraud cases in the state.[^1] The auditor's office is meant to be nonpartisan. One of his campaign advertisements nonetheless pledged that he would investigate his political opponents and carry out an audit of the state modeled on DOGE.[^1] He left the auditor race on June 3, 2026, amid an ethics controversy arising from his DWI arrest, and filed instead to seek another House term.[^1] In 2026 Engen was among the House Republicans who blocked a vote on a package of bills. The package would have banned assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, ghost guns (firearms without serial numbers), and anonymous threat reporting, and would have funded school safety and mental health programs.[^1] In the floor debate on the package, Engen said that Representative [[Aisha Gomez]] had told him to shoot himself. According to the Wikipedia article, video released afterward showed that Gomez's words were "think of them, not yourself, how about that?" She was referring to the parents of two children killed in the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting.[^1] Engen still called for Gomez to face consequences over the exchange.[^1] ## Personal life Engen and his wife, Faith, live in White Bear Township, Minnesota.[^1] The White Bear Lake Police Department arrested Engen on suspicion of DWI on March 27, 2026, while his auditor campaign was under way. Officers had stopped his car for speeding, an expired registration, and a headlight that did not work.[^1] Fellow state representative [[Walter Hudson (Minnesota politician)|Walter Hudson]] was a passenger in the car. The Wikipedia article reports that Hudson was intoxicated, and that a loaded firearm and a bottle of alcohol were in a child's car seat.[^1] A breathalyzer test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.142%, against a legal limit of 0.08%. Engen was booked into the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center and released with a fourth-degree DWI charge pending.[^1] House Speaker [[Lisa Demuth]] said she was disappointed in Engen. She also said further political consequences could follow, depending on the legal process.[^1] The state DFL afterward lodged an ethics complaint against both Engen and Hudson.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Elliott Engen* (revision 1365562389, retrieved 2026-10-26) — birth date, district, electoral history, committee posts, auditor campaign, 2026 floor dispute, March 27, 2026 arrest and ethics complaint, as summarized in the article; the pack carries no primary source for these facts. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Engen