# Greg Davids *American politician; member of the Minnesota House of Representatives* Gregory Michael Davids (born August 28, 1958) is a [[Minnesota]] legislator and a member of the [[Republican Party of Minnesota]].[^1] He held a seat in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] from 1991 to 2006 and has held one again since 2009. He represents District 26B in the southeast of the state, a district that takes in La Crescent, Spring Valley and parts of Fillmore, Houston and Mower Counties.[^1] As of the cited revision, retrieved October 26, 2026, Davids had served 16 non-consecutive terms, and the account names him the longest-serving Republican in the House.[^2] He chaired the House Taxes Committee during two separate periods of Republican majority. At the date of that revision he was the minority lead on the committee.[^2] ## Early life, education, and career After finishing at Spring Valley High School, Davids studied at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, and at Winona State University in Winona, which granted him a B.S. in social science. He later did graduate study at Mankato State University in [[Mankato]].[^3] His local office began in 1986, when he was appointed to the Preston City Council. The following year he won election as mayor of Preston, and he held that office until he entered the legislature in 1991.[^3] ## Minnesota House of Representatives Elton Redalen, a Republican who had served eight terms, left the seat after he was appointed Minnesota's Commissioner of Agriculture. Davids entered the House through the special election held on February 12, 1991, to fill the vacancy. He won a full term in 1992 and kept the seat at each two-year election until 2006, when Ken Tschumper defeated him.[^2] Davids beat Tschumper in 2008 and has won every biennial election since.[^2] From 1999 to 2004 he chaired the Commerce, Jobs and Economic Development Committee. In the 2005–06 biennium he led the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and also served as the House's speaker pro tempore. He filled that post again in the 2011–12 biennium.[^2] He held the Taxes Committee chair for six years under Republican majorities that were not consecutive: 2011–2012 and 2015–2018. As of the cited revision he was the minority lead on Taxes and a member of the Ethics Committee and of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee.[^2] ### Taxes The account describes Davids as a consistent advocate of lower taxes on both businesses and individuals. He has also argued for a Minnesota tax code that competes more closely with those of other Midwestern states. It records his support for a full repeal of the tax on Social Security and for ending the estate tax.[^4] His first period as tax chair, 2011–2012, coincided with a budget standoff between House and Senate Republicans and Governor [[Mark Dayton]], which ended in a government shutdown.[^4] In 2014 the DFL held full control of the legislature. That year Davids backed a tax bill that contained $103 million in tax cuts.[^4] He resumed the tax chair in 2015 and authored bipartisan legislation that year. The cited source text is cut off before it states what the bill did.[^4] ## Personal life Davids and his wife, Bonnie, live in Preston, Minnesota; he has three children.[^5] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Greg Davids*, lead section (revision 1365577568, retrieved 2026-10-26) — birth date, party, House service periods, District 26B and its communities. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Davids [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Greg Davids*, "Minnesota House of Representatives" section (revision 1365577568, retrieved 2026-10-26) — 1991 special election, Redalen vacancy, 2006 defeat and 2008 return, term count, committee chairs and posts. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Davids [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Greg Davids*, "Early life, education, and career" section (revision 1365577568, retrieved 2026-10-26) — schooling, Preston City Council appointment (1986), mayoralty. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Davids [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Greg Davids*, "Taxes" subsection (revision 1365577568, retrieved 2026-10-26) — tax positions, 2011–2012 shutdown context, 2014 tax bill ($103 million), 2015 bipartisan legislation. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Davids [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Greg Davids*, "Personal life" section (revision 1365577568, retrieved 2026-10-26) — residence and family. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Davids