# Jim Abeler *Minnesota state senator and chiropractor (Republican, District 35)* James J. Abeler II (born May 18, 1954) is a member of the [[Minnesota Senate]], where he represents District 35 in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area.[^1] He belongs to the [[Republican Party of Minnesota]].[^1] Before entering the Senate, he served District 35A in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]].[^1] Abeler first won a House seat in 1998 and held it through 2014.[^2] That year he sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate and lost to Mike McFadden.[^3] He returned to the Legislature through a February 2016 special election for the Senate.[^4] In 2022 he voted to approve a hemp-derived THC edibles bill sponsored by the DFL.[^4] In 2018 he formed the MN Autism Council, and his 2019 appointment of Wayne Rohde to it drew criticism.[^5] ## Early life and education Abeler is a native of [[Minneapolis]].[^6] After finishing at Anoka High School in [[Anoka]], he studied at the [[University of Minnesota]] and at Hamline University in Saint Paul.[^6] Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington awarded him a D.C. degree in 1979.[^6] He founded PACT Charter School in Anoka in the late 1990s.[^6] ## Minnesota Legislature ### Minnesota House of Representatives Voters first sent Abeler to the House in 1998, and he won each biennial election after that until 2014, the year he left to run in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate.[^2] Until the 2002 redistricting, his seat was the former District 49A.[^2] In the 2005–06 biennium he was chair of the Health Policy and Finance Subcommittee of the Health Care Cost Containment Division.[^2] ### Minnesota Senate Abeler won a February 9, 2016, special election to the Senate and was sworn in on February 22.[^4] In 2022 he voted to approve a DFL-sponsored bill legalizing edibles containing THC derived from hemp, a vote that drew public attention to him.[^4] ## 2014 U.S. Senate campaign Abeler ran in the 2014 election for U.S. Senate in [[Minnesota]].[^3] Mike McFadden defeated him for the Republican nomination.[^3] ## Political stances In 2018 Abeler established the MN Autism Council.[^5] In 2019 he named Wayne Rohde, a cofounder of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota, to the council, an appointment for which Abeler was criticized.[^5] Rohde is also an executive of Health Choice, an organization that advocates for children's health conditions it describes as "caused by side effects of vaccine choices."[^5] In November 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Abeler opened Nucky's Speakeasy, a bar of which he is a co-owner.[^7] The bar occupies an Anoka building Abeler had owned since 1994.[^7] Its name refers to Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson of Atlantic City.[^7] ## Personal life Abeler and his wife, Barb, have six children.[^8] He practices as a chiropractor and is a Baptist.[^8] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Jim Abeler* (revision 1366145063, retrieved 2026-10-26) — lead section: birth date, Senate seat (District 35), party, former House District 35A. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abeler [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Jim Abeler* (revision 1366145063, retrieved 2026-10-26) — section *Minnesota House of Representatives*: 1998 election, service to 2014, former District 49A, 2005–06 subcommittee chair. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abeler [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Jim Abeler* (revision 1366145063, retrieved 2026-10-26) — section *2014 U.S. Senate campaign*: candidacy and loss of the Republican nomination to Mike McFadden. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abeler [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Jim Abeler* (revision 1366145063, retrieved 2026-10-26) — section *Minnesota Senate*: February 9, 2016 special election, February 22 start of term, 2022 vote on DFL-sponsored hemp-derived THC edibles bill. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abeler [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Jim Abeler* (revision 1366145063, retrieved 2026-10-26) — section *Political stances*: 2018 formation of the MN Autism Council, 2019 appointment of Wayne Rohde and the criticism of it, description of Health Choice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abeler [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Jim Abeler* (revision 1366145063, retrieved 2026-10-26) — section *Early life and education*: birthplace, schooling, 1979 D.C. degree, founding of PACT Charter School. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abeler [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Jim Abeler* (revision 1366145063, retrieved 2026-10-26) — section *Political stances*: November 2020 opening of Nucky's Speakeasy, co-ownership, building owned since 1994, the bar's namesake. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abeler [^8]: Wikipedia contributors, *Jim Abeler* (revision 1366145063, retrieved 2026-10-26) — section *Personal life*: spouse, children, religion, profession. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abeler