# Pam Altendorf *American politician; member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from District 20A* Pam Altendorf (born November 17, 1972) is a Republican member of the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] who has held the District 20A seat since 2023.[^1] The district is in southeastern [[Minnesota]]. It includes Red Wing, Lake City and Cannon Falls, and portions of Dakota, Goodhue and Wabasha Counties.[^1] She is a member of the [[Republican Party of Minnesota]].[^1] She won the seat in 2022. That was her first campaign, which came after legislative redistricting, and she won a contested Republican primary against Jesse Johnson.[^2] In office she has spoken against legislation on abortion, paid leave, earned time off and ethnic studies.[^4][^5] She called energy and elections bills that the [[Minnesota Legislature]] passed in 2023 "truly unconstitutional".[^6] ## Minnesota House of Representatives Altendorf's first candidacy followed legislative redistricting, and she won election to the House in 2022.[^2] She took the Republican nomination from Jesse Johnson in a contested primary. Because business groups backed Johnson, she was described as the anti-establishment candidate in that race.[^2] Representative [[Steve Drazkowski]], who was running for the district's seat in the [[Minnesota Senate]], endorsed her.[^2] As of the cited Wikipedia revision, her House committee assignments were Climate and Energy Finance and Policy, Education Finance, and Elections Finance and Policy.[^3] ### Political positions During her campaign she named medical freedom and election integrity as her leading issues.[^4] She has addressed rallies held by local anti-vaccine groups.[^4] She holds a pro-life position. She said a House-passed bill to codify the right to an abortion would make Minnesota "the most extreme state on abortion laws".[^4] She spoke against a proposed paid family and medical leave program that would pay workers part of their wages for up to 20 weeks.[^5] She also opposed a law entitling every worker to one hour of time off for each 30 hours worked. She said that law was "vilifying small businesses" and "killing our economy".[^5] She objected to a requirement that Minnesota high schools offer an ethnic studies course, arguing that it would deepen divisions in the country.[^5] She said that energy and elections bills passed by the Legislature in 2023 were "truly unconstitutional" and would draw lawsuits. Among them was a law requiring groups involved in campaigning to disclose their finances.[^6] She also spoke against letting 16- and 17-year-olds preregister to vote. She said the change would open elections to "more questioning, more scrutiny, and people feeling like this is not secure".[^6] ## Personal life Altendorf lives in Red Wing with her husband and has five children.[^7] Her second cousin is Brian Pfarr, a member of the Minnesota House since 2021.[^7] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Pam Altendorf, born November 17, 1972, a Republican member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.[^1] ### What - Holds the District 20A seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives.[^1] - Committee assignments, as of the cited revision: Climate and Energy Finance and Policy; Education Finance; Elections Finance and Policy.[^3] ### When - Elected in 2022.[^2] - Serving since 2023.[^1] ### Where - District 20A in southeastern Minnesota, comprising Red Wing, Lake City, Cannon Falls, and parts of Dakota, Goodhue and Wabasha Counties.[^1] ### Why - In her 2022 campaign she named medical freedom and election integrity as her top issues.[^4] ### How - Won a contested Republican primary against Jesse Johnson in 2022, with an endorsement from Representative Steve Drazkowski.[^2] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Pam Altendorf* (revision 1365695522, retrieved 2026-10-26), lead — birth date, party, District 20A, service since 2023, district geography. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Altendorf [^2]: Wikipedia, *Pam Altendorf* (revision 1365695522, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Minnesota House of Representatives" — 2022 election after redistricting, primary against Jesse Johnson, business-group support of Johnson, Drazkowski endorsement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Altendorf [^3]: Wikipedia, *Pam Altendorf* (revision 1365695522, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Minnesota House of Representatives" — committee assignments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Altendorf [^4]: Wikipedia, *Pam Altendorf* (revision 1365695522, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Political positions" — campaign issues, anti-vaccine rallies, abortion statement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Altendorf [^5]: Wikipedia, *Pam Altendorf* (revision 1365695522, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Political positions" — statements on paid leave, earned time off and ethnic studies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Altendorf [^6]: Wikipedia, *Pam Altendorf* (revision 1365695522, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Political positions" — statements on 2023 energy and elections bills, campaign-finance disclosure, and voter preregistration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Altendorf [^7]: Wikipedia, *Pam Altendorf* (revision 1365695522, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Personal life" — residence, children, relation to Brian Pfarr. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Altendorf