# Rick Hansen (politician) *American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives (DFL, District 53B)* Rick Hansen (born March 1, 1963) is a Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) member of the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] and has held his seat since 2005.[^1] His District 53B is in the southeastern part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. It covers Newport, South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Cottage Grove and St. Paul Park, along with portions of Dakota and Washington Counties.[^1] Voters first sent Hansen to the House in 2004, and he has won each biennial election since then.[^2] Since 2021 he has chaired the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee.[^3] ## Early life, education, and career Hansen grew up on a farm in rural [[Minnesota]].[^4] He completed a Bachelor of Science in biology, magna cum laude, at Upper Iowa University in Fayette. He then completed a Master of Science in soil management at Iowa State University in Ames.[^4] From 1998 to 2005 the Minnesota Department of Agriculture employed Hansen.[^5] He sat on the Board of Managers of the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District from 1996 until his election to the legislature.[^5] He is currently employed by Harmony Cedar, Inc., a seller of handcrafted Amish furniture, and he owns a farm in southeast Minnesota.[^5] ## Minnesota House of Representatives Hansen first ran in 2004. That campaign followed the resignation of Tom Pugh, who had held the seat for seven terms, to take an appointment to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.[^6] Hansen has been returned to office at every election since.[^2] His 2020 election results were challenged in court. A judge dismissed the case on the grounds that it failed to state a claim and that the court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction.[^7] In 2015, U.S. Representative John Kline announced that he would retire, and Hansen briefly weighed a candidacy in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District.[^8] In the 2018 DFL primary he backed a fellow state representative, [[Erin Murphy (Minnesota politician)|Erin Murphy]]. In the 2020 [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] presidential primary he endorsed Pete Buttigieg.[^8] Besides chairing the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee, a post he has held since 2021, Hansen is a member of three other committees: Agriculture Finance and Policy; Capital Investment; and State and Local Government Finance and Policy.[^3] He has held several earlier leadership posts: - chair of the Watersheds, Wetlands and Buffers Division, 2007–2008; - assistant majority leader, 2011–2012; - chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee, 2018–2019.[^3] Beyond his standing committees, Hansen has been a member of the following bodies:[^9] - the Minnesota Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council; - the Legislative Audit Commission; - the Minnesota Citizen-Commission on Natural Resources; - the House Select Committee on Technology and Responsive Government. ### Environment and natural resources The Wikipedia article on Hansen characterizes him as a long-standing supporter of stricter environmental protections and a critic of corporate special interests. The evidence pack does not identify the sources of that characterization.[^10] In 2017, Hansen withdrew his name from that year's environment bill and described the bill as a giveaway to narrow interests.[^11] ## Personal life Hansen lives in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, with his spouse, Suzanne. He has one child.[^12] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — lead section: birth date, office since 2005, party, district and its cities and counties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Minnesota House of Representatives" section: first election in 2004 and reelection every two years since. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Minnesota House of Representatives" section: committee chairmanships (2007–2008, 2018–2019, since 2021), assistant majority leader 2011–2012, current committee memberships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Early life, education, and career" section: farm upbringing; degrees from Upper Iowa University and Iowa State University. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Early life, education, and career" section: Minnesota Department of Agriculture employment 1998–2005; Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District board service from 1996; Harmony Cedar, Inc.; farm ownership. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Minnesota House of Representatives" section: Tom Pugh's resignation to join the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Minnesota House of Representatives" section: 2020 election challenge and grounds of dismissal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^8]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Minnesota House of Representatives" section: 2015 consideration of a congressional run; 2018 and 2020 primary endorsements. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^9]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Minnesota House of Representatives" section: service on councils, commissions and the select committee. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^10]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Environment and Natural Resources" subsection: Wikipedia's characterization of his environmental positions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^11]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Environment and Natural Resources" subsection: withdrawal of his name from the 2017 environment bill and his stated reason. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician) [^12]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rick Hansen (politician)* (revision 1369263574, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Personal life" section: residence and family. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hansen_(politician)