Tina Liebling

Tina Liebling (born 1953) is a Minnesota attorney and politician who is a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.[1] A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 26A, which consists almost entirely of the city of Rochester in Olmsted County, in southeastern Minnesota. She was a candidate for the Governor of Minnesota in 2018, but withdrew from the race in mid-March.[2][3]

Tina Liebling
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 26A district
30A (2005–2013)
Assumed office
January 4, 2005
Preceded byCarla Nelson
Personal details
Born1953 (age 67–68)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Political partyMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Spouse(s)Mark
Children3
ResidenceRochester, Minnesota
Alma materUniversity of Minnesota
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Boston University School of Law
Occupationattorney, legislator

Early life and education

Liebling was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of noted photographer Jerome Liebling. After her family moved away from the area, she returned to attend the University of Minnesota, earning a B.A. in Spanish and graduating magna cum laude. She went on to attend the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, receiving an M.S. in Public Health, then went to Boston University School of Law, graduating cum laude with a J.D..

Political career

Liebling's political career began in 2002, when she first ran for the District 30A seat, finishing second behind former state representative Carla Nelson in a three-way race. She ran again in 2004, defeating Nelson with 50.75% of the vote. She and Andy Welti, a former DFL representative from neighboring District 30B, were part of large DFL gains in the Minnesota House in 2004. The two were the first Democrats to represent the Rochester area, a traditionally Republican stronghold, in many years. She was sworn in on January 4, 2005.

Liebling was re-elected in 2006 with 52.76% of the vote, again defeating Carla Nelson. In the 2008 election, she faced Rochester businessman Jacob Dettinger, defeating him with 61.81% of the vote.[4] In the 2010 election, she defeated Charlie O'Connell, garnering 55.15% of the vote to O'Connell's 44.73%.[5] In 2012, running in a slightly altered district due to redistricting, she defeated Breanna Bly, a Rochester School Board member, 58.8% to 41.0%.[6] She again defeated Breanna Bly in the 2014 election, winning 55.2% to 44.7%.[7] In 2016, she defeated political novice Will Waggoner 59.9% to 40.0%.[8] In 2018, she had her largest percentage of votes ever, winning over former Olmsted County Commissioner Paul Wilson 63.2% to 36.6%.[9]

She served as an assistant majority leader during the 2007-08 session, but declined to serve again in that position for the 2009-10 biennium. She became the DFL lead on the Health and Human Services (HHS) Reform Committee for the 2011-12 biennium and also served on the Health and Human Service Finance and Judiciary Policy and Finance Committees. When the DFL retook the majority after the 2012 election, she became chair of the Health and Human Services Policy Committee for the 2013-14 biennium. She also served on the Health and Human Services Finance Committee, the Civil Law Committee, and the Taxes Committee.[10] When the Republicans became the majority after the 2014 election, she was the DFL health care lead on the HHS Finance Committee 2015-2017, also serving on the HHS Reform and the Ways and Means Committees, and the DFL lead on the HHS Reform Committee 2017-2018, also serving on the HHS Finance and Ways and Means Committees. Since the DFL took control of the Minnesota House in 2019, she is chair of the Health and Human Services Finance Division, which controls a third of the state’s budget. She also serves on the HHS Policy Committee and the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Division (A Finance Division or Division is the Minnesota equivalent of an Appropriations Subcommittee in Congress and the Ways and Means Committee is the equivalent of the Appropriations Committee.) [10]

Liebling supported Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries, breaking with state party leadership.[11] She supported Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 primaries while Warren was running.

Candidate for Governor 2018

On April 2, 2017 Liebling announced her candidacy for Governor of Minnesota, since Governor Mark Dayton was not seeking re-election.[12] She finished fifth in the Minnesota DFL gubernatorial preference poll in February 2018 with about 6% of the vote statewide [13] and dropped out of the race the next month.

Personal life
Rep. Liebling playing guitar in Rochester

She married her husband, Dr. Mark Liebow, shortly after law school, and moved to the Chicago area, where her three children were born. In 1994, she moved to Rochester, where her husband was hired as a consultant for the Mayo Clinic, and she began a solo law practice focused on criminal law.

Election history
2016 Minnesota State Representative- House 26A[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic (DFL) Tina Liebling (Incumbent) 10737 59.89
Republican Will Waggoner 7168 39.98
2014 Minnesota State Representative- House 26A[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic (DFL) Tina Liebling (Incumbent) 6244 55.23
Republican Breanna Bly 5050 44.67
2012 Minnesota State Representative- House 26A[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic (DFL) Tina Liebling (Incumbent) 10484 58.80
Republican Breanna Bly 7306 40.97
2010 Minnesota State Representative- House 30A[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic (DFL) Tina Liebling (Incumbent) 6814 55.15 -6.66
Republican Charlie O'Connell 5527 44.73 -
2008 Minnesota State Representative- House 30A[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic (DFL) Tina Liebling (Incumbent) 10768 61.81 +9.05
Republican Jake Dettinger 6624 38.02 -
2006 Minnesota State Representative- House 30A[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic (DFL) Tina Liebling (Incumbent) 7106 52.76 +2.01
Republican Carla Nelson 6336 47.04 -2.10
2004 Minnesota State Representative- House 30A[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic (DFL) Tina Liebling 8712 50.75 +17.60
Republican Carla Nelson (Incumbent) 8435 49.14 +9.37
2002 Minnesota State Representative- House 30A[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic (DFL) Tina Liebling 4446 33.15 -
Republican Carla Nelson 5334 39.77 -
Independence Joe Duffy 3618 26.98 -

References
  1. "Liebling, Tina". Legislators Past & Present. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  2. Sepic, Matt (April 2, 2017). "Liebling announces run for governor, says she can connect with rural voters". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  3. "State Auditor Rebecca Otto Withdraws Campaign For Governor". CBS Minnesota. June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2010-07-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2010-11-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Results for State Representative District 26A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  7. "Results for State Representative District 26A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  8. "Results for State Representative District 26A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  9. "Results for State Representative District 26A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  10. "Minnesota Legislative Reference Library". Minnesota Legislature. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  11. "Bernie Sanders rallies voters in Rochester". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  12. "With detailed policy focus, Democrat Tina Liebling to run for governor". 2 April 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  13. "Precinct Caucus Preference Ballot Results (February 6, 2018) 26A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  14. "MN Election Results". Electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  15. "Election Reporting". Electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  16. "Election Reporting". Electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  17. "Election Reporting". Electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. 2004-12-22. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  18. "Election Reporting". Electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. 2003-05-23. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
Minnesota House of Representatives
Preceded by
Carla Nelson		 Member of the House of Representatives
from the 26A district
30A (2005–2013)
2005–present		 Incumbent
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