Congressman Tom Emmer was sworn in for his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 6, 2015. He was born in 1961 in South Bend, IN as his father finished his degree at Notre Dame. He grew up in Edina and went to St. Thomas Military Academy, where he grew in his faith and learned leadership through JROTC.

Tom learned the value of hard work at an early age. His great-grandfather, John W. Emmer, came to Minneapolis with two of his brothers to found a business that eventually became known as Emmer Brothers Lumber (now known as Viking Forest Products). By growing up around the company, Tom saw first-hand the everyday pressures faced by employers and the families who count on them.

And he played hockey. Lots of hockey. As a college hockey player, he received his BA in Political Science from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 1984. He received his Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in 1988.

But his life really changed when he met a girl from Arden Hills named Jacquie Samuel. It was true love and they married in 1986. Today they are blessed with seven children—six boys and one girl.

After practicing law for several years, Tom followed his entrepreneurial calling and opened his own law firm. The next 20 years were spent balancing family, business, hockey coaching, and serving on the city councils in Independence and Delano.

In 2004, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives and re-elected by overwhelming majorities in 2006 and 2008. After an extremely narrow loss in the 2010 gubernatorial race, Tom entered the radio business as a conservative radio host on Twin Cities News Talk AM1130, and his show became a favorite for conservatives across Minnesota.

Tom cites family as his motivation for entering the political arena nearly a decade ago. Four generations of Emmers have enjoyed Minnesota’s prosperity, and Tom wants to ensure that the next generation of Minnesotans will be blessed with the same opportunities.