Tarryl Clark
Encyclopedia
Tarryl Lynne Clark is a Minnesota
politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate
who represented District 15 from 2006 to 2011. A Democrat
, she also served as assistant majority leader
from 2007 to 2011. She was the 2010 DFL Party
nominee for Minnesota's 6th congressional district
, challenging incumbent U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann
. On May 8, 2011, Clark announced that she was seeking the DFL nomination for Minnesota's 8th district
in 2012. The seat is currently held by Chip Cravaack
, who defeated Jim Oberstar
.
, where her father was serving in the United States Navy
. She is the oldest of four children. She has three brothers, two of whom also went on to serve in the Navy.
While growing up, Clark was active in her school, church and community, joining Girl Scouts
and 4-H
. She frequently volunteered in her church, where she sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, and was one of the first female acolytes in her parish.
Clark attended Drake University
and graduated with a B.A.
in Sociology. She later earned a Master's Degree
in Education
from Arizona State University
. In 1992, she graduated from the William Mitchell College of Law
in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a licensed attorney.
In 1990, Clark was a founding member of Central Minnesota's Habitat for Humanity. She became the organization's first director, growing the volunteer base from 0 to 400. Both she and her husband remain active with Habitat.
As Executive Director of the Minnesota Community Action Partnership from 1998 to 2006, Clark worked with Community Action agencies and Head Start Programs across Minnesota. She traveled to towns and cites across Minnesota, talking with community leaders and volunteers about helping people through activities like Meals on Wheels
, emergency shelters, and other local and regional efforts.
In 2003, following the death of DFL Associate Chair Mary McEvoy in the plane crash that also claimed the lives of Senator Paul
and Sheila Wellstone, Clark was elected as Associate Chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
(DFL).
, who was elected mayor of St. Cloud
. She was re-elected to a full four-year term in the 2006 general election. Clark received the highest number of votes of any candidate in any race in Senate District 15, earning 15,581 votes, representing 56.3% of the vote.
Clark's district included portions of Benton
, Sherburne
, and Stearns
counties.
In 2006, Clark was elected by her colleagues as the Senate's Assistant Majority Leader, the number two position in the Minnesota Senate
.
Clark was a member of the Senate's Education, Higher Education, and Rules & Administration committees. She also served on the Finance subcommittees for the E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division, and for the Higher Education Budget and Policy Division, and on the Rules & Administration subcommittees for Conference Committees, and for Permanent and Joint Rules.
, a seat currently held by Representative Michele Bachmann
. After just 22 weeks in the race, Clark reported raising more than $600,000 in 2009 from more than 5,000 individual donors.
On January 28, 2010, Clark formally launched her campaign and embarked on a 6-day "Working for You" Tour of Minnesota's 6th District.
Clark has been endorsed by several high-profile elected officials, including Vice President Walter Mondale
, Senator Al Franken
, and Representative Jim Oberstar
, as well as former 6th District candidates Patty Wetterling
and El Tinklenberg
. Democratic Representatives Keith Ellison
and Collin Peterson
have contributed to Clark's campaign.
Clark received the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) endorsement in March 2010. She has also been endorsed by nearly every prominent union
in the state, including Minnesota AFL-CIO
, Education Minnesota
, Teamsters
Joint Council 32, AFSCME
Council 5, AFSCME Council 65, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, UNITE HERE Minnesota
, Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota, SEIU
Minnesota State Council, Minnesota Nurses Association, International Union of Operating Engineers
(IUOE) Local 49, Take Action Minnesota, and the Saint Cloud State
College Democrats. Clark has also been endorsed by EMILY's List
, womenwinning, and the Women's Campaign Forum. In July 2010, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association endorsed Clark over Bachmann. A spokesman for the organization said that its board of directors was "conservative in nature" but had endorsed Clark because of her "clear record of supporting our profession." She also received the endorsement of the St. Cloud Times newspaper.
Clark was defeated by Bachmann 52% to 38%.
in 2012. The seat is currently held by Chip Cravaack
, who defeated Jim Oberstar
.
In 2009, Clark received two awards for her legislation achievements: the Legislator of Distinction award for supporting city-friendly legislation by the League of Minnesota Cities
; and the Legislator of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
.
In 2008, Clark was honored by Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity for her contribution to Women Build 2008.
for over 20 years. She attends St. John's Church in St. Cloud and is an active member of the St. Cloud Rotary
.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
who represented District 15 from 2006 to 2011. A Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
, she also served as assistant majority leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
from 2007 to 2011. She was the 2010 DFL Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
nominee for Minnesota's 6th congressional district
Minnesota's 6th congressional district
Minnesota's 6th congressional district includes most or all of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright, Anoka, and Washington counties. The district is Republican-leaning with a CPVI of R + 7. It is currently represented by Republican Michele Bachmann....
, challenging incumbent U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
. On May 8, 2011, Clark announced that she was seeking the DFL nomination for Minnesota's 8th district
Minnesota's 8th congressional district
Minnesota's 8th congressional district covers the northeastern part of Minnesota. It is anchored by Duluth, Minnesota which is the fourth largest city in state. It also includes most of the Mesabi and Vermilion iron ranges. The district is best-known for its mining, agriculture, tourism, and...
in 2012. The seat is currently held by Chip Cravaack
Chip Cravaack
Raymond "Chip" Cravaack is the U.S. Representative for northeastern serving since January 2011. In his first try for political office, he upset 18-term Democratic incumbent Jim Oberstar by a margin of 4,400 votes to become the first Republican since 1947 to represent the district...
, who defeated Jim Oberstar
Jim Oberstar
James Louis "Jim" Oberstar is a former U.S. Representative who served in the U.S. Congress from 1975 until 2011 as a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. He represented northeastern , which included the cities of Duluth, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, International Falls, and Hibbing...
.
Early life and education
Clark was born in 1961 in Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, where her father was serving in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. She is the oldest of four children. She has three brothers, two of whom also went on to serve in the Navy.
While growing up, Clark was active in her school, church and community, joining Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
and 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
. She frequently volunteered in her church, where she sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, and was one of the first female acolytes in her parish.
Clark attended Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
and graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Sociology. She later earned a Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
from Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. In 1992, she graduated from the William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law, or WMCL, is a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accredited by the American Bar Association , it offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor degree....
in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a licensed attorney.
Early career
In 1983, Clark developed the Young Adult Program at the Center for Youth Resources to help teenagers and young mothers develop needed skills to get jobs and raise families. Working with the Land of Lakes Girl Scouts, she developed a teen outreach program to mentor young girls. As a Program Coordinator at the YWCA, she developed and led a teen pregnancy prevention program.In 1990, Clark was a founding member of Central Minnesota's Habitat for Humanity. She became the organization's first director, growing the volunteer base from 0 to 400. Both she and her husband remain active with Habitat.
As Executive Director of the Minnesota Community Action Partnership from 1998 to 2006, Clark worked with Community Action agencies and Head Start Programs across Minnesota. She traveled to towns and cites across Minnesota, talking with community leaders and volunteers about helping people through activities like Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
, emergency shelters, and other local and regional efforts.
In 2003, following the death of DFL Associate Chair Mary McEvoy in the plane crash that also claimed the lives of Senator Paul
Paul Wellstone
Paul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...
and Sheila Wellstone, Clark was elected as Associate Chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
(DFL).
State Senate
In December 2005, Clark won a special election to succeed outgoing Republican Senator Dave KleisDave Kleis
Dave Kleis is a Minnesota politician, and the mayor of St. Cloud, Minnesota.Kleis served in the Minnesota State Senate from 1995 to 2005. In 2005, he defeated incumbent Mayor John Ellenbecker to win election to his current office...
, who was elected mayor of St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
. She was re-elected to a full four-year term in the 2006 general election. Clark received the highest number of votes of any candidate in any race in Senate District 15, earning 15,581 votes, representing 56.3% of the vote.
Clark's district included portions of Benton
Benton County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,226 people, 13,065 households, and 8,518 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There were 13,460 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, Sherburne
Sherburne County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,417 people, 21,581 households, and 16,746 families residing in the county. The population density was 148 people per square mile . There were 22,827 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
, and Stearns
Stearns County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
counties.
In 2006, Clark was elected by her colleagues as the Senate's Assistant Majority Leader, the number two position in the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
.
Clark was a member of the Senate's Education, Higher Education, and Rules & Administration committees. She also served on the Finance subcommittees for the E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division, and for the Higher Education Budget and Policy Division, and on the Rules & Administration subcommittees for Conference Committees, and for Permanent and Joint Rules.
2010 U.S. Congressional campaign
In July 2009, Clark announced her candidacy for the 2010 Democratic nomination in Minnesota's 6th Congressional DistrictMinnesota's 6th congressional district
Minnesota's 6th congressional district includes most or all of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright, Anoka, and Washington counties. The district is Republican-leaning with a CPVI of R + 7. It is currently represented by Republican Michele Bachmann....
, a seat currently held by Representative Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
. After just 22 weeks in the race, Clark reported raising more than $600,000 in 2009 from more than 5,000 individual donors.
On January 28, 2010, Clark formally launched her campaign and embarked on a 6-day "Working for You" Tour of Minnesota's 6th District.
Clark has been endorsed by several high-profile elected officials, including Vice President Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
, Senator Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
, and Representative Jim Oberstar
Jim Oberstar
James Louis "Jim" Oberstar is a former U.S. Representative who served in the U.S. Congress from 1975 until 2011 as a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. He represented northeastern , which included the cities of Duluth, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, International Falls, and Hibbing...
, as well as former 6th District candidates Patty Wetterling
Patty Wetterling
Patty Wetterling is a U.S. advocate of children's safety, particularly focused on protecting children from abduction and abuse. Her advocacy began after her son Jacob was abducted in 1989...
and El Tinklenberg
Elwyn Tinklenberg
Elwyn "El" Tinklenberg is an American politician, and was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee and Independence Party of Minnesota endorsee for U.S. Congress in Minnesota's 6th District elections in 2008...
. Democratic Representatives Keith Ellison
Keith Ellison (politician)
Keith Maurice Ellison is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The district centers on Minneapolis. He was re-elected in 2010. Ellison is a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.He is the first Muslim to be elected to the...
and Collin Peterson
Collin Peterson
Collin Clark Peterson , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991, and the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and is the dean of the Minnesota congressional delegation.The district, Minnesota's largest and most rural...
have contributed to Clark's campaign.
Clark received the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) endorsement in March 2010. She has also been endorsed by nearly every prominent union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
in the state, including Minnesota AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
, Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is an American trade union representing preK-12 teachers, school support staff and higher education faculty in Minnesota. It is affiliated with both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers , and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO.The union's...
, Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
Joint Council 32, AFSCME
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is the second- or third-largest labor union in the United States and one of the fastest-growing, representing over 1.4 million employees, primarily in local and state government and in the health care industry. AFSCME is part of the...
Council 5, AFSCME Council 65, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, UNITE HERE Minnesota
UNITE HERE
UNITE HERE is a labor union in the United States and Canada with more than 265,000 active members The union's members work predominantly in the hotel, food service, laundry, warehouse, and casino gaming industries...
, Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota, SEIU
Service Employees International Union
Service Employees International Union is a labor union representing about 1.8 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States , and Canada...
Minnesota State Council, Minnesota Nurses Association, International Union of Operating Engineers
International Union of Operating Engineers
The International Union of Operating Engineers is a trade union within the AFL-CIO representing primarily construction workers who work as heavy equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, and stationary engineers who maintain heating and other systems in buildings and industrial complexes, in the...
(IUOE) Local 49, Take Action Minnesota, and the Saint Cloud State
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...
College Democrats. Clark has also been endorsed by EMILY's List
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is a political action committee in the United States that aims to help elect female candidates to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1984....
, womenwinning, and the Women's Campaign Forum. In July 2010, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association endorsed Clark over Bachmann. A spokesman for the organization said that its board of directors was "conservative in nature" but had endorsed Clark because of her "clear record of supporting our profession." She also received the endorsement of the St. Cloud Times newspaper.
Clark was defeated by Bachmann 52% to 38%.
2012 U.S. Congressional campaign
On May 8, 2011, Clark announced that she was seeking the DFL nomination for Minnesota's 8th districtMinnesota's 8th congressional district
Minnesota's 8th congressional district covers the northeastern part of Minnesota. It is anchored by Duluth, Minnesota which is the fourth largest city in state. It also includes most of the Mesabi and Vermilion iron ranges. The district is best-known for its mining, agriculture, tourism, and...
in 2012. The seat is currently held by Chip Cravaack
Chip Cravaack
Raymond "Chip" Cravaack is the U.S. Representative for northeastern serving since January 2011. In his first try for political office, he upset 18-term Democratic incumbent Jim Oberstar by a margin of 4,400 votes to become the first Republican since 1947 to represent the district...
, who defeated Jim Oberstar
Jim Oberstar
James Louis "Jim" Oberstar is a former U.S. Representative who served in the U.S. Congress from 1975 until 2011 as a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. He represented northeastern , which included the cities of Duluth, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, International Falls, and Hibbing...
.
Leadership awards
In February 2010, Clark was recognized by the St. Cloud Times as one of the area's "10 most influential people of the decade."In 2009, Clark received two awards for her legislation achievements: the Legislator of Distinction award for supporting city-friendly legislation by the League of Minnesota Cities
League of Minnesota Cities
The League of Minnesota Cities , founded in 1913 by a special law passed by the Minnesota Legislature, was initially a part of the Extension Division of the University of Minnesota. In 1974, the League became an independent organization...
; and the Legislator of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees is a Minnesota-based labor union representing professional and technical workers employed by the state of Minnesota. This bargaining unit includes employees who perform a wide array of specialized, professional services from accounting to zoology...
.
In 2008, Clark was honored by Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity for her contribution to Women Build 2008.
Personal life
Clark and her husband, Doug, have two sons, Colin and Nathan. They have lived in St. CloudSt. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
for over 20 years. She attends St. John's Church in St. Cloud and is an active member of the St. Cloud Rotary
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
.
External links
- Senator Tarryl Clark official state legislature site
- Tarryl Clark for Congress official campaign site
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Voting record at Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker