Brian Daniels (politician)

Brian Daniels
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 19A district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 6, 2015
Preceded byPatti Fritz
Personal details
Born (1958-10-02) October 2, 1958 (age 66)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseElizabeth
Children4
RelativesMarion O'Neill (sister)
Jason Rarick (brother-in-law)
ResidenceFaribault, Minnesota
EducationNorthwest Technical College
Occupation
WebsiteGovernment website Campaign website

Brian Daniels (born October 2, 1958) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Daniels represents District 19A south of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, including the city of Faribault and portions of Goodhue, Rice, and Waseca Counties.[1][2]

Early life, education and career

Daniels studied at Northwest Technical College, receiving a degree in small business management.[1]

Minnesota House of Representatives

Daniels was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2014 and has been reelected every two years since. He defeated five-term DFL incumbent Patti Fritz.[1] During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Daniels joined two dozen state lawmakers in endorsing Senator Marco Rubio.[3] In 2022, Daniels endorsed former state representative Brad Finstad's campaign for Minnesota's 1st congressional district.[4]

Daniels serves as the minority lead on the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee, and also sits on the Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committee.[1]

Daniels sits on the Regent Candidate Advisory Council, which oversees the nomination process to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.[5] He has been critical of lobbying efforts by PACs on behalf of candidates.[6] He signed on to a letter calling on the university to stop participating in research on "aborted human fetal organs".[7]

Daniels authored bipartisan legislation to increase access to transportation and car payment help for low-income Minnesotans.[8] He opposed efforts to raise the gas tax and increase license tab fees to pay for transportation funding.[9]

Daniels has announced he is not seeking reelection in 2024.[1]

Electoral history

2014 Minnesota State House - District 24B[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Daniels 6,163 50.85
Democratic (DFL) Patti Fritz (incumbent) 5,942 49.02
Write-in 16 0.13
Total votes 12,121 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic (DFL)
2016 Minnesota State House - District 24B[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Daniels (incumbent) 10,475 58.39
Democratic (DFL) Patti Fritz 7,441 41.47
Write-in 25 0.14
Total votes 17,941 100.0
Republican hold
2018 Minnesota State House - District 24B[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Daniels (incumbent) 8,972 59.56
Democratic (DFL) Yvette Marthaler 6,076 40.34
Write-in 15 0.10
Total votes 15,063 100.0
Republican hold
2020 Minnesota State House - District 24B[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Daniels (incumbent) 12,687 66.29
Democratic (DFL) Ashley Martinez-Perez 6,417 33.53
Write-in 34 0.18
Total votes 19,138 100.0
Republican hold
2022 Minnesota State House - District 19A[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Daniels (incumbent) 10,614 64.91
Democratic (DFL) Carolyn Treadway 5,724 35.00
Write-in 15 0.09
Total votes 16,353 100.0
Republican hold

Personal life

Daniels and his wife, Elizabeth, have four children and reside in Faribault, Minnesota.[1] Daniels is partially paralyzed due to complications after treatment of a brain tumor.[15]

His sister, Marion Rarick, also serves in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Daniels and Rarick are the first brother-sister pair to serve together in the state legislature, and the first sibling pair since the early 1980s.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Daniels, Brian - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  2. ^ "Rep. Brian Daniels (19A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  3. ^ Bakst, Brian (February 25, 2016). "Rubio nets backing from two dozen state legislators". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  4. ^ Orenstein, Walker; Kaul, Greta (2022-04-18). "What fundraising and endorsements tell us about the special election in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  5. ^ Faircloth, Ryan (February 19, 2021). "Lawmakers, regents raise concerns about 'undue influence' in University of Minnesota regent elections". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  6. ^ Faircloth, Ryan (March 12, 2021). "University of Minnesota students decry PAC influence in Legislature's election of new regents". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  7. ^ Whelan, Abigail (January 15, 2016). "OPINION EXCHANGE | Fetal tissue research should cease at U". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  8. ^ Star Tribune Editorial Board (March 13, 2015). "EDITORIAL | On wheels, from welfare to self-sufficiency". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  9. ^ Condon, Patrick (February 1, 2015). "Widely varying transportation proposals from Dayton, GOP raise questions about chances this year". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  10. ^ "2014 Results for State Representative District 24B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  11. ^ "2016 Results for State Representative District 24B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  12. ^ "2018 Results for State Representative District 24B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  13. ^ "2020 Results for State Representative District 24B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 19A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Kimball, Joe (2015-01-07). "First brother-sister team serve together in Minnesota House". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-03-25.