{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2014}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = file:Senator Chuck Wiger on NW Bonding Tour (cropped).jpg | name = Chuck Wiger | caption = Wiger in 2019 | state_senate = Minnesota | district = 43rd | prior_term = 55th (1997–2012) | term_start = January 7, 1997 | term_end = January 2, 2023 | preceded = Kevin Chandler | succeeded = Ann H. Rest | party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|09|14|mf=y}} | birth_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota | alma_mater = Hamline University<br />University of Colorado<br />Hamline University School of Law | occupation = attorney, writer, legislator | children = 5 }}
'''Charles W. "Chuck" Wiger Sr.''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|iː|g|ər}} {{respell|WEE-ger}}; born September 14, 1951) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 43, which includes parts of Ramsey and Washington counties in the northeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area.
==Early life, education, and career== Wiger graduated magna cum laude from Hamline University in Saint Paul in 1974 and earned his J.D. from the Hamline University School of Law in 1977.<ref name="state1" /> In 1993 he attended graduate school at the School for Institution Management at the University of Colorado in Boulder.<ref name="votesmart1">{{cite web |date= |title=Senator Charles W. 'Chuck' Wiger – Biography |url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=13228 |access-date= |website=VoteSmart |publisher=Votesmart.org}}</ref>
Wiger has been active in Ramsey County and metropolitan government. He was a member of the Metropolitan Council from 1983 to 1989. He is a former chair and member of the Ramsey County Soil and Water Conservation District, a member of the Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Commission and a liaison to the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission.<ref name="votesmart1"/><ref name="state1">{{cite web |title=Wiger, Sr., Charles W. "Chuck" - Legislator Record |url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10713 |access-date= |website=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |publisher=Minnesota Legislature}}</ref>
Wiger is an attorney and a writer by profession.<ref name="votesmart1" /> Before joining the Senate, he managed chambers of commerce.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2016-09-30 |title=Senator Chuck Wiger {{!}} Minnesota Senate DFL |url=http://staging20.senatedfl.mn/home/members/senator-chuck-wiger/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Minnesota Senate== Wiger was first elected to the Senate in 1996 as a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate and was reelected five times.<ref name="state1" /><ref name=":0" /> During his tenure, he served on the Education, Finance, Environment, Veterans, State and Local Government, Jobs and Community Development, Rules and Administration, and Transportation Committees.<ref name="state1" />
His special legislative concerns included education, economic development, the environment, and water sustainability.<ref name="state1" /> The Minnesota Association of Charter Schools named Wiger the 2022 Charter School Champion for championing legislation for public school education in the Minnesota Senate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Charter School Champion - Senator Chuck Wiger |url=https://mncharterschools.org/media/articles-detail.php?ID=9277 |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=MN Association of Charter Schools |language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life== Wiger has actively served the education community in his area. He was elected to the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Community Education Board in 1973 at age 21, and served until 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orrick |first=Dave |date=2021-10-13 |title=After 25 years in state Senate, Chuck Wiger of Maplewood won't seek re-election |url=https://www.twincities.com/2021/10/13/after-25-years-in-mn-senate-chuck-wiger-wont-see-re-election/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Pioneer Press |language=}}</ref><ref name="state1" /> He was also founding chair of the East Communities Youth Service Bureau, and served as a director for Northeast Metropolitan Intermediate School District 916.<ref name="votesmart1"/>
His is the father of five children, including Carolyn Wiger, who competed on Survivor 44 and on the third season of The Traitors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raihala |first=Ross |date=2024-06-06 |title='Survivor' favorite and North St. Paul native Carolyn Wiger to compete on 'The Traitors' |url=https://www.twincities.com/2024/06/06/carolyn-wiger-survivor-the-traitors/ |access-date= |website=Pioneer Press |language=}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{MN-legdb|10713}} *[http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1067 Senator Chuck Wiger] ''official Minnesota Senate website'' *[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=66 Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Charles Wiger] *[http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=13228 Project Vote Smart – Senator Charles Wiger Profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiger, Charles}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party Minnesota state senators Category:Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota Category:Hamline University School of Law alumni Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature