{{Short description|American politician (1952–2022)}} {{External links|date=August 2022}} {{Use American English|date=August 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Dave Tomassoni |image = Tomassoni (cropped).jpg |caption = Tomassoni in 2018 |office = President pro tempore of the Minnesota Senate |term_start = January 5, 2021 |term_end = August 11, 2022 |predecessor = Mary Kiffmeyer |successor = Ann Rest |office1 = President of the Minnesota Senate |term_start1 = November 12, 2020 |term_end1 = January 7, 2021 |predecessor1 = Jeremy Miller |successor1 = Jeremy Miller |state_senate2 = Minnesota |district2 =6th |term_start2 = January 3, 2001 |term_end2 = August 11, 2022 |predecessor2 = Jerry Janezich |successor2 = Robert Farnsworth |state_house4 = Minnesota |district4 = 5B |term_start4 = January 5, 1993 |term_end4 = January 2, 2001 |predecessor4 = ''Redistricted'' |successor4 = Tony Sertich |birth_name = David Joseph Tomassoni |birth_date = {{birth date|1952|12|5}} |birth_place = Bemidji, Minnesota, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2022|8|11|1952|12|5}} |death_place = Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |party = Democratic (before 2020)<br>Independent (2020–2022) |spouse = Charlotte |children = 3 |education = University of Denver (BS) }} '''David Joseph Tomassoni''' ({{IPAc-en|t|ɒ|m|ə|ˈ|s|oʊ|n|i}} {{respell|tom-ə-SOH-nee}}; December 5, 1952 – August 11, 2022) was an American politician who served in the Minnesota Legislature from 1993 to 2022. A former member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Tomassoni left the party to become independent in November 2020 and joined the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus.

Tomassoni chaired the Senate Economic Development Committee from 2007 to 2010. He then chaired the Environment, Economic Development and Agriculture Finance Division, co-chaired the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources ([https://www.lccmr.leg.mn/ LCCMR]), and chaired the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) four times. Tomassoni was also vice chair of the [https://www.mn.gov/mmb-stat/documents/budget/initial13/amateur-sports/2__E+-+Budget+Books_Amateur+Sports+Commission_HTML+docs_amateur+sports.htm Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission.]

==Early life, education, and career== Tomassoni was born in Bemidji, Minnesota. He graduated from Chisholm High School in Chisholm, Minnesota and received a BSBA from the University of Denver. Tomassoni played professional hockey in Italy for 16 years and for the Italian national team at the 1984 Winter Olympics.<ref name="venus.library.leg.state.mn.us" /><ref name="SportsRef">{{Cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/to/david-tomassoni-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418014946/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/to/david-tomassoni-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |title=David Tomassoni Olympic Results |access-date=May 22, 2019}}</ref>

==Minnesota House of Representatives== Tomassoni represented District 5B in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001. He served as an assistant majority leader from 1997 to 2001.<ref name="venus.library.leg.state.mn.us">{{Cite web |url=http://venus.library.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10669 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present – Legislator Record – Tomassoni, David J |publisher=Venus.library.leg.state.mn.us |access-date=July 20, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

==Minnesota Senate== Tomassoni was elected to the Senate in 2000 and reelected in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2020. He was a majority whip from 2001 to 2007.<ref name="venus.library.leg.state.mn.us" />

==President of the Minnesota Senate==

Tomassoni was elected president of the Minnesota Senate on November 12, 2020, in a rare event where the Senate's Republican majority supported a member of the DFL for Senate president. The move was seen as strategic, given that the slim Republican majority in the Senate could be lost if the Senate president became lieutenant governor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.twincities.com/2020/11/12/minn-senate-republicans-shuffle-leadership-in-what-democrats-call-political-games/|title=Anticipating Biden election fallout, Republicans tap DFLer as Minnesota Senate president|date=November 12, 2020}}</ref> That happened in 2018, when Senate President Michelle Fischbach became lieutenant governor after Tina Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate.

Three weeks after the 2020 elections, when it was determined that the DFL had not won a Senate majority, Tomassoni and Senator Thomas Bakk announced they had left the DFL to form their own "Independent Caucus." Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka welcomed the move and made Tomassoni chair of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee in exchange for voting with Republicans on floor votes. This changed the Senate's composition to 34 Republicans, 31 Democrats, and two independents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kstp.com/politics/longtime-minnesota-senators-tom-bakk-dave-tomassoni-quit-dfl-caucus/5928091/|title=Longtime Minnesota senators quit DFL caucus to form Independent Caucus|date=November 18, 2020|access-date=November 18, 2020|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129225641/https://kstp.com/politics/longtime-minnesota-senators-tom-bakk-dave-tomassoni-quit-dfl-caucus/5928091/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Electoral history== {{Election box begin | title=Minnesota Senate 6th district election, 2020<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=136&scenario=StateSenate&DistrictId=494&show=Go | title=Results for State Senator District 6, 2020 |publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State |access-date=November 18, 2020 }}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |candidate = '''David Tomassoni''' |votes = 25,557 |percentage = 57.04 |change = -5.65pp }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = John J. Moren |votes = 19,191 |percentage = 42.83 |change = +5.65pp }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Minnesota Senate 6th district election, 2016<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=100&scenario=StateSenate&DistrictId=494&show=Go | title=Results for State Senator District 6, 2016 |publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State |access-date=November 18, 2020 }}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |candidate = '''David Tomassoni''' |votes = 26,260 |percentage = 62.69 |change = -8.89pp }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Skeeter Tomczak |votes = 15,555 |percentage = 37.13 |change = +8.89pp }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Minnesota Senate 6th district election, 2012<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ENR/Results/AllStateSenate/1 |title=Results for All State Senate Races, 2012 |publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State |access-date=February 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110025144/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ENR/Results/AllStateSenate/1 |archive-date=November 10, 2012 }}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |candidate = '''David Tomassoni''' |votes = 30,882 |percentage = 71.58 |change = +1.87pp }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Brandon Anderson |votes = 12,220 |percentage = 28.32 |change = -1.87pp }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Minnesota Senate 5th district election, 2010<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20101102/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=A&R=ALLSENS | title=Results for All State Senate Races, 2010 | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | access-date=February 17, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426211845/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20101102/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=A&R=ALLSENS | archive-date=April 26, 2013 }}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |candidate = '''David Tomassoni''' |votes = 22,322 |percentage = 69.71 |change = -8.12pp }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Matt Matasich |votes = 9,666 |percentage = 30.19 |change = +8.09pp }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Minnesota Senate 5th district election, 2006<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20061107/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=A&R=ALLSENS |title=Results for All State Senate Races, 2006 |publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State |access-date=February 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110153750/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20061107/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=A&R=ALLSENS |archive-date=November 10, 2012 }}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |candidate = '''David Tomassoni''' |votes = 26,143 |percentage = 77.83 |change = +0.84pp }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Matt Matasich |votes = 7,422 |percentage = 22.10 |change = -0.81pp }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Minnesota Senate 5th district election, 2002<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20021105/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=A&R=ALLSENS | title=Results for All State Senate Races, 2002 | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | access-date=February 17, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110174030/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20021105/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=A&R=ALLSENS | archive-date=November 10, 2012 }}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |candidate = '''David Tomassoni''' |votes = 27,372 |percentage = 76.99 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Matt Matasich |votes = 8,147 |percentage = 22.91 |change = }} {{Election box end}}

==Personal life and death== Tomassoni and his wife, Charlotte, have three children and lived in Chisholm, Minnesota. He was involved in the insurance business.<ref name="venus.library.leg.state.mn.us" /> In July 2021, Tomassoni announced he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.<ref>[https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/07/22/tomassoni-speaks-on-figuring-out-how-to-move-forward-with-als Sen. Tomassoni on figuring out how to move forward with ALS]</ref>

Tomassoni died of ALS at a hospice in Duluth, Minnesota, on August 11, 2022.<ref name="Death News">{{cite news |last1=Karnowski |first1=Steve |title=Iron Range Sen. David Tomassoni dies of ALS complications |url=https://apnews.com/article/health-minnesota-obituaries-duluth-government-and-politics-4cc7f059be5d53553812c6db6db68fdb |access-date=August 12, 2022 |work=AP News |date=August 12, 2022}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{MN-legdb|10669}} *[http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1064 Senator David Tomassoni] ''official Minnesota Senate website'' *[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=16 Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Dave Tomassoni] *[http://www.tomassoni4senate.com/ Senator David Tomassoni] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611014044/http://tomassoni4senate.com/ |date=June 11, 2016 }} ''official campaign website'' *{{Icehockeystats}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|rows=2|before=Jeremy Miller}} {{s-ttl|title=President of the Minnesota Senate|years=2020–2021}} {{s-aft|after=Jeremy Miller}} |- {{s-ttl|title=President of the Minnesota Senate<br>Acting|years=2021}} {{s-aft|after=David Osmek}} |- {{s-par|us-mn-sen}} {{s-bef|before=Mary Kiffmeyer}} {{s-ttl|title=President pro tempore of the Minnesota Senate|years=2021–2022}} {{s-aft|after=Ann Rest}} {{s-end}}

{{Minnesota Senate Presidents}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomassoni, David}} Category:1952 births Category:2022 deaths Category:American athlete-politicians Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Businesspeople from Minnesota Category:Deaths from motor neuron disease in Minnesota Category:Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey players Category:HC Gardena players Category:HC Merano players Category:HC Milano players Category:HC Varese players Category:Ice hockey players from Minnesota Category:Ice hockey players at the 1984 Winter Olympics Category:American expatriate ice hockey players in Italy Category:Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Minnesota Democrats Category:Minnesota independents Category:Minnesota state senators Category:New Haven Nighthawks players Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Italy Category:People from Bemidji, Minnesota Category:People from Chisholm, Minnesota Category:Presidents of the Minnesota Senate Category:Ritten Sport players Category:Naturalised citizens of Italy Category:American ice hockey defensemen Category:Italian ice hockey defencemen Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Democratic Party Minnesota state senators Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature