Joe Atkins

{{Infobox officeholder | name = Joe Atkins | image = Governor of Minnesota Mock Signing of AARP Bills (8961887819) (cropped).jpg | district = 52B | state_house = Minnesota | prior_term = 39B (2003–2013) | term_start = January 3, 2003 | term_end = January 2, 2017 | preceded = Bob Milbert | succeeded = Regina Barr | office1 = Mayor of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota | term_start1 = January 4, 1993 | term_end1 = December 31, 2002 | preceded1 = Rosemary Piekarski-Krech | succeeded1 = George Tourville | party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|10|6}} | birth_place = South St. Paul, Minnesota | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = University of Minnesota<br>William Mitchell College of Law | profession = Attorney | spouse = Julia Atkins | children = 3| | term_start2 = | office3 = Board of Commissioners for Dakota County, Minnesota from the 4th District | term_start3 = January 3, 2017 | suceeded3 = | term_end3 = December 31, 2022 | office4 = Board of Commissioners for Dakota County, Minnesota from the 2nd District | preceded4 = Kathleen Gaylord | term_start4 = January 3, 2023 | preceded3 = Nancy Schouweiler | succeeded3 = William Droste }} '''Joseph Atkins''' (born October 6, 1965) is a Minnesota attorney and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 52B, which included portions of Dakota County in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.aspx?ID=10753 | title=Atkins, Joseph "Joe" | publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library | work=Legislators Past & Present | accessdate=February 5, 2013}}</ref>

==Early life, education, and career== Born in South St. Paul, Atkins grew up in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. After graduating from Simley High School in 1984, he earned his B.A. from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 1988 and his Juris Doctor ''magna cum laude'' from William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul in 1991. While in college and law school, he worked full-time as a law clerk and started a legal investigation business.

Atkins has been practicing law since 1991. He is a partner in the law firm of Thuet, Pugh, Rogosheske & Atkins in South St. Paul, one of Minnesota's oldest law firms. He also does significant pro bono work for those who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

==Political career== In 1987, Inver Grove Heights voters elected Atkins to the School Board. At the age of 21, he was the youngest school board member in the nation. Five years later, in 1992, he was elected mayor of Inver Grove Heights, serving for 10 years to become its longest-serving mayor to that date (a record since surpassed by sitting mayor George Tourville).

===Minnesota House of Representatives=== Atkins was first elected to the House in 2002 and was reelected every two years until retiring in 2016.

===Potential 2008 U.S. Senate run=== Atkins considered entering the 2008 U.S. Senate race.<ref>{{cite web| last =Scheck| first =Tom| title =Another DFLer is considering a U.S. Senate run| publisher =Minnesota Public Radio| date =2007-01-25| url =http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2007/01/another_dfler_i.shtml| accessdate = 2007-06-04}}</ref> He opted out, saying he preferred to remain in Minnesota.

==Personal life== Atkins and his wife, Julia, have three children: John, Tom and Katie.

==Honors and accolades== Atkins has garnered numerous awards for his public service, including being named one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the United States Jaycees in 2001.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.usjayceefoundation.org/national_programs/current/cd/toya.htm | title=Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA) | publisher=United States Jaycee Foundation | accessdate=April 18, 2017 | archive-date=April 1, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401121306/http://www.usjayceefoundation.org/national_programs/current/cd/toya.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2003, while in his first term in the Minnesota House, he was selected "Freshman Representative of the Year" by ''Politics in Minnesota'' magazine.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} Readers of local newspaper the ''South-West Review'' have also voted Atkins a "Best Local Elected Official" 10 times, more than any other official.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} Atkins received a rating of "10" from the Minnesota Taxpayers League in the 2011 legislative session to bring his career rating to "8".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.taxpayersleague.org/pdf/legscorecard2011.pdf | title=Legislative Scorecard for 2011 | publisher=Taxpayers League of Minnesota | accessdate=February 5, 2013 | pages=3 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717093551/http://www.taxpayersleague.org/pdf/legscorecard2011.pdf | archive-date=July 17, 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Electoral history== {{Election box begin | title=2014 Minnesota State Representative- House 52B<ref name="MN Election Results 2014">{{cite web |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=20&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=458 | title=2014 Results for State Representative District 52B | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=May 9, 2020}}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |candidate = '''Joe Atkins''' (Incumbent) |votes = 9,831 |percentage = 64.47 |change = −1.55 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Don Lee |votes = 5,405 |percentage = 35.45 |change = }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=2012 Minnesota State Representative- House 52B<ref name="MN Election Results 2012">{{cite web |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=1&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=458 | title=2012 Results for State Representative District 52B | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=May 9, 2020}}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |candidate = '''Joe Atkins''' (Incumbent) |votes = 14,493 |percentage = 66.02 |change = +2.79 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Paul Tuschy |votes = 7,430 |percentage = 33.85 |change = }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=2010 Minnesota State Representative- House 39B<ref name="MN Election Results 2010">{{cite web |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=69&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=432 | title=2010 Results for State Representative District 39B | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=May 9, 2020}}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |candidate = '''Joe Atkins''' (Incumbent) |votes = 10,049 |percentage = 63.23 |change = −10.14 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Terry Pearson |votes = 5,837 |percentage = 36.72 |change = }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=2008 Minnesota State Representative- House 39B<ref name="MN Election Results 2008">{{cite web |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=63&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=432 | title=2008 Results for State Representative District 39B | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=May 9, 2020}}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |candidate = '''Joe Atkins''' (Incumbent) |votes = 16,291 |percentage = 73.37 |change = +1.65 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Christian Rieck |votes = 5,867 |percentage = 26.46 |change = }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=2006 Minnesota State Representative- House 39B<ref name="MN Election Results 2006">{{cite web |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=55&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=432 | title=2006 Results for State Representative District 39B | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=May 9, 2020}}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |candidate = '''Joe Atkins''' (Incumbent) |votes = 12,046 |percentage = 71.72 |change = +3.45 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Kathie Roberts |votes = 4,735 |percentage = 28.19 |change = }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=2004 Minnesota State Representative- House 39B<ref name="MN Election Results 2004">{{cite web |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=42&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=432 | title=2004 Results for State Representative District 39B | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=May 9, 2020}}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |candidate = '''Joe Atkins''' (Incumbent) |votes = 14,594 |percentage = 68.27 |change = +3.01 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Cassandra "Cassi" Holmstrom |votes = 6,767 |percentage = 31.65 |change = }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=2002 Minnesota State Representative- House 39B<ref name="MN Election Results 2002">{{cite web |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=32&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=432 | title=2002 Results for State Representative District 39B | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=May 9, 2020}}</ref>}} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |candidate = '''Joe Atkins''' |votes = 11,461 |percentage = 65.26 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party of Minnesota |candidate = Marley Danner |votes = 5,384 |percentage = 30.66 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Green Party of Minnesota |candidate = Bob Pollock |votes = 702 |percentage = 4.00 |change = }} {{Election box end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{MN-legdb|10753}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Joe}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:People from South St. Paul, Minnesota Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:University of Minnesota alumni Category:William Mitchell College of Law alumni Category:Minnesota lawyers Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature