Lyle Koenen

{{Infobox officeholder | name=Lyle Koenen | image=File:Lyle Koenen EqualPayDay (26347265751) (cropped).jpg | state_senate=Minnesota | district=17th | term_start=April 18, 2012 | term_end=January 2, 2017 | prior_term=20th (2012–2013) | preceded=Gary Kubly | succeeded=Andrew Lang | state_house2=Minnesota | district2=20B | term_start2=January 7, 2003 | term_end2=April 17, 2012 | preceded2=Gary Kubly (District 15B) | succeeded2=Andrew Falk (District 17A) | party=Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party | birth_date={{birth date and age|1956|6|16}} | birth_place=Willmar, Minnesota, U.S. | death_date= | death_place= | alma_mater=Willmar Technical College | spouse=Sandy | children=4 |}} '''Lyle J. Koenen''' (born June 16, 1956) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 17, which included portions of Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Renville, and Swift counties in the southwestern part of the state.<ref name="state1">{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10769 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Koenen, Lyle J |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref>

==Early life, education, and career== Koenen attended Maynard High School in Maynard, then Willmar Technical College in Willmar, earning his A.A. in agriculture. He has worked as a dairy farmer and was also a milk truck and school bus driver. He has co-chaired the Chippewa County National Farmers Union since 1996.<ref name="state1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=54609 |title=Project Vote Smart - Representative Lyle J. Koenen - Biography |publisher=Votesmart.org |date=1956-06-16 |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref>

==Minnesota House of Representatives== Koenen was first elected in 2002, and was reelected four times. He chaired the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs subcommittee for the Veterans Affairs Division.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=10769 |title=Lyle Koenen (DFL) 20B - Minnesota House of Representatives |publisher=House.leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref> On May 21, 2011, he was one of two DFL representatives who voted with a majority of Republicans to send a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage to a 2012 referendum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/archive/2011/05/roll_call_vote_same-sex_ban_am.shtml | title=Roll call vote: Same-sex marriage ban amendment |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio | date= |accessdate=2011-05-23}}</ref>

==Minnesota Senate== Koenen was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2012 to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Gary Kubly. He was sworn in on April 18, 2012.<ref>[https://twitter.com/SenateDFL/status/192614355261587456 Minnesota Senate DFL Caucus Twitter Feed]</ref> Koenen ran for reelection to the newly drawn District 17 in 2012, defeating incumbent Willmar Republican Joseph Gimse.<ref>{{cite news|last=Peterson|first=Per|title=DFL power grab won't change approach|url=http://www.marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/536914/DFL-power-grab-won-t-change-approach.html?nav=5015|newspaper=Marshall Independent|date=November 8, 2012}}</ref> He lost reelection to Republican Andrew Lang.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{MN-legdb|10769}} * [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=118 Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Rep. Lyle Koenen] * [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=54609 Project Votesmart - Rep. Lyle Koenen Profile]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koenen, Lyle}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:People from Chippewa County, Minnesota Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Democratic Party Minnesota state senators Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature