# Lyle Koenen

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{{short description|American politician}}

{{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](/source/Gary_Kubly)
| succeeded=[Andrew Lang](/source/Andrew_Lang_(Minnesota_politician))
| state_house2=Minnesota
| district2=20B
| term_start2=January 7, 2003
| term_end2=April 17, 2012
| preceded2=[Gary Kubly](/source/Gary_Kubly) (District 15B)
| succeeded2=[Andrew Falk](/source/Andrew_Falk) (District 17A)
| party=[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party](/source/Minnesota_Democratic%E2%80%93Farmer%E2%80%93Labor_Party)
| birth_date={{birth date and age|1956|6|16}}
| birth_place=[Willmar, Minnesota](/source/Willmar%2C_Minnesota), U.S.
| death_date=
| death_place=
| alma_mater=[Willmar Technical College](/source/Ridgewater_College)
| spouse=Sandy
| children=4
|}}
'''Lyle J. Koenen''' (born June 16, 1956) is a [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) politician and former member of the [Minnesota Senate](/source/Minnesota_Senate). A member of the [Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party](/source/Minnesota_Democratic%E2%80%93Farmer%E2%80%93Labor_Party) (DFL), he represented District 17, which included portions of [Chippewa](/source/Chippewa_County%2C_Minnesota), [Kandiyohi](/source/Kandiyohi_County%2C_Minnesota), [Renville](/source/Renville_County%2C_Minnesota), and [Swift](/source/Swift_County%2C_Minnesota) 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](/source/Maynard%2C_Minnesota), then [Willmar Technical College](/source/Ridgewater_College) in [Willmar](/source/Willmar%2C_Minnesota), earning his [A.A.](/source/associate_of_arts) in agriculture. He has worked as a [dairy farmer](/source/dairy_farmer) and was also a milk truck and school bus driver. He has co-chaired the Chippewa County [National Farmers Union](/source/National_Farmers_Union_(United_States)) 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](/source/Same-sex_marriage_in_Minnesota) 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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Minnesota_Senate_election%2C_2016) to [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_of_Minnesota) [Andrew Lang](/source/Andrew_Lang_(Minnesota_politician)).

==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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lyle Koenen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Koenen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Koenen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.