{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Pat Garofalo | image = PatG.jpg | state_house = Minnesota | district = 58B | prior_term = 36B (2005–2013) | term_start = January 4, 2005 | term_end = July 14, 2024 | preceded = Steve Strachan | succeeded = Drew Roach | party = Republican Party of Minnesota | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|9|23}}<ref name="mn-leg"/> | birth_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = Minnesota State University, Mankato (B.S.) | occupation = Network engineer, Legislator | spouse = Julie Garofalo | children = 2 }}
'''Patrick "Pat" Garofalo''' (born September 23, 1971) is an American politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 58B, which includes portions of Dakota and Goodhue counties in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area, from 2005 to 2024.
==Education== Born in 1971 in Saint Paul, Minnesota,<ref name="mn-leg">{{Cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=12262|title = Garofalo, Patrick "Pat" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present}}</ref> Garofalo graduated from Rosemount High School in Rosemount in 1989, then went on to Minnesota State University, Mankato in Mankato, earning his B.S. in law enforcement in 1994.
==Minnesota House of Representatives== Garofalo was first elected in 2004 and was reelected every two years thereafter. In February 2008, he was named assistant minority whip for the Republican caucus. Garofalo served one term as chair of the Education Finance Committee in 2011–12, and chaired the Job Growth & Energy Affordability Committee from 2015 to 2018. He served as the minority lead of the Ways and Means Committee.<ref name="Garofalo">{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.aspx?id=12262|title=Garofalo, Patrick "Pat"|work=Legislators Past & Present|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|access-date=March 27, 2013}}</ref>
In March 2015, Garofalo posted on Twitter that if a majority of National Basketball Association teams were to fold, "nobody would notice a difference [with the] possible exception of increase in streetcrime{{sic}}."<ref name="lee">{{cite web|url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/03/10/pat-garofalo-minnesota-nba-twitter/6251221/|title=Minn. lawmaker responds to tweet about NBA, street crime|date=March 10, 2014|access-date=January 30, 2021|work=USA Today|first=Jolie|last=Lee}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/minn-lawmaker-pat-garofalo-s-nba-tweet-called-racist/249226701/|title=Farmington legislator's tweet on NBA called racist|date=March 10, 2014|access-date=January 30, 2021|work=Star Tribune|first=Rachel E.|last=Stassen-Berger}}</ref> He said he was making an observation about crime among professional athletes, not a racist comment.<ref name="lee" /> He later apologized.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/rep-garofalo-apologizes-for-tweet-on-nba-that-many-called-racist/249373421/|title=Rep. Garofalo apologizes for tweet on NBA that many called racist|date=March 11, 2014|access-date=January 30, 2021|work=Star Tribune|first=Jennifer|last=Brooks}}</ref>
In 2015, after U.S. Representative John Kline announced he was not running for reelection, attention turned to Garofalo as a possible contender for the seat. After a recruiting visit to Washington, D.C., with House leadership, Garofalo told local media, "I would rather stick a fork in my eye than run for Congress".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_thisweek/news/government/not-a-candidate-kline-focused-on-work-ahead/article_e7bcac65-83b4-5e24-9483-569edb635610.html|title=Not a 2016 candidate, Kline focused on work ahead|last=Johnson|first=Tad|website=hometownsource.com|date=3 September 2015 |language=en|access-date=2019-01-07}}</ref>
In 2021, Garofalo called the U.S. Capitol attack by Donald Trump supporters "ridiculous" and "banana republic shit".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/13/republican-legislatures-trump-conspiracy-458507|title=Capitol riot fueled by deep network of GOP statehouse support|date=January 13, 2021|access-date=January 29, 2021|work=Politico|first=David|last=Siders}}</ref>
In January 2024, Garofalo announced that he would not seek reelection after his term finished. In a letter to Governor Tim Walz dated July 9, 2024, he gave notice of his intent to resign. Garofalo stepped down effective July 14 at 11:59 PM.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.house.mn.gov/sessiondaily/Story/18414|title=Garofalo to resign from House|date=July 9, 2024|author=HPIS Staff|work=house.mn.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.house.mn.gov/members/profile/12262|title=Rep. Pat Garofalo|work=house.mn.gov}}</ref>
==Personal life== Pat Garofalo is married to Julie (Rohloff) Garofalo, has two children, and lives in Farmington, Minnesota.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://patgarofalo.com/about/ | title=About | patgarofalo }}</ref> He is a network engineer who works on computer infrastructure and IP telephony systems, and was the technology coordinator for Tim Pawlenty's 2002 gubernatorial campaign.<ref name="Garofalo" />
==Electoral history== {| class="wikitable" |+Minnesota House of Representatives, House District 58B election, 2018 ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |- | |'''''Republican''''' |'''''Patrick Garofalo''''' |'''''11,549''''' |'''''58.84''''' |- | |DFL |Marla Vagts |8,060 |41.06 |- | | |Write-in |20 |0.10 |- ! ! !Total votes |19,629 |100 |- | | colspan="4" |Republican '''hold''' |}
{| class="wikitable" |+Minnesota House of Representatives, House District 58B election, 2016 ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |- | |'''''Republican''''' |'''''Patrick Garofalo''''' |'''''13,926''''' |'''''64.78''''' |- | |DFL |Marla Vagts |7,542 |35.08 |- | | |Write-in |29 |0.13 |- ! ! !Total votes |21,497 |100 |- | | colspan="4" |Republican '''hold''' |}
{| class="wikitable" |+Minnesota House of Representatives, House District 58B election, 2014 ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |- | |'''''Republican''''' |'''''Patrick Garofalo''''' |'''''8,878''''' |'''''63.85''''' |- | |DFL |Marla Vagts |5,008 |36.02 |- | | |Write-in |18 |0.13 |- ! ! !Total votes |13,904 |100 |- | | colspan="4" |Republican '''hold''' |}
{| class="wikitable" |+Minnesota House of Representatives, House District 58B election, 2012 ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |- | |'''''Republican''''' |'''''Patrick Garofalo''''' |'''''12,520''''' |'''''59.47''''' |- | |DFL |Jim Arlt |8,512 |40.04 |- | | |Write-in |19 |0.09 |- ! ! !Total votes |21,051 |100 |- | | colspan="4" |Republican '''hold''' |}
{| class="wikitable" |+Minnesota House of Representatives, House District 36B election, 2010 ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |- | |'''''Republican''''' |'''''Patrick Garofalo''''' |'''''12,317''''' |'''''65.81''''' |- | |DFL |Sigrid Iversen |6,381 |34.10 |- | | |Write-in |17 |0.09 |- ! ! !Total votes |18,715 |100 |- | | colspan="4" |Republican '''hold''' |}
{| class="wikitable" |+Minnesota House of Representatives, House District 36B election, 2008 ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |- | |'''''Republican''''' |'''''Patrick Garofalo''''' |14,235 |56.01 |- | |DFL |Bev Topp |11,144 |43.85 |- | | |Write-in |36 |0.14 |- ! ! !Total votes |25,415 |100 |- | | colspan="4" |Republican '''hold''' |}
{| class="wikitable" |+Minnesota House of Representatives, House District 36B election, 2006 ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |- | |'''''Republican''''' |'''''Patrick Garofalo''''' |10,304 |55.85 |- | |DFL |Paul Hardt |8,123 |44.03 |- | | |Write-in |23 |0.12 |- ! ! !Total votes |18,450 |100 |- | | colspan="4" |Republican '''hold''' |}
{| class="wikitable" |+Minnesota's House of Representatives, House District 36B election, 2004 ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |- | |'''''Republican''''' |'''''Patrick Garofalo''''' |'''''14,511''''' |'''''62.39''''' |- | |DFL |Benjamin Coler |8,718 |37.48 |- | | |Write-in |31 |0.13 |- ! ! !Total votes |23,260 |100 |- | | colspan="4" |Republican '''hold''' |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{MN-legdb|12262}} * [http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=12262 Rep. Pat Garofalo] – official Minnesota House of Representatives website * [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=150 Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Rep. Pat Garofalo] * [https://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=38499 Project Votesmart – Rep. Pat Garofalo Profile] * [http://patgarofalo.com/ Rep. Pat Garofalo] ''official campaign website''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Garofalo, Pat}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Minnesota State University, Mankato alumni Category:People from Farmington, Minnesota Category:Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature