Jeff Dotseth | |
|---|---|
| Member of theMinnesota House of Representatives from the 11A district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Sundin |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Melissa |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Kettle River, Minnesota |
| Occupation | |
| Website | Government websiteCampaign website |
Jeff Dotseth is an American politician serving in theMinnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of theRepublican Party of Minnesota, Dotseth represents District 11A in northeasternMinnesota, which includes the city ofCloquet,Thomson Township, and parts ofCarlton,Pine andSt. Louis Counties.[1][2]
Dotseth was elected to theMinnesota House of Representatives in2022. He first ran unsuccessfully in2018 againstDFL incumbentMike Sundin, then lost to him again in2020. Dotseth defeated DFL nominee Pete Radosevich in 2022 after Sundin retired.[1]
Dotseth serves on the Commerce Finance and Policy and Housing Finance and Policy Committees.[1]
In 2025, Dotseth co-sponsored a bill to designatemessenger RNA (mRNA) treatments, which include severalCOVID-19 vaccines, “weapons of mass destruction". The bill would make possessing or administering them a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The bill was drafted by a Florida-basedhypnotist andconspiracy theorist who believes that mRNA treatments are "nanoparticle injections" that amount to "biological and technological weapons of mass destruction".[3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Mike Sundin (incumbent) | 10,532 | 58.30 | |
| Republican | Jeff Dotseth | 7,518 | 41.62 | |
| Write-in | 14 | 0.08 | ||
| Total votes | 18,064 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL)hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Mike Sundin (incumbent) | 11,452 | 51.41 | |
| Republican | Jeff Dotseth | 10,798 | 48.48 | |
| Write-in | 25 | 0.11 | ||
| Total votes | 22,275 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL)hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jeff Dotseth | 9,510 | 51.16 | |||
| Democratic (DFL) | Pete Radosevich | 9,056 | 48.71 | |||
| Write-in | 24 | 0.13 | ||||
| Total votes | 18,590 | 100.0 | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic (DFL) | ||||||
Dotseth lives inKettle River, Minnesota, with his wife, Melissa, and three children.[1]
In 2008, Dotseth was charged with abuse of his then wife, Penny Kowal. He denied the allegations and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.[8] Kowal said in an affidavit that Dotseth had choked, kicked, and hit her on several occasions over a decade, and also abused their dog.[9] Dotseth's stepson also alleged that Dotseth had punched, choked, and hit him in violent outbursts.[9] After a September 2024Minnesota Star Tribune report on the matter,DFL leadership called for Dotseth to endhis reelection campaign.[10]