Eric Pratt
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eric R. Pratt (born January 23, 1964) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represents District 54 in the southwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area.
54th district (2023–present)
Eric Pratt | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the Minnesota Senate | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Redistricted |
| Constituency | 55th district (2013–2023) 54th district (2023–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 23, 1964 Charles City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Tina |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Colorado, Boulder (BA) University of St. Thomas (MBA) |
Early life, education, and career
Pratt's family grew up in Prior Lake, Minnesota , and graduated from Prior Lake High School[1] 1982. His father was a commercial banker for Bank of America and a commercial real estate broker. His mother taught elementary school for 40 years, finishing her career in Shakopee, Minnesota.
He attended the University of Colorado Boulder, graduating in 1987 with a B.A. in economics, and the University of St. Thomas, graduating in 1993 with an M.B.A.[2] Pratt played outside linebacker for the University of Colorado Buffaloes under Hall of Fame head coach Bill McCartney. He was also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
Pratt spent 30 years in banking and financial services, building a career centered on risk management and fraud prevention. His experience included 11 years at Target in a variety of management roles and 14 years at U.S. Bank, where he advanced to Senior Vice President of Risk and Compliance. Over the course of his career, he led teams in risk management, fraud prevention, underwriting, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance.
He was a member of the Prior Lake-Savage School Board from 2000 to 2012 and served as its chair.[1][2]
Minnesota Senate
Pratt was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2012,[3] winning with 55% of the vote over Kathy Busch in the general election on November 6, 2012.[4] He was reelected on November 6, 2016, over Ali C. Ali with 69% of the vote. In 2020 he won reelected over DFL nominee Sahra Odowa with 62% of the vote.[5] He won his 4th term in 2022 over Alicia Donahue.
In the 90th and 91st Minnesota Legislature, Pratt was an assistant majority leader. He was also a majority whip in the 91st Minnesota Legislature.
Senator Pratt chaired the Education Policy committee during the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions. He led significant reforms to the licensing of teachers based on a report from the Legislative Auditor. He has been an advocate for public education while also supporting school choice, saying he keeps his primary focus on ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed in the classroom.
He served as chair of the Senate Jobs, Labor & Workforce Development Committee from 2019 to 2022, a period marked by major economic challenges and recovery efforts. During that time, the committee advanced measures aimed at helping small businesses withstand the economic shock of the 2020 COVID‑19 pandemic, including the use of federal relief funds to provide operating grants to businesses affected by the statewide Stay‑At‑Home order. The committee also supported legislation to pay down debt in the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which helped prevent a significant payroll tax increase on employers. In addition, it oversaw investments in broadband expansion to rural communities, strengthening economic opportunities in Greater Minnesota.
Senator Pratt currently serves as the ranking minority member on the Senate Finance Committee
Personal life
Pratt and his wife have two children and reside in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Pratt was a financial services risk manager.[3]