Jeff Dotseth
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeff Dotseth is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Dotseth represents District 11A in northeastern Minnesota, which includes the city of Cloquet, Thomson Township, and parts of Carlton, Pine and St. Louis Counties.[1][2]
Jeff Dotseth | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 11A district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Sundin |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Melissa |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | |
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
Minnesota House of Representatives
Dotseth was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2022. He first ran unsuccessfully in 2018 against DFL incumbent Mike Sundin, then lost to him again in 2020. 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 designate messenger RNA (mRNA) treatments, which include several COVID-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-based hypnotist and conspiracy theorist who believes that mRNA treatments are "nanoparticle injections" that amount to "biological and technological weapons of mass destruction".[3][4]
Electoral history
| 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 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||||
Personal life
Dotseth lives in Kettle 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 2024 Minnesota Star Tribune report on the matter, DFL leadership called for Dotseth to end his reelection campaign.[10]