Senator Glenn Gruenhagen

Glenn H. Gruenhagen

Born: February 1, 1952 Place of Birth: Glencoe, Minnesota Spouse: Emily Children: 3 daughters Residence: Glencoe, Minnesota Alma mater: The American College of Financial Services Occupation: Small business owner, insurance agent

Glenn H. Gruenhagen is an American politician from Minnesota. He serves in the Minnesota Senate representing District 17, which includes Carver, McLeod, Meeker, and Sibley Counties. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Gruenhagen has been the subject of both state and national headlines for his opposition to homosexuality and gay marriage, his climate change denial, his opposition to vaccine mandates, his denial of the results of the 2020 United States elections at both the state and federal levels, and his proposal to require instruction in Minnesota high schools on the cause of “sickness, disease, pain, suffering, and death”.

Gruenhagen was born on February 1, 1952, and grew up on a dairy farm near Glencoe, Minnesota. He graduated from Glencoe High School. In 1971, while he was a student at Willmar Junior College, Gruenhagen’s draft lottery number was selected. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in February 1971 and served at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton until his honorable discharge in February 1973. After his military service, Gruenhagen enrolled at North Hennepin Community College and then the University of Minnesota, where he majored in business. He later received his Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter designations from The American College of Financial Services.

Gruenhagen was elected to the Glencoe-Silver Lake school board in 1994 and served in that position for 16 years. Gruenhagen was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2010, defeating Democratic nominee Mick McGuire for the seat representing District 25A, where incumbent representative Laura Brod had declined to seek reelection. After the 2012 redistricting of the Minnesota Legislature, he was elected to represent House District 17B and reelected in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020. In 2022, Gruenhagen defeated Democratic nominee Chad Tschimperle 70%-30% to win a seat in the Minnesota Senate, representing District 17.