Amy Klobuchar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amy Klobuchar
Official portrait, 2013
Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Policy Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Leader	Chuck Schumer
Vice Chair	Jeanne Shaheen
Preceded by	Debbie Stabenow (Policy and Communications)
Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	John Boozman
Chair of the Senate Rules Committee
In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Roy Blunt
Succeeded by	Mitch McConnell
Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering Committee
In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2025
Leader	Harry Reid Chuck Schumer
Vice Chair	Jeanne Shaheen
Preceded by	Mark Begich
Succeeded by	Herself (Steering and Policy)
United States Senator from Minnesota
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2007 Serving with Tina Smith
Preceded by	Mark Dayton
County Attorney of Hennepin County
In office January 5, 1999 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Michael Freeman
Succeeded by	Michael Freeman
Personal details
Born	Amy Jean Klobuchar (1960-05-25) May 25, 1960 (age 65) Plymouth, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	John Bessler ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	1
Relatives	Jim Klobuchar (father)
Education	Yale University (BA) University of Chicago (JD)
Signature

Amy Jean Klobuchar (born May 25, 1960) is an American politician and lawyer. She has been a U.S. Senator for Minnesota since 2007. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, which is connected to the Democratic Party. Before becoming a senator, she was the county attorney for Hennepin County, Minnesota.

Amy Klobuchar was born in Plymouth, Minnesota. She went to Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School. She worked as a lawyer in Minneapolis before being elected as the county attorney for Hennepin County in 1998. This job meant she was in charge of all criminal cases in Minnesota's biggest county.

Klobuchar was first elected to the Senate in 2006. She took over from Mark Dayton and became the first woman elected as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota. She won her re-election campaigns by a lot in 2012 and 2018. Her political ideas are generally considered modern liberal. She is known for her friendly, Midwestern style and her ability to win votes in rural areas of Minnesota.

In 2019, she announced she would run for president in the 2020 election. She stopped her campaign in March 2020 and supported Joe Biden. In 2021, she became the chair of the Senate Rules Committee. She was re-elected for her fourth Senate term in 2024.

Early Life and Education

Amy Klobuchar was born in Plymouth, Minnesota. Her mother, Rose, was a second-grade teacher. Her father, Jim Klobuchar, was a sportswriter. Her parents divorced when she was 15 years old, which was a difficult time for her family.

She went to public schools in Plymouth and was the top student at Wayzata High School. In 1982, she earned her degree in political science from Yale University. While at Yale, she worked as an intern for then-Vice President Walter Mondale. Her college thesis, a book about the building of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, was published in 1986. After Yale, she went to the University of Chicago Law School and earned her law degree in 1985.

Early Career as a Lawyer

After law school, Klobuchar worked as a corporate lawyer. She was a partner at two law firms in Minnesota. Her first step into politics happened after she had her daughter, Abigail. Amy was sent home from the hospital just 24 hours after giving birth, even though her daughter had a health issue. This experience led Klobuchar to speak to the Minnesota State Legislature. She pushed for a law that would let new mothers stay in the hospital for 48 hours. Minnesota passed this law, and later, President Clinton made it a federal law.

Klobuchar first ran for public office in 1994 for Hennepin County attorney. She later stepped out of the race to support the person who held the job before.

Hennepin County Attorney

Klobuchar was elected Hennepin County attorney in 1998 and won again without opposition in 2002. Minnesota Lawyer magazine named her "Attorney of the Year" in 2001. She was also the president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association from 2002 to 2003.

During her time as county attorney, Klobuchar focused on being "tough on crime." When she started, there was a lot of crime in Minneapolis. She wanted to have more trials and get more convictions. She pushed for stronger sentences and tried to take more cases to trial. By the end of her first year, she had greatly increased the number of cases and convictions.

Klobuchar believed that tougher sentences would help stop crime. For some smaller crimes, like vandalism, she often asked for sentences that were longer than what was usually recommended. This was true for both adults and young people. An analysis found that during her time, the number of people in prison in Hennepin County went up by 20% because of the tougher sentences she sought.

After the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, some people looked back at Klobuchar's time as county attorney. They noted that she did not bring charges in cases involving police misconduct. At the time, it was common practice to rely on grand juries to decide whether to bring charges in such cases.

U.S. Senate

Senate Elections

2006 Election

Female senators of the 110th Congress, Klobuchar standing, second from the right, January 2007

In 2005, after Senator Mark Dayton said he would not run again, Amy Klobuchar became a top choice for the Democratic nomination. She had planned to run for attorney general but was convinced to run for Senate instead. She won the Democratic endorsement in June 2006.

In the main election, Klobuchar ran against Republican Mark Kennedy and other candidates. She was ahead in the polls throughout the campaign. She won with 58% of the votes, becoming the first woman elected as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota.

2012 Election

Klobuchar's father, Jim, and supporters campaigning for Klobuchar as U.S. senator, Tower, Minnesota, July 4, 2012

Klobuchar won her second term in the U.S. Senate by a large margin. She defeated Republican state representative Kurt Bills by 35 percentage points, winning almost all counties in Minnesota.

2018 Election

Klobuchar ran for a third term and was re-elected by a 24-point margin. The Republican candidate was state representative Jim Newberger. The election was not considered close, as Klobuchar had much more funding and consistently led in the polls.

2024 Election

In 2024, Klobuchar won her fourth term as senator. She won the Democratic nomination in May and then defeated Republican candidate Royce White in the general election.

Time in the Senate

Many polls have shown that Minnesotans approve of the job Senator Klobuchar is doing. She is known for working with politicians from different parties. Walter Mondale, a former Vice President, praised her work in the Senate.

Klobuchar with Lindsey Graham and John McCain in Latvia in 2016

By the end of 2016, Klobuchar had helped pass more laws than any other senator. In 2017, she called for an independent group to investigate any connections between Russia and President Donald Trump. She had already shown interest in U.S.–Russia relations by visiting other countries with Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham in 2016. Her approval ratings stayed high throughout 2017.

In the 115th Congress (2017–2018), Klobuchar was very successful at getting important laws passed.

Klobuchar was at the U.S. Capitol when people stormed it on January 6, 2021. As a leader on the Senate Rules Committee, she helped guide the Senate's discussions during the counting of the 2020 election votes. When the Capitol was breached, she and others were evacuated to a safe place. After the Capitol was secured, Congress finished counting the votes. Klobuchar supported certifying the election results. She also called for investigations into the events of that day.

Klobuchar with Chuck Schumer and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the US Capitol, June 7, 2023

Klobuchar was the first speaker at Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021.

Role in the Democratic Party

In 2008, Klobuchar supported Barack Obama for president, noting his strong performance in Minnesota. In 2016, she was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Since 2015, Klobuchar has led the United States Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. This committee helps guide the Democratic Party's plans and connect with different groups.

Klobuchar standing with Donald Trump and JD Vance during the second inauguration of Donald Trump, January 20, 2025

Committee Assignments

As a U.S. Senator, Amy Klobuchar works on several important committees. These committees help create and review laws on different topics.

118th Congress (2023-2025)

For the current Congress, Senator Klobuchar serves on these committees:

• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: This committee deals with farming, food, and natural resources.
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: This committee handles topics like communication, consumer protection, and transportation.
• Committee on the Judiciary: This committee works on laws related to justice, courts, and competition. She is the chair of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights.
• Committee on Rules and Administration: This committee oversees the rules of the Senate and how it operates. She is the chair of this committee.
• Joint Committee on the Library
• Joint Committee on Printing
• Joint Economic Committee

117th Congress (2021-2023)

Klobuchar with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a visit by a delegation of Democratic U.S. senators to Israel, February 2023

In the previous Congress, Klobuchar served on similar committees, including:

• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Committee on the Judiciary (chair of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights)
• Committee on Rules and Administration (chair)
• Joint Committee on the Library
• Joint Committee on Printing
• Joint Economic Committee

Caucus Memberships

Klobuchar is part of several groups in Congress that focus on specific issues:

• Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
• Congressional Coalition on Adoption (co-chair)

2020 Presidential Campaign

Klobuchar (center) with her husband and daughter at her campaign announcement

Some news organizations had mentioned Klobuchar as a possible future female president or a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.

On February 10, 2019, Klobuchar announced she was running for president in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. She often used humor during her campaign to stand out among the many other candidates.

On March 2, 2020, Klobuchar ended her campaign and supported Joe Biden for president. In May 2020, it was reported that Biden considered her as a possible running mate for Vice President. However, in June, Klobuchar said she thought Biden should choose a woman of color for the role.

Political Positions

Amy Klobuchar's political views are generally in line with modern American liberalism. She has often voted with the Democratic Party.

She has been very active in passing laws. By the end of 2016, she had helped pass more laws than any other senator. As of December 2018, she had sponsored or co-sponsored 111 pieces of legislation that became law.

Personal Life and Family

In 1993, Amy Klobuchar married John Bessler, who is a lawyer and a professor. They have one daughter.

Klobuchar is a member of the United Church of Christ. Her paternal grandparents came from Slovenia, and her maternal grandparents came from Switzerland. Her grandfather on her father's side was a miner in Minnesota.

In 2021, Klobuchar shared that she had been diagnosed with an early stage of breast cancer. She had successful surgery and radiation treatment. By August 2021, her doctors confirmed she was cancer-free. In 2024, she announced she was still cancer-free after another small surgery and treatment.

Awards and Honors

Klobuchar has received many awards throughout her career. Working Mother magazine named her a "Best in Congress" in 2008 for her work helping working families.

In 2012, she received the Sheldon Coleman Great Outdoors Award. She also received the Agricultural Retailers Association's Legislator of the Year Award. In 2013, she got a Friend of CACFP award for her leadership in passing the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, which helped set new nutrition standards for meals in child care programs. In 2014, she received the Friends of Farm Bureau Award.

In 2015, the American Bar Association gave her the Congressional Justice Award for her efforts to protect people from violence and discrimination. The National Consumers League also honored her with the Trumpeter Award for her work on consumer safety and fair marketplaces. In 2016, she received the Goodwill Policymaker Award for her commitment to non-profit organizations. In 2017, she received the Arabella Babb Mansfield Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers. In 2021, she received the Award for Distinguished Public Service from the Association of American Publishers. In 2024, The American Legion gave her the Distinguished Public Service Award.

Electoral History

Hennepin County Attorney Elections

U.S. Senate Elections

See Also

In Spanish: Amy Klobuchar para niños

• Barack Obama Supreme Court candidates
• Women in the United States Senate