David Durenberger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave Durenberger
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| United States Senator from Minnesota |
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| In office November 8, 1978 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Muriel Humphrey |
| Succeeded by | Rod Grams |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Ferdinand Durenberger
August 19, 1934 St. Cloud, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (Before 2005) Independent (2005–present) |
| Spouses | Judy Durenberger (Deceased) Susan Foote |
| Education | Saint John's University, Minnesota (BA) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1956–1963 |
David Ferdinand Durenberger (born August 19, 1934) is a former American politician and lawyer. He represented the state of Minnesota in the United States Senate. He was a member of the Republican Party from 1978 to 1995. Later, he became an independent and supported different political views.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Durenberger was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota. His parents were Isabelle Marie and George Gephard Durenberger. He grew up in a Catholic family with German and Polish roots. His father was an athletic director and coach at Saint John's University. The family lived right on the college campus.
David went to St. John's Prep School, graduating in 1951. He then attended Saint John's University, finishing in 1955. He studied law at the University of Minnesota Law School. He earned his law degree in 1959. During college, he was a top cadet in his ROTC class. ROTC is a program that trains future military officers. After college, he served as a lieutenant in the Army Counter-Intelligence Corps. This is a special part of the Army that gathers information. He was also a captain in the United States Army Reserve until 1963.
Starting His Career
After law school, David Durenberger worked for a law firm in South St. Paul, Minnesota. This firm had been started by important politicians. One founder was Harold Stassen, a Republican who became Minnesota's governor. Another was Elmer Ryan, a Democrat who served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
When Durenberger joined, the firm was led by Harold LeVander. LeVander, a Republican, was elected governor of Minnesota in 1966. Durenberger became his executive secretary from 1967 to 1971. After that, he worked as a lawyer for the H.B. Fuller Company. He also served on important state boards. For example, he was on the Minnesota State Ethical Practices Board from 1974 to 1978.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
On November 7, 1978, David Durenberger was elected in a special election. This election was to finish the term of Senator Hubert Humphrey. Humphrey's wife, Muriel, had temporarily held the seat. Durenberger was reelected in 1982 and again in 1988. In 1988, he won against Skip Humphrey, who was Hubert and Muriel's son.
Durenberger served in the Senate from November 8, 1978, to January 3, 1995. During his time, he led important committees. He chaired the Select Committee on Intelligence. He also led the Health Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee. This gave him a big role in national health reform. He worked on many important laws. These included the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. He also supported the bill to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday.
In 1990, the Senate took a vote to censure Durenberger. This means the Senate officially disapproved of his actions. It was related to how he handled money for speaking fees and travel. He did not run for reelection in 1994. Rod Grams took his place.
Life After the Senate
After leaving the Senate, Durenberger continued to be active in public life. In 2005, he shared that he no longer supported the Republican Party. He became an independent. He said that Democrats were better at handling health care. He also disagreed with President George W. Bush about the Iraq War. In 2010, he supported Tom Horner for governor. Horner was a member of the Independence Party.
Durenberger has focused on health policy. He chaired the National Institute of Health Policy. He is also a Senior Health Policy Fellow at the University of St. Thomas. He has served on many national health groups. These include the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.
He has also supported presidential candidates from other parties. He endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016. In 2020, he endorsed Joe Biden for president. He is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.
Writings
David Durenberger's Senate files are kept at the Minnesota Historical Society. These papers show his work during his three terms in the Senate. They are especially important for showing his interest in health policy and health care reform.
Durenberger has also written books. One book is When Republicans were Progressive. It talks about the history of Minnesota's Republican party. It shows how the party changed over time. Another book, Neither Madmen nor Messiahs: A Policy of National Security for America (1984), is about defense policy. He also wrote Prescription for Change (1986), which is about health care reform.
Electoral History
- 1978 race for U.S. Senate (special election)
- David Durenberger (R), 61%
- Bob Short (DFL), 35%
- 1982 race for U.S. Senate
- David Durenberger (R) (inc.), 53%
- Mark Dayton (DFL), 47%
- 1988 race for U.S. Senate
- David Durenberger (R) (inc.), 52%
- Skip Humphrey (DFL), 48%
See also
- List of United States senators expelled or censured
