Penny was born in Albert Lea,Minnesota,and was educated at Winona State College,receiving a bachelor's degree in political science in 1974. He was a member of the Minnesota Senate,1976–1982. Penny served in the United States Naval Reserve and was commissioned a lieutenant commander.[1]
Political career
In 1982,Penny won the DFL nomination for the 1st District and upset four-term 2nd District RepublicanTom Hagedorn,becoming only the third Democrat to represent this district. Leading up to the election,Republicans were divided after the conservative Hagedorn narrowly defeated two-term First District moderate incumbent,Rep. Arlen Erdahl,in a contentious Republican Convention endorsement contest after redistricting;in addition,Democrats made large gains in congressional elections across the country,which contributed to Penny's victory. Penny was reelected in 1984 with 56 percent of the vote,becoming the first non-Republican to win reelection in the district since statehood. He never faced another contest nearly that close,winning four more times by an average of 70 percent of the vote.
Penny was a somewhat conservative Democrat;he opposed gun control and abortion (though he has since become pro-choice). These stances were typical for a mostly rural district in southern Minnesota. He was best known for his work on fiscal policy. Although he had built a nearly unbreakable hold on his district,he announced in 1994 that he would not run for a seventh term. After Jesse Ventura was elected governor in 1998,Penny served an informal advisory role to the governor and assisted with the gubernatorial transition team.[2]
2002 Minnesota gubernatorial election
Governor Ventura decided not to stand for reelection in 2002. In July of that year,Penny joined the Independence Party and presented himself as a "sensible center",which resulted in winning the Independence nomination.[3] Polls indicated a dead heat between him,DFL candidate Roger Moe,and Republican candidate Tim Pawlenty less than a month before the election. His running mate for the election was state senator Martha Robertson of Minnetonka,a moderate Republican. Polls in October had Penny in a near threeway tie. In the end,Penny was unsuccessful in his campaign,finishing with 16% of the vote.
Penny is president of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. He is also a senior fellow at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute. He served for a time as the institute's co-director alongside one of his former congressional colleagues,Republican Vin Weber.
Penny lives in Owatonna,Minnesota and has four adult children. He is the lead singer and guitarist in a band called Led Penny.
Writings
Penny in 2025
Penny is the co-author of three books,Payment Due (1996),Common Cents:A Retiring Six-Term Congressman Reveals How Congress Really Works —And What We Must Do to Fix It (1995),and The 15 Biggest Lies in Politics (1998). He is the lead author of "The Road to Generational Equity",[7] a manifesto that political analyst John Avlon characterizes as radical centrist.[8]
↑Penny, Tim; Lamm, Richard; Tsongas, Paul (December 18, 1995). The Road to Generational Equity". Reproduced on Earthlink website. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
↑Avlon, John (2004). Independent Nation: How the Vital Center Is Changing American Politics. Harmony Books / Random House, p. 282. ISBN978-1-4000-5023-9.
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