Matt Dean

For those of a similar name, see Matthew Deane (disambiguation).

Matt Dean
Minnesota House Majority Leader
In office January 4, 2011 – January 8, 2013
Preceded by	Anthony Sertich
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 52B district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2005
Preceded by	Rebecca Otto
Personal details
Born	profession legislator 1966 Ely, Minnesota
Died	profession legislator
Resting place	profession legislator
Political party	Republican Party of Minnesota
Spouse	Laura
Children	3
Parent	profession legislator
Residence	Dellwood, Minnesota
Alma mater	University of Minnesota

Matthew T. "Matt" Dean (born 1966) is a Minnesota politician, a member and the current Majority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives. He represents District 52B, which includes all or portions of the cities of Birchwood, Dellwood, Grant, Hugo, Mahtomedi, Marine on St. Croix, May, Pine Springs, Stillwater, White Bear Lake, and Willernie in Washington County, which is in the eastern Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Background

A Republican, Dean was first elected in 2004, and was re-elected in 2006, 2008 and 2010. He currently serves as the House majority leader, having been selected by his caucus for the position on November 6, 2010. He is also the chair of the House Rules and Administration Committee.

Born in the northeastern Minnesota city of Ely, Dean was raised in the Twin Cities suburb of Roseville. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree. He is an architect and the owner of Dean Architects in Dellwood.

Electoral history

• 2010 MN State House Seat 52B
  • Matt Dean (R, Incumbent) 60.51%
  • Sten Hakanson (DFL) 39.46%

• 2008 MN State House Seat 52B
  • Matt Dean (R, Incumbent) 55.6%
  • Kate Christopher (DFL) 44.3%

• 2006 MN State House Seat 52B
  • Matt Dean (R, incumbent), 51.85%
  • Jason Gonnion (DFL), 48.11%

• 2004 MN State House Seat 52B
  • Matt Dean (R), 51.59%
  • Rebecca Otto (DFL, incumbent), 48.32%

• 2003 MN State House Seat 52B (Special Election)
  • Rebecca Otto (DFL), 54.30%
  • Matt Dean (GOP), 43.47%

Interaction with Neil Gaiman

In May 2011, author Neil Gaiman was invited to speak at the Stillwater Library in Minnesota. Gaiman has a fixed policy of charging very high speaking fees for his appearances, believing that such fees will discourage most people from requesting he speak, leaving him more time for writing. The money for Gaiman's speaking fee was taken from a special fund established to bring authors in to speak at local libraries, and Gaiman donated the speaking fee to a charity after the engagement. However, Mr. Dean took issue with the expenditure with the press, stating that Gaiman was an author he hated, and described Gaiman as "pencil-necked little weasel who stole $45,000 from the state of Minnesota." (The actual fee was $40,000.)

After some press coverage, at the urging of his mother Dean apologized for being a "name caller".

External links

• Matt Dean at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
• Rep. Dean Web Page
• Project Votesmart: Rep. Dean Profile
• Rep. Dean Campaign Web Site
• Matt Dean on Twitter
• Matt Dean on Facebook