Tim Pawlenty

Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty (/pəˈlɛnti/; born November 27, 1960) is president and CEO of Financial Services Roundtable, a Washington, D.C.-based industry advocacy group. He was a Republican politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota (2003–2011). He previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives (1993–2003), where he was majority leader for two terms. In 2011, he entered the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and later was a potential vice presidential nominee before serving as co-chair of Mitt Romney's campaign. Pawlenty was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and raised in nearby South St. Paul. He graduated from University of Minnesota with a B.A. in political science and a J.D. His early career included working as a labor law attorney and the vice president of a software as a service company. After settling in the city of Eagan with his wife, Pawlenty was appointed to the city's Planning Commission and was elected to the Eagan City Council at the age of 28. He won a seat as a state representative in 1992, representing District 38B in suburban Dakota County. He was re-elected four times and was voted majority leader by House Republicans in 199