Born:
August 17, 1949
Brooklyn, New York
Died:
Spouse:
Laurie Coleman
Norman Bertram "Norm" Coleman Jr. (born August 17, 1949) is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He has been a U.S. Senator from Minnesota since 2003, and is currently chair of the Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations. He was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota from 1994 to 2002. Previously a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Coleman switched to the Republican Party of Minnesota in 1996. In 1998, he unsuccessfully ran for governor of Minnesota against the victorious Independence Party (then known as the Reform Party of Minnesota) candidate and former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura and DFL candidate Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III.
Coleman was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, Coleman received his Bachelor of Arts from Hofstra University and law degree with high honors from the University of Iowa. His wife, Laurie Coleman, is an aspiring actress. They have two children, Jacob and Sarah. Two other children died during infancy (Adam, 1983; Grace, 1992) from a rare genetic disorder known as Zellweger syndrome.
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Coleman campaigned in 2002 for the United States Senate, after being persuaded by Karl Rove not to run again for governor. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, narrowly defeating former Vice President Walter Mondale, who entered the race within days of the election after Sen. Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash. Coleman succeeded Dean Barkley, who was appointed by Governor Jesse Ventura to serve the remainder of Wellstone's term.
