Senator Gene Dornink is a Republican representing Minnesota Senate District 23, which includes communities in Faribault, Freeborn, Mower, Steele, and Waseca counties. He is serving his second term, first elected in 2020 to District 27 and re-elected in 2022 to District 23. Notable positions include Republican Lead on the Labor Committee and service on the Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development, and Elections committees. A lifelong Minnesotan raised on a family dairy farm, he worked 22 years as a carpenter with Carpenter’s Union #1382 in Rochester.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduated from Austin Vocational School with a carpentry degree.
• Political Experience: Unsuccessful candidate for Minnesota Senate District 27 in 2016; elected to Senate District 27 ; re-elected to District 23 . In 2022, a residency challenge was dismissed by the Minnesota Supreme Court.