Tim Pawlenty

Updated August 14, 2011

Tim Pawlenty withdraws from race…

Updated August 11, 2011

From his website, link above:

“During his two terms as Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty has used innovative and conservative leadership to balance the state’s budget, cut spending, reform health care and improve schools without raising taxes. Under his leadership, Minnesota has nation-leading health care, the highest school test scores, and a leading economy.

Tim’s leadership style is rooted in his family. One of five children, Tim grew up near the stockyards of South St. Paul. His father was a truck driver and his mother passed away when he was young. Tim worked while attending the University of Minnesota, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. He went on to earn his law degree and become a criminal prosecutor.

He was elected to the local city council in 1989 and to the state House of Representatives three years later. In the state House, Tim quickly rose to become the Republican majority leader, and led efforts to enact the largest tax cuts in Minnesota history. After being elected governor in 2002, Tim kept his campaign promise and balanced the budget every year without raising taxes. In fact, Tim cut taxes by nearly $800 million, moving Minnesota out of the top 10 highest taxed states – a goal of every Minnesota governor for over 30 years.

While keeping a lid on taxes, Tim has championed innovative education and health care reforms that are national models. A firm believer in the power of competition, Tim’s health care reforms made price and quality more transparent for patients, moving the health care system towards paying for and achieving better health care outcomes. And to make sure Minnesota school children are prepared for the modern economy, Tim’s education reforms hold teachers accountable, rewarding the best with a groundbreaking performance-pay system.

Tim and his wife, Mary, also led efforts to support Minnesotans serving in the military. In addition to traveling several times to the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq to visit with commanders and troops, he led efforts to create one of the nation’s most comprehensive programs to support veterans, military members and their families.

Tim has been married for over 20 years to his wife, Mary, a former district judge. The Pawlentys have two teenage daughters, Anna and Mara, and attend Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Tim has run the Twin Cities Marathon and is a fervent hockey fan. He plays in a regular pick up hockey game. Tim’s ipod includes Bruce Springsteen and Kenny Chesney.”

Candidates for the Iowa Debate August 11, 2011