Tom Emmer
RepublicanU.S. Representative, MN-6| Age | 65 (b. 1961-03-03) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2015-01-06 (~11 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Attended Boston College; BA in Political Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks (1984); JD, William Mitchell College of Law (1988). Attended St. Thomas Academy (Catholic military high school, Mendota Heights, MN). |
| Prior occupation | Trial attorney (municipal liability litigation, land-use matters); founder of law firm; registered lobbyist in Minnesota; co-host of morning talk radio program on KTLK Minneapolis; city council member |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | South Bend, Indiana |
| Marital status | Married — Jacqueline Emmer |
| Children | 7 |
| Residence | Delano, Minnesota |
| Notable relatives | Great-grandfather founded Emmer Brothers Lumber in 1910 (now Viking Forest Products) |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2004 |
| Previous offices | Independence City Council (1995–2002) · Delano City Council (2003–2004) · Minnesota House of Representatives, District 19B (2005–2011) · Republican Nominee for Minnesota Governor (2010, lost to Mark Dayton) · Chair, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) (2019–2023) |
| Committees | House Committee on Financial Services · Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion (Vice Chairman) |
| Caucuses | Republican Main Street Partnership · Republican Study Committee · Congressional Coalition on Adoption · Rare Disease Caucus · Congressional Western Caucus |
| Leadership | House Majority Whip (2023–present) · Chair, National Republican Congressional Committee (2019–2023) |
| Ideology | Staunch conservative; Heritage Action scorecard 72% (115th Congress); LCV lifetime score 5% (lowest in Minnesota delegation). Known as 'Capitol Hill's top crypto advocate.' Opposed ACA repeal effort as insufficient; initially skeptical of same-sex marriage but voted for Respect for Marriage Act (2022). Called climate science 'Al Gore's climate porn.' |
| Signature legislation | Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act (passed House 219–210, 2024) — prohibits Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency · Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2023 (H.R. 6572, passed 334–79, May 2024) · Laken Riley Act (passed both chambers with bipartisan support, 2025) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $-450,000–$82,500 (2018) · estimate
| Rental property, Delano, Minnesota | real_estate · $100,000–$300,000 · 2018 |
| IRA | fund · $15,000–$50,000 · 2018 |
Top donors: Securities & Investment industry (PACs and individuals) ($418,000 (2022 cycle)) · Crypto/Digital Currency industry ($95,466 (2022 cycle, highest among House members except McHenry and Khanna))
Top industries: Securities & Investment · Insurance · Commercial Banking · Real Estate · Cryptocurrency/Digital Assets · Finance, Insurance & Real Estate
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — 1991 DWI Charges — Guilty Plea to Careless Driving
In 1991, Emmer (then age 30) was charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated (DWI) and a license-plate violation in Minnesota. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving; the two DWI charges and the license-plate charge were dropped. The case became publicly prominent in 2009 when a blogger discovered the court records after Emmer sponsored a bill to weaken DWI license-revocation procedures. Emmer publicly acknowledged the incidents as 'past mistakes.'