History of Amy Klobuchar in Timeline
Amy Klobuchar is a prominent American politician and lawyer. Currently, she serves as the senior United States Senator for Minnesota, a position she's held since 2007. As a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Minnesota's branch of the Democratic Party, she has a long history in public service. Prior to her role in the Senate, Klobuchar held the position of Hennepin County attorney in Minnesota.
May 25, 1960: Birth of Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar was born on May 25, 1960, in Plymouth, Minnesota.
1982: Graduation from Yale University
Amy Klobuchar graduated magna cum laude in political science from Yale University in 1982.
1985: Graduation from University of Chicago Law School
Amy Klobuchar graduated with a Juris Doctor with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School in 1985.
1986: Publication of "Uncovering the Dome"
Amy Klobuchar published her first book, "Uncovering the Dome", in 1986.
1986: Publication of "Uncovering the Dome"
Amy Klobuchar's senior thesis, "Uncovering the Dome," was published by Waveland Press in 1986.
1990: Klobuchar supports DFL candidates
In 1990, Amy Klobuchar was active in supporting DFL candidates.
1993: Marriage and Family
In 1993, Amy Klobuchar married John Bessler, an attorney and law professor. They have one daughter.
June 1994: Klobuchar withdraws from Hennepin County Attorney race
In June 1994, Amy Klobuchar withdrew from the race for Hennepin County Attorney after pledging to support the incumbent.
1998: Klobuchar elected Hennepin County Attorney
In 1998, Amy Klobuchar was elected Hennepin County Attorney.
1998: Elected Hennepin County Attorney
In 1998, Amy Klobuchar was elected as the Hennepin County Attorney.
2000: Klobuchar's appeal lengthens sentence, increasing deportation risk
In 2000, a successful appeal by Amy Klobuchar lengthened a sentence, which put an immigrant defendant at risk of deportation.
2001: Attorney of the Year
Amy Klobuchar was named "Attorney of the Year" in 2001 by Minnesota Lawyer.
2001: Klobuchar named "Attorney of the Year"
In 2001, Amy Klobuchar was named "Attorney of the Year" by Minnesota Lawyer.
November 2002: Klobuchar becomes President of Minnesota County Attorneys Association
Amy Klobuchar became President of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association in November 2002.
2002: Myon Burrell prosecuted for murder
Amy Klobuchar successfully prosecuted Myon Burrell for the 2002 murder of Tyesha Edwards.
2002: Klobuchar leads effort to change drunk driving laws
In 2002, Amy Klobuchar spearheaded an effort to change state laws regarding repeat drunk driving offenders.
2002: Klobuchar re-elected Hennepin County Attorney
In 2002, Amy Klobuchar was re-elected Hennepin County Attorney unopposed.
November 2003: End of term as President of Minnesota County Attorneys Association
Amy Klobuchar finished her term as the President of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association in November 2003.
2003: High-profile case against Kirby Puckett
In 2003, Amy Klobuchar's office brought charges against former baseball player Kirby Puckett, who was later acquitted.
2004: Klobuchar supports John Kerry's presidential campaign
In 2004, Amy Klobuchar supported John Kerry's presidential campaign.
September 29, 2005: Emily's List Endorsement
On September 29, 2005, Amy Klobuchar received an endorsement from Emily's List for her Senate run.
June 9, 2006: DFL Endorsement
Amy Klobuchar won the DFL endorsement for the Senate race on June 9, 2006.
October 2006: Officer-involved killing during Klobuchar's tenure
An officer-involved killing, involving Officer Derek Chauvin, occurred in October 2006 during Amy Klobuchar's time as Hennepin County Attorney.
2006: First Election to the U.S. Senate
Amy Klobuchar was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, becoming Minnesota's first elected female senator.
2007: Klobuchar becomes senior United States Senator
In 2007, Amy Klobuchar began her service as the senior United States Senator from Minnesota.
March 30, 2008: Obama Endorsement
On March 30, 2008, Amy Klobuchar endorsed Barack Obama for president.
2008: Recognition for Work with Families
In 2008, Amy Klobuchar was named a "Best in Congress" by Working Mother for her work on behalf of working families.
September 2009: Positive Poll Results
A September 2009 poll showed that 58% of Minnesotans approved of Amy Klobuchar's job performance.
March 12, 2010: High Approval Ratings
On March 12, 2010, Rasmussen Reports indicated that Amy Klobuchar had a 67% approval rating in Minnesota.
2011: High Staff Turnover
Between 2011 and 2016, Amy Klobuchar reportedly had the highest staff turnover rate in the Senate.
2012: Re-election to the Senate
Amy Klobuchar was re-elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012 with a significant margin, winning in most counties of Minnesota.
2012: Awards for Outdoors and Agriculture work
In 2012, Amy Klobuchar received awards from the American Recreation Coalition and the Agricultural Retailers Association.
2013: Awards for Military Sexual Assault Prevention and Child Nutrition
In 2013, Amy Klobuchar received awards for her work on preventing sexual assault in the military and for her efforts on the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act.
2014: Friends of Farm Bureau Award
Amy Klobuchar and Senator Al Franken received the 2014 Friends of Farm Bureau Award.
2015: Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee Chair
Amy Klobuchar became chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee in 2015.
2015: Publication of "The Senator Next Door"
Amy Klobuchar published her autobiography, "The Senator Next Door", in 2015.
2015: Awards for Justice and Consumer Protection
In 2015, Amy Klobuchar received the Congressional Justice Award and the Trumpeter Award for her work on consumer protection.
December 2016: Trip to Baltic States and Ukraine
In December 2016, Amy Klobuchar joined Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham on a trip to the Baltic states and Ukraine, signaling her interest in U.S.-Russia relations.
2016: Clinton Endorsement
In 2016, Amy Klobuchar was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
2016: Goodwill Policymaker Award
Amy Klobuchar received the Goodwill Policymaker Award in 2016 for her work with the nonprofit sector.
2016: Legislative Success
By the end of 2016, Amy Klobuchar had passed more legislation than any other senator during the 114th Congress.
2016: High Staff Turnover
Between 2011 and 2016, Amy Klobuchar reportedly had the highest staff turnover rate in the Senate.
February 2017: Call for Russia Investigation
In February 2017, Amy Klobuchar called for an independent investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump administration.
April 2017: High Approval Rating
In April 2017, a Star Tribune poll showed Amy Klobuchar with a 72% approval rating.
October 2017: Top 10 Senator Approval Rating
In October 2017, Morning Consult listed Amy Klobuchar among the 10 senators with the highest approval ratings.
November 2017: 56% Approval Rating
A November 2017 KSTP-TV poll showed Amy Klobuchar with a 56% approval rating.
2017: Steering Chair and Healthcare Debate
In 2017, Amy Klobuchar became steering chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee and participated in a televised debate on healthcare policy.
2017: Awards for Women's Leadership and Law
In 2017, Amy Klobuchar received the Arabella Babb Mansfield Award and the Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics.
2017: Above Expectations Performance
In 2017, the Center for Effective Lawmaking rated Amy Klobuchar's performance in the 115th Congress as "above expectations."
December 16, 2018: Legislative Achievements
As of December 16, 2018, Amy Klobuchar had sponsored or co-sponsored 111 pieces of legislation that became law.
2018: Re-election to the Senate for a third term
In 2018, Amy Klobuchar was re-elected to the U.S. Senate for a third term.
2018: Kavanaugh Hearings
During the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination hearings in 2018, Kavanaugh gave heated responses to Klobuchar's questions.
Jan 2019: Start of 116th Congress & Presidential Campaign
Amy Klobuchar began her presidential campaign during the 116th Congress, which started in January 2019.
February 10, 2019: Klobuchar announces Presidential Candidacy
On February 10, 2019, Amy Klobuchar announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
February 2019: Staff Treatment Controversy
In February 2019, reports emerged about Amy Klobuchar's alleged mistreatment of her staff, leading to controversy.
April 2019: Third Most Popular Senator
An April 2019 Morning Consult poll found Amy Klobuchar to be the third most popular senator.
January 2020: Flaws in Myon Burrell case highlighted
In January 2020, flaws in the Myon Burrell case, prosecuted by Amy Klobuchar, came to light.
January 2020: High Vote Absence Rate
By January 2020, Amy Klobuchar had missed a significant percentage of votes in the Senate due to her presidential campaign.
January 19, 2020: New York Times Endorsement
On January 19, 2020, The New York Times editorial board endorsed Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren for president.
March 2, 2020: Klobuchar suspends Presidential Campaign
On March 2, 2020, Amy Klobuchar suspended her campaign for President and endorsed Joe Biden.
May 21, 2020: VP Vetting and Withdrawal
On May 21, 2020, it was reported that Joe Biden asked Amy Klobuchar to undergo vetting for the vice-presidential nomination. She later withdrew from consideration.
December 2020: Myon Burrell's sentence commuted
Myon Burrell's sentence was commuted in December 2020.
2020: Cabinet Position Speculation
In 2020, Amy Klobuchar was speculated as a potential candidate for a cabinet position in the Biden administration.
2020: Renewed scrutiny of Klobuchar's record on police misconduct
Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Amy Klobuchar's record on police misconduct during her time as Hennepin County Attorney faced renewed scrutiny.
2020: 2020 Presidential Candidacy Announcement
Amy Klobuchar announced her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.
January 6, 2021: Capitol Attack and Electoral Vote Count
On January 6, 2021, Amy Klobuchar co-led Senate deliberations during the electoral vote count and witnessed the Capitol attack.
Jan 2021: End of 116th Congress
January 2021 marked the end of the 116th Congress.
January 20, 2021: Biden Inauguration Speaker
Amy Klobuchar was the first speaker at Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021.
February 2021: Cancer Diagnosis
Amy Klobuchar was diagnosed with Stage 1A breast cancer in February 2021.
September 2021: Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
In September 2021, Amy Klobuchar revealed her February 2021 diagnosis of Stage 1A breast cancer, successful treatment, and cancer-free status as of August 2021.
2021: Publication of "Antitrust"
Amy Klobuchar published "Antitrust: Taking on Monopoly Power from the Gilded Age to the Digital Age" in 2021.
2021: Klobuchar becomes chair of the Senate Rules Committee
In 2021, Amy Klobuchar became chair of the Senate Rules Committee.
2021: Award for Public Service
In 2021, Amy Klobuchar received the Award for Distinguished Public Service from the Association of American Publishers.
2023: Publication of "The Joy of Politics"
Amy Klobuchar published "The Joy of Politics" in 2023.
2023: Bipartisanship Ranking
In 2023, the Lugar Center ranked Amy Klobuchar in the top fifth of senators for bipartisanship.
2024: Re-election to the Senate for a fourth term
Amy Klobuchar was re-elected to the U.S. Senate for a fourth term in 2024, defeating Republican nominee Royce White.
2024: Fourth Senate Term
In 2024, Amy Klobuchar won her fourth term in the U.S. Senate.