Biography
Byron L. Dorgan was re–elected to a third term in the U.S. Senate in November 2004 with nearly 70 percent of the vote after serving two previous terms in the Senate and six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Since 1996, he has served in the Democratic Leadership as an Assistant Democratic Floor Leader, and since 1998, also as Chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy committee. He is the first North Dakotan to serve in the Senate Leadership.
In addition, Senator Dorgan serves on four other Senate Committees. He is Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, Chairman of the Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee within the Appropriations Committee. Also, he is Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee within the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, and he is a senior member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee where he chairs the Interstate Commerce, Trade and Tourism Subcommittee.
Throughout his career in both the House and Senate, Senator Dorgan has worked to advance the interests of rural America.
Top priorities have been creating good–paying jobs and greater economic opportunity in North Dakota, and working to establish strong farm policies for family farmers and ranchers.
He has also been a leader in efforts to ensure that rural areas have access to new, cutting edge communication technologies and to preserve the open and democratic character of the Internet (also known as net neutrality).
Senator Dorgan is a strong voice for sensible spending reductions and responsible government by exposing and cutting government waste and working for fiscal responsibility, while protecting our most important priorities: Social Security, a family farm safety net, education and affordable healthcare.
Senator Dorgan conceived and created the Red River Valley Research Corridor, an effort to connect North Dakota’s world class colleges and universities to federal high tech research and training efforts. The effort not only strengthens the nation, but also expands economic growth in North Dakota by bringing high tech federal research and training projects to North Dakota’s institutions of higher learning.
A 2006 study found that, since its creation in 2002, the Red River Valley Research Corridor has generated $759 million in positive economic impact and added thousands of jobs to the regional economy.
Senator Dorgan is also working to position North Dakota to play a vital role in the nation’s effort to achieve energy independence by reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. He is working to make significant long–term investment in renewable fuels, such as bio–fuels, wind energy and ethanol. He is also working to develop clean coal technology, increase energy efficiency, and the use of hydrogen.
Senator Dorgan is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Take This Job and Ship It: How Corporate Greed and Brain–Dead Politics Are Selling Out America. This book, released in July of 2006, makes the case that exporting American jobs is a flawed long–term economic strategy that is turning into an economic disaster.
Senator Dorgan was raised in the farming community of Regent, North Dakota. His family worked in the farm equipment and petroleum business and raised cattle and horses. He graduated from a high school class of nine students. He is married to Kim Dorgan and has four children: Scott, Shelly (deceased), Brendon and Haley.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Dakota and earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Denver. He later worked for a Denver–based aerospace firm.
Senator Dorgan’s public service career began at age 26, when he was appointed to the office of State Tax Commissioner in North Dakota. He was the youngest constitutional officer in North Dakota’s history. He was re–elected to that office by large margins in 1972 and 1976, and was chosen one of “Ten Outstanding State Officials” in the United States by the Washington Monthly magazine.
