According to the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, Emmer held a Bipartisan Index Score of -0.0 in the 116th United States Congress for 2019, which placed him 192nd out of 435 members. Based on FiveThirtyEight’s congressional vote tracker at ABC News, Emmer voted with Donald Trump’s stated public policy positions 91.5% of the time, which ranked him average in the 116th United States Congress when predictive scoring (district partisanship and voting record) is used.

Emmer and Representative Pete Stauber both stood beside Assistant Secretary of the Interior Joseph Balash as he signed leases permitting Twin Metals to explore a large area of national forest land nine miles southeast of Ely for copper-nickel reserves on May 15, 2019. The Obama administration had mothballed the lease renewal pending an environmental review, but Twin Metals is now in possession of a 10-year lease to explore the area, with a view toward opening a mine there.

In 2018 Emmer defeated Democratic nominee Ian Todd, 61% to 39%.

Emmer favors repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). After supporting the March 2017 version of the American Health Care Act (a bill to repeal the ACA), he voted for it on May 4, 2017, before it had been scored by the Congressional Budget Office to determine its economic impact.

Emmer supported President Donald Trump’s 2017 executive order to temporarily curtail immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries until better screening methods are devised, saying, “Everybody needs to take a deep breath. There is no litmus test based on religion. The administration and I understand it has — takes the seven countries identified by the Obama administration, not this administration, as the most dangerous countries when it comes to potential terrorists.”

In 2016 Emmer defeated Democratic nominee David Snyder, 66% to 34%.

Upon the surprise retirement of U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann, Emmer was considered a possible candidate for the Sixth Congressional District seat; his state house district included a large slice of the congressional district’s western portion. On June 5, 2013, Emmer officially announced he would seek the Republican nomination for the seat. On February 4, 2014, Emmer received 67.9% of the vote in a 6th district straw poll. On April 12 he received the Republican Party endorsement for the nomination on the first ballot with 76%, but he still faced a primary challenge from his two competitors, Anoka County Board Chairwoman Rhonda Sivarajah and former state representative Phil Krinkie. Emmer was endorsed by the Tea Party Express, Young Americans for Liberty’s Liberty Action Fund, and many Minnesota legislators. He won the primary with 73% of the vote, and easily prevailed in the November general election.

In early 2011, he ran for an open Minnesota seat on the Republican National Committee, but lost that election to Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.

Emmer hosted a 2011 event promoting the launch of Representative Ron Paul’s presidential campaign in Minnesota.

Emmer officially announced his candidacy for governor of the State of Minnesota in July 2009. In January 2010, Emmer came in second to Marty Seifert in a non-binding straw poll of Republican Party caucus participants. In April 2010, Emmer announced that his running mate would be Metropolitan Council member Annette Meeks. Emmer received the endorsements of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Governor Tim Pawlenty, and Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau. On April 30, 2010, the Republican Party of Minnesota officially endorsed Emmer as its candidate for governor at the state convention in Minneapolis. His main opponent, Marty Seifert, withdrew from the race and endorsed Emmer when it became apparent that Emmer was nearing the threshold for party endorsement. On August 10, 2010, Emmer won the Republican primary with 82% of the vote, a 75-point margin over Bob Carney.

Emmer trailed his Democratic opponent Mark Dayton by 9,000 votes in the initial general election results, a margin small enough to trigger an automatic recount. Most analysts felt it was unlikely that the Emmer campaign could overcome such a deficit in a recount. After the recount made little difference in the results, Emmer conceded the election on December 8, 2010.

In 2009, Emmer voted against S.F. 247. This Minnesota law states that as of January 1, 2010, no manufacturer, retailer, or wholesaler may sell or offer for sale in Minnesota any children’s product that contains Bisphenol-A, except for used children’s products, which were prohibited after January 1, 2011. Emmer said he voted against the law because of fear of “increased costs.” As well-intentioned as people may be, he said, “they don’t think about what this vote means five steps down the line.”

During an October 9, 2010, televised debate, Emmer said he would oppose legislation to combat school bullying against gay and lesbian young people. Emmer, who voted against anti-bullying legislation as a state lawmaker, said that teachers are most responsible for halting bullies, but suggested that the threat of lawsuits keeps them from doing so. “I don’t think we need more laws; I think we need more understanding,” he said.

On May 13, 2010, Emmer was one of three legislators not to vote on a bill that would have provided such tougher penalties for drunk drivers. He said he missed the vote when a previously scheduled lunch ran long, and that he had “no idea” how he would have voted on the bill, but that he “assume[d]” he would have supported it.

In 2010 Emmer sponsored an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that would allow the state to nullify federal laws.

On July 5, 2010, after visiting a restaurant in St. Paul, Emmer was asked during a press conference if he supported a tip credit, the policy of allowing businesses to subtract tips from a server’s hourly wage. His response was “Yes… if you didn’t have a minimum wage law”, adding, “somebody could be taking home well over one hundred thousand dollars as a server” while the restaurant owner could be making much less.

In 2009, Emmer sponsored a bill that would shorten the period of license revocation for driving under the influence and for refusing to take a sobriety test. Additionally, though “suspected drunken drivers [currently] face revocation before they go to court,” Emmer’s bill would have delayed revocations until after conviction. Supporters of Emmer’s bill said “it’s needed because pre-conviction revocations penalize drivers before proving they’re guilty.” Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the head of the Minnesota DWI task force opposed the legislation because it would allow arrested drivers to continue to drive during the time between their arrest and hearing.

Emmer supported a state constitutional amendment banning civil recognition of same-sex marriage or its legal equivalent, stating, “I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman.” In March 2007, Emmer introduced HF 1847, a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution “recognizing as marriage or its legal equivalent only a union between one man and one woman.” Voters later rejected this proposal.

In 2006 Emmer won reelection to a second term with 61% of the vote. In 2008 he was reelected to a third term with 61% of the vote. In 2010 he chose to run for governor of Minnesota rather than seek reelection.

Emmer served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 until 2011 and was the Republican nominee for governor in the 2010 election. In the November 2014 general election, he won the 6th Congressional District seat being vacated by Michele Bachmann.

In 2005, as a state representative, Emmer introduced an amendment that would have eliminated Minnesota’s minimum wage law.

In 2004 incumbent Republican State Representative Dick Borrell of Minnesota’s House District 19B decided to retire. District 19B includes portions of Wright and Hennepin Counties and the cities of Otsego, Albertville, St. Michael, Rockford, Delano, Montrose, and Waverly. Emmer, the Republican candidate, defeated Democrat Lori M. Schmidt, an attorney, 60%–40%, in the November 2004 general election.

Emmer’s own history became an issue in relation to his bill. At age 20, Emmer received a driving under the influence-related ticket. In 1991 he pleaded guilty to careless driving while two charges for DWI and a license-plate violation were dropped. Emmer denied that his own drunk driving and legal consequences played a part in the bill, stating, “We all come to the Legislature with life experiences, but it has nothing to do with this bill.” Emmer also said that his sentence in 1981 should have been harsher, because in that case he “probably wouldn’t have taken the second chance” that led to his subsequent arrests and guilty plea in 1991.

Emmer has seven children with his wife, Jacqueline, whom he married in 1985. He is an avid hockey player and coach.

Emmer attended Boston College and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, graduating in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He played hockey for both schools. In 1988 Emmer received a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Thomas Earl Emmer Jr. (born March 3, 1961) is an American attorney and politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 6th congressional district since January 2015. The district includes most of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, as well as St. Cloud.

In 1910 Emmer’s great-grandfather and his two brothers founded Emmer Brothers Lumber. It is now called Viking Forest Products and is employee-owned.