David Durenberger was a Republican member of the United States Senate. Durenberger was considered to be a moderate on the political spectrum. He was elected to the Senate from the State of Minnesota.
Durenberger would rise to become chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He would also chair the Finance Subcommittee on Health and the Government Affairs Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations. But the latter part of his Senate career would become overshadowed by legal problems. Durenberger would work to rehabilitate his image and be embraced again as a senior statesman.
Passed away on January 31, 2023
David Durenberger has died, report Yahoo and ABC. The apparent cause of death was heart failure. His health had been in a state of decline in recent months. Durenberger was at home in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with his family at the time of his passing.
Several prominent Democrats are among those issuing statements of grief. Democratic U.S. Senator and Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar called Durenberger "a true public servant." She also remarked on his "devotion to bipartisanship and improving people's lives." Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will reportedly give the eulogy at Durenberger's funeral.
Durenberger's political career began as a staffer for Minnesota Governor Harold LeVander.
In 1978, Democratic Minnesota U.S. Senator (and former U.S. Vice President) Hubert Humphrey died of bladder cancer. His widow, Muriel, was appointed to his seat temporarily. But she would not run in the special election later in the year to fill the middle permanently.
Durenberger would win that special election in a landslide.
He was defeating the Democratic nominee, former Los Angeles Lakers, and Texas Rangers owner Bob Short. Durenberger was re-elected in 1982 over future Democratic U.S. Senator and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. He won another term in 1988 over State Attorney General Skip Humphrey, son of Hubert and Muriel.
Throughout his time in the Senate, Durenberger would play a key role in passing several bills.
Including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Safe Drinking Water Act. But he would also be caught committing financial violations. Durenberger would be unanimously censured by the Senate and eventually plead guilty to five misdemeanor charges. He would receive probation.
Durenberger did not run for re-election in 1994. Republican U.S. Representative Rod Grams won the race for the seat in the Senate.
He was a United States Army officer
David Durenberger was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota. His father was the athletic director of what is now the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University—located in nearby Collegeville. The younger Durenberger would later graduate from that school.
There, he was at the top of the ROTC class.
After graduating, Durenberger joined the U.S. Army. He would go on to be assigned to the Counterintelligence Corps. Durenberger would eventually close his military career with the rank of captain.
He received a degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. Durenberger afterward began practicing law in South St. Paul. Harold LeVander led the law firm he worked for. The state's Supreme Court later revoked Durenberger's Minnesota law license for nearly a decade. It resulted from his financial, and legal misdeeds while in the Senate. His law license was reinstated in 2000.
