Dario Anselmo

Anselmo was born on May 2, 1962.{{cite web |title=Anselmo, Dario |url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=15454 |publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |accessdate=March 16, 2018 |language=en |archive-date=March 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317164907/https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=15454 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Anselmo, Erhardt vie for House District 49A |url=https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_current/news/government/anselmo-erhardt-vie-for-house-district-a/article_5f496823-e019-5312-9fcd-e86368d6af68.html |accessdate=March 16, 2018 |work=Sun Current |publisher=ECM Publishers |date=October 16, 2014 |language=en |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406025523/https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_current/news/government/anselmo-erhardt-vie-for-house-district-a/article_5f496823-e019-5312-9fcd-e86368d6af68.html |url-status=live }} His father was a district court judge in Duluth, Minnesota.{{cite news |last1=Kaczke |first1=Lisa |title=Candidates endorsed for District 49 election |url=https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_current/news/government/candidates-endorsed-for-district-election/article_cf84a4a5-b416-540e-8f91-e425c2418eb6.html |accessdate=March 16, 2018 |work=Sun Current |publisher=ECM Publishers |date=April 3, 2014 |language=en}} He grew up in Orono, MN and graduated from Orono High School before attending Whittier College, Boston University, and the University of Minnesota.

At age 21, Dario co-founded a technology company that dealt with the emerging market for personal computers called Radix, Inc. After his first business, Anselmo went on to own the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis for 20 years before selling it in 2013.{{Cite web |last=Riemenschneider |first=Chris |title=Aqua owner buys Fine Line Music Cafe |url=https://www.startribune.com/aqua-owner-buys-fine-line-music-cafe/217664911/ |access-date=August 22, 2020 |website=Star Tribune |language=en |archive-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117161754/https://www.startribune.com/aqua-owner-buys-fine-line-music-cafe/217664911/ |url-status=live }} He served on the boards of several non-profit and civic groups, including Edina Give and Go, the Edina Education Fund, and the Minneapolis Downtown Council. Anselmo was also the president of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, which later merged with the Mental Health Association of Minnesota.

He is a co-founder of the Warehouse District Business Association and a commercial real estate owner and operator.

Anselmo was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016, as a Republican representing District 49A in the southwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area. He sat on the Education Committee and Legacy Funding Committee.{{Cite web |title=Dario Anselmo |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Dario_Anselmo |access-date=August 19, 2020 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en |archive-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107105730/https://ballotpedia.org/Dario_Anselmo |url-status=live }}

While in office, Anselmo introduced legislation to increase the age required to purchase cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and chewing tobacco in Minnesota to 21{{Cite web |title=Raise Minnesota smoking age to 21, GOP lawmaker says |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/03/08/raise-minnesota-smoking-age-to-21-gop-lawmaker-says |access-date=August 19, 2020 |website=MPR News |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803203017/https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/03/08/raise-minnesota-smoking-age-to-21-gop-lawmaker-says |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Almanac - Raising the Smoking Age to 21 |url=https://www.tpt.org/almanac/video/raising-the-smoking-age-to-21-30853/ |access-date=August 19, 2020 |website=Twin Cities PBS |language=en |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406025522/https://www.tpt.org/almanac/video/raising-the-smoking-age-to-21-30853/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Almanac - Raising the Smoking Age to 21 |url=https://www.tpt.org/almanac/video/raising-the-smoking-age-to-21-30853/ |access-date=August 22, 2020 |website=Twin Cities PBS |language=en}} and co-sponsored legislation for universal background checks before gun purchases.{{Cite web |title=OPINION EXCHANGE {{!}} Guns and public safety: Legislators are people, too — and sometimes an issue just hits home |url=https://www.startribune.com/guns-and-public-safety-legislators-are-people-too-and-sometimes-an-issue-just-hits-home/475702753/ |access-date=August 19, 2020 |website=Star Tribune |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128173955/https://www.startribune.com/guns-and-public-safety-legislators-are-people-too-and-sometimes-an-issue-just-hits-home/475702753/ |url-status=live }} Later, Anselmo appeared on the Twin Cites PBS show Almanac to discuss the need for “Tobacco 21” legislation.{{Citation |title=Almanac {{!}} Raising the Smoking Age to 21 {{!}} Season 2018 {{!}} Episode 26 |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/raising-the-smoking-age-to-21-30853/ |language=en |access-date=August 29, 2020 |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406025521/https://www.pbs.org/video/raising-the-smoking-age-to-21-30853/ |url-status=live }}

He also passed a bill that reduced Social Security taxes by 50% and co-authored a bill to reduce property taxes for small businesses.{{Cite web |title=Edina's Anselmo running for county commission seat |url=https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_current/free/edinas-anselmo-running-for-county-commission-seat/article_1faf8442-ff07-11e9-a9da-0f8c0abc3292.html |access-date=September 22, 2020 |website=hometownsource.com |language=en |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406025521/https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_current/free/edinas-anselmo-running-for-county-commission-seat/article_1faf8442-ff07-11e9-a9da-0f8c0abc3292.html |url-status=live }}

According to the Pioneer Press, Anselmo held an W-NOMINATE score of 0.197, which made him one of the most moderate members of the state legislature during his tenure.{{Cite web |date=September 22, 2017 |title=We calculated how liberal or conservative each MN representative voted this year |url=https://www.twincities.com/2017/09/22/we-calculated-how-liberal-or-conservative-each-mn-representative-voted-this-year/ |access-date=August 19, 2020 |website=Twin Cities |language=en-US |archive-date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125031006/http://www.twincities.com/2017/09/22/we-calculated-how-liberal-or-conservative-each-mn-representative-voted-this-year/ |url-status=live }}

In 2018, Anselmo lost his re-election bid to Heather Edelson.{{Cite web |last=Uren |first=Adam |title=Election rivals share a drink after the results come in |url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/republican-democrat-share-a-drink-after-the-results-come-in |access-date=August 22, 2020 |website=Bring Me The News |language=en}} After Anselmo's loss, he shared a drink with Edelson that ended up in a story on MPR News online.{{Cite web |last=Uren |first=Adam |title=Election rivals share a drink after the results come in |url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/republican-democrat-share-a-drink-after-the-results-come-in |access-date=August 29, 2020 |website=Bring Me The News |language=en}}

On October 30, 2019, Anselmo announced his run for Hennepin County Commissioner in District 6.{{Cite web |first=Melissa |last=Turtinen |title=Former State Rep. Dario Anselmo running for Hennepin County Board of Commissioners |url=https://www.swnewsmedia.com/lakeshore_weekly/news/local/former-state-rep-dario-anselmo-running-for-hennepin-county-board-of-commissioners/article_742a070a-5ea1-581f-8afd-d8ce854686a6.html |access-date=August 19, 2020 |website=SWNewsMedia.com |language=en |archive-date=August 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813090633/https://www.swnewsmedia.com/lakeshore_weekly/news/local/former-state-rep-dario-anselmo-running-for-hennepin-county-board-of-commissioners/article_742a070a-5ea1-581f-8afd-d8ce854686a6.html |url-status=live }} The seat is currently held by Jan Callison, who announced that she would not be running for re-election.{{Cite web |title=Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison won't seek re-election in 2020 |url=https://www.startribune.com/hennepin-county-commissioner-jan-callison-won-t-seek-re-election-in-2020/559203052/ |access-date=August 19, 2020 |website=Star Tribune |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022015058/https://www.startribune.com/hennepin-county-commissioner-jan-callison-won-t-seek-re-election-in-2020/559203052/ |url-status=live }}

On August 11, 2020, Anselmo advanced from the primary election. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Anselmo and his wife, Jeanne, have resided in Edina, Minnesota for the past twenty years. They have three children, all of whom have or are currently attending Edina High School.

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{{MN-legdb|15454}}

• [http://www.darioanselmo.com/ Dario Anselmo Website]

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Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives

Category:Whittier College alumni

Category:Boston University alumni

Category:University of Minnesota alumni

Category:People from Edina, Minnesota

Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature