Paul Overgaard

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Paul Overgaard

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| office =

| term_start =

| term_end =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| office2 =

| term_start2 =

| term_end2 =

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| state_senate3 = Minnesota

| district3 = 9th

| prior_term3 =

| term_start3 = January 5, 1971

| term_end3 = January 1, 1973

| predecessor3 = Rudolph Hanson

| successor3 = Charles Robert Hansen "Baldy, C.R."

| state_house4 = Minnesota

| district4 = 9A

| prior_term4 = 9 (1963-1966)

| term_start4 = January 8, 1963

| term_end4 = January 6, 1969

| predecessor4 = Edmond Conn

| successor4 = Henry J. Savelkoul

| party = Republican Party of Minnesota

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|02|15|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Albert Lea, Minnesota, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|02|04|1930|02|15|mf=yes}}

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Legislator

| spouse = Janet

| children = 5

| residence = Albert Lea, Minnesota

|allegiance = {{flag|United States of America|1912|size=23px}}

|branch = {{flag|United States Army|1864|size=23px}}

|rank = First Lieutenant

|serviceyears = 1948–1953

|battles = Korean War

|awards = Silver Star
Purple Heart

}}

Paul Philip Overgaard (February 15, 1930 – February 4, 2022) was an American politician in the state of Minnesota who was a member of the Minnesota Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 9 (present-day district 27) in the Senate and 9A (present-day 27A) in the House, which includes portions of Freeborn and Waseca counties in southeastern Minnesota.{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=11088 |title=Overgaard, Paul|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library | work=Legislators Past & Present | accessdate=February 13, 2015}}

Education, military, and career

Born in Albert Lea, Minnesota, Overgaard graduated from Albert Lea High School. He served in the military from 1948 to 1953 and fought in the Korean War. Overgaard spent the morning of his 21st birthday on February 15, 1951, in a firefight where he parachuted twice, led a company of soldiers in battle after his commander and fellow platoon leaders fell, and sustained a gunshot wound in his thigh forceful enough to send shrapnel into his ankle and heel. He helped win the battle that erupted at 3 a.m. on his birthday in part by calling off friendly fire that would have produced a tragic result had it continued unchecked. Overgaard was awarded a Silver Star, a Purple Heart, and an article and photo in the Minneapolis Star on June 11, 1951, announcing his return to Albert Lea, then stateside service in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. After his return from Korea, he was a grain farmer and worked for Mutual Funds Securities as an investment adviser and as vice president of Imperial Financial Services, Inc.{{Cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/221866961.html|title = OPINION EXCHANGE | Minnesota legislative veterans revisit history|website = Star Tribune}} Overgaard died on February 4, 2022, at the age of 91.[https://bayviewfuneral.com/obituaries/paul-overgaard Paul Overgaard-obituary]

Minnesota House of Representatives

=Elections=

Overgaard was first elected in 1962. He was reelected in 1964 and 1966. He decided not to seek reelection in 1968.

{{Election box begin | title=1966 Minnesota State Representative- House 9A{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1966-11-08-g-man.pdf | title=Results for State Representative District 9A | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=February 13, 2015}}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party

|candidate = Bernard W. Jackson

|votes = 4268

|percentage = 45.6

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party of Minnesota

|candidate = Paul Overgaard (incumbent)

|votes = 5097

|percentage = 54.4

|change =

}}

{{Election box begin | title=1964 Minnesota State Representative- House 9{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1964-11-03-g-man.pdf | title=Results for State Representative District 9 | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=February 13, 2015}}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party

|candidate = Edmond F. Conn

|votes = 7517

|percentage = 47.60

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party of Minnesota

|candidate = Paul Overgaard (incumbent)

|votes = 8263

|percentage = 52.40

|change =

}}

{{Election box begin | title=1962 Minnesota State Representative- House 9{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1962-11-06-g-man.pdf | title=Results for State Representative District 9 | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=February 13, 2015}}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party

|candidate = Edmond F. Conn (incumbent)

|votes = 6579

|percentage = 48.6

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party of Minnesota

|candidate = Paul Overgaard

|votes = 6962

|percentage = 51.4

|change =

}}

=Committee assignments=

For the 65th legislative session, Overgaard was a part of:

Civil Administration Committee
Employees Compensation Committee
Highways Committee
Recreation and Water Resources Committee
Taxes Committee
University and College Committee

For the 64th legislative session, Overgaard was a part of:

Employees Compensation Committee
General Legislation and Veterans Affairs Committee
Highways Committee
Municipal Affairs Committee
Taxes Committee

For the 63rd legislative session, Overgaard was a part of:

Cooperatives and Marketing Committee
Employees Compensation Committee
Industrial and Employee Relations Committee
Metropolitan and Urban Affairs Committee
Municipal Affairs Committee
Recreation and Water Resources Committee

=Tenure=

Overgaard represented District 31A in the Minnesota House of Representatives from January 8, 1963 to January 6, 1969 (63rd, 64th, and 65th legislative sessions).

Minnesota Senate

=Elections=

Overgaard was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1970. He lost reelection in 1972.

{{Election box begin | title=1972 Minnesota State Senator- Senate 9{{cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1972-11-07-g-sec.pdf | title=Results for State Senate District 9 | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=February 13, 2015}}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

|candidate = C. R. Baldy Hansen

|votes = 13085

|percentage = 53.38

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party of Minnesota

|candidate = Paul Overgaard (incumbent)

|votes = 11426

|percentage = 46.62

|change =

}}

{{Election box begin | title=1970 Minnesota State Senator- Senate 9{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1970-11-03-g-sec.pdf | title=Results for State Senate District 9 | publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State | accessdate=February 13, 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

|candidate = Elroy (Al) Schulz

|votes = 9629

|percentage = 49.80

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party of Minnesota

|candidate = Paul Overgaard

|votes = 9718

|percentage = 50.20