Rob Kupec

Robert J. Kupec (/ˈkuːpɛk/ KOO-pek;^[1] born November 27, 1968) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), he represents Senate District 4, which includes most of Clay and Becker counties. Prior to seeking elected office, he was for a decade the chief meteorologist at KVRR and previously at WDAY-TV.

Rob Kupec
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2023
Preceded by	Kent Eken
Personal details
Born	(1968-11-27) November 27, 1968 (age 56)
Political party	Democratic (DFL)
Spouse	Deb White
Children	1
Residence	Moorhead, Minnesota
Alma mater	State University of New York-Albany
Profession	Meteorologist

Early life, education, and career

Kupec was born in eastern Connecticut.^[2] Both of his parents were active union organizers. He attended college at the State University of New York-Albany, studying Atmospheric Science, and earned a degree in 1992.^[3] He moved to Moorhead, Minnesota in 2000, and began work as a meteorologist, first for WDAY-TV and then served as chief meteorologist for KVRR.

Political career

Prior to moving to Minnesota, Kupec ran as a Green party candidate for the Albany County Legislature in 1999.^[4][5]

In 2022, incumbent DFL state senator Kent Eken decided not to seek reelection.^[6] Kupec ran, and was unopposed in the DFL primary. He defeated Moorhead City Councilman and Republican Dan Bohmer in the general election, winning 52.5% of the vote compared to Bohmer's 46.8%.^[7]

Kupec serves on the following committees:^[8]

• Vice Chair: Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development
• Health and Human Services
• Higher Education
• Labor

Personal life

He is married to Deb White, a Moorhead City Councilwoman.^[5] They have one son, Quinn.^[9]