- Steve Sarvi
Infobox_Congressional Candidate
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name= Steve Sarvi
caption=
nominee=U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 2nd District
incumbent= John Kline
opponent=John Kline (R)
election_date=November 4, 2008
term_start=
term_end=
predecessor=
successor=
party=Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
birth_date= birth date and age|1965|01|30
birth_place=East St. Louis, Illinois
death_date=
death_place=
alma_mater=University of Minnesota
occupation=soldier ,mayor , city administrator
residence=Watertown, Minnesota
spouse= Barbara
religion=Iraq War veteran, Stephen Todd 'Steve' Sarvi is aDemocratic Farmer Labor Party candidate forU.S. Congress , in ushr|Minnesota|2.cite web| title =Iraq war vet to challenge Kline in Minnesota's 2nd District| publisher =Minnesota Public Radio| date =2007-10-04| url =http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/10/04/sarvi/| accessdate = 2007-10-05]Civic leadership
His experience includes working as city administrator in Lanesboro, Victoria, and Watertown. He was elected to mayor of Watertown in 2000, 2002, and 2004. During this time he served on the Southwest Corridor Transportation Coalition, the Minnesota State Fire Fighters Training Board, Watertown Chamber of Commerce, League of Minnesota Cities Improving Local Economies Committee, Southeast Minnesota Initiative Fund, and the Council on Collaboration. He also served several years on the Lanesboro Fire Department/Ambulance Service as a Firefighter and EMT-B.cite web| title =Steve Sarvi has dedicated his life to serving his country and Minnesota| publisher = Sarvi for Congress| url =http://www.stevesarvi.org/about| accessdate = 2007-10-05]
Military service
At the age of 17, Sarvi enlisted in the Army Reserves and served as an infantryman. When attending the
University of Minnesota , Steve enrolled inROTC and switched from the Reserves to theMinnesota National Guard . He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and served as a platoon leader for a tank company based inChisholm, Minnesota . In 1985, he graduated from the US Army Airborne School and in 1987, after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a bachelors degree in Political Science and minor in Humanities, he joined the Active Army with a Regular Army commission.At the Armor Officers Basic Course at
Fort Knox, Kentucky , he graduated in the top 3 of the class. Then he served with the4th Infantry Division atFort Carson, Colorado as a tank platoon leader, company executive officer, and Assistant Operations Officer for the 3rd Battalion 68th Armored Regiment. In 1992 he left the Army at the rank of Captain. Sarvi joined theMinnesota Army National Guard in 1999 as a Sergeant and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment, stationed at West St. Paul. Following9/11 his unit was called upon to provide security at theMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport . Then, in 2003, he was deployed toKosovo to provide security on the border between Kosovo and theRepublic of Macedonia .In 2005, he resigned his mayorship to serve in the
Minnesota National Guard inIraq . As Infantry Platoon Sergeant, Sarvi volunteered to serve in the 34th Infantry Division which served sixteen months in southern Iraq as part ofOperation Iraqi Freedom .2008 U.S. Representative campaign
On
October 4 ,2007 , Sarvi announced he would challenge John Kline forMinnesota's 2nd congressional district seat. He believes that a change in U.S. policy inIraq is needed. Although the district leans Republican with aCPVI of R+3,cite web|title =Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?|publisher =The Campaign Legal Center|url =http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html|accessdate = 2007-03-30] Kline's unwavering support for Bush and theIraq War may make him vulnerable to a challenger in 2008. [cite web| title =Rep. Kline agrees with Iraq assessment| publisher =Minnesota Public Radio| date =2007-09-11| url =http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/09/11/kline_iraq/| accessdate = 2007-09-18] [ [http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=16&a=315528] "Post Bulletin"]Personal life
Sarvi lives in Watertown, in Carver County, is married, and has three school-aged children.
References
External links
* [http://www.stevesarvi.org/ Steve Sarvi for U.S. Congress] "official campaign website"
* [http://opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?ID=MN02&Cycle=2008 Campaign contributions] atOpenSecrets.org
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