Byron Dorgan | |
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United States Senator from North Dakota |
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In office December 14, 1992 – January 3, 2011 |
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Preceded by | Kent Conrad |
Succeeded by | John Hoeven |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Dakota's at-large district |
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In office January 3, 1981 – December 14, 1992 |
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Preceded by | Mark Andrews |
Succeeded by | Earl Pomeroy |
Tax Commissioner of North Dakota | |
In office March 31, 1969 – January 6, 1981 |
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Governor |
William Guy Arthur Link |
Preceded by | Edwin Sjaasstad |
Succeeded by | Kent Conrad |
Personal details | |
Born |
Dickinson, North Dakota, U.S. |
May 14, 1942
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Kimberly Olson |
Education |
University of North Dakota (BS) University of Denver (MBA) |
Byron Leslie Dorgan (born May 14, 1942) is a former United States Senator and United States Congressman from North Dakota and currently serves as a senior policy advisor for the Washington, DC law firm Arent Fox LLP. He served 12 years in the U.S. House and 18 years in the Senate. He was a member of the Senate Democratic leadership for 16 years, first as Assistant Democratic Floor Leader and then as Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee and Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs. In 2010, Dorgan announced that he would not seek re-election in the 2010 North Dakota senate election.
In addition to his work at Arent Fox, Dorgan serves as a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, where he focuses on energy policy issues as Co-Chair of BPC's Energy Project. He is an Adjunct Visiting Professor at Georgetown University, and serves on several boards of directors, including the Board of Governors of Argonne National Laboratory, and on the National Advisory Board of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
Dorgan is also a New York Times best-selling author of four books, including two on economic and political issues and two novels described as eco-thrillers.
Dorgan was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, the son of Dorothy and Emmett Patrick Dorgan, and was raised in Regent, North Dakota. His father's family was of Irish and Swedish ancestry, while his mother's was German and Norwegian. He graduated from Regent High School and earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Dakota and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver. Dorgan worked for the Martin-Marietta Corporation in the aerospace industry.