| Bobby Joe Champion | |
| Office: | 17th President of the Minnesota Senate |
| Term Start: | January 3, 2023 |
| Predecessor: | David Osmek |
| State Senate1: | Minnesota |
| District1: | 59th |
| Term Start1: | January 8, 2013 |
| State House2: | Minnesota |
| District2: | 58B |
| Term Start2: | January 6, 2009 |
| Term End2: | January 8, 2013 |
| Predecessor2: | Augustine Dominguez |
| Birth Date: | 17 December 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Spouse: | Angela |
| Children: | 3 |
| Education: | Macalester College (BA) William Mitchell College of Law (JD) |
Bobby Joe Champion (born December 17, 1963) is an American attorney and politician serving as a member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represents the 59th district, which includes portions of downtown and north Minneapolis in Hennepin County.[1] He is the incumbent President of the Minnesota Senate.[2]
Champion was born in Minneapolis and graduated from Minneapolis North High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Macalester College and a Juris Doctor from the William Mitchell College of Law.
Champion worked as an assistant Minnesota attorney general under Skip Humphrey and Mike Hatch, and as an attorney for a legal rights center. He also worked with Flyte Tyme Productions and was co-founder and director of the Grammy-nominated Excelsior Choir. He was executive director of the Midwest chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors and program director for Social Spaces with Stairstep Initiative.[3]
Career in Law
In 2022 Bobby Joe Champion was a defense attorney in the case in which Leon Bond III and Camille Lashay Dennis-Bond were accused of the horrific murder of 22-year-olds Dalton Lee Ford and Tayler Nicole Garza. The young people he was defending were accused of racing and reaching speeds of 115mph in a 50mph zone, resulting in a deadly accident from which they escaped with minor injuries, but that killed another young couple. Bobby Joe Champion's defense consisted instead of accusing the young couple of causing the accident by turning into an avenue without looking carefully enough. Leon Bond III ended up only going to juvenile rehabilitation for being 17 at the time, being released when he was 21. Camille was sentenced to 15 years in prison. After the fact Bobby Joe championed a bill to have the age to be tried as a juvenile raised to 21 years old.[4] [5]
Champion was elected to the House in 2008, unseating first-term incumbent Augustine Dominguez. He was reelected in 2010.[6]
In November 2012, Champion was elected to the Minnesota Senate, defeating Republican Jim Lilly by a margin of 82%–18%.[7] Champion was reelected to the Minnesota Senate in 2016, defeating challenger Jennifer Carnahan.[8] Champion was also re-elected in 2020 and 2022.[9] In 2022, he was chosen to serve as president of the Senate by his caucus. He is the first African-American to ever hold this position. In addition, Champion currently chairs the Committee on Jobs and Economic Development.
Champion was author and primary sponsor of MN Senate Bill SF 3904.[10] Bill SF 3904 seeks to extend the upper age limit for juvenile jurisdiction toindividuals under age 21.