James J. Abeler II ( ; born May 18, 1954) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represents District 35 in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. He formerly represented District 35A in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Early life and education Abeler was born in Minneapolis. He graduated from Anoka High School in Anoka, then attended the University of Minnesota and Hamline University in Saint Paul.Anoka Lawmaker Hoping For A Successful Rookie Year Minnesota Legislative Reference Library Session Weekly, January 15, 1999 He earned his D.C. from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington in 1979. In the late 1990s, he founded PACT Charter School in Anoka.Belden, Doug - Anoka Republican Jim Abeler wades into Senate race. TwinCities.com Pioneer Press, June 17, 2013
Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota House of Representatives Abeler was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1998 and was reelected every two years until 2014, when he ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. Before the 2002 legislative redistricting, he represented the old District 49A. He chaired the Health Policy and Finance Subcommittee for the Health Care Cost Containment Division during the 2005-06 biennium.
Minnesota Senate
Abeler won election to the Minnesota Senate in a special election on February 9, 2016 and took office on February 22. In 2022, he gained notoriety for unwittingly approving a DFL-sponsored bill that legalized THC edibles derived from hemp.Faircloth, Ryan - Edibles, beverages infused with cannabis ingredient THC become legal Friday in Minnesota. Star Tribune, June 30, 2022Faircloth, Ryan - New edible cannabis law catches some Minnesota regulators, lawmakers by surprise. Star Tribune, July 1, 2022Derosier, Alex - Cannabis edibles containing psychoactive THC now legal in Minnesota TwinCities.com Pioneer Press, June 30, 2022Bornhoft, William - Did Minnesota Just Accidentally Legalize THC-Laced Edibles?. MSN.com Patch, July 1, 2022
2014 U.S. Senate campaign
Abeler was a candidate in the 2014 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota. He lost the Republican nomination to Mike McFadden.
Political stances Abeler formed the MN Autism Council in 2018. He was subsequently criticized for appointing Wayne Rohde, cofounder of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota, to the council in 2019. Rohde is a prominent vaccine skeptic and an executive for Health Choice, which advocates for health conditions in children "caused by side effects of vaccine choices."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, in November 2020, Abeler opened a bar called Nucky's Speakeasy as a co-owner. He had owned the Anoka building in which it opened since 1994. The bar was named after Atlantic City racketeer Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson.
Personal life Abeler is married to Barb and they have six children. He is a Baptist and a chiropractor.
References
External links
Official Senate website Official campaign website
Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Rep. Jim Abeler