Gretchen Hoffman lives in Vergas, Minn but used to run her knitting business out of Fargo, N.D. The reason is simple, Minnesota's tax climate is unfriendly to businesses, and state government has too many regulatory burdens on small business owners. Changing that was part of Hoffman's goal in running for the Senate against DFL incumbant Sen. Dan Skogen. It was also a big part of the reason she won.

"Bussiness owners have had to live and work under these circumstances every day, and we understand how difficult it really is" says Hoffman. "It was time to change that, and the people at the door knew it."

Hoffman was raised in Fargo and graduated from Fargo South High School. She got an associate's degree in business at a community college in North Dakota in 1979, and moved to Minnesota shortly thereafter to be with her future husband, Virgil. In 1992, Hoffman received a nursing degree through Fergus Falls Community College. She worked at hospitals in both Minnesota and North Dakota before deciding to turn her longtime passion for knitting into a small bussiness. She opened Yarn Renaissance in North Dakota in 1999 and ran it until 2007, during which time she had about 10 people working under her. Hoffman currently sits on the Board of Directors of GPK Products, a family-owned manufacturing of PVC water and wastewater fittings.

For a freshman legislator, Hoffman landed on some of the most coveted panels in the Legislature, including Health and Human Services. As a trained nurse, Hoffman says she has the perspective of a health care professional to bring to the committee. Her largest concern is the rate at which the HHS budget is growing, saying her priority will be to stop the growth while protecting the elderly and vulnerable she has worked with as a nurse.

She also serves on the Tax Commitee. Hoffman campaigned on not raising taxes, and is working on making the state's tax climate friendlier to businesses.

Hoffman and husband Virgil have been married for 28 years and have three grown sons. Hoffman is pro-2nd Amendment and is a conceal-and-carry permit holder. She and her husband are NRA members.