Michele Bachmann

Bachmann with husband Marcus in 2011, photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Michele Marie Amble

Place of Birth: Waterloo, Iowa, U.S.

Date of Birth: April 6, 1956

Ethnicity: Norwegian

Michele Bachmann is an American politician. A Republican, she served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota, from January 3, 2007 to January 3, 2015. She has been dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University.

She was a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 2012.

Michele is the daughter of Arlene Jean (Johnson) and David John Amble. She is married to clinical therapist Marcus Bachmann, who is of Swiss descent, and with whom she has five children.

Michele has stated, “I’m an Iowegian. For those of you who don’t know it, that means I’m an Iowan and 100% Norwegian.” Michele is indeed of entirely Norwegian descent.

Michele’s paternal grandfather was Jesse Alvin/H. Amble (the son of Anfind/Anfin Nielsen Amble and Sigrid “Sarah” Tiegen). Jesse was born in Minnesota. Anfind was born in Sogndal, Norway, the son of Niels Anfindsen Amble and Christina/Kristi Hansdatter/Hansdotter Offerdahl/Offerdal. Sigrid was born in Minnesota, to Norwegian parents, Jens Eiriksson Teigen and Anna Johannesdotter Venes.

Michele’s paternal grandmother was Anna/Ann Tomina Munson (the daughter of Thomas Wilhelm/William Munson and Anna Robinson). Michele’s grandmother Anna was born in Kansas or Iowa. Thomas was born in Iowa, the son of Norwegian parents, Halver/Halvor Monsson/Monson/Munson Wamberg and Anna Jørgensdotter Aaberge/Aaberg. Michele’s great-grandmother Anna was born in Iowa, the daughter of Norwegian parents, Anders/Andrew Larsson Hellegaard/Robinson and Sigrid/Siri/Sarah Hansdatter/Hansdotter Breum/Braham, from Jostedal, Sogn og Fjordane.

Michele’s maternal grandfather was Oscar Casper Gunner/Gunder Johnson (the son of Gunder Johnsson/Johnson Tuff and Kari Mikaelsdotter/Michaelson Bjølverud). Oscar was born in Winnebago, Iowa, to Norwegian parents. Michele’s great-grandfather Gunder was the son of John Pedersson Tuff and Barbro Gundersdotter, from Vestre Slidre, Oppland. Kari was the daughter of Mikal Mikalsen Thøring/Bjølverud, from Lesjaverk, Oppland, and of Marit Olsdotter Bjølverud, from Lesja, Oppland.

Michele’s maternal grandmother was Laura Overa Thompson (the daughter of Ole Tostensson/Tostenson/Thompson Brujordet and Carrie Brones). Laura was born in Iowa. Ole was born in Skjak, Oppland, Norway, the son of Tostan/Tosten Sulheimsøien Larson and Torø/Torie Olsdtr/Olson Kroken/Brujordet. Carrie was born in Iowa, to Norwegian parents, Peder/Peter N. Brunes/Brones, from Modum, Buskerud, and Harriett “Hattie” Peters.

Two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry have served as Vice President of the United States, Hubert Humphrey, from January 20, 1965 to January 20, 1969, and Walter Mondale, from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. Both were members of the Democratic Party.

Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale were also the two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry who were nominated for President of the United States by a major party, Humphrey in 1968 and Mondale in 1984, both by the Democratic Party.

Mondale was also the Democratic Party’s nominee for re-election as Vice President in 1980. Aside of Humphrey and Mondale, three people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry have been nominated for Vice President of the United States by a major party. They were/are:
*Earl Warren (1948; Republican; Warren was of Norwegian and Swedish descent)
*Lloyd Bentsen (1988, Democratic; Bentsen’s father was of Danish descent)
*Tim Walz (2024, Democratic; Walz’s paternal grandmother was of Swedish descent)

Michele is one of several people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry to have run a plausible or semi-plausible campaign for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States. Of these candidates, several won a major party’s caucus and/or primary. They were:
*Earl Warren (who sought the 1936, 1944, 1948, and 1952 Republican nominations; each time, won 1 state, California)
*Charles A. Christopherson (who sought the 1944 Republican nomination; won 1 state, South Dakota; Christopherson’s parents were Norwegian)
*Hubert Humphrey (Democratic; in 1952, he won 1 state, Minnesota; in 1960, he won 2 states; in 1972, he won 5 states)
*Joe Foss (who sought the 1956 Republican nomination; won 1 state, South Dakota; Foss’s father was of Norwegian descent)
*Henry M. Jackson (Democratic; ran in 1972 and 1976: in 1976, he won 4 contests; Jackson’s parents were Norwegian)
*Walter Mondale (1984, the year he was nominated; Democratic; won 20 contests)

Other people of heavily Scandinavian heritage who have mounted plausible or semi-plausible campaigns for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States are:
*George T. Mickelson (who sought the 1952 Republican nomination; Mickelson’s father was Norwegian)
*Pat Paulsen (who sought the 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996 nominations, usually Democratic; Paulsen’s father was Norwegian)
*Frank Carlson (who sought the 1968 Republican nomination; Carlson’s parents were Swedish)
*Lloyd Bentsen (who sought the 1976 Democratic nomination)
*John B. Anderson (who sought the 1980 Republican nomination, and was later an independent 1980 candidate; Anderson’s father was Swedish and Anderson’s mother was of Swedish descent)
*Bob Smith (who sought the 2000 Republican nomination; Smith’s paternal grandfather was of Danish descent)
*Gary Johnson (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination, and was the Libertarian Party’s 2012 and 2016 nominee for President of the United States; Johnson’s father was adopted by Danish and Norwegian parents, and was possibly himself of Scandinavian descent)
*Jon Huntsman, Jr. (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination; Huntsman is of one eighth Swedish, one eighth Norwegian, and one sixteenth Danish, descent)
*Eric Swalwell (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Swalwell’s mother is of Swedish and Danish descent)
*Perry Johnson (who sought the 2024 Republican nomination; Johnson’s father was of Swedish and Norwegian descent)

Sources: Genealogies of Michele Bachmann – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
https://www.geni.com