Tim Pawlenty

Pawlenty in 2011, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Timothy James Pawlenty

Place of Birth: Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota, United States

Date of Birth: November 27, 1960

Ethnicity:
*Polish (father)
*German (mother)

Tim Pawlenty is an American politician. A Republican, he served as Majority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives, from January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2003, and Governor of Minnesota, from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011.

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

His father, Eugene Joseph Pawlenty, was of Polish descent. His mother, Virginia Frances (Oldenburg), was of German descent. He is married to state court judge Mary Pawlenty, with whom he has two children.

Tim’s paternal grandfather was John Frank Pawlenty (the son of Józef/Joseph Pawlenty and Mary/Maria Zoblocki). John was born in Minnesota, to Polish parents.

Tim’s paternal grandmother was Rosalia Catherine Lashinski (the daughter of Bernat/Bernard/Barney/Bernhard Lesiński/Lashinski/Leschinski and Rozalia/Rose/Rosalia/Rosalie Paschika/Paszylka/Paschilke). Tim’s grandmother Rosalia was born in Minnesota, to Polish parents. Bernat was the son of Piotr/Peter Lesinski/Leschinski and Marianna/Maria Szramkowska/Schramkowski. Rozalia was the daughter of John Paschilka/Paszylka/Paschilke and Marianna/Maria.

Tim’s maternal grandfather was John Oldenburg (the son of Franz/Frank Oldenburg and Mary Busse). John was born in Minnesota. Franz was born in Minnesota, to German parents, John Oldenburg, from Mecklenburg, and Maria Fehland, from Schleswig-Holstein. Tim’s great-grandmother Mary was born in Minnesota, the daughter of German parents, Friedrich Busse and Anna Maria Mavis, from Prussia.

Tim’s maternal grandmother was Edna Eristina Luedke (the daughter of Charles Luedke and Julia Sophie Koenig). Edna was born in Minnesota. Charles was born in Minnesota, the son of Prussian German parents, Carl Charles Luedke and Wilhelmina Dorothia Catharina Werder. Julia was born in Wisconsin, the daughter of Prussian German parents, Philip F. Koenig and Matilda Kopflin.

Tim is one of several people of significant Slavic 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, four won a major party’s caucus and/or primary. The four are:
*Harold Stassen (Republican; in 1944, he won 1 state, Nebraska; in 1948, he won 4 states; in 1952, he won 1 state, Minnesota; Stassen also sought the 1964, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992 Republican nominations; Stassen’s paternal grandmother was Czech)
*Edmund Muskie (1972; Democratic; won 4 states; Muskie was previously the 1968 Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States; he was of Polish descent)
*Tom Harkin (1992; Democratic; won 1 state, Iowa; Harkin’s mother was of Slovene descent)
*John Kasich (Republican; ran in 2000 and 2016: in 2016, he won 1 state, Ohio; Kasich is of Czech or Rusyn, and Croatian descent)

Other people of significant Slavic ancestry who have mounted plausible or semi-plausible campaigns for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States are:
*George H. Bender (who sought the 1960 Republican nomination; Bender was of Czech descent)
*James Traficant (who sought the 1988 Democratic nomination; Traficant’s mother was of Slovak descent)
*Dennis Kucinich (who sought the 2004 and 2008 Democratic nominations; Kucinich’s father was of Croatian 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 mother was of Ukrainian descent)
*Amy Klobuchar (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Klobuchar’s father was of Slovene descent)
*Joe Sestak (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Sestak’s father was of Slovak descent)
*Perry Johnson (who sought the 2024 Republican nomination; Johnson’s mother was of Rusyn and Slovak descent)

Sources: Genealogies of Tim Pawlenty – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.geni.com