Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN) is the U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 6th congressional district, serving since 2015. Emmer also served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 until 2011 and was the Republican nominee for governor in the 2010 election. He earned a Juris Doctorate in 1988 and spent several years practicing as a trial attorney before founding his own law firm. He served on the Delano City Council from 2003 to 2004 and the Independence City Council from 1995 to 2002. In 2004, he won election to the Minnesota State House of Representatives, and he held this seat until 2011. Congressman Emmer is a member of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota State Bar Association, North Dakota State Bar Association and Wisconsin State Bar Association. In June of 2015, Congressman Emmer visited Cuba and met with local citizens and government official. Following this visit, in July 2015 he introduced a bill entitled the "Cuba Trade Act of 2015" to eliminate the U.S. embargo on Cuba.