John Howe

Who is John Howe?

John Sterling Howe is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate who represented District 28, which includes portions of Goodhue, Wabasha, and Winona counties in the southeastern part of the state. He is also the owner of Howe Properties, LLC, based in Red Wing.

A Republican, Howe was first elected to the Senate in 2010. He was a member of the Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications, the Jobs and Economic Growth, the Taxes, and the Transportation committees. His special legislative concerns were energy and the environment. Howe failed in his 2012 bid for re-election, losing to Red Wing DFLer Matt Schmit. Howe attributed his loss to fliers that featured a mug shot of his rival after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

Howe attended St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, earning his B.A. in Criminal Justice. Prior to becoming owner of Howe Properties, he worked as a laborer, corrections officer and Sears store owner. Active in his community, he was a member of the Goodhue County Social Services Board, and was mayor of Red Wing from 2008 until becoming a senator. He also served on the Minnesota Clean Water Council, appointed by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.