King Banaian

Who is King Banaian?

King Banaian is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represents District 15B, which includes portions of Benton, Sherburne and Stearns counties in the north central part of the state. A Republican, he is also an economist and an economics professor at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud.

Banaian was first elected to the House in 2010, winning by just 13 votes after a recount. He currently serves on the Capital Investment, the Higher Education Policy and Finance, the Rules and Legislative Administration, and the State Government Finance committees.

Named after his grandmother, Lena King Cloutman, Banaian attended Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California, receiving his M.A. and his Ph.D. in economics. He was a community board member of the United Way of Central Minnesota.