Nathan Cohen (DFL-MN)

[Brady]

Basic Information

Character Name: Nathan Cohen
Avatar: Jacob Frey
Seat: Minnesota (Class 3)
Party: Democratic
Major Caucus: Progressive Democrats
Special Talent: Lion
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Homosexual
Race/Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Date of Birth: July 23, 1975
Place of Birth: St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Place of Residence: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Family Information

Parents: David Cohen; Judith Cohen (née Hoffman)
Siblings: Rebecca Levy (née Cohen); Leah Friedman (née Cohen)
Spouse: Ezra Abrams

Educational History

St. Louis Park Senior High School – Diploma (1993)
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities – Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (1997)
Harvard Law School – Juris Doctor (2000)

Occupational History

Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senators Paul Wellstone and Dean Barkley (2000-2003)
United States Army, retired at rank of Captain (2003-2011)
U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 5th District (2007-2018)
U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2018-)

Key Votes

110th Congress
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008: Nay

111th Congress
Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010: Nay

112th Congress
United States–Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Nay

113th Congress
2013 Nuclear Option Use for Nominations Except the Supreme Court: N/A (Not in Senate)

114th Congress
Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act: Nay

115th Congress
Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act: Nay

116th Congress
United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA): Yea

Biography

Nathan Tobias Cohen was born on July 23, 1975, the youngest of David and Judith Cohen's three children and their only son. His father was a civil rights lawyer and his mother was a professor of philosophy and bioethics at the University of Minneapolis, Twin Cities. Though his family could afford private schooling, his parents believed strongly in the public school system so Nate and his two older sisters attended St. Louis Park Senior High School. While in high school, Nate was on the swim and track teams as well as being on the debate team and the student council. Nate graduated valedictorian from St. Louis Park High in 1993. After graduating high school, Nate attended the University of Minneapolis, Twin Cities where he studied political science. He was active in the College Democrats and served in the Undergraduate Student Government. He graduated from UMN with his BA in Political Science in 1997, then went on to receive his JD from Harvard Law School in 2000.

Fresh out of law school, Nate decided to forego pursuit of any prestigious clerkships and followed his true passion for politics. He went to work as a legislative assistant to Senator Paul Wellstone, whom he'd personally met through the College Democrats while at UMN. He was still working in Wellstone's office when the Senator tragically died in a plane crash in 2002, and continued to serve as a legislative assistant to his appointed successor, Dean Barkley, until he left office in 2003. Nate had worked in Wellstone's office for only a little over a year before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 occurred. By 2003, the war in Afghanistan was still ongoing and war with Iraq was imminent. Nate didn't agree with the Iraq War, but he felt called to serve alongside high school and college friends who had enlisted. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and progressed through Officer Candidate School, commissioned as a second lieutenant later that year. He did two tours of duty in Iraq, and during his second tour he was injured by shrapnel from an IED, earning him a Purple Heart.

By the time Martin Olav Sabo announced he wouldn't seek re-election in 2006, Nate had completed his active duty commitment and was finishing his service commitment in the Individual Ready Reserve. After consulting with family and friends, including political connections he'd made while working for Wellstone, he declared his candidacy to replace Sabo in the House of Representatives. He ran an unabashedly progressive campaign in a solid Democratic district, earning him victory in the Democratic primary. With 2006 being a very good year for Democrats, he won the seat with 56% of the vote.

It was during his freshman term in the House that he reconnected with Ezra Abrams, a fellow alumnus from UMN, and the two began discreetly dating. Nate had been out to close family and friends for years, but thanks to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy he hadn't fully come out of the closet for the sake of maintaining his service in the Army. Nate publicly came out in 2010 during the debate over repealing DADT, despite the possibility he would be discharged. The discharge never came and DADT was repealed that year, a vote Nate has described as his proudest in Congress. Nate retired from the Army when his service commitment was completed in 2011.

Amidst accusations of sexual misconduct, incumbent Democratic Senator Al Franken resigned from the U.S. Senate on January 2, 2018. Widely popular with the same progressives who had backed Franken, Nate was appointed by the Governor of Minnesota to replace Franken just one day later and would go on to run in the special election later that year. He faced no significant opposition in the primary as Democrats shied away from making what was already expected to potentially be a difficult race more challenging. In the general election, Nate faced State Senator Karin Housley, defeating her by a margin of 53% to 42% on election day. He would go on to win a full six-year term in the 2020 election against former U.S. Representative Jason Lewis, a Republican.

Nate has been a consistently progressive voice in Congress since his election to the House in 2006. During his time in the House, he was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights even before publicly coming out. He has supported single-payer health care and voted in favor of the House health care reform bill that included a public option, though he ultimately cast his vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act despite omission of the public option from the final bill. Nate has also been a civil libertarian, breaking with his party to cast votes against legislation that enhance government surveillance powers. He opposed the Iraq War and called for a responsible withdrawal from Afghanistan, though he isn't as dovish as some of his fellow progressives in Congress.

Nate and Ezra married in 2013 after passage of a state law legalizing same-sex marriage in Minnesota. The two of them are dog dads to a Fox Red Labrador Retriever named Rusty, but have put off child adoption for now due to their busy careers, with Ezra maintaining a pediatrics practice in Minneapolis. They are active in Temple Israel, a Reform Jewish congregation in Minneapolis. Nate and Ezra are vegan, which Nate has called the easiest way to keep kosher, something they choose to do as a matter of personal choice even though Reform Judaism doesn't require it. The couple are also involved in local community service projects, including running marathons for local non-profits. Nate is a diehard Minnesota Vikings fan and also casually follows other professional sports teams from Minnesota.

Points

Gender: Male (0 points)
Age: 45-49 years old (5 points)
Sexuality: Openly Homosexual (15 points)
Race/Ancestry: Sephardic/Ashkenazi/Mizrahi Jew (10 points)
Religion: Jewish (0 points)
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree at Public Ivy (5 points)
• Master's Degree/JD (0 points)

Socioeconomic History: Top 5% (-10 points)
Career History:

• Federal Political Staffer (10 points)
• Commissioned Officer, O-1 to O-5 (10 points)

Political Experience:

• House of Representatives (3 points x 5 terms = 15 points)
• Senate (1 prior term = 5 points)

Awards and Extras: Major Military Award, Non-Medal of Honor (10 points)
Total: 75 points

Edited Saturday at 09:58 PM by Brady
Updating Senate seat class

[Brady]

Btw I did double check and this seat is Class 2 even though it's marked Class 3 on the roster.

[TedderBear]

14 hours ago, Brady said:

Btw I did double check and this seat is Class 2 even though it's marked Class 3 on the roster.

In the case of conflicting info from RL and posted by an admin on the boards, the admin-posted content will supersede real life info. It's an important precedent, especially as we go through the round and IC diverges more and more from RL. The admin team holds the right to change info from RL. 

[TedderBear]

18 hours ago, Brady said:

Basic Information

Character Name: Nathan Cohen
Avatar: Jacob Frey
Seat: Minnesota (Class 2)
Party: Democratic
Major Caucus: Progressive Democrats
Special Talent: Lion
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Homosexual
Race/Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Date of Birth: July 23, 1975
Place of Birth: St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Place of Residence: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Family Information

Parents: David Cohen; Judith Cohen (née Hoffman)
Siblings: Rebecca Levy (née Cohen); Leah Friedman (née Cohen)
Spouse: Ezra Abrams

Educational History

St. Louis Park Senior High School – Diploma (1993)
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities – Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (1997)
Harvard Law School – Juris Doctor (2000)

Occupational History

Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senators Paul Wellstone and Dean Barkley (2000-2003)
United States Army, retired at rank of Captain (2003-2011)
U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 5th District (2007-2018)
U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2018-)

Key Votes

110th Congress
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008: Nay

111th Congress
Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010: Nay

112th Congress
United States–Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Nay

113th Congress
2013 Nuclear Option Use for Nominations Except the Supreme Court: N/A (Not in Senate)

114th Congress
Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act: Nay

115th Congress
Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act: Nay

116th Congress
United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA): Yea

Biography

Nathan Tobias Cohen was born on July 23, 1975, the youngest of David and Judith Cohen's three children and their only son. His father was a civil rights lawyer and his mother was a professor of philosophy and bioethics at the University of Minneapolis, Twin Cities. Though his family could afford private schooling, his parents believed strongly in the public school system so Nate and his two older sisters attended St. Louis Park Senior High School. While in high school, Nate was on the swim and track teams as well as being on the debate team and the student council. Nate graduated valedictorian from St. Louis Park High in 1993. After graduating high school, Nate attended the University of Minneapolis, Twin Cities where he studied political science. He was active in the College Democrats and served in the Undergraduate Student Government. He graduated from UMN with his BA in Political Science in 1997, then went on to receive his JD from Harvard Law School in 2000.

Fresh out of law school, Nate decided to forego pursuit of any prestigious clerkships and followed his true passion for politics. He went to work as a legislative assistant to Senator Paul Wellstone, whom he'd personally met through the College Democrats while at UMN. He was still working in Wellstone's office when the Senator tragically died in a plane crash in 2002, and continued to serve as a legislative assistant to his appointed successor, Dean Barkley, until he left office in 2003. Nate had worked in Wellstone's office for only a little over a year before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 occurred. By 2003, the war in Afghanistan was still ongoing and war with Iraq was imminent. Nate didn't agree with the Iraq War, but he felt called to serve alongside high school and college friends who had enlisted. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and progressed through Officer Candidate School, commissioned as a second lieutenant later that year. He did two tours of duty in Iraq, and during his second tour he was injured by shrapnel from an IED, earning him a Purple Heart.

By the time Martin Olav Sabo announced he wouldn't seek re-election in 2006, Nate had completed his active duty commitment and was finishing his service commitment in the Individual Ready Reserve. After consulting with family and friends, including political connections he'd made while working for Wellstone, he declared his candidacy to replace Sabo in the House of Representatives. He ran an unabashedly progressive campaign in a solid Democratic district, earning him victory in the Democratic primary. With 2006 being a very good year for Democrats, he won the seat with 56% of the vote.

It was during his freshman term in the House that he reconnected with Ezra Abrams, a fellow alumnus from UMN, and the two began discreetly dating. Nate had been out to close family and friends for years, but thanks to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy he hadn't fully come out of the closet for the sake of maintaining his service in the Army. Nate publicly came out in 2010 during the debate over repealing DADT, despite the possibility he would be discharged. The discharge never came and DADT was repealed that year, a vote Nate has described as his proudest in Congress. Nate retired from the Army when his service commitment was completed in 2011.

Amidst accusations of sexual misconduct, incumbent Democratic Senator Al Franken resigned from the U.S. Senate on January 2, 2018. Widely popular with the same progressives who had backed Franken, Nate was appointed by the Governor of Minnesota to replace Franken just one day later and would go on to run in the special election later that year. He faced no significant opposition in the primary as Democrats shied away from making what was already expected to potentially be a difficult race more challenging. In the general election, Nate faced State Senator Karin Housley, defeating her by a margin of 53% to 42% on election day. He would go on to win a full six-year term in the 2020 election against former U.S. Representative Jason Lewis, a Republican.

Nate has been a consistently progressive voice in Congress since his election to the House in 2006. During his time in the House, he was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights even before publicly coming out. He has supported single-payer health care and voted in favor of the House health care reform bill that included a public option, though he ultimately cast his vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act despite omission of the public option from the final bill. Nate has also been a civil libertarian, breaking with his party to cast votes against legislation that enhance government surveillance powers. He opposed the Iraq War and called for a responsible withdrawal from Afghanistan, though he isn't as dovish as some of his fellow progressives in Congress.

Nate and Ezra married in 2013 after passage of a state law legalizing same-sex marriage in Minnesota. The two of them are dog dads to a Fox Red Labrador Retriever named Rusty, but have put off child adoption for now due to their busy careers, with Ezra maintaining a pediatrics practice in Minneapolis. They are active in Temple Israel, a Reform Jewish congregation in Minneapolis. Nate and Ezra are vegan, which Nate has called the easiest way to keep kosher, something they choose to do as a matter of personal choice even though Reform Judaism doesn't require it. The couple are also involved in local community service projects, including running marathons for local non-profits. Nate is a diehard Minnesota Vikings fan and also casually follows other professional sports teams from Minnesota.

Points

Gender: Male (0 points)
Age: 45-49 years old (5 points)
Sexuality: Openly Homosexual (15 points)
Race/Ancestry: Sephardic/Ashkenazi/Mizrahi Jew (10 points)
Religion: Jewish (0 points)
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree at Public Ivy (5 points)
• Master's Degree/JD (0 points)

Socioeconomic History: Top 5% (-10 points)
Career History:

• Federal Political Staffer (10 points)
• Commissioned Officer, O-1 to O-5 (10 points)

Political Experience:

• House of Representatives (3 points x 5 terms = 15 points)
• Senate (1 prior term = 5 points)

Awards and Extras: Major Military Award, Non-Medal of Honor (10 points)
Total: 75 points

Approved, masked, and added to Senate Roster. Welcome back!

I went ahead and gave you the class III seat so you're not facing re-election in 2024.