by Dennis Dalman
On Thursday, July 20, State Rep. Dan Wolgamott released an apology for his July 7 arrest for driving while impaired.
In his apology, Wolgamott wrote the following:
“On Friday, July 7, while attending a weekend wedding celebration outside of Mora, Minn., I was stopped by law enforcement in Kanabec County under suspicion for driving while impaired. The Kanabec County Attorney is awaiting the results of a test before deciding on further action. I wholeheartedly apologize to my family, my friends, my colleagues and my constituents, and thank the law enforcement officers who made sure I got home safe.”
Wolgamott (DFL-St. Cloud) was arrested near Mora in Kanabec County on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to a report from the Minnesota Highway Patrol.
The patrol officer who made the arrest stated in his report that Wolgamott’s vehicle was weaving on the road and that it was missing a front license place and that the vehicle license tabs had expired.
The trooper had been on the lookout for Wolgamott’s vehicle after a complaint was received about a man drinking vodka in the parking lot of a liquor store. At the time of the patrol stop, Wolgamott was the only person in the vehicle.
The trooper’s report noted Wolgamott had failed field sobriety tests, and a breath test measured a blood-alcohol reading of .106 percent, above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
He was placed in the Kanabec Count Jail and was later released on his own personal recognizance, pending possible charges. Kanabec County is located in east central Minnesota, west of Mille Lacs County and east of Pine County (which borders Wisconsin). Mora is the county seat of Kanabec County.
Wolgamott, 32, is serving his third consecutive two-year term as a legislator in the Minnesota House of Representatives and last session served as the speaker pro tempore who often led the House during legislative sessions. A resident of St. Cloud, he represents the people who live in House District 14A, which includes St. Cloud, Waite Park, part of St. Joseph and St. Augusta.
In the 2021-22 legislative session, he was an assistant majority leader for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party House Caucus. Wolgamott is the vice chair of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee and sits on the Capital Investment, Labor and Industry Finance and Policy, and Rules and Legislative Administration Committees.
He is a graduate of St. John’s University, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. For a time he served as an intern of State Rep. Tim Walz’s office before Walz was elected, twice, as Minnesota governor.
Wolgamott, 32, was recently honored as “Legislature of the Year” by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.
State Rep. House member Dan Wolgamott (DFL-St. Cloud).
