View source for Martin Olav Sabo

{{Short description|American politician (1938–2016)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =Martin Olav Sabo
| image name = MartinSabo.jpeg
| birth_date= {{Birth date|1938|2|28}}
| birth_place= [[Crosby, North Dakota]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|3|13|1938|2|28}}
| death_place = [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]], U.S.
| resting_place = [[Lakewood Cemetery]]
| state1 = [[Minnesota]]
| district1 = [[Minnesota's 5th congressional district|5th]]
| term_start1 = January 3, 1979
| term_end1 = January 3, 2007
| preceded1 = [[Donald M. Fraser]]
| succeeded1 = [[Keith Ellison]]
|office2      = Chairman of the [[United States House Committee on the Budget|House Budget Committee]]
|term_start2  = January 3, 1993
|term_end2    = January 3, 1995
|predecessor2 = [[Leon Panetta]]
|successor2   = [[John Kasich]]
| order3=46th
| office3=Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
| term3= 1973–1979
| preceded3= [[Aubrey W. Dirlam]]
| successor3= [[Rod Searle]]
| office4=Member of the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]]
| term4=1961–1978
| office5        = [[President of the National Conference of State Legislatures]]
| term_start5    = 1976
| term_end5      = 1975
| predecessor5   = [[Tom Jensen]]
| successor5     = [[Fred Anderson (Colorado politician)|Fred Anderson]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse = Sylvia Ann Lee
| children = 2, including [[Julie Sabo]]
| residence= Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
| alma_mater= [[Augsburg College]]
}}

'''Martin Olav Sabo''' (February 28, 1938 – March 13, 2016) was an American politician who served as [[United States House of Representatives|United States Representative]] for {{ushr|Minnesota|5|Minnesota's fifth district}}, which includes [[Minneapolis]]; the district is one of eight [[Minnesota Congressional Districts|congressional districts in Minnesota]].

==Early life and education==
Sabo was born in [[Crosby, North Dakota]], the son of [[Norway|Norwegian]] immigrant parents. He received a B.A. from [[Augsburg College]] in Minneapolis in 1959, later pursuing [[Graduate school|graduate studies]] at the [[University of Minnesota]].

== Career ==

=== Minnesota Legislature ===
He was elected to the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] in 1960 at the age of 22, later serving as [[minority leader]] (1969–72) and as the first [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to serve as house speaker (1973–78). During his tenure in the state house he served terms as president of the [[National Conference of State Legislatures]] and of the National Legislative Conference, and was a presidential appointee to the [[US Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations|National Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sabo, Martin Olav - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present |url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10579 |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=www.lrl.mn.gov}}</ref>

=== U.S. Congress ===
When eight-term incumbent and fellow [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] (DFL) member [[Donald M. Fraser]] stepped down to run for the [[U.S. Senate]], Sabo became the DFL candidate to succeed him in what had become the most reliably Democratic district in Minnesota (Fraser had defeated a 10-term [[Republican Party of Minnesota|Republican]] in 1962 and hadn't faced serious opposition since). He won easily in November 1978 and was reelected thirteen times without serious opposition, serving in the [[96th United States Congress|96th]], [[97th United States Congress|97th]], [[98th United States Congress|98th]], [[99th United States Congress|99th]], [[100th United States Congress|100th]], [[101st United States Congress|101st]], [[102nd United States Congress|102nd]], [[103rd United States Congress|103rd]], [[104th United States Congress|104th]], [[105th United States Congress|105th]], [[106th United States Congress|106th]], [[107th United States Congress|107th]], [[108th United States Congress|108th]] and [[109th United States Congress|109th congresses]].

During the [[103rd United States Congress|103rd Congress]] (1993–94) he chaired the [[House Budget Committee]]. As chairman of the Committee, he shepherded the [[Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993]] through the House, legislation that allowed the United States to erase its budget deficit by 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=During the Clinton administration was the federal budget balanced? Was the federal deficit erased? Yes to Both Questions.|url=http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/during_the_clinton_administration_was_the_federal.html|work=FactCheck.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526141840/http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/during_the_clinton_administration_was_the_federal.html|archive-date=May 26, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> (The deficit subsequently returned.) In the [[109th United States Congress]] he sat on the [[House Appropriations Committee]], and was the [[ranking member]] of that committee's Homeland Security subcommittee.

A [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America|Lutheran]], Sabo was married and had two children and six grandchildren. His daughter, [[Julie Sabo]], is a former member of the [[Minnesota Senate]] and was the 2002 DFL nominee for [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota]]. Sabo was inducted into the [[Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame]] in 1994. During the course of his career Sabo referred to himself as a "liberal decentrist", preferring [[Progressivism|progressive]] politics, but local control instead of federal control.<ref name="foxnews1">{{cite news| url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/longtime-minnesota-rep-sabo-to-announce-retirement | work=Fox News | title=Longtime Minnesota Rep. Sabo to Announce Retirement | date=March 18, 2006}}</ref>

Sabo was considered to be the most liberal member of the Minnesota delegation in the [[109th United States Congress|109th Congress]], scoring 4% conservative by a conservative group<ref>{{cite web|title=Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005 |work=SBE Council’s Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005 |publisher=Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council |date=June 2006 |url=http://www.sbecouncil.org/uploads/Ratings2005Scorecard.pdf |access-date=November 2, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929121518/http://www.sbecouncil.org/uploads/Ratings2005Scorecard.pdf |archive-date=September 29, 2006 }}</ref> and 90% [[Progressivism|progressive]] by a liberal group.<ref>{{cite web|title =Leading with the Left|publisher=Progressive Punch|url =http://www.progressivepunch.org|access-date =November 2, 2006}}</ref>

=== Later career ===
[[File:Martin Sabo (2009).jpg|thumb|right|Sabo in 2009]]
On March 18, 2006, he announced that he would not seek reelection for the [[110th United States Congress|110th Congress]], ending 46 years as an [[Official|elected official]], including 28 years in Congress – the third-longest tenure in either house of Congress in the state's history, behind only fellow Democrats [[Jim Oberstar]]<ref name="foxnews1" /><ref>http://www.startribune.com/587/story/315645.html{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and [[Collin Peterson]]. He endorsed his longtime chief of staff [[Mike Erlandson]] in the DFL primary—the real contest in this district. Erlandson lost to State Representative [[Keith Ellison]], also a [[progressivism|progressive]] DFLer, who in turn won the general election and succeeded Sabo on January 4, 2007.

Sabo served as a co-chair of the National Transportation Policy Project at the [[Bipartisan Policy Center]].<ref>[http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/projects/national-transportation-policy-project] "National Transportation Policy Project"</ref> For his work on acquiring funding for transportation projects and specifically pedestrian and bicycling funding, the Midtown Greenway bridge in Minneapolis was named the [[Martin Olav Sabo Bridge]]. In 2022, the central Minneapolis post office was renamed the [[Martin Olav Sabo Post Office]].<ref>{{cite web |title=H.R.8025 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 South 1st Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the "Martin Olav Sabo Post Office". |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8025/text |website=congress.gov |access-date=15 April 2025 |date=27 December 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Sabo was hospitalized with breathing difficulties.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=2016-03-13 |title=Martin Sabo, Congressman Known for Civility in Partisan Times, Dies at 78 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/14/us/politics/martin-sabo-minnesota-congressman-known-for-compassion-in-era-of-partisanship-dies-at-78.html |access-date=2024-02-02 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He died on March 13, 2016, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the age of 78.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.twincities.com/2016/03/13/martin-olav-sabo-longtime-minnesota-representative-has-died/|title=Martin Olav Sabo, longtime Minnesota representative, has died – Twin Cities|date=March 13, 2016 |access-date=2016-03-13}}</ref> He is buried in [[Lakewood Cemetery]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-sabo-funeral-services-will/179630574/ |title=Sabo Funeral Services will be on Saturday in Minneapolis |date=2016-03-16 |newspaper=Star Tribune |page=B2 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=2025-08-24}}{{Open access}}</ref>

U.S Senator [[Amy Klobuchar]] called Sabo a "friend and mentor," and Governor [[Mark Dayton]] praised him as "a great political leader and an outstanding public servant."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Walsh|first1=Paul|title=Martin Sabo, longtime DFL congressman and politician, dies|url=http://www.startribune.com/martin-sabo-longtime-dfl-congressman-and-politician-dies/371916411/#8|website=StarTribune.com|publisher=Star Tribune|access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref> Sabo was a lifelong smoker until he quit in 2003.

==Electoral history==
*2004 race for U.S. House of Representatives – 5th district
**Martin Olav Sabo (DFL) (inc.), 70%
**Daniel Mathias (R), 24%
**[[Jay Pond]] (G), 6%

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10579 Minnesota Legislators Past and Present]
{{CongBio|S000005}}
*[http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00462.xml Martin Sabo legislative and congressional papers] are available for research at the [http://www.mnhs.org Minnesota Historical Society]
*{{C-SPAN|9013}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{US House succession box
| before=[[Donald M. Fraser]]
| state=Minnesota
| district=5
| years=1979–2007
| after=[[Keith Ellison]]
}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box
|title=Chairman of the [[United States House Committee on the Budget|House Budget Committee]]
|before=[[Leon Panetta]]<br>California
|years=1993–1995
|after=[[John Kasich]]<br>Ohio
}}
{{succession box|title=Speaker of the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]]|years=1973–1979|before=[[Aubrey W. Dirlam]]|after=[[Rodney N. Searle]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{US House Budget chairs}}
{{MNSpeakers}}
{{MNRepresentatives}}
{{MNHMinorityLeaders}}
{{National Conference of State Legislatures presidents|state=collapsed}}
{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 96th–109th [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[Minnesota]]}}
{{USCongRep/MN/96}}
{{USCongRep/MN/97}}
{{USCongRep/MN/98}}
{{USCongRep/MN/99}}
{{USCongRep/MN/100}}
{{USCongRep/MN/101}}
{{USCongRep/MN/102}}
{{USCongRep/MN/103}}
{{USCongRep/MN/104}}
{{USCongRep/MN/105}}
{{USCongRep/MN/106}}
{{USCongRep/MN/107}}
{{USCongRep/MN/108}}
{{USCongRep/MN/109}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabo, Martin Olav}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:American people of Norwegian descent]]
[[Category:American Lutherans]]
[[Category:Politicians from Minneapolis]]
[[Category:Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives]]
[[Category:People from Divide County, North Dakota]]
[[Category:Augsburg University alumni]]
[[Category:University of Minnesota alumni]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Burials at Lakewood Cemetery]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature]]
[[Category:20th-century Lutherans]]
[[Category:21st-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:Presidents of the National Conference of State Legislatures]]