Amy Jean Klobuchar born May 25 1960 is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Minnesota a seat she has held since 2007 A member of the Minnesota DemocraticFarmerLabor Party DFL Minnesotas affiliate of the Democratic Party she previously served as the County Attorney of Hennepin County Minnesota Born in Plymouth Minnesota Klobuchar graduated from Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School She was a partner at two Minneapolis law firms before being elected county attorney of Hennepin County in 1998 making her responsible for all criminal prosecution in Minnesotas most populous county Klobuchar was first elected to the Senate in 2006 succeeding Mark Dayton to become Minnesotas first elected female United States senator She was reelected by a landslide in 2012 winning almost all of the states 87 counties Klobuchar was reelected again in 2018 In 2009 and 2010 she was described as a rising star in the Democratic Party Klobuchars political positions align with modern liberalism She has focused on healthcare reform consumer protection agriculture and climate change She is known for her folksy Midwestern demeanor and ability to win in rural Minnesota On February 10 2019 Klobuchar announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in the 2020 election on March 2 2020 she suspended her campaign and endorsed Joe Biden In 2021 she became the chair of the Senate Rules Committee