Editing Tim Pawlenty (section)

==Early life, education, and early career==
Pawlenty was born in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], to Eugene Joseph Pawlenty, and his wife, Virginia Frances (née Oldenburg).<ref name="wargs" /><ref name="nyt-stage">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/us/politics/08pawlenty.html|title=Pawlenty Looks to National Stage|author=Davey, Monica|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 7, 2008|access-date=June 1, 2011}}</ref> His father, who drove a milk delivery truck, was of [[Polish American|Polish]] descent, while his mother was of [[Ethnic Germans|German]] ancestry.<ref name="wargs">{{cite web |url=http://www.wargs.com/political/pawlenty.html |title=Ancestry of Tim Pawlenty |author=Reitwiesner, William Addams |publisher=wargs.com |author-link=William Addams Reitwiesner}}</ref> She died of cancer when he was 16.<ref name="MPR2002" /> Pawlenty grew up in [[South St. Paul]],<ref name="nyt-stage" /> where he played [[ice hockey]] on his high school's junior varsity squad.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.citypages.com/2004-01-28/news/a-portrait-of-the-governor-as-a-young-weenie/|title=Grant Hart recalls his old classmate, Tim Pawlenty|author=Jim Walsh|date=January 28, 2004|newspaper=City Pages|access-date=August 9, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924100924/http://www.citypages.com/2004-01-28/news/a-portrait-of-the-governor-as-a-young-weenie/|archive-date=September 24, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Intending to become a [[dentist]], Pawlenty enrolled in the [[University of Minnesota]], the only one in his family to go beyond high school.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Sharpiro|first=Walter|title=The Tragedy of Tim Pawlenty: He did everything right. And that was the problem|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/91908/tim-pawlenty-governor-presidential-candicacy?passthru=Yjk5NDg3N2I0OTExMTI1ZjQ5NWI4MTVhYjg0YzQwZWI|magazine=The New Republic|access-date=July 26, 2011}}</ref> But he changed his plans and spent the summers of 1980 and 1982 working as an [[internship|intern]] at the office of [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[David Durenberger]].<ref name="nyt-stage" /> In 1983, he graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in [[political science]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polisci.umn.edu/people/alumni.php|title=PoliSci Alumni|author=Political Science Dept of College of Liberal Arts|publisher=University of Minnesota|date=July 5, 2008}}</ref> He received a [[Juris Doctor]] from the [[University of Minnesota Law School]] in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law.umn.edu/news/commencementday05-17-08.html|title=Empowered with a New Degree, Class of '08 Sets Forth – 120th Commencement Ceremony|publisher=University of Minnesota Law School|date=February 11, 2008}}</ref> There, he met his wife, [[Mary Pawlenty|Mary Anderson]], whom he married in 1987.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mary Pawlenty leaves bench—First Lady will be top counsel for mediation firm |work=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]] |date=January 5, 2007 |author=Melo, Frederick}}</ref>

Pawlenty first worked as a [[United States labor law|labor law]] attorney at the firm [[Rider Bennett]] (formerly Rider, Bennett, Egan & Arundel), where he had interned while a law student.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pawlenty Biography|url=http://2012.republican-candidates.org/Pawlenty/Biography.php|publisher=2012 Republican Candidates: Comparing the 2012 Republican Candidates|access-date=July 26, 2011}}</ref> He later became vice president of a [[software as a service]] company, Wizmo Inc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizmo.com |title=Main page |publisher=Wizmo}}</ref><ref name="USAToday02">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2002-11-06-pawlenty_x.htm|title=His plans changed, but message didn't|date=November 7, 2002|author=Tom Squitieri|newspaper=USA TODAY}}</ref>

Having moved to [[Eagan, Minnesota]], a suburb of [[Minneapolis – Saint Paul|Minneapolis–Saint Paul]], Pawlenty was appointed to the city's Planning Commission by Mayor Vic Ellison.<ref name="USAToday02" /><ref name="MinnPost">{{cite web|url=http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/09/08/3409/whats_next_for_tim_pawlenty|title=What's next for Tim Pawlenty?|date=September 8, 2008|publisher=MinnPost|access-date=September 10, 2008}}</ref> One year later, at age 28, he was elected to the City Council.<ref name="MPR2002">{{cite web|url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/campaign2002/governor/pawlenty.shtml|title=Campaign 2002: Governor Tim Pawlenty|publisher=[[Minnesota Public Radio]]}}</ref>

Pawlenty entered state politics in [[1990 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1990]] as a campaign advisor for [[Jon Grunseth]]'s campaign for governor.<ref name="MPR2002" /> After becoming engulfed in a scandal, Grunseth dropped out of the race just weeks before the general election. After Pawlenty himself became governor, he appointed Grunseth's ex-wife, Vicky Tigwell, to the board of the [[Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport]], which was called out as an ethics and accountability issue in 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2003/07/16_mccalluml_ethics/|title=DFLer slams "Grunseth groupies"|author=Laura McCallum|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|date=July 16, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/caucus/dem/MemberNews/2004/dist65/20030721_Pappas_Paw_Disclosure.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040919185210/http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/caucus/dem/MemberNews/2004/dist65/20030721_Pappas_Paw_Disclosure.htm|archive-date=September 19, 2004|title=Legislators Call for Full and Complete Disclosure from Governor Pawlenty|publisher=MN State Legislature press release (via Internet Archive)|author=State Senator Sandra L. Pappas|date=July 21, 2003}}</ref>