Kirsti Sandstrom

Kirstin Noël "Kirsti" Sandstrom (née Loomer; born January 19, 1970) is an American politician and business executive serving as the junior U.S. Senator from x|North Dakota since 2019. A member of the x|Republican Party, she served as a member of the x|North Dakota Senate, representing the 37th district, from 2014 to 2019.

Born in x|Davenport, Iowa, Sandstrom was raised in the Davenport suburb of x|Blue Grass, Iowa, and graduated from x|St. Katharine's St. Mark's Independent College Preparatory School in 1988. After graduating, Sandstrom moved to x|Minneapolis, Minnesota to attend the x|University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in economics in 1992. After finishing her bachelor's degree, Sandstrom moved to x|Fargo, North Dakota after accepting a position with x|Cass County Electric Cooperative. In 2005, she received an MBA from x|North Dakota State University. After the x|North Dakota oil boom of 2006, Sandstrom moved to x|Dickinson, North Dakota and began working as an executive at x|EOG Resources. She left her career in the oil industry in 2014, in order to enter politics.

Sandstrom began her political career in 2014, launching her campaign for x|North Dakota Senate. She went on to win the election, representing the 37th district. During her first term in office, Sandstrom launched her campaign for United States Senate in 2018. She secured the Republican nomination, and later beat incumbent Barbara Coolie in the general election. Sandstrom was sworn in as a U.S. Senator on January 3, 2019.

Early life and family
Sandstrom was born on January 19, 1970 in x|Davenport, Iowa to parents Bobby (born 1944) and Camilla Loomer (née Schuppert; 1945–2003). Her father worked in advertising, while her mother worked in the cosmetics industry. She is of primarily x|Dutch, x|English, and x|German descent, and was raised in an x|Christian household. When Sandstrom was three years old, the family moved from Davenport to the nearby rural suburb of x|Blue Grass, Iowa, where they lived in a four-bedroom home. Sandstrom is the elder of two children; her younger brother is Anthony, born June 25, 1972.

Education and early career
Sandstrom attended both public and private schooling. She began her education in 1975, attending a local public elementary school. In 1982, she transferred to x|St. Katharine's St. Mark's Independent College Preparatory School (now Rivermont Collegiate), an independent coeducational nondenominational PK–12 school in nearby x|Bettendorf, Iowa. Sandstrom began high school at St. Katherine's St. Mark's in 1984, where she was an honors student and member of the track and field team. Sandstrom served as president of her school's x|Young Republicans in her senior year, and was also treasurer of her graduating class. She graduated from high school in 1988. After finishing high school, Sandstrom moved to x|Minneapolis, Minnesota to attend the x|University of Minnesota. She studied economics and joined the x|Alpha Chi Omega (ΑΧΩ) sorority, graduating with her bachelor's degree in 1992.

After finishing her undergraduate degree, Sandstrom moved to x|Fargo, North Dakota after accepting a position with the x|Cass County Electric Cooperative. In 2000, Sandstrom enrolled in a part-time MBA program at x|North Dakota State University, and graduated with her degree in 2005. She remained an executive at Cass County Electric Cooperative for several years, until the x|North Dakota oil boom in 2006. Afterwards, Sandstrom left Fargo and moved to x|Dickinson, North Dakota, becoming an executive at x|EOG Resources and overseeing operations in North Dakota. Sandstrom left her career in 2014, in order to enter politics.

Political positions
Main article: Political positions of Kirsti Sandstrom.

Personal life
Sandstrom met marketing executive Bill Sandstrom at a bar in x|Fargo, North Dakota in 1994. They soon began a relationship, later becoming engaged in 1997; they married later that year in x|Davenport, Iowa. They have two children together: Ezekiel "Zeke", born May 14, 2002, and Kendra, born November 17, 2003.

The family owns two homes: their four-bedroom house in x|Dickinson, North Dakota and their three-bedroom townhouse in the x|Foggy Bottom neighborhood of x|Washington, D.C.; while a member of the x|North Dakota Senate, Sandstrom rented a studio apartment in x|Bismarck, North Dakota while the Senate was in session. Sandstrom is an x|nondenominational evangelical Christian, while her husband is a x|Lutheran; they are raising their children between the two branches of Christianity.