Norman Bertram Coleman Jr. is a former Republican U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2003-2009), the first and last Jewish senator from the state, and current National Chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition's Board of Directors. He began his career as a prosecutor in the Minnesota Attorney General's office after earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1976. Initially a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he served as mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota, from 1994 to 2002 before switching to the Republican Party in 1996. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and lost a close reelection bid to Al Franken in 2008 following a recount. After leaving the Senate, Coleman became a lobbyist and attorney, joining the firm Hogan Lovells as Of Counsel. His work has included representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has drawn significant criticism, including accusations of advancing Saudi interests amid scandals like the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the Yemen war. Critics, such as Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), have condemned his role in astroturfing campaigns to rehabilitate Saudi Arabia's image. Coleman has been married to Laurie Coleman since 1981.