Duluth Native, Political Heavyweight Mike Berman Dies

DULUTH, Minn. — Mike Berman, who grew up in Duluth and was former Vice President Walter Mondale’s deputy chief of staff, has died at the age of 84.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), released the following statement about his passing:

“Mike Berman lived an incredible life dedicated to public service. From a modest background growing up in Duluth, where his father ran a family dry cleaning store, Mike rose to become a longtime close, trusted adviser to Vice President Walter Mondale and, later, to President Bill Clinton. For decades, Mike was among the most influential figures in Washington, DC, and Democratic politics. He was a mentor to so many of us in Minnesota politics, including myself and Tom Nides, former U.S. ambassador to Israel. We could always count on Mike for his wry sense of humor, his honesty and his Minnesota common sense. Mike was never one to seek publicity, but it’s important for people to know that he left a large, positive imprint on Minnesota and our country,” Klobuchar said.

Most recently, Berman was president of The Duberstein Group, Inc., “which is considered to be the leading independent government relations consulting firm in Washington, D.C.,” according to the University of Minnesota.

“He has served on numerous national boards, including co-chair of the Board of the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. Because of his political expertise, he has been invited as a lecturer at a number of universities across the country. He was appointed to the American University’s School of Public Affairs as a fellow at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies in 2008. He gave the University of Minnesota Duluth Library an extensive collection of political memorabilia he acquired over his more than forty years of activity in state and national politics,” according to the University of Minnesota.