| Predecessor 2 | Jack I. Kleinbaum |
|---|---|
| Spouse | M. Beverly Rueckert |
| Death date | September 22, 2021 (aged 79) |
| Birth place | Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Birth date | February 23, 1942 |
| Birth name | James Cletus Pehler |
| Successor 2 | Joanne Benson |
| Predecessor | N/A |
| Party | Democratic (DFL) |
| Successor | Dave Gruenes |
| Office 2 | Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 17B district |
| State senate | Minnesota |
| District | 17th |
| Term end 2 | 1980 |
| Term start 2 | 1973 |
| Term end | 1990 |
| Term start | 1981 |
| Death place | St. Cloud, Minnesota, U.S. |
James Cletus Pehler (February 23, 1942 – September 22, 2021) was an American politician and educator.
Pehler was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and graduated from Fairmont High School in Fairmont, Minnesota, in 1960. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in communications studies from St. Cloud State University in 1965 and 1967. He worked for several television and radio stations in the St. Cloud area as a student. He then taught in the radio and television area of the St. Cloud State University department of mass communication and was an associate professor. Pehler served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1973 to 1980 and in the Minnesota Senate from 1981 to 1990. He was a Democrat. Pehler died at his home in St. Cloud, Minnesota.[1][2][3]