Read here about Michele Bachmann, Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Minnesota's 6th district. An original supporter of the Tea Party, Bachman is a founder of the House Tea Party Caucus and has been dubbed the "Queen of the Tea Party". Read about why this 2012 candidate for the Republican presidential nomination dropped out in January 2012 after finishing in sixth place in the Iowa caucuses. Michele Bachmann previously served in the Minnesota State Senate, where she campaigned tirelessly against gay marriage and LGBT rights. She is the first Republican woman to represent the state in Congress, but announced in May 2013 that she would not seek re-election in 2014.