Michele Bachmann through the years

A look at the congresswoman from Minnesota now seeking the GOP presidential nomination.

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Dec. 7, 2011

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), 55, has become a darling of conservatives through her frequent references to her Christian faith and values and her embrace of the tea party movement. Her outspoken nature has made her a frequent Democratic target.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 10, 1978

Bachmann on her wedding day with husband Marcus in Montana, Wis. Marcus Bachmann became a factor in the campaign when he came under fire from mental health professionals after a therapist at a counseling center he owns told a gay client that he could convert to heterosexuality through prayer.

/ Courtesy of the Bachmann Family

1988

Bachmann and husband Marcus at her graduation from William & Mary Law School in 1988, when she received a master of law degree. She also has a juris doctorate from the Coburn School of Law at Oral Roberts University.

/ Courtesy of the Bachmann Family

Jan. 2, 2001

Bachmann, newly elected as a Minnesota state senator, shows her mother, Jean LaFave, around the Senate chambers in St. Paul. Bachmann served in the Minnesota Senate for six years.

Craig Borck / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Feb. 17, 2004

Bachmann gives testimony to her own committee about the No Child Left Behind Act at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul. Bachmann's early forays into politics were in part to oppose state-mandated education standards.

David Bruster / Star Tribune

Jan. 8, 2003

In the Minnesota Capitol rotunda, Bachmann, as a state senator, urges members of the Maple River Education Coalition, a grass-roots group of conservatives, to lobby legislators for a repeal of Profile of Learning state-mandated graduation standards. Bachmann credited her Senate election victories to activism opposing the Profile of Learning.

Joe Oden / St. Paul Pioneer Press

May 12, 2004

Bachmann stops to talk to demonstrators Zac and Lesley Schlegel on the stairway in front of the Minnesota Senate. Signature issues for her as a state senator included opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.

David Brewster / Star Tribune

Dec. 27, 2004

Bachmann screams with her daughters as they try to catch a bouquet thrown by their dad after the girls performed a wedding for their parents between an American Girls doll and a stuffed Dalmatian toy at their home in Stillwater, Minn. The daughters pictured are, from left, Caroline, 12, Elisa, 14, and Sophia, 10.

Renee Jones / Star Tribune

Dec. 27, 2004

Bachmann, during her time as a Minnesota state senator, vacuums her bedroom at her home in Stillwater, Minn. "Cleaning and goofing around is pretty much all we do around here," Bachmann said.

Renee Jones / Star Tribune

Dec. 27, 2004

Bachmann mends clothing on a sewing machine as her husband, Marcus Bachmann, waits on hold on one phone and chats on the other during a day at home at the Bachmann home in Stillwater, Minn.

Renee Jones / Star Tribune

Dec. 27, 2004

Bachmann, left, tries a Swiss cookie her family made at their home in Stillwater, Minn. Her family, from left, is Elisa, 14, husband Marcus, Lucas, 22, Caroline, 12, Sophia, 10, and Harrison, 17. Marcus Bachmann has Swiss ancestry, so the family has a holiday tradition of making Swiss flat cookies.

Renee Jones / Star Tribune

2011

Bachmann and her family. In addition to their five children, the Bachmanns have served as foster parents to 23 kids.

/ Courtesy of the Bachmann Family

Nov. 15, 2010

Bachmann greets supporters during a rally organized by Americans for Progress, a group associated with the tea party movement, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bachmann has been a vocal tea party proponent.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

March 11, 2011

Bachmann speaks to journalists in her Capitol Hill office. Bachmann is the first Republican woman to be elected from Minnesota in the U.S. House.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

June 26, 2011

Bachmann greets supporters after a welcome-home event in her home town of Waterloo, Iowa. Her presidential campaign enjoyed a brief surge of popularity in the summer but has remained mired in the single digits in most national polls since.

Glen Stubbe / AP

July 13, 2011

Bachmann speaks with Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) during a news conference at the Capitol. Bachmann and King spoke about legislation regarding the debt ceiling and military benefits. King, who is influential among conservatives, has said he will endorse a candidate before the Iowa caucuses, but he has not tipped his hand.

Win McNamee / Getty Images

Aug. 9, 2011

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann addresses a rally at a GOP picnic in Humboldt, Iowa. Bachmann campaigned across the state ahead of the Iowa straw poll, which she won. Her campaign is counting on a strong showing in the Iowa caucuses to reinvigorate it.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Sept. 7, 2011

Bachmann listens during a Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.

Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images

Oct. 4, 2011

Bachmann, center, prays with audience members after a news conference set up by a group called the Faith and Family Council in Des Moines.

Charlie Neibergall / AP

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