 In 2009, he introduced an amendment to the Minnesota State Constitution to prohibit marriage or civil unions between same-sex couples.Severson was a member of the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee for the Veterans Affairs Division, and the Finance subcommittees for the Housing Finance and Policy and Public Health Finance Division, the Public Safety Finance Division, and the Transportation Finance and Policy Division.In October 2009, Severson announced that he had filed the paperwork to run for Minnesota Secretary of State, seeking the Republican Party's endorsement for his candidacy at their 2010 state convention.