Governors Rudy Perpich and Al Quie _ a DFLer and a Republican. respectively _ both appointed Lemen to terms on the Grand Rapids National Guard Citizens’ Advisory Committee. Lemen also served as north-central Minnesota’s representative on the Minnesota State Council for the Handicapped from 1979 until his election to the Minnesota House the following year.

Lemen served in the 1981-82 session of the Minnesota House. Lemen’s careful reading of the bills caused one representative to dub him "the unofficial proofreader of the House" after Lemen spotted a significant problem which everyone else had missed. While serving as state representative, Lemen received the Public Service Award of the Minnesota Foundation for Better Hearing and Speech in recognition of his sponsorship _ and successful passage _ of the interpreter confidentiality act. It was the first time in the group’s history that the award had gone to a first-term legislator.

Lemen also received the excellence award from the Legislative Evaluation Assembly _ a conservative taxpayer watchdog group.

Lemen was active in helping correct problems in the state’s sentencing guidelines and in finding ways to improve the state’s juvenile justice system.

He narrowly beat a fellow Republican in the primary this September.