John Sterling Howe (born August 26, 1963) is an American politician and former Republican member of the Minnesota Senate who represented District 28, which included portions of Goodhue, Wabasha, and Winona counties in southeastern Minnesota.

Howe was a member of the Goodhue County Social Services Board, and was mayor of Red Wing from 2008 until becoming a senator in 2011.

He was a member of the Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications, the Jobs and Economic Growth, the Taxes, and the Transportation committees.

[4] Howe failed in his 2012 bid for re-election, losing to Red Wing DFLer Matt Schmit.

Howe attributed his loss to fliers that featured a mug shot of his rival after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.