List of governors of Minnesota

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The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Minnesota's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.

There have been 41 governors of the state; one, Rudy Perpich, served non-consecutive terms. Minnesota Territory had three governors appointed by the president of the United States; the first, Alexander Ramsey, would later be state governor.

A total of five political parties have had governors as members. The Minnesota Democratic Party, the Republican Party of Minnesota, the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party, the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, and the Independence Party of Minnesota. There have been twenty-six Republicans, six DFLers, four Democrats, three Farmer-Laborites, and one Independence Party member.

The current governor is Tim Walz, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, who took office on January 7, 2019.

List of governors

Minnesota Territory

Minnesota Territory was organized on March 3, 1849.[1] The secretary of the territory would act as governor in the governor's absence; notably, secretary Charles L. Chase acted as governor from October 13, 1857 until the elected state officials took office on May 24, 1858.[2][3]

More information No., Governor ...
Governors of Minnesota Territory
No. Governor Term in office[a] Appointed by
1 Alexander Ramsey
(1815–1903)
[4][5][6]		 June 1, 1849[b]
–
April 1, 1853
(1401 days;
successor appointed)		 Zachary Taylor
2 Willis A. Gorman
(1816–1876)
[13][14]		 April 1, 1853[c]
–
March 13, 1857
(1443 days;
successor appointed)		 Franklin Pierce
3 Samuel Medary
(1801–1864)
[17][18]		 March 13, 1857[d]
–
May 24, 1858
(438 days; statehood)		 James Buchanan
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State of Minnesota

Minnesota was admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858.[21]

The Minnesota Constitution of 1858 created the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, elected separately to two-year terms; these were lengthened to four years starting in 1963. As of 1974, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket.[22]

More information No., Governor ...
Governors of the State of Minnesota
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[e]
1   Henry Hastings Sibley
(1811–1891)
[23][24][25]		 May 24, 1858[26]
–
January 2, 1860
(589 days; retired)		 Democratic[27] 1857   William Holcombe
2 Alexander Ramsey
(1815–1903)
[4][5][28][6]		 January 2, 1860[29]
–
July 10, 1863
(1286 days; resigned)[f]		 Republican[30] 1859 Ignatius L. Donnelly
(resigned March 3, 1863)
1861
Henry Adoniram Swift
3 Henry Adoniram Swift
(1823–1869)
[31][32][33]		 July 10, 1863[34]
–
January 13, 1864
(188 days; retired)[g]		 Republican[36] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
4 Stephen Miller
(1816–1881)
[37][38][39]		 January 13, 1864[h]
–
January 8, 1866
(727 days; retired)[37]		 Republican[36] 1863 Charles D. Sherwood
5 William Rainey Marshall
(1825–1896)
[41][42][43]		 January 8, 1866[44]
–
January 7, 1870
(1461 days; retired)		 Republican[36] 1865 Thomas H. Armstrong
1867
6 Horace Austin
(1831–1905)
[45][46][47]		 January 7, 1870[48]
–
January 9, 1874
(1464 days;
lost nomination)[49]		 Republican[36] 1869 William H. Yale
1871
7 Cushman K. Davis
(1838–1900)
[50][51][52]		 January 9, 1874[53]
–
January 7, 1876
(729 days; retired)		 Republican[36] 1873 Alphonso Barto
8 John S. Pillsbury
(1827–1901)
[54][55][56]		 January 7, 1876[57]
–
January 9, 1882
(2195 days; retired)		 Republican[36] 1875 James Wakefield
1877
1879 Charles A. Gilman
9 Lucius Frederick Hubbard
(1836–1913)
[58][59][60]		 January 9, 1882[61]
–
January 5, 1887
(1823 days; retired)		 Republican[36] 1881
1883
10 Andrew Ryan McGill
(1840–1905)
[62][63][64]		 January 5, 1887[65]
–
January 9, 1889
(736 days;
lost nomination)[66]		 Republican[36] 1886 Albert E. Rice
11 William Rush Merriam
(1849–1931)
[67][68][69]		 January 9, 1889[70]
–
January 4, 1893
(1457 days; retired)		 Republican[36] 1888
1890 Gideon S. Ives
12 Knute Nelson
(1843–1923)
[71][72][73]		 January 4, 1893[74]
–
January 31, 1895
(758 days; resigned)[i]		 Republican[36] 1892 David Marston Clough
1894
13 David Marston Clough
(1846–1924)
[75][76][77]		 January 31, 1895[78]
–
January 2, 1899
(1433 days; retired)		 Republican[36] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1896 John L. Gibbs
14 John Lind
(1854–1930)
[79][80][81]		 January 2, 1899[82]
–
January 7, 1901
(736 days; lost election)		 Democratic[j] 1898 Lyndon A. Smith[k]
15 Samuel Rinnah Van Sant
(1844–1936)
[84][85][86]		 January 7, 1901[87]
–
January 4, 1905
(1459 days; retired)[84]		 Republican[36] 1900
1902 Ray W. Jones[k]
16 John Albert Johnson
(1861–1909)
[88][89][90]		 January 4, 1905[91]
–
September 21, 1909
(1722 days; died in office)		 Democratic[36] 1904
1906 Adolph Olson Eberhart[k]
1908
17 Adolph Olson Eberhart
(1870–1944)
[92][93][94]		 September 21, 1909[95]
–
January 6, 1915
(1934 days;
lost nomination)[l]		 Republican[36] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1910 Samuel Y. Gordon
1912 Joseph A. A. Burnquist[k]
18 Winfield Scott Hammond
(1863–1915)
[97][98][99]		 January 6, 1915[100]
–
December 30, 1915
(359 days; died in office)		 Democratic[36] 1914
19 Joseph A. A. Burnquist
(1879–1961)
[101][102][103]		 December 30, 1915[104]
–
January 5, 1921
(1834 days; retired)		 Republican[36] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1916 Thomas Frankson
1918
20 J. A. O. Preus
(1883–1961)
[105][106][107]		 January 5, 1921[108]
–
January 7, 1925
(1464 days; retired)		 Republican[36] 1920 Louis L. Collins
1922
21 Theodore Christianson
(1883–1948)
[109][110][111]		 January 7, 1925[112]
–
January 7, 1931
(2192 days; retired)		 Republican[36] 1924 William I. Nolan
1926
1928 Charles Edward Adams
22 Floyd B. Olson
(1891–1936)
[113][114][115]		 January 7, 1931[116]
–
August 22, 1936
(2055 days; died in office)		 Farmer-Labor[36] 1930 Henry M. Arens
1932 Konrad K. Solberg
1934 Hjalmar Petersen
23 Hjalmar Petersen
(1890–1968)
[117][118][119]		 August 22, 1936[120]
–
January 4, 1937
(136 days; retired)[117]		 Farmer-Labor[36] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
24 Elmer Austin Benson
(1895–1985)
[121][122][123]		 January 4, 1937[124]
–
January 3, 1939
(731 days; lost election)		 Farmer-Labor[36] 1936 Gottfrid Lindsten
25 Harold Stassen
(1907–2001)
[125][126][127]		 January 3, 1939[128]
–
April 27, 1943
(1605 days; resigned)[m]		 Republican[36] 1938 C. Elmer Anderson
1940
1942 Edward John Thye
26 Edward John Thye
(1896–1969)
[129][130][131]		 April 27, 1943[132]
–
January 8, 1947
(1323 days; retired)[n]		 Republican[36] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1944 C. Elmer Anderson
27 Luther Youngdahl
(1896–1978)
[133][134][135]		 January 8, 1947[136]
–
September 27, 1951
(1724 days; resigned)[o]		 Republican[36] 1946
1948
1950
28 C. Elmer Anderson
(1912–1998)
[137][138][139]		 September 27, 1951[140]
–
January 5, 1955
(1197 days; lost election)		 Republican[36] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1952 Ancher Nelsen
Donald O. Wright
29 Orville Freeman
(1918–2003)
[141][142][143]		 January 5, 1955[144]
–
January 4, 1961
(2192 days; lost election)		 Democratic-
Farmer-Labor[36]		 1954 Karl Rolvaag[p]
1956
1958
30 Elmer L. Andersen
(1909–2004)
[145][146][147]		 January 4, 1961[148]
–
March 25, 1963
(811 days; lost election)[q]		 Republican[36] 1960
31 Karl Rolvaag
(1913–1990)
[149][150][151]		 March 25, 1963[152]
–
January 2, 1967
(1380 days; lost election)		 Democratic-
Farmer-Labor[36]		 1962 Sandy Keith
32 Harold LeVander
(1910–1992)
[153][154][155]		 January 2, 1967[156]
–
January 4, 1971
(1464 days; retired)[153]		 Republican[36] 1966 James B. Goetz
33 Wendell R. Anderson
(1933–2016)
[157][158][159]		 January 4, 1971[160]
–
December 29, 1976
(2187 days; resigned)[r]		 Democratic-
Farmer-Labor[36]		 1970 Rudy Perpich
1974
34 Rudy Perpich
(1928–1995)
[161][162][163]		 December 29, 1976[164]
–
January 1, 1979
(734 days; lost election)		 Democratic-
Farmer-Labor[163]		 Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Alec G. Olson
35 Al Quie
(1923–2023)
[165][166]		 January 1, 1979[167]
–
January 3, 1983
(1464 days; retired)		 Independent-
Republican[166]		 1978 Lou Wangberg
36 Rudy Perpich
(1928–1995)
[161][162][163]		 January 3, 1983[168]
–
January 7, 1991
(2927 days; lost election)		 Democratic-
Farmer-Labor[163]		 1982 Marlene Johnson
1986
37 Arne Carlson
(b. 1934)
[169][170]		 January 7, 1991[171]
–
January 4, 1999
(2920 days; retired)		 Independent-
Republican[170]		 1990 Joanell Dyrstad
1994 Joanne Benson
38 Jesse Ventura
(b. 1951)
[172][173]		 January 4, 1999[174]
–
January 6, 2003
(1464 days; retired)		 Reform/
Independence[s]		 1998 Mae Schunk
39 Tim Pawlenty
(b. 1960)
[176][177]		 January 6, 2003[178]
–
January 3, 2011
(2920 days; retired)		 Republican[177] 2002 Carol Molnau
2006
40 Mark Dayton
(b. 1947)
[179][180]		 January 3, 2011[181]
–
January 7, 2019
(2927 days; retired)		 Democratic-
Farmer-Labor[180]		 2010 Yvonne Prettner Solon
2014 Tina Smith
(resigned January 2, 2018)
Vacant
Michelle Fischbach[k]
(took office May 25, 2018)
41 Tim Walz
(b. 1964)
[182]		 January 7, 2019[183]
–
Incumbent[t]
(in office 2796 days)		 Democratic-
Farmer-Labor[182]		 2018 Peggy Flanagan
2022
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See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    The range given is from the date the governor was confirmed by the Senate, or appointed by the President during a Senate recess, to the date the governor left office.
  2. [b]
    Edward W. McGaughey was nominated on March 15, 1849,[7] but was rejected by the Senate on March 19.[8] William Pennington was then nominated on March 21,[9] and confirmed by the Senate on March 22,[10] but declined the post.[4] Ramsey was appointed on April 2,[4] during a Senate recess; nominated on December 21,[11] and confirmed by the Senate on January 9, 1850.[12] He arrived in the territory on May 27, 1849.[4]
  3. [c]
    Gorman was nominated on March 31, 1853,[15] confirmed by the Senate on April 1,[16] and arrived in the territory on May 13.[13]
  4. [d]
    Medary was nominated March 12, 1857,[19] confirmed by the Senate on March 13,[20] and arrived in the territory on April 22.[17]
  5. [e]
    Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  6. [f]
    Ramsey resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[5]
  7. [g]
    Swift was instead re-elected to the Minnesota Senate.[31][35]
  8. [h]
    Nearly every source says Miller took office on January 11, but the journal of the House of Representatives says it was January 13.[40]
  9. [i]
    Nelson resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[71]
  10. [j]
    Lind was also endorsed by the Populist Party.[83]
  11. [k]
    Represented the Republican Party.
  12. [l]
    Eberhart lost the Republican nomination to William E. Lee.[96]
  13. [m]
    Stassen resigned to serve in the United States Naval Reserve.[125]
  14. [n]
    Thye was instead elected to the United States Senate.[129]
  15. [o]
    Youngdahl resigned, having been confirmed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.[133]
  16. [p]
    Represented the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.
  17. [q]
    Andersen was initially declared the winner of the very close 1962 election, but after a recount, it was decided on March 15, 1963, that he had lost by 91 votes, and he left office on March 25.[145]
  18. [r]
    Anderson resigned so that his successor would appoint him to the United States Senate.[157]
  19. [s]
    Ventura was elected as representing the Reform Party of Minnesota.[173] The party disaffiliated from its national party and resumed using its previous name, the Independence Party of Minnesota, on March 4, 2000. Ventura had himself disaffiliated from the national party on February 11.[175]
  20. [t]
    Walz's second term began on January 2, 2023,[184] and will expire on January 4, 2027. He is not seeking reelection to a third term.

References

External links

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