Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
  1. LRL Home
  2. Legislature
  3. Speakers of the House
Card image cap

Historical Information

Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives, 1849-present

Compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

The position of House Speaker, elected at the beginning of the odd year session, is usually held for the full biennium. Changes made during the biennium are noted.

This page was compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library from information in Minnesota legislative manuals and newspaper articles. While efforts have been made to verify this information in more than one source, the library cannot guarantee the accuracy of sources; errors are possible. Please report any errors to the Library staff.

YEAR SPEAKER PARTY DIST. RESIDENCE
2025

Lisa Demuth

Leadership was not straightforward in 2025. The election resulted in a tied House but District 40B was declared vacant at the convening of the House of Representatives on January 14, 2025, giving the Republicans a majority. The House became tied again when a DFL member was sworn in on March 17, 2025.  A leadership agreement determined leadership roles. Per the leadership agreement, the DFL Leader assumed some responsibilities that are typically roles of the Speaker of the House. Melissa Hortman served as Speaker Emerita and DFL Caucus Leader until her death on June 14, 2025. Zack Stephenson was elected DFL Caucus Leader by the DFL caucus on September 8, 2025.

 Republican 13A Cold Spring
2023 Melissa Hortman Democratic-Farmer-Labor 34B Brooklyn Park
2021 Melissa Hortman Democratic-Farmer-Labor 36B Brooklyn Park
2019 Melissa Hortman Democratic-Farmer-Labor 36B Brooklyn Park
2017 Kurt Daudt Republican 31A Crown
2015 Kurt Daudt Republican 31A Crown
2013 Paul Thissen Democratic-Farmer-Labor 61B Minneapolis
2011 Kurt Zellers Republican 32B Maple Grove
2009 Margaret Anderson Kelliher Democratic-Farmer-Labor 60A Minneapolis
2007 Margaret Anderson Kelliher Democratic-Farmer-Labor 60A Minneapolis
2005 Steve Sviggum Republican 28B Kenyon
2003 Steve Sviggum Republican 28B Kenyon
2001 Steve Sviggum Republican 28B Kenyon
1999 Steve Sviggum Republican 28B Kenyon
1997 Phil Carruthers Democratic-Farmer-Labor 47B Brooklyn Center
1995 Irvin N. "Irv" Anderson Democratic-Farmer-Labor 3A International Falls
1993 Irvin N. "Irv" Anderson; elected by DFL caucus September 1,1993. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 3A International Falls
1993 Dee Long; resigned speaker's chair August 5, 1993, effective September 15, 1993. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 59A Minneapolis
1992 Dee Long; elected speaker-designate by DFL caucus August 11, 1991; elected speaker by House, January 6, 1992. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 59A Minneapolis
1991 Robert E. Vanasek Democratic-Farmer-Labor 25A New Prague
1989 Robert E. Vanasek Democratic-Farmer-Labor 25A New Prague
1987 Robert E. Vanasek; elected speaker by DFL caucus June 2, 1987, elected Speaker of by the House on June 25, 1987 (Special Session), effective June 25, 1987 ) Democratic-Farmer-Labor 25A New Prague
1987 Fred C. Norton; appointed by Gov. Perpich to Minn. Court of Appeals, May 27, 1987, effective July 1, 1987. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 65A St. Paul
1985 David M. Jennings Independent Republican 29A Truman
1985E David M. Jennings Independent Republican 29A Truman
1983 Harry A. "Tex" Sieben, Jr. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 37B Hastings
1982E1 Harry A. "Tex" Sieben, Jr. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 52B Hastings
1982E2 Harry A. "Tex" Sieben, Jr. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 52B Hastings
1982E3 Harry A. "Tex" Sieben, Jr. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 52B Hastings
1981 Harry A. "Tex" Sieben, Jr. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 52B Hastings
1981E1 Harry A. "Tex" Sieben, Jr. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 52B Hastings
1981E2 Harry A. "Tex" Sieben, Jr. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 52B Hastings
1981E3 Harry A. "Tex" Sieben, Jr. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 52B Hastings
1980 Fred C. Norton; mid-term retirements and other changes necessitated elections resulting in 68-66 DFL majority; DFL split in two factions (23/45); a coalition of 49 IR and 26 DFL elected Norton Speaker. Democratic-Farmer-Labor 65A St. Paul
1979 Rodney N. Searle; elected as a compromise since the house was evenly divided (67/67).

In 1979, the parties were evenly divided. An article from the January 8, 1979 Minneapolis Tribune described how the leadership of the Minnesota House would be handled: Under an agreement tentatively approved late Sunday, the Independent-Republicans will elect the speaker of the House from their ranks. To balance his power, the DFL will get the chairmanship - and a one-vote majority - of both the rules and tax committees; the DFL will also get the chairmanship of the appropriations committee.		 Independent Republican 30B Waseca
1977 Martin Olav Sabo Democratic-Farmer-Labor 57B Minneapolis
1975 Martin Olav Sabo Democratic-Farmer-Labor 57B Minneapolis
1973 Martin Olav Sabo Democratic-Farmer-Labor 57B Minneapolis
1971 Aubrey W. Dirlam Conservative / Republican 17A Redwood Falls
1971E Aubrey W. Dirlam Conservative / Republican 17A Redwood Falls
1969 Lloyd L. Duxbury Conservative / Republican 1B Caledonia
1967 Lloyd L. Duxbury Conservative / Republican 1B Caledonia
1967E Lloyd L. Duxbury Conservative / Republican 1B Caledonia
1966E Lloyd L. Duxbury Conservative / Republican 1 Caledonia
1965 Lloyd L. Duxbury Conservative / Republican 1 Caledonia
1963 Lloyd L. Duxbury Conservative / Republican 1 Caledonia
1961 Edwin J. Chilgren Liberal / Democrat 62 Littlefork
1961E Edwin J. Chilgren; "The Liberals have controlled the House only in 1933, 1937,
1955, 1957, 1959 and 1961"--Mitau, Politics in Minnesota (1970), p. 83.		 Liberal / Democrat 62 Littlefork
1961E2 Edwin J. Chilgren Liberal / Democrat 62 Littlefork
1959 Edwin J. Chilgren Liberal / Democrat 62 Littlefork
1959E Edwin J. Chilgren Liberal / Democrat 62 Littlefork
1958E Alfred I. Johnson Liberal / Democrat 25 Benson
1957 Alfred I. Johnson Liberal / Democrat 25 Benson
1957E Alfred I. Johnson Liberal / Democrat 25 Benson
1955 Alfred I. Johnson Liberal / Democrat 25 Benson
1955E Alfred I. Johnson Liberal / Democrat 25 Benson
1953 John A. Hartle Conservative / Republican 16 Owatonna
1951 John A. Hartle Conservative / Republican 16 Owatonna
1951E John A. Hartle Conservative / Republican 16 Owatonna
1949 John A. Hartle Conservative / Republican 16 Owatonna
1947 Lawrence M. Hall Conservative / Republican 45 St. Cloud
1945 Lawrence M. Hall Conservative / Republican 45 St. Cloud
1944E Lawrence M. Hall Conservative / Republican 45 St. Cloud
1943 Lawrence M. Hall Conservative / Republican 45 St. Cloud
1941 Lawrence M. Hall Conservative / Republican 45 St. Cloud
1939 Lawrence M. Hall; elected as Democrat in 1934; in 1939, caucused with Conservatives. Conservative / Republican 45 St. Cloud
1937 Harold Henry Barker Liberal / Farmer-Labor 48 Elbow Lake
1937E Harold Henry Barker Liberal / Farmer-Labor 48 Elbow Lake
1936E George W. Johnson Conservative / Republican 59 Duluth
1935 George W. Johnson Conservative / Republican 59 Duluth
1935E George W. Johnson Conservative / Republican 59 Duluth
1933 Charles Munn; originally (date?) caucused with Conservatives, but was elected to Railroad and Warehouse Commission in 1934 as Farmer-Labor. Liberal / Farmer-Labor 36 Osseo
1933E Charles Munn Liberal 36 Osseo
1931 Oscar A. Swenson Conservative / Republican 15 Nicollet
1929 John A. Johnson Conservative / Republican 1 Preston
1927 John A. Johnson Conservative / Republican 1 Preston
1925 John A. Johnson Conservative / Republican 1 Preston (erroneously given as "Princeton" in 1925 legislative manual)
1923 William I. Nolan Conservative / Republican 33 Minneapolis
1921 William I. Nolan Conservative / Republican 33 Minneapolis
1919 William I. Nolan; Although Conservative members were in control of the Legislature-- there were 24 Representatives and 8 Senators who were elected with the endorsement of the Nonpartisan league ... 5 Senators and 11 Representatives of the 'Working People's Nonpartisan Political League.--Christianson, Minnesota history, v. 2, p. 371. Conservative / Republican 33 Minneapolis
1919E William I. Nolan Conservative / Republican 33 Minneapolis
1917 Ralph J. Parker Conservative? 1 Spring Valley
1916E H. H. Flowers Conservative / Republican 17 Cleveland
1915 H. H. Flowers Conservative / Republican 17 Cleveland
1913 Henry Rines; 'Progressives' controlled the organization of both houses--Christianson, Minnesota history, v. 2 p. 330. 32 Mora
1912E Howard H. Dunn Republican 9 Fairmont
1911 Howard H. Dunn Republican 9 Fairmont
1909 Anton Julius "A.J." Rockne; Governor Eberhart was a Republican and his party now again in full control of the Executive and Legislative branches of the state government.--Christian son, Minnesota history, v. 2, p. 317. Republican 29 Zumbrota
1907 Lawrence H. Johnson; name given as Lawrence W. in Minnesota in three centuries, v. 4, p. 299, but as Lawrence H. on p. 298. Republican 43 Minneapolis
1905 Frank Clague; Legislature remained under Republican control [during Gov. John A. Johnson's terms, 1905-1909]--Mitau, Politics in Minnesota, p. 9. Republican 19 Lamberton
1903 Leverett W. Babcock; [From 1860 to 1904 the] state Legislature remained under Republican control except for 1891 session--Mitau, Politics in Minnesota, p. 6. Name given (probably erroneously) as L. V. Babcock in Minnesota in three centuries, v. 4, p. 282. Republican 53 Wadena
1902E Michael J. Dowling Republican 22 Renville
1901 Michael J. Dowling Republican 22 Renville
1899 Arthur N. Dare Republican 45 Elk River
1897 John D. Jones Republican 46 Long Prairie
1895 Samuel R. Van Sant 15 Winona
1893 William E. Lee Republican 46 Long Prairie
1891 Ezra T. Champlin; Democratic-Alliance coalition--Minnesota history, Sept. 1957, p. 303. Alliance 10 Garden City
1889 Charles H. Graves Republican 46 Duluth
1887 William R. Merriam Republican 26 St. Paul
1885 John L. Gibbs Republican 4 Geneva
1883 Loren Fletcher Republican 29 Minneapolis
1881 Loren Fletcher Republican 26 Minneapolis
1881E Loren Fletcher Republican 26 Minneapolis
1879 Charles A. Gilman Republican 31 St. Cloud
1878 Charles A. Gilman Republican 31 St. Cloud
1877 John L. Gibbs Republican 5 Geneva
1876 William R. Kinyon Republican 12 Owatonna
1875 William R. Kinyon Republican 12 Owatonna
1874 Albert R. Hall Republican? 27 Dayton
1873 Albert R. Hall Republican? 27 Dayton
1872 Albert R. Hall Republican? 27 Dayton
1871 John L. Merriam Republican 1 St. Paul
1870 John L. Merriam Republican 1 St. Paul
1869 Chester D. Davidson Republican 5 Minneapolis
1868 John Q. Farmer Whig / Republican 14 Spring Valley
1867 John Q. Farmer Whig / Republican 14 Spring Valley
1866 James B. Wakefield Republican 20 Blue Earth City
1865 Thomas H. Armstrong Republican 12 High Forest
1864 Jared Benson Republican 4 Anoka
1863 Charles D. Sherwood Republican 14 Elkhorn
1862 Jared Benson Republican 4 Anoka
1862E Jared Benson Republican 4 Anoka
1861 Jared Benson; given as a Democrat on one list. Republican 4 Anoka
1859 Amos Coggswell; was in the Republican constitutional convention in 1857, but in 1867 was Democratic candidate for Minnesota secretary of state (Minnesota in three centuries, v. 3, p. 47, 56, 447-448. Republican / Democrat 15 Aurora
1858 George Bradley; 12 March 1858-12 August 1858. He appears to be the youngest Speaker at around 24 to 26 years old when elected. Republican? 7 Belle Plaine
1857/1858 John S. Watrous; 2 Dec. 1857-12 March 1858 Republican? 26

TERRITORY

YEAR SPEAKER PARTY DIST. RESIDENCE
1857 Joseph W. Furber Whig 1 Cottage Grove
1857E Joseph W. Furber Whig 1 Cottage Grove
1856 Charles Gardner; spelled Gardiner in one source 4 Goodhue
1855 James S. Norris Democrat 1 Cottage Grove
1854 Nathan C. D. Taylor 1 Taylors Falls
1853 David Day 5 Long Prairie
1852 John D. Ludden 1 Marine
1851 Michael E. Ames 2 Stillwater 
1849 Joseph W. Furber Whig 1 Cottage Grove
Card image cap

Historical Information