President and President Pro Tempore of the Minnesota Senate, 1849-present

Lt. Governor Ancher Nelsen resigned on May 1, 1953 to become the head of the U.S. Rural Electrification Administration. It wasn't until September 3, 1954 that Senator Donald O. Wright was sworn in as Lt. Governor. He served until January 3, 1955. From the time Sen. Wright was sworn in as lieutenant governor, the Senate never met in session. Governor Orville Freeman and Lt. Governor Karl Rolvaag were elected to their respective offices in the 1954 election and took office in January 1955. Sen. Wright ran for and won re-election to his senate seat in the 1954 election, taking office again as a state senator in January 1955.

Governor Harold Stassen resigned on April 27, 1943 elevating Lt. Governor Edward Thye to governor.  As President Pro Tem, Senator Archie Miller became lieutenant governor; he was sworn in on May 6, 1943 and resigned from the Senate on May 10.  The Senate met just once, in a four-day special session that began on March 8, 1944, during Lt. Governor Archie Miller’s tenure.  He served as the presiding officer and did not participate as a senator. He pursued running for lieutenant governor in the 1944 general election but the Minnesota Supreme Court determined in April 1944 that he was ineligible to run for that position.  The primary reason was because the Legislature had raised the pay of the governor, the lieutenant governor, and legislators; members of both houses were barred from running for governor or lieutenant governor in the upcoming election.  Instead, Archie Miller ran in a special election in November 1944 for the seat he had resigned from.  He won and returned to the Senate in January 1945.

According to the Minnesota Historical Society, William B. Richardson served as “acting lieutenant governor” from August 24, 1936 to January 1, 1937.  Richardson was never sworn in as lieutenant governor. He was president pro tem of the Senate and became acting lieutenant governor when Governor Floyd B. Olson died and Lt. Governor Hjalmar Petersen became governor. Various newspaper articles from that time period refer to Richardson as “president of the state senate and prospective lieutenant governor” (August 24, 1936); “senate president” and “president pro tem” in the same article (August 24, 1936); “Acting Lieutenant Governor” (December 18, 1936); and as presiding over the senate as “Lieutenant Governor William B. Richardson” (December 18, 1936). When the Senate convened for the extra session on December 17, 1936, it was called to order by the “President of the Senate, Mr. William B. Richardson.” The table of contents for the extra session lists William B. Richardson as “President Pro Tempore.” Normally, a “Lieutenant Governor” is listed in addition to the “President Pro Tempore.” William B. Richardson voted as a member of the senate throughout this extra session.

Lt. Governor William Nolan resigned in June 1929 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election. Senator Charles E. Adams served as lieutenant governor from June 25, 1929 to January 6, 1931. While Sen. Adams served as lieutenant governor, the senate never met in session. Governor Floyd B. Olson and Lt. Governor Henry M. Arens were elected to their respective offices in the 1930 election and took office in January 1931. Sen. Adams ran for and won re-election to his senate seat in the 1930 election, taking office again as a state senator in January 1931.

On December 30, 1915, Governor Hammond died in office. Lt. Governor J.A.A. Burnquist became Governor upon his death. We note Sen. George H. Sullivan as Lt. Governor starting on October 28, 1916. However, the newspapers call Sen. Sullivan “Lieutenant Governor” as early as January 1916 (in describing the funeral procession of Gov. Hammond, etc.). An article from October 29, 1916 states that during the October 28 one-day special session, Sullivan was sworn in as lieutenant governor, marking his “official ascendancy” to the post.  

When Governor John A. Johnson died on September 21, 1909, Lt. Governor A.O. Eberhart became governor and Senator Edward Smith became lieutenant governor, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Sources vary as to when he was sworn in. A Minneapolis Tribune article from 1910 states that he was "quietly" sworn in that spring; he hadn’t taken the oath yet, thinking it unnecessary. The paper goes on: “The lieutenant governor now either holds the double position of lieutenant governor and state senator – or if the one merges into the other, his district is without a legal representative.” However, the Legislature did not meet between April 22, 1909 and January 3, 1911.

Lt. Governor David Marston Clough became governor on January 31, 1895 when Governor Knute Nelson resigned to take a seat in the U.S. Senate. Senator Frank A. Day served as lieutenant governor from January 31, 1895 to January 5, 1897. While Sen. Day served as lieutenant governor, the Senate met in session from January 8, 1895 to April 23, 1895. According to an 1898 Minnesota Supreme Court case, Sen. Day acted as lieutenant governor while also acting and voting as a senator “with the tacit approval, at least, of the senate.” Governor David M. Clough and Lt. Governor John L. Gibbs were elected to their respective offices in the 1896 election and took office in January 1897. Sen. Day ran for U.S. Congress in the 1896 election. It was presumed that by running for that office he ceased to be the state senator. He did not win election to Congress. When the legislature reconvened in 1897, both Sen. Day and Sen. Dunn, the latter of whom had been elected to fill Sen. Day’s seat in a special election in November 1896, claimed the senate seat. Sen. Day is initially listed in the Journal of the Senate as holding the contested seat until a determination was made by the Senate on January 23, 1897 that Sen. Dunn had been duly elected and was entitled to the seat. Sen. Dunn took the oath of office on January 26, 1897.

Lt. Governor Ignatius Donnelly resigned on March 3, 1863 to take a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Henry A. Swift subsequently served briefly as lieutenant governor until July 10, 1863, and then became governor when Governor Ramsey resigned to take a seat in the U.S. Senate. Though the Journal of the Senate notes Sen. Swift occasionally convening the senate in his capacity as president pro tem during the early parts of the 1863 session, the Journal states he was “duly elected” president pro tem on March 5, 1863. The Minnesota Historical Society lists his term as lieutenant governor beginning March 4, 1863. During the last few days of the legislative session, the Journal of the Senate records Sen. Swift voting on bills.