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Minnesota Governors, 1849-Present

Compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

This list of Minnesota governors was compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library from Minnesota legislative manuals and other sources, including previous library compilations and several histories of Minnesota. The table below includes links to gubernatorial vetoes, executive orders, and speeches, when available. 

The Library also has information about Minnesota Governor's Salary, 1983-Present, Minnesota Lieutenant Governors, 1858-Present, Minnesota Lieutenant Governors who Became Governor by SuccessionGovernor's Proposed Capital Budgets, and Governor's Proposed Biennial Operating Budgets.

While efforts have been made to verify this information in more than one source, errors are possible. Please report any errors to Library staff.

GovernorAssumed OfficeGovernor NumberPartyResidenceBiographyExecutive OrdersVetoesSpeeches
Tim Walz 1/7/2019 41st Democratic-Farmer-LaborMankatoBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Mark Dayton 1/3/2011 40th Democratic-Farmer-LaborMinneapolisBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Tim Pawlenty 1/6/2003 39th RepublicanEaganBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Jesse Ventura 1/4/1999 38th ReformMaple GroveBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Arne Carlson 1/7/1991 37th Independent-RepublicanShoreviewBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Rudy Perpich 1/3/1983 36th Democratic-Farmer-LaborHibbingBiography Executive Orders (2nd Term) Vetoes (2nd Term) Speeches
Al Quie 1/4/1979 35th Independent-RepublicanDennisonBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Rudy Perpich 12/29/1976 34th Democratic-Farmer-LaborHibbingBiography Executive Orders (1st Term) Vetoes (1st Term) Speeches
Wendell Anderson 1/4/1971 33rd Democratic-Farmer-LaborSt. PaulBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Harold LeVander 1/2/1967 32nd RepublicanSouth St. PaulBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Karl Rolvaag 3/25/1963 31st Democratic-Farmer-LaborSt. PaulBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Elmer Andersen 1/2/1961 30th RepublicanSt. PaulBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Orville Freeman 1/5/1955 29th Democratic-Farmer-LaborMinneapolisBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
C. Elmer Anderson 9/27/1951 28th RepublicanBrainerdBiography Vetoes
Luther Youngdahl 1/8/1947 27th RepublicanMinneapolisBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Edward Thye 4/27/1943 26th RepublicanNorthfieldBiography Executive Orders Vetoes Speeches
Harold Stassen 1/2/1939 25th RepublicanSouth St. PaulBiography Vetoes Speeches
Elmer Benson 1/4/1937 24th Farmer-LaborAppletonBiography Executive Orders Speeches
Hjalmar Petersen 8/24/1936 23rd Farmer-LaborAskovBiography Executive Orders
Floyd Olson 1/6/1931 22nd Farmer-LaborMinneapolisBiography Executive Orders Speeches
Theodore Christianson 1/6/1925 21st RepublicanDawsonBiography Executive Orders Speeches
J. A. O. Preus 1/5/1921 20th RepublicanMinneapolisBiography Executive Orders Speeches
J. A. A. Burnquist 12/30/1915 19th RepublicanSt. PaulBiography Executive Orders Speeches
Winfield Hammond 1/5/1915 18th DemocratSt. JamesBiography Speeches
A.O. Eberhart 9/21/1909 17th RepublicanMankatoBiography Speeches
John Johnson 1/4/1905 16th DemocratSt. PeterBiography Speeches
Samuel Van Sant 1/7/1901 15th RepublicanWinonaBiography
John Lind 1/2/1899 14th Populist/Democratic Silver RepublicanNew UlmBiography
D.M. Clough 1/31/1895 13th RepublicanMinneapolisBiography
Knute Nelson 1/4/1893 12th RepublicanAlexandriaBiography Speeches
William Merriam 1/9/1889 11th RepublicanSt. PaulBiography Speeches
Andrew McGill 1/5/1887 10th RepublicanSt. PeterBiography Speeches
Lucius Hubbard 1/10/1882 9th RepublicanRed WingBiography
John Pillsbury 1/7/1876 8th RepublicanMinneapolisBiography Speeches
Cushman Davis 1/7/1874 7th RepublicanSt. PaulBiography
Horace Austin 1/9/1870 6th RepublicanSt. PeterBiography Speeches
William Marshall 1/8/1866 5th RepublicanSt. AnthonyBiography Speeches
Stephen Miller 1/11/1864 4th RepublicanWorthingtonBiography Speeches
Henry Swift 7/10/1863 3rd RepublicanSt. PeterBiography Speeches
Alexander Ramsey 1/2/1860 2nd RepublicanSt. PaulBiography Speeches
Henry Sibley 5/24/1858 1st DemocratSt. PaulBiography Speeches
Samuel Medary 4/23/1857 (Territorial) 3rd Democrat Biography Speeches
Willis Gorman 5/15/1853 (Territorial) 2nd DemocratSt. PaulBiography
Alexander Ramsey 6/1/1849 (Territorial) 1st WhigSt. PaulBiography