Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota

The lieutenant governor of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Fifty individuals have held the office of lieutenant governor since statehood. The incumbent is Peggy Flanagan, a DFLer and the first Native American elected to a statewide executive office in Minnesota's history.

Powers and duties

The lieutenant governor assists the governor in carrying out the functions of the executive branch, as well as serving in the governor's place in the event of his or her absence or disability. The governor, as prescribed by law, may file a written order with the secretary of state to delegate to the lieutenant governor any powers, duties, responsibilities, or functions otherwise performed by the governor. As a key member of the governor's cabinet, the lieutenant governor is consulted on all major policy and budgetary decisions. Moreover, the lieutenant governor is a statutory member of the Executive Council and chairs the Capitol Area Architectural Planning Board, among other responsibilities.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Politics of Minnesota

History

In 1886, elections were moved from odd years to even years. Beginning with the 1962 election, the term of the lieutenant governor increased from two to four years. Prior to the 1974 election, governors and lieutenant governors were elected on separate ballots, with the lieutenant governor having independent legislative authority as president of the senate. Since 1974, the lieutenant governor has been relieved of the duty to preside over the state senate and is elected on a joint ticket with the governor. Marlene Johnson, elected in 1982 as the running mate of Rudy Perpich, was the first female lieutenant governor of Minnesota. All eight of her successors in that office have also been women.

List

Parties

No.	Image	Lt. Governor	Took office	Left office	Governor(s) served under	Party
1	File:WilliamHolcombe1858.jpg	William Holcombe	May 24, 1858	January 2, 1860	Henry H. Sibley	Democratic
2	File:Ignatius-Donnelly.jpg	Ignatius L. Donnelly	January 2, 1860	March 4, 1863	Alexander Ramsey	Republican
3	File:HenrySwift.jpg	Henry Adoniram Swift	March 4, 1863	July 10, 1863	Alexander Ramsey	Republican
Office vacant from July 10, 1863 – January 11, 1864
4	File:Charles D Sherwood.jpg	Charles D. Sherwood	January 11, 1864	January 8, 1866	Stephen Miller	Republican
5	File:THArmstrong.jpg	Thomas H. Armstrong	January 8, 1866	January 7, 1870	William R. Marshall	Republican
6	File:William Hall Yale.jpg	William H. Yale	January 7, 1870	January 9, 1874	Horace Austin	Republican
7	File:Alphonso Barto.jpg	Alphonso Barto	January 9, 1874	January 7, 1876	Cushman K. Davis	Republican
8	File:RepWakefield.jpg	James Wakefield	January 7, 1876	January 10, 1880	John S. Pillsbury	Republican
9	File:Charles Andrew Gilman (1833-1927).jpg	Charles A. Gilman	January 10, 1880	January 4, 1887	John S. Pillsbury Lucius F. Hubbard	Republican
10	File:AlE.Rice.jpg	Albert E. Rice	January 4, 1887	January 5, 1891	Andrew R. McGill William R. Merriam	Republican
11	File:Gideon Sprague Ives.jpg	Gideon S. Ives	January 5, 1891	January 3, 1893	William R. Merriam Knute Nelson	Republican
12	File:DavidClough.jpg	David Marston Clough	January 3, 1893	January 31, 1895	Knute Nelson	Republican
13	File:Frank Arah Day.jpg	Frank A. Day	January 31, 1895	January 5, 1897	David M. Clough	Republican
14	File:John LaPorte Gibbs.jpg	John L. Gibbs	January 5, 1897	January 3, 1899	David M. Clough	Republican
15	File:LyndonAmbroseSmith.jpg	Lyndon Ambrose Smith	January 3, 1899	January 5, 1903	John Lind (Democratic) Samuel R. Van Sant (Republican)	Republican
16	File:Ray W. Jones The Book of Minnesota (cropped).jpg	Ray W. Jones	January 5, 1903	January 7, 1907	Samuel R. Van Sant John A. Johnson	Republican
17	File:AOEberhart-official.jpg	Adolph Olson Eberhart	January 7, 1907	September 21, 1909	John A. Johnson (Democratic)	Republican
18	File:Edward Everett Smith.jpg	Edward Everett Smith	September 25, 1909	January 3, 1911	Adolph O. Eberhart	Republican
19	File:Samuel Y Gordon.jpg	Samuel Y. Gordon	January 3, 1911	January 7, 1913	Adolph O. Eberhart	Republican
20	File:JosephBurnquist.jpg	Joseph A. A. Burnquist	January 7, 1913	December 30, 1915	Adolph O. Eberhart Winfield S. Hammond	Republican
Office vacant from December 30, 1915 – October 28, 1916
21	File:George Henry Sullivan.jpg	George H. Sullivan	October 28, 1916	January 2, 1917	J. A. A. Burnquist	Republican
22	File:Thomas Frankson.jpg	Thomas Frankson	January 2, 1917	January 4, 1921	J. A. A. Burnquist	Republican
23	File:Louis L. Collins LCCN2014716089.jpg	Louis L. Collins	January 4, 1921	January 6, 1925	J. A. O. Preus	Republican
24	File:William Ignatius Nolan.jpg	William I. Nolan	January 6, 1925	June 1929	Theodore Christianson	Republican
25	File:Charles Edward Adams.jpg	Charles Edward Adams	June 25, 1929	January 6, 1931	Theodore Christianson	Republican
26	File:Henry Arens 1931 Oval Crop Edit.png	Henry M. Arens	January 6, 1931	January 3, 1933	Floyd B. Olson	Farmer–Labor
27	File:K. K. Solberg 1933 Oval Crop.png	Konrad K. Solberg	January 3, 1933	January 8, 1935	Floyd B. Olson	Farmer–Labor
28	File:Hjalmar Petersen 1935 Oval Crop Edit.png	Hjalmar Petersen	January 8, 1935	August 24, 1936	Floyd B. Olson	Farmer–Labor
*	File:WilliamBurdetteRichardson.jpg	William B. Richardson1	August 24, 1936	January 1, 1937	Hjalmar Petersen	Republican
29	File:Gottfrid Lindsten.jpg	Gottfrid Lindsten	January 5, 1937	January 2, 1939	Elmer A. Benson	Farmer–Labor
30	File:C. Elmer Anderson.jpg	C. Elmer Anderson	January 2, 1939	January 4, 1943	Harold Stassen	Republican
31	File:EdwardThye.jpg	Edward John Thye	January 4, 1943	April 27, 1943	Harold Stassen	Republican
32		Archie H. Miller	May 6, 1943	January 2, 1945	Edward John Thye	Republican
33	File:C. Elmer Anderson.jpg	C. Elmer Anderson	January 2, 1945	September 27, 1951	Luther W. Youngdahl	Republican
Office vacant from September 27, 1951 – January 5, 1953
34	File:AncherNelsen2.jpg	Ancher Nelsen	January 5, 1953	May 1, 1953	C. Elmer Anderson	Republican
Office vacant from May 1, 1953 – September 3, 1954
35		Donald O. Wright2	September 3, 1954	January 3, 1955	C. Elmer Anderson	Republican
36	File:Karl Rolvaag.jpg	Karl Rolvaag	January 3, 1955	January 8, 1963	Orville L. Freeman Elmer L. Andersen	Democratic–Farmer–Labor
37	File:Sandy Keith.jpg	Alexander M. Keith	January 8, 1963	January 2, 1967	Elmer L. Andersen Karl F. Rolvaag	Democratic–Farmer–Labor
38		James B. Goetz	January 2, 1967	January 4, 1971	Harold LeVander	Republican
39	File:Rudy Perpich.jpg	Rudy Perpich	January 4, 1971	December 29, 1976	Wendell R. Anderson	Democratic–Farmer–Labor
40	File:Alec G. Olson-89th Congress (1965).jpeg	Alec G. Olson3	December 29, 1976	January 4, 1979	Rudy Perpich	Democratic–Farmer–Labor
41	File:Lou Wangberg.jpg	Lou Wangberg	January 4, 1979	January 3, 1983	Al Quie	Independent Republican
42	File:Marlene Johnson.jpg	Marlene Johnson	January 3, 1983	January 7, 1991	Rudy Perpich	Democratic–Farmer–Labor
43		Joanell Dyrstad	January 7, 1991	January 3, 1995	Arne H. Carlson	Independent Republican
44		Joanne Benson	January 3, 1995	January 4, 1999	Arne H. Carlson	IR/Republican
45		Mae Schunk	January 4, 1999	January 6, 2003	Jesse Ventura	Reform/Independence
46	File:Carol Molnau.jpg	Carol Molnau	January 6, 2003	January 3, 2011	Tim Pawlenty	Republican
47	File:Yvonne Prettner Solon.jpg	Yvonne Prettner Solon	January 3, 2011	January 5, 2015	Mark Dayton	Democratic–Farmer–Labor
48	File:Tina Smith 2015.jpg	Tina Smith	January 5, 2015	January 2, 2018		Democratic–Farmer–Labor
49	File:Lieutenant Governor Michelle Fischbach.jpg	Michelle Fischbach4	January 2, 2018	January 7, 2019		Republican
50	File:Peggy Flanagan and Premier Kinew (cropped).jpg	Peggy Flanagan	January 7, 2019	Incumbent	Tim Walz	Democratic–Farmer–Labor

1 Richardson was actually president pro tem of the Minnesota Senate; became acting lieutenant governor when lieutenant governor Hjalmar Petersen became governor on the death of Floyd B. Olson, but Richardson was never sworn in.

2 Wright was president pro tem of the Minnesota Senate and assumed the office of lieutenant governor in 1954 after Lieutenant Governor Ancher Nelsen resigned to become administrator of the Rural Electric Administration.

3 As president of the Minnesota Senate, Olson assumed office of lieutenant governor when Rudy Perpich, then lieutenant governor, became governor on the resignation of Wendell Anderson; Anderson arranged with Perpich to be appointed to the United States Senate after the resignation of Walter Mondale, who had been elected vice president.

4 As president of the Minnesota Senate, Fischbach became lieutenant governor following the resignation of Tina Smith. Smith was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to fill the United States Senate seat vacated by Al Franken. Fischbach resigned from the state Senate and took the oath of office for lieutenant governor on May 25, 2018.

Note on Minnesota political parties names

• Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party: On April 15, 1944, the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party merged and created the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). It is affiliated with the national Democratic Party.
• Republican Party of Minnesota: From November 15, 1975, to September 23, 1995, the name of the state Republican party was the Independent Republican party (IR). The party has always been affiliated with the national Republican Party.
• Independence Party of Minnesota: The party was founded under this name in 1992. In 1995 the IPM affiliated with the national Reform Party and renamed itself the Reform Party of Minnesota. In 2000 the Reform Party of Minnesota disaffiliated with the national Reform party and returned to the name Independence party.

See also

• Governor of Minnesota
• List of governors of Minnesota

References

• Minnesota Lieutenant Governors 1858- Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
• MHS.org's list