List of governors of Minnesota

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.

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.<ref>Template:Usstat</ref>

Governors of Minnesota Territory

Template:Abbr	Governor		Term in officeTemplate:Efn	Appointed by
1		Alexander Ramsey Template:Small Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref name="mn-ramsey">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – April 1, 1853 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
2		Willis A. Gorman Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="mn-gorman">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – March 13, 1857 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
3	File:SamuelMedary.jpg	Samuel Medary Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="mn-medary">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – May 24, 1858 Template:Small	Template:Sortname

State of Minnesota

Minnesota was admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858.<ref>Template:Usstat</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Governors of the State of Minnesota

Template:Abbr	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. GovernorTemplate:Efn
1	File:HHSibley-official.jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Henry Hastings Sibley Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-sibley">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-sibley">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> – January 2, 1860 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1857	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
2	File:RamseyOilCrop.jpg	rowspan="21" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Alexander Ramsey Template:Small Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref name="nga-ramsey">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-ramsey" />	Template:Dts<ref>Minnesota Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1860 sess., 163, accessed September 27, 2023</ref> – July 10, 1863 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1859	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		1861				Template:Sortname
3	File:Portrait of Governor Henry Swift, St. Peter, Minnesota - DPLA - 9e46a5b2e82c5fe4577ded24735c33a8 (cropped).jpg	Henry Adoniram Swift Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-swift">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-swift">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="mn-list">Template:Cite web</ref> – January 13, 1864 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
4	File:StephenMiller.jpg	Stephen Miller Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-miller">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-miller">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – January 8, 1866 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1863	rowspan="16" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
5	File:WRMarshall.jpg	William Rainey Marshall Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-marshall">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-marshall">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Minnesota Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1866 sess., 16, accessed September 27, 2023</ref> – January 7, 1870 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1865	Template:Sortname
					1867
6	File:Horace Austin (1873).jpg	Horace Austin Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-austin">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-austin">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Minnesota Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1870 sess., 19, accessed September 27, 2023</ref> – January 9, 1874 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1869	Template:Sortname
					1871
7	File:Portrait of Cushman Kellogg Davis (3x4).jpg	Cushman K. Davis Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-davis">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-davis">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 1876 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1873	Template:Sortname
8	File:JohnSargentPillsbury.jpg	John S. Pillsbury Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-pillsbury">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-pillsbury">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Minnesota Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1870 sess., 24, accessed September 27, 2023</ref> – January 9, 1882 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1875	Template:Sortname
					1877
					1879	Template:Sortname
9	File:LFHubbard-official.jpg	Lucius Frederick Hubbard Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-hubbard">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-hubbard">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 5, 1887 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1881
					1883
10	File:AndrewMcgill.jpg	Andrew Ryan McGill Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-mcgill">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-mcgill">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 9, 1889 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1886	Template:Sortname
11	File:MERRIAM, WILLIAM RUSH LCCN2016857500 (cropped).jpg	William Rush Merriam Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-merriam">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-merriam">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1893 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1888
					1890	Template:Sortname
12	File:Nelson, Hon. Knute (2016688299) (cropped).jpg	Knute Nelson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-nelson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-nelson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 31, 1895 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1892	Template:Sortname
					1894
13	File:DavidClough.jpg	David Marston Clough Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-clough">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-clough">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 2, 1899 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
					1896	rowspan="7" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
14	File:LIND, JOHN. GOVERNOR LCCN2016858371 (cropped).jpg	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	John Lind Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-lind">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-lind">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 1901 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Efn	1898	Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
15	File:SRVanSant-official.jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Samuel Rinnah Van Sant Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-vansant">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-vansant">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1905 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1900
		1902				Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
16	File:Portrait of Governor John A. Johnson from St. Peter, Minnesota - DPLA - 90bba407f71ac3a5947dbb4d01af5685 (cropped).jpg	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	John Albert Johnson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-johnson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-johnson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – September 21, 1909 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn		1904
		1906				Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
		1908
17	File:EBERHART, A.O. HONORABLE LCCN2016858311 (cropped).jpg	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Adolph Olson Eberhart Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-eberhart">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-eberhart">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 6, 1915 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
		1910				rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		1912				Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
18	File:Governor Winfield Scott Hammond - DPLA -full body edit (cropped).jpg	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Winfield Scott Hammond Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-hammond">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-hammond">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – December 30, 1915 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn		1914
19	File:JosephBurnquist.jpg	rowspan="8" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Joseph A. A. Burnquist Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-burnquist">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-burnquist">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 5, 1921 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
		1916				rowspan="7" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		1918
20	File:Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus I circa 1920 (cropped).jpg	J. A. O. Preus Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-preus">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-preus">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 1925 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1920	Template:Sortname
					1922
21	File:Theodore Christianson 1925 edit.jpg	Theodore Christianson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-christianson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-christianson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 1931 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1924	Template:Sortname
					1926
					1928	Template:Sortname
22	File:Floyd Olson (crop 2).jpg	rowspan="5" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Floyd B. Olson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-olson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-olson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – August 22, 1936 Template:Small	Farmer-LaborTemplate:Sfn	1930	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		1932				Template:Sortname
		1934				Template:Sortname
23	File:Hjalmar Petersen.jpg	Hjalmar Petersen Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-petersen">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-petersen">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1937 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	Farmer-LaborTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
24	File:Elmer A. Benson Trim Edit.jpg	Elmer Austin Benson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-benson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-benson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 1939 Template:Small	Farmer-LaborTemplate:Sfn	1936	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
25	File:Gov. Harold E. Stassen LCCN2016877429 Alt Crop.jpg	rowspan="11" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Harold Stassen Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-stassen">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-stassen">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – April 27, 1943 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1938	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		1940
		1942				Template:Sortname
26	File:EdwardThye.jpg	Edward John Thye Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-thye">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-thye">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 8, 1947 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
					1944	rowspan="4" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
27	File:Luther Youngdahl 1949 (cropped).jpg	Luther Youngdahl Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-youngdahl">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-youngdahl">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – September 27, 1951 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1946
					1948
					1950
28	File:C. Elmer Anderson.jpg	C. Elmer Anderson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-anderson-celmer">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-anderson-celmer">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 5, 1955 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
					1952	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
						Template:Sortname
29	File:Orville L. Freeman (MN).png	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Orville Freeman Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-freeman">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-freeman">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1961 Template:Small	Democratic- Farmer-LaborTemplate:Sfn	1954	rowspan="5" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
		1956
		1958
30	File:Elmer L. Andersen.jpg	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Elmer L. Andersen Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-andersen-elmerl">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-andersen=elmerl">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – March 25, 1963 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1960
31	File:Karl Rolvaag.jpg	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Karl Rolvaag Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-rolvaag">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-rolvaag">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 2, 1967 Template:Small	Democratic- Farmer-LaborTemplate:Sfn	1962	Template:Sortname
32	File:Harold LeVander (cropped).jpg	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Harold LeVander Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-levander">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-levander">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1971 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1966	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
33	File:Wendell R. Anderson (MN) (cropped 2).jpg	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Wendell R. Anderson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-anderson-wendell">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-anderson-wendell">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – December 29, 1976 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Democratic- Farmer-LaborTemplate:Sfn	1970	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		1974
34	File:Rudy Perpich (cropped).jpg	Rudy Perpich Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-perpich">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-perpich">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 1, 1979 Template:Small	Democratic- Farmer-Labor<ref name="mn-perpich" />	Template:Small	Template:Sortname
35	File:Al Quie 1977 congressional photo.jpg	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Al Quie Template:Small <ref name="nga-quie">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-quie">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 1983 Template:Small	Independent- Republican<ref name="mn-quie" />	1978	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
36	File:Rudy Perpich (cropped).jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Rudy Perpich Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-perpich" /><ref name="mn-perpich" />	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 1991 Template:Small	Democratic- Farmer-Labor<ref name="mn-perpich" />	1982	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		1986
37	File:Arne Carlson - Photograph by Dave Saville taken on 04-08-1997 (cropped).jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Arne Carlson Template:Small <ref name="nga-carlson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-carlson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1999 Template:Small	Independent- Republican<ref name="mn-carlson" />	1990	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		1994				Template:Sortname
38	File:Jesse Ventura 1996.jpg	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Jesse Ventura Template:Small <ref name="nga-ventura">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-ventura">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 6, 2003 Template:Small	Reform/ IndependenceTemplate:Efn	1998	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
39	File:Tim Pawlenty official photo.jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Tim Pawlenty Template:Small <ref name="nga-pawlenty">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-pawlenty">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 2011 Template:Small	Republican<ref name="mn-pawlenty" />	2002	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		2006
40	File:Governor Dayton (cropped).jpg	rowspan="6" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Mark Dayton Template:Small <ref name="nga-dayton">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mn-dayton">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 2019 Template:Small	Democratic- Farmer-Labor<ref name="mn-dayton" />	2010	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		2014				Template:Sortname Template:Small
						Vacant
						style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn Template:Small
41	File:TimWalz2025.jpg	Tim Walz Template:Small <ref name="nga-walz">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – IncumbentTemplate:Efn	Democratic- Farmer-Labor<ref name="nga-walz" />	2018	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
					2022

See also

• List of Minnesota gubernatorial elections
• List of lieutenant governors of Minnesota
• First ladies of Minnesota
• List of Minnesota state legislatures

References

General

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Specific

External links

• Office of the Governor of Minnesota