List of Governors of Minnesota
State governors
Parties Democratic Farmer-Labor Republican Reform/Independence

List of Governors of Minnesota

Section Title: State governors
Table Section Text: Parties Democratic Farmer-Labor Republican Reform/Independence

#	Governor	Took office	Left office	Party	Date of birth	Place of birth	Date of death	Lieutenant governor(s)	Term

1	Henry H. Sibley	-	May 24, 1858	January 2, 1860	Democratic	February 20, 1811	Michigan	February 18, 1891	William Holcombe	1

2	Alexander Ramsey	-	January 2, 1860	July 10, 1863	Republican	September 8, 1815	Pennsylvania	April 22, 1903	Ignatius L. Donnelly	2

Henry A. Swift	3

Henry A. Swift	-	July 10, 1863	January 11, 1864	March 23, 1823	Ohio	February 25, 1869	vacant

4	Stephen Miller	-	January 11, 1864	January 8, 1866	January 7, 1816	Pennsylvania	August 18, 1881	Charles D. Sherwood	4

5	William R. Marshall	-	January 8, 1866	January 9, 1870	October 17, 1825	Missouri	January 8, 1896	Thomas H. Armstrong	5

6

6	Horace Austin	-	January 9, 1870	January 7, 1874	October 15, 1831	Connecticut	November 2, 1905	William H. Yale	7

8

7	Cushman K. Davis	-	January 7, 1874	January 7, 1876	June 16, 1838	New York	November 27, 1900	Alphonso Barto	9

8	John S. Pillsbury	-	January 7, 1876	January 10, 1882	July 29, 1827	New Hampshire	October 18, 1901	James B. Wakefield	10

11

Charles A. Gilman	12

9	Lucius F. Hubbard	-	January 10, 1882	January 5, 1887	January 26, 1836	New York	February 5, 1913	13

14

10	Andrew R. McGill	-	January 5, 1887	January 9, 1889	February 19, 1840	Pennsylvania	October 31, 1905	Albert E. Rice	15

11	William R. Merriam	-	January 9, 1889	January 9, 1893	July 26, 1849	New York	February 18, 1931	16

Gideon S. Ives	17

12	Knute Nelson	-	January 9, 1893	January 31, 1895	February 2, 1843	Norway	April 28, 1923	David M. Clough	18

13	David M. Clough	-	January 31, 1895	January 2, 1899	December 27, 1846	New Hampshire	August 28, 1924	Frank A. Day	19

John L. Gibbs	20

14	John Lind	-	January 2, 1899	January 7, 1901	Democratic	March 25, 1854	Sweden	September 18, 1930	Lyndon A. Smith	21

15	Samuel R. Van Sant	-	January 7, 1901	January 4, 1905	Republican	May 11, 1844	Illinois	October 3, 1936	22

Ray W. Jones	23

16	John A. Johnson	-	January 4, 1905	September 21, 1909	Democratic	July 28, 1861	Minnesota	September 21, 1909	24

Adolph O. Eberhart	25

17	Adolph O. Eberhart	-	September 21, 1909	January 5, 1915	Republican	June 23, 1870	Sweden	December 6, 1944	Edward E. Smith	26

Samuel Y. Gordon	27

J. A. A. Burnquist	28

18	Winfield S. Hammond	-	January 5, 1915	December 30, 1915	Democratic	November 17, 1863	Massachusetts	December 30, 1915	29

19	J. A. A. Burnquist	-	December 30, 1915	January 5, 1921	Republican	July 21, 1879	Iowa	January 12, 1961	George H. Sullivan	29

Thomas Frankson	30

31

20	J. A. O. Preus	-	January 5, 1921	January 6, 1925	August 28, 1883	Wisconsin	May 24, 1961	Louis L. Collins	32

33

21	Theodore Christianson	-	January 6, 1925	January 6, 1931	September 12, 1883	Minnesota	December 9, 1948	William I. Nolan	34

35

Charles Edward Adams	36

22	Floyd B. Olson	-	January 6, 1931	August 22, 1936	Farmer-Labor	November 13, 1891	Minnesota	August 22, 1936	Henry M. Arens	37

Konrad K. Solberg	38

Hjalmar Petersen	39

23	Hjalmar Petersen	-	August 22, 1936	January 4, 1937	January 2, 1890	Denmark	March 29, 1968	William B. Richardson (acting)

24	Elmer A. Benson	-	January 4, 1937	January 2, 1939	September 22, 1895	Minnesota	March 13, 1985	Gottfrid T. Lindsten	40

25	Harold E. Stassen	-	January 2, 1939	April 27, 1943	Republican	April 13, 1907	Minnesota	March 4, 2001	C. Elmer Anderson	41

42

Edward J. Thye	43

26	Edward J. Thye	-	April 27, 1943	January 8, 1947	April 26, 1896	South Dakota	August 28, 1969	Archie H. Miller

C. Elmer Anderson	44

27	Luther W. Youngdahl	-	January 8, 1947	September 27, 1951	May 29, 1896	Minnesota	June 21, 1978	45

46

47

28	C. Elmer Anderson	September 27, 1951	January 5, 1955	March 16, 1912	Minnesota	January 22, 1998	vacant

Ancher Nelsen	48

Donald O. Wright

29	Orville L. Freeman	-	January 5, 1955	January 2, 1961	Democratic-Farmer-Labor	May 9, 1918	Minnesota	February 20, 2003	Karl F. Rolvaag	49

50

51

30	Elmer L. Andersen	January 2, 1961	March 25, 1963	Republican	June 17, 1909	Illinois	November 15, 2004	52

31	Karl F. Rolvaag	-	March 25, 1963	January 2, 1967	Democratic-Farmer-Labor	July 18, 1913	Minnesota	December 20, 1990	Sandy Keith	53

32	Harold LeVander	January 2, 1967	January 4, 1971	Republican	October 10, 1910	Nebraska	March 30, 1992	James B. Goetz	54

33	Wendell R. Anderson	-	January 4, 1971	December 29, 1976	Democratic-Farmer-Labor	February 1, 1933	Minnesota	July 17, 2016	Rudy Perpich	55

56

34	Rudy Perpich	December 29, 1976	January 4, 1979	June 27, 1928	Minnesota	September 21, 1995	Alec G. Olson

35	Al Quie	-	January 4, 1979	January 3, 1983	Independent-Republican	September 18, 1923	Minnesota	Lou Wangberg	57

36	Rudy Perpich	January 3, 1983	January 7, 1991	Democratic-Farmer-Labor	June 27, 1928	Minnesota	September 21, 1995	Marlene Johnson	58

59

37	Arne H. Carlson	-	January 7, 1991	January 4, 1999	Independent-Republican/ Republican	September 24, 1934	New York	Joanell M. Dyrstad	60

Joanne Benson	61

38	Jesse Ventura	-	January 4, 1999	January 6, 2003	Reform/Independence	July 15, 1951	Minnesota	Mae A. Schunk	62

39	Tim Pawlenty	-	January 6, 2003	January 3, 2011	Republican	November 27, 1960	Minnesota	Carol Molnau	63

64

40	Mark Dayton	-	January 3, 2011	January 7, 2019	Democratic-Farmer-Labor	January 26, 1947	Minnesota	Yvonne Prettner Solon	65

Tina Smith	66

Michelle Fischbach

41	Tim Walz	-	January 7, 2019	Incumbent	April 6, 1964	Nebraska	Peggy Flanagan	67

Sentence(s)

Elmer Austin Benson served as the 24th Governor of Minnesota from January 4, 1937, to January 2, 1939.

final_sentence: Elmer Austin Benson served as the 24th Governor of Minnesota from January 4, 1937, to January 2, 1939.