# Minnesota Senate, District 37

The Minnesota Senate, District 37, encompasses portions of Anoka County in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. It has formerly included Brown, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, Yellow Medicine, Chippewa, Swift, Carver, Ramsey, Hennepin, Dakota, Washington, Goodhue, and Scott counties; and served Ramsey County for the longest. The district is currently represented by Republican Senator Warren Limmer.

## District profile

The district stretches along the southern edge of Anoka County from the Ramsey County and Hennepin County borders, excluding the cities of Fridely, Hilltop, and Columbia Heights.
Due to redistricting, the 37th district has been moved around various counties in the southern part of the state. The current iteration resulted from the 2010 redistricting by the Minnesota State Legislature, which became effective in 2012.

### 2010

As of 2016, the population of the 37th district was split 49.1% male and 50.9% female, with 48.2% of men and 51.8% of women being eligible to vote. 93.9% of residents were at least a high school graduate (or equivalent), and 30.5% had earned a bachelor's degree or higher. 31.8% of the population is of German ancestry, the largest ethnic group in the district, followed by Norwegian descent at 13.5%. The unemployment rate was at 4.8%.
| Race | Population (2016 est.) | Share of total population |
| Total | 83,278 | 100% |
| One race | 80,469 | 96.6% |
| White | 69,174 | 83.1% |
| Black or African American | 3,962 | 4.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 493 | 0.6% |
| Asian | 5,769 | 6.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 44 | 0.1% |
| Other races | 1,027 | 1.2% |
| Two or more races | 2,809 | 3.4% |
| White and Black or African American | 994 | 1.2% |
| White and American Indian and Alaska Native | 499 | 0.6% |
| White and Asian | 804 | 1% |
| Black or African American and American Indian and Alaska Native | 9 | 0.0% |
| Ancestry | Population (2016 est.) | Share of total population |
| Total | 83,278 | 100% |
| German | 26,513 | 31.8% |
| Norwegian | 11,205 | 13.5% |
| Irish | 8,799 | 10.6% |
| Swedish | 7,139 | 8.6% |
| Polish | 5,606 | 6.7% |
| English | 4,080 | 4.9% |
| French (except Basque) | 3,169 | 3.8% |
| American | 3,066 | 3.7% |
| Italian | 2,162 | 2.6% |
| Subsaharan African | 1,947 | 2.3% |
| Czech | 1,582 | 1.9% |
| Scottish | 1,186 | 1.4% |
| French Canadian | 1,132 | 1.4% |
| Arab | 1,005 | 1.2% |
| Danish | 885 | 1.1% |
| Russian | 790 | 0.9% |
| Ukrainian | 486 | 0.6% |
| Swiss | 419 | 0.5% |
| Scotch-Irish | 340 | 0.4% |
| Welsh | 262 | 0.3% |
| Greek | 212 | 0.3% |
| Hungarian | 203 | 0.2% |
| Slovak | 154 | 0.2% |
| Lithuanian | 74 | 0.1% |
| Portuguese | 56 | 0.1% |
| West Indian (excluding Hispanic origin groups) | 29 | 0.0% |

## List of senators

| Session | Senator | Party | Term start | Term end | Home | Counties represented |
| 14th | William Pfaender Sr. | Republican | January 2, 1872 | January 6, 1873 | New Ulm | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 15th | J.S.G. Honner | Republican | January 7, 1873 | January 4, 1875 | Redwood Falls | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 16th | J.S.G. Honner | Republican | January 7, 1873 | January 4, 1875 | Redwood Falls | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 17th | John Winslow Blake | Republican | January 5, 1875 | January 1, 1877 | Marshall | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 18th | John Winslow Blake | Republican | January 5, 1875 | January 1, 1877 | Marshall | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 19th | Shadrach Azariah Hall | Republican | January 2, 1877 | January 6, 1879 | Yellow Medicine City | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 20th | Shadrach Azariah Hall | Republican | January 2, 1877 | January 6, 1879 | Minnesota Falls | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 21st | Knud H. Helling | | January 7, 1879 | January 3, 1881 | Madelia | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 22nd | Samuel D. Peterson | | January 4, 1881 | January 1, 1883 | New Ulm | Brown Lac qui Parle Lyon Redwood Yellow Medicine |
| 23rd | Ziba B. Clarke | | January 2, 1883 | January 3, 1887 | Benson | Chippewa Lac qui Parle Swift |
| 24th | Ziba B. Clarke | | January 2, 1883 | January 3, 1887 | Benson | Chippewa Lac qui Parle Swift |
| 25th | Hiram Eugene Hoard | Republican | January 4, 1887 | January 5, 1891 | Montevideo | Chippewa Lac qui Parle Swift |
| 26th | Hiram Eugene Hoard | Republican | January 4, 1887 | January 5, 1891 | Montevideo | Chippewa Lac qui Parle Swift |
| 27th | Joseph W. Craven | Democratic | January 6, 1891 | January 7, 1895 | Norwood | Carver |
| 28th | Joseph W. Craven | Democratic | January 6, 1891 | January 7, 1895 | Norwood | Carver |
| 29th | Frederic "Fred" Iltis | Republican | January 8, 1895 | January 2, 1899 | Chaska | Carver |
| 30th | Frederic "Fred" Iltis | Republican | January 8, 1895 | January 2, 1899 | Chaska | Carver |
| 31st | Andrew Ryan McGill | Republican | January 3, 1899 | October 31, 1905 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 32nd | Andrew Ryan McGill | Republican | January 3, 1899 | October 31, 1905 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 33rd | Andrew Ryan McGill | Republican | January 3, 1899 | October 31, 1905 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 34th | Andrew Ryan McGill | Republican | January 3, 1899 | October 31, 1905 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 35th | Joseph Malcome Hackney | Republican | January 8, 1907 | January 4, 1915 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 36th | Joseph Malcome Hackney | Republican | January 8, 1907 | January 4, 1915 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 37th | Joseph Malcome Hackney | Republican | January 8, 1907 | January 4, 1915 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 38th | Joseph Malcome Hackney | Republican | January 8, 1907 | January 4, 1915 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 39th | Joseph Ansgar Jackson | Nonpartisan Election | January 5, 1915 | January 3, 1927 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 40th | Joseph Ansgar Jackson | Nonpartisan Election | January 5, 1915 | January 3, 1927 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 41st | Joseph Ansgar Jackson | Nonpartisan Election | January 5, 1915 | January 3, 1927 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 42nd | Joseph Ansgar Jackson | Nonpartisan Election | January 5, 1915 | January 3, 1927 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 43rd | Joseph Ansgar Jackson | Nonpartisan Election | January 5, 1915 | January 3, 1927 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 44th | Joseph Ansgar Jackson | Nonpartisan Election | January 5, 1915 | January 3, 1927 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 45th | Lloyd E. Lilygren | Nonpartisan Election | January 4, 1927 | January 5, 1931 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 46th | Lloyd E. Lilygren | Nonpartisan Election | January 4, 1927 | January 5, 1931 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 47th | Beldin H. Loftsgaarden | Republican | January 6, 1932 | January 4, 1943 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 48th | Beldin H. Loftsgaarden | Republican | January 6, 1932 | January 4, 1943 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 49th | Beldin H. Loftsgaarden | Republican | January 6, 1932 | January 4, 1943 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 50th | Beldin H. Loftsgaarden | Republican | January 6, 1932 | January 4, 1943 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 51st | Beldin H. Loftsgaarden | Republican | January 6, 1932 | January 4, 1943 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 52nd | Beldin H. Loftsgaarden | Republican | January 6, 1932 | January 4, 1943 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 53rd | Emery A. Johnson | Nonpartisan Election | January 5, 1943 | January 6, 1947 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 54th | Emery A. Johnson | Nonpartisan Election | January 5, 1943 | January 6, 1947 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 55th | Everett L. Peterson | Nonpartisan Election | January 7, 1947 | January 1, 1951 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 56th | Everett L. Peterson | Nonpartisan Election | January 7, 1947 | January 1, 1951 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 57th | Harold W. Schultz Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus | January 1, 1951 | January 7, 1963 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 58th | Harold W. Schultz Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus | January 1, 1951 | January 7, 1963 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 59th | Harold W. Schultz Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus | January 1, 1951 | January 7, 1963 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 60th | Harold W. Schultz Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus | January 1, 1951 | January 7, 1963 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 61st | Harold W. Schultz Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus | January 1, 1951 | January 7, 1963 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 62nd | Harold W. Schultz Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus | January 1, 1951 | January 7, 1963 | Saint Paul | Ramsey |
| 63rd | Harmon T. Ogdahl Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus | January 8, 1963 | January 1, 1973 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 64th | Harmon T. Ogdahl Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus | January 8, 1963 | January 1, 1973 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 65th | Harmon T. Ogdahl Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus | January 8, 1963 | January 1, 1973 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 66th | Harmon T. Ogdahl Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus | January 8, 1963 | January 1, 1973 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 67th | Harmon T. Ogdahl Sr. | Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus | January 8, 1963 | January 1, 1973 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 68th | William G. Kirchner | Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus | January 2, 1973 | January 1, 1981 | Richfield | Hennepin |
| 69th | William G. Kirchner | Nonpartisan Election-Independent Republican Caucus | January 2, 1973 | January 1, 1981 | Richfield | Hennepin |
| 70th | William G. Kirchner | Independent Republican | January 2, 1973 | January 1, 1981 | Richfield | Hennepin |
| 71st | William G. Kirchner | Independent Republican | January 2, 1973 | January 1, 1981 | Richfield | Hennepin |
| 72nd | Steven O. Lindgren | Independent Republican | January 6, 1981 | January 3, 1983 | Richfield | Hennepin |
| 73rd | Darril Wegscheid | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | January 4, 1983 | January 1, 1989 | Apple Valley | Dakota Washington |
| 74th | Darril Wegscheid | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | January 4, 1983 | January 1, 1989 | Apple Valley | Dakota Washington |
| 75th | Darril Wegscheid | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | January 4, 1983 | January 1, 1989 | Apple Valley | Dakota Washington |
| 76th | Patricia Pariseau | Independent Republican | January 3, 1989 | January 6, 2003 | Farmington | Dakota Washington |
| 77th | Patricia Pariseau | Independent Republican | January 3, 1989 | January 6, 2003 | Farmington | Dakota Washington |
| 78th | Patricia Pariseau | Independent Republican | January 3, 1989 | January 6, 2003 | Farmington | Dakota Goodhue Scott |
| 79th | Patricia Pariseau | Independent Republican | January 3, 1989 | January 6, 2003 | Farmington | Dakota Goodhue Scott |
| 80th | Patricia Pariseau | Republican | January 3, 1989 | January 6, 2003 | Farmington | Dakota Goodhue Scott |
| 81st | Patricia Pariseau | Republican | January 3, 1989 | January 6, 2003 | Farmington | Dakota Goodhue Scott |
| 82nd | Patricia Pariseau | Republican | January 3, 1989 | January 6, 2003 | Farmington | Dakota Goodhue Scott |
| 83rd | David L. Knutson | Republican | January 7, 2003 | June 29, 2004 | Burnsville | Dakota |
| 83rd | Chris Gerlach | Republican | July 21, 2004 | January 7, 2013 | Apple Valley | Dakota |
| 84th | Chris Gerlach | Republican | July 21, 2004 | January 7, 2013 | Apple Valley | Dakota |
| 85th | Chris Gerlach | Republican | July 21, 2004 | January 7, 2013 | Apple Valley | Dakota |
| 86th | Chris Gerlach | Republican | July 21, 2004 | January 7, 2013 | Apple Valley | Dakota |
| 87th | Chris Gerlach | Republican | July 21, 2004 | January 7, 2013 | Apple Valley | Dakota |
| 88th | Alice M. Johnson | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | January 8, 2013 | January 2, 2017 | Spring Lake Park | Anoka |
| 89th | Alice M. Johnson | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | January 8, 2013 | January 2, 2017 | Spring Lake Park | Anoka |
| 90th | Jerry Newton | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | January 3, 2017 | January 1, 2023 | Coon Rapids | Anoka |
| 91st | Jerry Newton | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | January 3, 2017 | January 1, 2023 | Coon Rapids | Anoka |
| 92nd | Jerry Newton | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | January 3, 2017 | January 1, 2023 | Coon Rapids | Anoka |
| 93rd | Warren Limmer | Republican | January 2, 2023 | Incumbent | Maple Grove | Hennepin |
| 94th | Warren Limmer | Republican | January 2, 2023 | Incumbent | Maple Grove | Hennepin |

## Recent elections
### 2016

The candidate filing deadline was May 31, 2016. Incumbent Alice Johnson did not seek re-election. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016; both Jerry Newton and Brad Sanford ran unopposed. The general election was held on November 8, 2016, resulting in Newton's victory.
Minnesota State Senate election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jerry Newton | 22,129 | 51.50 |
| | Republican | Brad Sanford | 20,838 | 48.50 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 42,967 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2012

Elections for the Minnesota State Senate occurred after state-wide redistricting from 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 5, 2012. Alice Johnson defeated incumbent Pam Wolf in the general election, neither of whom faced opposition in their primaries.
Minnesota State Senate election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alice Johnson | 22,814 | 53.3 |
| | Republican | Pam Wolf | 19,962 | 46.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 42,776 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |