List of governors of Minnesota

The following is a list of governors of the State of Minnesota and Minnesota Territory, United States.

Territorial governors
+ Territorial governors of MinnesotaGovernorTerm of officePartyPlace of birthAppointed by175px Alexander Ramsey–May 15, 1853WhigPennsylvaniaZachary Taylor275px Willis A. Gorman–April 23, 1857DemocraticKentuckyFranklin Pierce375px Samuel Medary–May 24, 1858DemocraticPennsylvaniaJames Buchanan

State governors

Parties

 # Governor  Took office  Left office  Party Date of birth Place of birth Date of deathLieutenant governor(s)  Term 1 Henry H. Sibley 75px May 24, 1858 January 2, 1860 Democratic  February 20, 1811 Michigan February 18, 1891 William Holcombe 1 2 Alexander Ramsey 75px January 2, 1860 July 10, 1863Resigned. Republican September 8, 1815  Pennsylvania April 22, 1903 Ignatius L. Donnelly 2Henry A. SwiftSucceeded to office following death or resignation of previous officeholder. 3 3 Henry A. Swift 75px July 10, 1863 January 11, 1864 March 23, 1823 Ohio February 25, 1869  vacant 4 Stephen Miller 75px January 11, 1864 January 8, 1866 January 7, 1816  Pennsylvania August 18, 1881 Charles D. Sherwood 4 5 William R. Marshall 75px January 8, 1866 January 9, 1870 October 17, 1825  Missouri January 8, 1896 Thomas H. Armstrong 5 6 6 Horace Austin 75px January 9, 1870 January 7, 1874 October 15, 1831 Connecticut November 2, 1905 William H. Yale 7 8 7 Cushman K. Davis 75px January 7, 1874 January 7, 1876 June 16, 1838  New York November 27, 1900 Alphonso Barto 9 8  John S. Pillsbury 75px  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 75px January 10, 1882 January 5, 1887 January 26, 1836 New York February 5, 1913 13 14 10 Andrew R. McGill 75px January 5, 1887 January 9, 1889 February 19, 1840 Pennsylvania  October 31, 1905 Albert E. Rice 15 11 William R. Merriam 75px January 9, 1889 January 9, 1893 July 26, 1849 New York  February 18, 1931 16 Gideon S. Ives 17 12 Knute Nelson 75px January 9, 1893 January 31, 1895 February 2, 1843 Norway April 28, 1923 David M. Clough 18 13 David M. Clough 75px 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 75px January 2, 1899 January 7, 1901 DemocraticLind was also endorsed by the Populist Party and the Silver Republican Party. March 25, 1854 Sweden September 18, 1930 Lyndon A. Smith 21 15 Samuel R. Van Sant 75px January 7, 1901 January 4, 1905 Republican May 11, 1844 Illinois  October 3, 1936 22 Ray W. Jones 23 16 John A. Johnson 75px January 4, 1905 September 21, 1909Died in office of natural causes. Democratic July 28, 1861 Minnesota September 21, 1909 24 Adolph O. Eberhart 25 17 Adolph O. Eberhart 75px 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 75px January 5, 1915 December 30, 1915 Democratic November 17, 1863  Massachusetts December 30, 1915 29 19 J. A. A. Burnquist 75px 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 75px January 5, 1921 January 6, 1925 August 28, 1883 Wisconsin May 24, 1961 Louis L. Collins 32 33 21 Theodore Christianson 75px January 6, 1925 January 6, 1931 September 12, 1883 Minnesota December 9, 1948 William I. Nolan 34 35Charles Edward Adams 36 22 Floyd B. Olson  75px January 6, 1931 August 22, 1936Farmer-Labor November 13, 1891 Minnesota August 22, 1936 Henry M. Arens 37 Konrad K. Solberg 38 Hjalmar Petersen 39 23 Hjalmar Petersen 75px August 22, 1936 January 4, 1937 January 2, 1890 Denmark  March 29, 1968 William B. Richardson (acting)Served as acting lieutenant governor and never took the oath of office. 24 Elmer A. Benson 75px January 4, 1937 January 2, 1939 September 22, 1895 Minnesota March 13, 1985 Gottfrid T. Lindsten 40 25 Harold E. Stassen 75px  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 75px 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 75px January 8, 1947 September 27, 1951 May 29, 1896  Minnesota June 21, 1978 45 46 47 28 C. Elmer Anderson 75px September 27, 1951 January 5, 1955 March 16, 1912 Minnesota January 22, 1998 vacant Ancher Nelsen 48 Donald O. Wright 29 Orville L. Freeman 75px January 5, 1955 January 2, 1961Democratic-Farmer-Labor May 9, 1918 Minnesota February 20, 2003 Karl F. Rolvaag 49 50 51 30 Elmer L. Andersen  January 2, 1961 March 25, 1963A recount and subsequent litigation lasting 139 days delayed Karl Rolvaag's inauguration as governor. Republican June 17, 1909 Illinois November 15, 2004 52 31  Karl F. Rolvaag 75px March 25, 1963 January 2, 1967Democratic-Farmer-Labor July 18, 1913 Minnesota December 20, 1990 Sandy Keith 53 32 Harold LeVander 75px January 2, 1967 January 4, 1971 Republican October 10, 1910  Nebraska March 30, 1992 James B. Goetz 54 33  Wendell R. Anderson 75px 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 75px January 4, 1979 January 3, 1983 Independent-Republican September 18, 1923 Minnesota Lou Wangberg 57 36 Rudy Perpich   January 3, 1983 January 7, 1991Democratic-Farmer-Labor June 27, 1928 Minnesota September 21, 1995 Marlene Johnson 58 59 37 Arne H. Carlson75px January 7, 1991 January 4, 1999 Independent-Republican/Republican September 24, 1934 New York Joanell M. Dyrstad 60 Joanne Benson 61 38 Jesse VenturaVentura's birth and legal name is James George Janos. 75px January 4, 1999 January 6, 2003 Reform/Independence July 15, 1951 Minnesota Mae A. Schunk 62 39 Tim Pawlenty 75px January 6, 2003 January 3, 2011 Republican November 27, 1960 Minnesota Carol Molnau 63 64 40 Mark Dayton 75px January 3, 2011 January 7, 2019Democratic-Farmer-Labor January 26, 1947 Minnesota Yvonne Prettner Solon 65 Tina Smith 66 Michelle Fischbach41Tim Walz 75pxJanuary 7, 2019IncumbentApril 6, 1964NebraskaPeggy Flanagan67

Notes

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