List of presidents of the Minnesota Senate

Last updated

President of the Minnesota Senate
Seal of Minnesota.svg
since January 14, 2025
Term length Two years, no term limit
Inaugural holder Alec G. Olson
FormationJanuary 1973
Website http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/

The president of the Minnesota Senate is the presiding officer of the Minnesota Senate. Until 1973, the lieutenant governor served as the Senate president. Since then, presidents have been elected by the body, usually at the nomination of the majority. [1]

Contents

While power within the Senate lies primarily with the majority leader, the president of the Senate does succeed to lieutenant governor in the event that office becomes vacant, something which happened most recently in 2018. [2]

1858–1973

From statehood until 1973, the lieutenant governor served as president. Not all lieutenant governors served at the same time as the Senate was in session.

No.NameTook officeLeft officeParty
1 William Holcombe 18581860 Democratic
2 Ignatius L. Donnelly 18601863 Republican
3 Charles D. Sherwood 18641866 Republican
4 Thomas H. Armstrong 18661870 Republican
5 William H. Yale 18701874 Republican
6 Alphonso Barto 18741876 Republican
7 James Wakefield 18761880 Republican
8 Charles A. Gilman 18801887 Republican
9 Albert E. Rice 18871891 Republican
10 Gideon S. Ives 18911893 Republican
11 David Marston Clough 18931895 Republican
12 Frank A. Day 18951897 Republican
13 John L. Gibbs 18971899 Republican
14 Lyndon Ambrose Smith 18991903 Republican
15 Ray W. Jones 19031907 Republican
16 Adolph Olson Eberhart 19071909 Republican
17 Edward Everett Smith 19091911 Republican
18 Samuel Y. Gordon 19111913 Republican
19 Joseph A. A. Burnquist 19131915 Republican
20 George H. Sullivan 19161917 Republican
21 Thomas Frankson 19171921 Republican
22 Louis L. Collins 19211925 Republican
23 William I. Nolan 19251929 Republican
24 Charles Edward Adams 19291931 Republican
25 Henry M. Arens 19311933 Farmer–Labor
26 Konrad K. Solberg 19331935 Farmer–Labor
27 Hjalmar Petersen 19351936 Farmer–Labor
28 Gottfrid Lindsten 19371939 Farmer–Labor
29 C. Elmer Anderson 19391943 Republican
30 Edward John Thye 19431943 Republican
31 Archie H. Miller 19431945 Republican
32 C. Elmer Anderson 19451951 Republican
33 Ancher Nelsen 19531953 Republican
34 Karl Rolvaag 19551963 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
35 Alexander M. Keith 19631967 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
36 James B. Goetz 19671971 Republican
37 Rudy Perpich 19711973 Democratic–Farmer–Labor

Since 1973

Beginning in 1973, the Minnesota Senate began electing its own presidents.

No.NameTook officeLeft officeParty
38 Alec G. Olson 19731976 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
39 Edward J. Gearty 19771981 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
40 John T. Davies 19811983 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
41 Jerome M. Hughes 19831987 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
42 Florian Chmielewski 19871987 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
43 Jerome M. Hughes 19871993 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
44 Allan H. Spear 19932001 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
45 Don Samuelson January 3, 2001January 6, 2003 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
46 Jim Metzen January 7, 2003January 4, 2011 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
47 Michelle Fischbach January 4, 2011January 7, 2013 Republican
48 Sandy Pappas January 8, 2013January 2, 2017 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
49 Michelle Fischbach January 3, 2017May 25, 2018 Republican
50 Jeremy Miller January 7, 2019November 12, 2020 Republican
51 David Tomassoni November 12, 2020January 7, 2021Independent
52 Jeremy Miller September 9, 2021January 31, 2022 Republican
53 David Osmek January 31, 2022January 3, 2023 Republican
54 Bobby Joe Champion January 3, 2023Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Jeremy Miller January 14, 2025February 3, 2025 Republican


1In accordance with the Minnesota Constitution, Fischbach automatically became Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota on January 3, 2018, after previous Lt. Gov. Tina Smith resigned to accept an appointment to the United States Senate. Fischbach formally resigned from the Minnesota Senate on May 25, 2018. [3] As the Senate did not meet during this time, the position was vacant until Jeremy Miller was formally elected in January 2019.

References

  1. ↑ "Minnesota Senate President and President Pro Tempore, 1849-present - Minnesota Legislative Reference Library". Archived from the original on 2018-07-06. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
  2. ↑ "Minnesota Legislative Reference Library - Senate Presiding Officers". Archived from the original on 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
  3. ↑ Coolican, J. Patrick. "Fischbach resigns from state Senate, is sworn in as lieutenant governor". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2018-12-07. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
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