Minnesota Governors: Complete List from Statehood to Present

Since statehood in 1858, Minnesota has had 41 governors spanning three centuries, multiple parties, and dramatic political realignments. Here's the complete roster:

Early Statehood (1858–1900)

Henry Hastings Sibley (D, 1858–60) → Alexander Ramsey (R, 1860–63) → Henry A. Swift (R, 1863–64) → Stephen Miller (R, 1864–66) → William Rainey Marshall (R, 1866–70) → Horace Austin (R, 1870–74) → Cushman K. Davis (R, 1874–76) → John S. Pillsbury (R, 1876–82) → Lucius F. Hubbard (R, 1882–87) → Andrew R. McGill (R, 1887–89) → William R. Merriam (R, 1889–93) → Knute Nelson (R, 1893–95) → David M. Clough (R, 1895–99) → John Lind (D, 1899–1901)

Progressive Era to Mid-Century (1901–1950)

Samuel R. Van Sant (R, 1901–05) → John A. Johnson (D, 1905–09) → Adolph O. Eberhart (R, 1909–15) → Winfield S. Hammond (D, 1915–21) → J.A.O. Preus (R, 1921–25) → Theodore Christianson (R, 1925–31) → Floyd B. Olson (Farmer-Labor, 1931–36) → Elmer A. Benson (FL, 1936–37) → Hjalmar Petersen (FL, 1937–39) → Benson again (1939–43) → Harold Stassen (R, 1943–47) → Edward J. Thye (R, 1947–51) → Luther Youngdahl (R, 1951–55)

Modern Era (1955–Present)

Orville Freeman (DFL, 1955–61) → Elmer L. Andersen (R, 1961–63) → Karl Rolvaag (DFL, 1963–67) → Harold LeVander (R, 1967–71) → Wendell Anderson (DFL, 1971–76) → Rudy Perpich (DFL, 1976–79) → Al Quie (R, 1979–83) → Perpich again (1983–91) → Arne Carlson (R, 1991–99) → Jesse Ventura (Independence, 1999–2003) → Tim Pawlenty (R, 2003–11) → Mark Dayton (DFL, 2011–19) → Tim Walz (DFL, 2019–present)

Notes: DFL = Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (Minnesota's Democratic affiliate). Farmer-Labor was a distinct left-wing party (1918–1944) that merged into DFL. Ventura remains the only third-party governor elected in modern U.S. history.