List of presidents of the Minnesota Senate

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]

President of the Minnesota Senate
since January 3, 2023
Term lengthTwo years, no term limit
Inaugural holderAlec G. Olson
FormationJanuary 1973
Websitehttp://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/

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

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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. Name Took office Left office Party
1 William Holcombe 1858 1860 Democratic
2 Ignatius L. Donnelly 1860 1863 Republican
3 Charles D. Sherwood 1864 1866 Republican
4 Thomas H. Armstrong 1866 1870 Republican
5 William H. Yale 1870 1874 Republican
6 Alphonso Barto 1874 1876 Republican
7 James Wakefield 1876 1880 Republican
8 Charles A. Gilman 1880 1887 Republican
9 Albert E. Rice 1887 1891 Republican
10 Gideon S. Ives 1891 1893 Republican
11 David Marston Clough 1893 1895 Republican
12 Frank A. Day 1895 1897 Republican
13 John L. Gibbs 1897 1899 Republican
14 Lyndon Ambrose Smith 1899 1903 Republican
15 Ray W. Jones 1903 1907 Republican
16 Adolph Olson Eberhart 1907 1909 Republican
17 Edward Everett Smith 1909 1911 Republican
18 Samuel Y. Gordon 1911 1913 Republican
19 Joseph A. A. Burnquist 1913 1915 Republican
20 George H. Sullivan 1916 1917 Republican
21 Thomas Frankson 1917 1921 Republican
22 Louis L. Collins 1921 1925 Republican
23 William I. Nolan 1925 1929 Republican
24 Charles Edward Adams 1929 1931 Republican
25 Henry M. Arens 1931 1933 Farmer–Labor
26 Konrad K. Solberg 1933 1935 Farmer–Labor
27 Hjalmar Petersen 1935 1936 Farmer–Labor
28 Gottfrid Lindsten 1937 1939 Farmer–Labor
29 C. Elmer Anderson 1939 1943 Republican
30 Edward John Thye 1943 1943 Republican
31 Archie H. Miller 1943 1945 Republican
32 C. Elmer Anderson 1945 1951 Republican
33 Ancher Nelsen 1953 1953 Republican
34 Karl Rolvaag 1955 1963 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
35 Alexander M. Keith 1963 1967 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
36 James B. Goetz 1967 1971 Republican
37 Rudy Perpich 1971 1973 Democratic–Farmer–Labor

Since 1973

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

No. Name Took office Left office Party
38 Alec G. Olson 1973 1976 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
39 Edward J. Gearty 1977 1981 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
40 John T. Davies 1981 1983 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
41 Jerome M. Hughes 1983 1987 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
42 Florian Chmielewski 1987 1987 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
43 Jerome M. Hughes 1987 1993 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
44 Allan H. Spear 1993 2001 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
45 Don Samuelson January 3, 2001 January 6, 2003 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
46 Jim Metzen January 7, 2003 January 4, 2011 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
47 Michelle Fischbach January 4, 2011 January 7, 2013 Republican
48 Sandy Pappas January 8, 2013 January 2, 2017 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
49 Michelle Fischbach January 3, 2017 May 25, 2018 Republican
50 Jeremy Miller January 7, 2019 November 12, 2020 Republican
51 David Tomassoni November 12, 2020 January 7, 2021 Independent
52 Jeremy Miller September 9, 2021 January 31, 2022 Republican
53 David Osmek January 31, 2022 January 3, 2023 Republican
54 Bobby Joe Champion January 3, 2023 Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor

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

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  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.