List of presidents of the Minnesota Senate

Last updated

President of the Minnesota Senate
Seal of Minnesota.svg
Senator Bobby Joe Champion (1).jpg
Incumbent
Bobby Joe Champion
since January 3, 2023
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]

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]

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. Those who served as president were:

NameTook officeLeft officeParty
William Holcombe 18581860 Democratic
Ignatius L. Donnelly 18601863 Republican
Charles D. Sherwood 18641866Republican
Thomas H. Armstrong 18661870Republican
William H. Yale 18701874Republican
Alphonso Barto 18741876Republican
James Wakefield 18761880Republican
Charles A. Gilman 18801887Republican
Albert E. Rice 18871891Republican
Gideon S. Ives 18911893Republican
David Marston Clough 18931895Republican
Frank A. Day 18951897Republican
John L. Gibbs 18971899Republican
Lyndon Ambrose Smith 18991903Republican
Ray W. Jones 19031907Republican
Adolph Olson Eberhart 19071909Republican
Edward Everett Smith 19091911Republican
Samuel Y. Gordon 19111913Republican
Joseph A. A. Burnquist 19131915Republican
George H. Sullivan 19161917Republican
Thomas Frankson 19171921Republican
Louis L. Collins 19211925Republican
William I. Nolan 19251929Republican
Charles Edward Adams 19291931Republican
Henry M. Arens 19311933 Farmer–Labor
Konrad K. Solberg 19331935Farmer–Labor
Hjalmar Petersen 19351936Farmer–Labor
Gottfrid Lindsten 19371939Farmer–Labor
C. Elmer Anderson 19391943Republican
Edward John Thye 19431943Republican
Archie H. Miller 19431945Republican
C. Elmer Anderson 19451951Republican
Ancher Nelsen 19531953Republican
Karl Rolvaag 19551963 Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Alexander M. Keith 19631967Democratic–Farmer–Labor
James B. Goetz 19671971Republican
Rudy Perpich 19711973Democratic–Farmer–Labor

Beginning in 1973, the Minnesota Senate began electing its own presidents. Those who have served since 1973 are:

NameTook officeLeft officeParty
Alec G. Olson 19731976Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Edward J. Gearty 19771981Democratic–Farmer–Labor
John T. Davies 19811983Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Jerome M. Hughes 19831987Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Florian Chmielewski 19871987Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Jerome M. Hughes 19871993Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Allan H. Spear 19932001Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Don Samuelson 20012003Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Jim Metzen 20032011Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Michelle Fischbach 20112013Republican
Sandy Pappas 20132017Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Michelle Fischbach 201720181Republican
Jeremy Miller 20192020Republican
David Tomassoni 20202021Independent
Jeremy Miller 20212022Republican
David Osmek 20222023Republican
Bobby Joe Champion 2023presentDemocratic–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.

Notes on Minnesota political party names

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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.