President of the Minnesota Senate
Incumbent
Bobby Joe Champion
since January 3, 2023
Term lengthTwo years, no term limit
Inaugural holderAlec G. Olson
FormationJanuary 1973
Websitehttp://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 of Minnesota 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 Minnesota Senate 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 Holcombe18581860Democratic
Ignatius L. Donnelly18601863Republican
Charles D. Sherwood18641866Republican
Thomas H. Armstrong18661870Republican
William H. Yale18701874Republican
Alphonso Barto18741876Republican
James Wakefield18761880Republican
Charles A. Gilman18801887Republican
Albert E. Rice18871891Republican
Gideon S. Ives18911893Republican
David Marston Clough18931895Republican
Frank A. Day18951897Republican
John L. Gibbs18971899Republican
Lyndon Ambrose Smith18991903Republican
Ray W. Jones19031907Republican
Adolph Olson Eberhart19071909Republican
Edward Everett Smith19091911Republican
Samuel Y. Gordon19111913Republican
Joseph A. A. Burnquist19131915Republican
George H. Sullivan19161917Republican
Thomas Frankson19171921Republican
Louis L. Collins19211925Republican
William I. Nolan19251929Republican
Charles Edward Adams19291931Republican
Henry M. Arens19311933Farmer–Labor
Konrad K. Solberg19331935Farmer–Labor
Hjalmar Petersen19351936Farmer–Labor
Gottfrid Lindsten19371939Farmer–Labor
C. Elmer Anderson19391943Republican
Edward John Thye19431943Republican
Archie H. Miller19431945Republican
C. Elmer Anderson19451951Republican
Ancher Nelsen19531953Republican
Karl Rolvaag19551963Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Alexander M. Keith19631967Democratic–Farmer–Labor
James B. Goetz19671971Republican
Rudy Perpich19711973Democratic–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. Olson19731976Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Edward J. Gearty19771981Democratic–Farmer–Labor
John T. Davies19811983Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Jerome M. Hughes19831987Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Florian Chmielewski19871987Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Jerome M. Hughes19871993Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Allan H. Spear19932001Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Don Samuelson20012003Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Jim Metzen20032011Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Michelle Fischbach20112013Republican
Sandy Pappas20132017Democratic–Farmer–Labor
Michelle Fischbach201720181Republican
Jeremy Miller20192020Republican
David Tomassoni20202021Independent
Jeremy Miller20212022Republican
David Osmek20222023Republican
Bobby Joe Champion2023presentDemocratic–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

References

  1. ↑ "Minnesota Senate President and President Pro Tempore, 1849-present - Minnesota Legislative Reference Library".
  2. ↑ "Minnesota Legislative Reference Library - Senate Presiding Officers".
  3. ↑ Coolican, J. Patrick. "Fischbach resigns from state Senate, is sworn in as lieutenant governor". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
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