Legislative Party Control Chart, 1901-present
Compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
This visual table describes the parties in control of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate from 1901 to the present.
In 1913, Minnesota legislators began to be elected on nonpartisan ballots (1913 Minn. Laws Chap. 389). Legislators ran and caucused as "Liberals" or "Conservatives" (roughly equivalent in most years to Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Republican, respectively. A 1973 Law change brought back party designation elections beginning with the House in 1974 and the Senate in 1976 (1973 Minn. Laws Chapter 3 section 1; first numbered Minnesota Statute 202.03; renumbered Minnesota Statute 204B.36, subdivision 2). For this time period, control is listed as Conservative or Liberal.
For more detail on numbers of members, changes within legislative sessions, and names of parties, see Party Control of the Minnesota House of Representatives, 1951-present, and Party Control of the Minnesota Senate, 1951-present.
Sitzung |
House |
Senate |
Governor |
93rd, 2023-2024 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
92nd, 2021-2022 |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
91st, 2019-2020 |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
90th, 2017-2018 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
89th, 2015-2016 |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
88th, 2013-2014 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
87th, 2011-2012 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
86th, 2009-2010 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
85th, 2007-2008 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
84th, 2005-2006 |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
83rd, 2003-2004 |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
82nd, 2001-2002 |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
white |
Reform |
81st, 1999-2000 |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
white |
Reform |
80th, 1997-1998 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
79th, 1995-1996 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
78th, 1993-1994 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
77th, 1991-1992 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
76th, 1989-1990 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
75th, 1987-1988 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
74th, 1985-1986 |
red |
Republican |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
73rd, 1983-1984 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
72nd, 1981-1982 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
71st, 1979-1980 |
blue |
DFL (1980) |
blue |
DFL |
red |
Republican |
blue and red |
Tie (1979) |
70th, 1977-1978 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
DFL |
69th, 1975-1976 |
blue |
DFL |
blue |
Liberal |
blue |
DFL |
68th, 1973-1974 |
blue |
Liberal |
blue |
Liberal |
blue |
DFL |
67th, 1971 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
DFL |
66th, 1969 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
65th, 1967 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
64th, 1965-1966 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
DFL |
63rd, 1963 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
DFL (starting 3/25/1963) |
red |
Republican (through 3/25/1963) |
62nd, 1961 |
blue |
Liberal |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
61st, 1959 |
blue |
Liberal |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
DFL |
60th, 1957-1958 |
blue |
Liberal |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
DFL |
59th, 1955 |
blue |
Liberal |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
DFL |
58th, 1953 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
57th, 1951 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
56th, 1949 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
55th, 1947 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
54th, 1945 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
53rd, 1943-1944 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
52nd, 1941 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
51st, 1939 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
50th, 1937 |
blue |
Liberal |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
Farmer Labor |
49th, 1935-1936 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
Farmer Labor |
48th, 1933 |
blue |
Liberal |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
Farmer Labor |
47th, 1931 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
blue |
Farmer Labor |
46th, 1929 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
45th, 1927 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
44th, 1925 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
43rd, 1923 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
42nd, 1921 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
41st, 1919 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
40th, 1917 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican |
39th, 1915-1916 |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Conservative |
red |
Republican (1916) |
blue |
Democrat (1915) |
38th, 1913 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
37th, 1911-1912 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
36th, 1909 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
blue |
Democrat |
35th, 1907 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
blue |
Democrat |
34th, 1905 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
blue |
Democrat |
33rd, 1903 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
32nd, 1901-1902 |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
red |
Republican |
Sources
Adrian, Charles Raymond. The Nonpartisan Legislature in Minnesota. PhD Thesis, University of Minnesota, 1950.
Buell, C.J. The Minnesota Legislature of 1915, The Minnesota Legislature of 1917, The Minnesota Legislature of 1919. St. Paul : C.J. Buell.
Caucus Statistics, a notebook of news articles, book excerpts, and other resources related to party control of the Minnesota Legislature, compiled by the Legislative Reference Library.
Gieske, Millard L. Minnesota Farmer-Laborism: The Third party Alternative. Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, 1979.
Hinderaker, Ivan. Harold Stassen and Developments in the Republican Party in Minnesota 1937-1943. PhD Thesis, University of Minnesota, 1949.
Legislative Manuals. St. Paul : Office of the Secretary of State, various years.
Haines, Lynn. The Minnesota Legislature of 1911, Minneapolis : L. Haines, 1911.
Naftalin, Arthur. "The Failure of the Farmer-Labor Party to Capture Control of the Minnesota Legislature." The American Political Science Review, Vol. 38, No. 1, February 1944, p. 71-78.
The Minnesota Legislature - How It Works: A Report to Members of Cooperatives on Legislation Considered by the 1951 Session of the Minnesota Legislature. St. Paul : Minnesota Association of Cooperatives, 1951(?)
The Statehouse Review: A Quick Summary of the 1939 Session of the Minnesota Legislature. St. Paul : Minnesota Legislative Reference Bureau, 1939.