Otter Tail County

Otter Tail County is located in West Central Minnesota and was established on March 18, 1858 by the Territorial Legislature. Otter Tail County is named after Otter Tail Lake and Otter Tail River, the names for which came from the Ojibwe words for the sand bar shaped like the tail of an otter where the river enters the lake. Fergus Falls is the county seat. Sources: Otter Tail County website. Minnesota Geographic Names, by Warren Upham (Minnesota Historical Society, 1969).

Notable candidates from Otter Tail County include:

  • Haldor E. Boen (resident): People's U.S. Representative (1893-1895)
  • Moses E. Clapp (resident): Republican Attorney General (1887-1893) [Clapp was elected U.S. Senator (1901-1917) from Ramsey County.]
  • Roger Dell (resident): Supreme Court Associate Justice (1953) and Chief Justice (1953-1962)
  • Ole P.B. Jacboson (resident): Republican Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner (1914-1933)
  • William P. (Bill) Luther (born): DFL State Representative (1975-1977), State Senator (1977-1995), and U.S. Representative (1995-2003)
  • Samuel H. Nichols (resident): Republican Clerk of the Supreme Court (1876-1887) and Washington Secretary of State (1901-1909)


Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Legislative Districts

Congressional Districts
Starting Ending Districts
1858 1863 At-Large
1863 1873 CD 02
1873 1883 CD 03
1883 1893 CD 05
1893 1903 CD 07
1903 1933 CD 09
1933 1935 At-Large
1935 1963 CD 09
1963 2033 CD 07
Senate Districts
Starting Ending Districts
1861 1872 SD 03
1872 1882 SD 41
1882 1891 SD 43
1891 1899 SD 48
1899 1915 SD 59
1915 1963 SD 50
1963 1973 SD 55
1973 1983 SD 09, 10, 11
1983 1993 SD 09, 10, 12
1993 2003 SD 09, 10, 11
2003 2013 SD 10
2013 2023 SD 02, 08
2023 2033 SD 09
House Districts
Starting Ending Districts
1861 1872 HD 03
1872 1882 HD 41
1882 1891 HD 43
1891 1899 HD 48
1899 1915 HD 59
1915 1963 HD 50
1963 1973 HD 55
1973 1983 HD 09B, 10A, 10B, 11A, 11B
1983 1993 HD 09B, 10A, 10B, 12A
1993 2003 HD 09B, 10A, 11A, 11B
2003 2013 HD 10A, 10B
2013 2023 HD 02B, 08A, 08B
2023 2033 HD 09A, 09B

Candidates

Candidate Birth county Residence county Elections
Adamietz, James A. (Jim) Todd Otter Tail 2004, State House, District 10B, General (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Lost)
2004, State House, District 10B, Primary (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Won)
Adams, Wilbur Out of state Otter Tail 1918, State House, District 50, Primary (Nonpartisan, Lost)
Adams, Elmer E. Out of state Otter Tail 1944, State House, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Lost)
1938, State Senate, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Won)
1936, State House, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Lost)
1934, State Senate, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Lost)
1932, U.S. House, Primary (Republican, Lost)
1930, State Senate, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Won)
1926, State Senate, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Lost)
1924, State House, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Lost)
1922, State Senate, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Lost)
1918, State House, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Won)
1918, State House, District 50, Primary (Nonpartisan, Won)
1914, State House, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Won)
1910, State House, District 59, General (Independent, Lost)
1908, State House, District 59, General (Republican, Won)
1908, State House, District 59, Primary (Republican, Won)
1906, State House, District 59, General (Republican, Won)
1904, State House, District 59, General (Republican, Won)
1904, State House, District 59, Primary (Republican, Won)
Alexander, Charles L. Dodge Otter Tail 1910, State House, District 59, Primary (Republican, Lost)
1908, State House, District 59, Primary (Republican, Lost)
1906, State House, District 59, General (Republican, Won)
Allen, John H. (J.H.) Out of state Otter Tail 1894, State House, District 48, General (Prohibition, Lost)
1888, Treasurer, General (Prohibition, Lost)
Altstadt, Charles Out of state Otter Tail 1912, State House, District 59, General (Democrat, Lost)
Alzheimer, Jim Drey Wilkin Otter Tail 1998, State House, District 10A, General (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Lost)
1998, State House, District 10A, Primary (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Won)
Anderson, Michele Out of state Otter Tail 2020, State Senate, District 08, General (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Lost)
Anderson, Robert A. (Bob) Wadena Otter Tail 1994, State House, District 10A, General (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Won)
1994, State House, District 10A, Primary (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Won)
1992, State House, District 10A, General (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Won)
1992, State House, District 10A, Primary (Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Won)
1990, State House, District 10B, General (Independent-Republican, Won)
1990, State House, District 10B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
1988, State House, District 10B, General (Independent-Republican, Won)
1988, State House, District 10B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
1986, State House, District 10B, General (Independent-Republican, Won)
1986, State House, District 10B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
1984, State House, District 10B, General (Independent-Republican, Won)
1984, State House, District 10B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
1982, State House, District 19B, General (Independent-Republican, Lost)
1982, State House, District 10B, General (Independent-Republican, Won)
1982, State House, District 10B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
1982, State House, District 19B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
1980, State House, District 10B, General (Independent-Republican, Won)
1980, State House, District 10B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
1978, State House, District 10B, General (Independent-Republican, Won)
1978, State House, District 10B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
1976, State House, District 10B, General (Independent-Republican, Won)
1976, State House, District 10B, Primary (Independent-Republican, Won)
Anderson, Andrew Gerhard (A.G.) Out of state Otter Tail 1916, U.S. House, District 09, Primary (Republican, Lost)
1914, State Senate, District 50, General (Nonpartisan, Lost)