The Minnesota Historical Election Archive hosts historical election results
for 17 elected offices in Minnesota.
Choose an office below to view more details about the office and browse
its history.
| Office |
Notes |
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President / Vice President
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Elections: 1860-present. Minnesota voted in its first presidential election two years after statehood. The state has had four iterations of presidential primaries: 1916 (repealed in 1917), 1952-1956 (repealed in 1959), 1992 (suspended in 1996, repealed in 1999), and 2020. |
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U.S. Senate
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Elections: 1857-present. The state legislature held 22 general and special elections for U.S. Senator from 1857 through 1911. In September 1912, the first state run primary for U.S. Senate was held and a popular preference vote was on the ballot at the November general election. The Keefe Law, which most candidates signed, required state legislative candidates to sign a pledge that they would observe the popular vote. The 17th Amendment requiring the direct election of U.S. Senators was ratified in 1913 with the state's first such election taking place in 1916. |
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U.S. House
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Elections: 1857-present. Minnesota elected its U.S. Representatives at-large for its first three cycles through 1860, for one seat in 1912, and for all nine seats in 1932. Congressional primaries began in 1902 in the state. The Minnesota U.S. House delegation began with two seats at statehood (1858-1873), increased to three seats (1873-1883), five seats (1883-1893), seven seats (1893-1903), nine seats (1903-1913), and peaked at ten seats (1913-1933). The delegation then shrunk to nine seats (1933-1963) and eight seats (1963-present). There have only been five special U.S. House elections in state history: in 1919 (4th CD), 1929 (5th CD, 7th CD), 1958 (1st CD), and 1977 (7th CD). |
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Notes |
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Governor
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Elections: 1857-present. Elections for Governor (and most constitutional offices) were held for two-year terms in odd-numbered years beginning in 1857. A constitutional amendment was passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years beginning in 1886 with the winners of state offices in 1883 serving three-year terms. From 1886 through 1960, gubernatorial terms remained two years - increasing to four years in 1962. Beginning in 1974, the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor were elected jointly on a single ticket. State primaries for Governor were first held in September 1912. There have never been term limits for the office in Minnesota history. |
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Lieutenant Governor
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Elections: 1857-present. Elections for Lieutenant Governor were held for two-year terms in odd-numbered years beginning in 1857. A constitutional amendment was passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years beginning in 1886 with the winner in 1883 serving a three-year term. From 1886 through 1960, the term for Lieutenant Governor remained two years - increasing to four years in 1962. Beginning in 1974, the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor were elected jointly on a single ticket. Primaries for Lieutenant Governor were first held in September 1912. There have never been term limits for this office. |
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Secretary of State
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Elections: 1857-present. Elections for Secretary of State were held for two-year terms in odd-numbered years beginning in 1857. A constitutional amendment was passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years beginning in 1886 with the winner for Secretary of State in 1883 serving a three-year term. From 1886 through 1960, the term for Secretary of State remained two years - increasing to four years in 1962. Primaries for Secretary of State were first held in September 1912. There have never been term limits for this office. |
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Attorney General
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Elections: 1857-present. Elections for Attorney General were held for two-year terms in odd-numbered years beginning in 1857. A constitutional amendment was passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years beginning in 1886 with the winner for Attorney General in 1883 serving a three-year term. From 1886 through 1960, the term for Attorney General remained two years - increasing to four years in 1962. Primaries for Attorney General were first held in September 1912. There have never been term limits for this office. |
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Auditor
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Elections: 1857-present. Elections for Auditor were held for three-year terms through the Election of 1881. A constitutional amendment was passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years beginning in 1886 with the winner of Auditor in 1881 serving a five-year term. Since 1886, Auditors have been elected to four-year terms. Primaries for Auditor were first held in September 1912. There have never been term limits for this office. |
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Treasurer
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Elections: 1857-1998. Elections for Treasurer were held for two-year terms in odd-numbered years beginning in 1857. A constitutional amendment was passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years beginning in 1886 with the winner for Treasurer in 1883 serving a three-year term. From 1886 through 1960, the term for Treasurer remained two years - increasing to four years in 1962. The office of Treasurer was abolished on January 6, 2003 after the passage of a constitutional amendment in November 1998. Primaries for Treasurer were first held in September 1912. There were never term limits for this office. |
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Railroad Commissioner
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Elections: 1875-1883. The office of Railroad Commissioner was created in 1871 by the Minnesota legislature as a gubernatorial appointed position. On March 6, 1874, the legislature expanded the office to a three-member appointed Board of Railroad Commissioners. On March 8, 1875, the Board was replaced by a single, elected Railroad Commissioner. The Commissioner was elected to two-year terms through the 1883 cycle. On March 5, 1885, the legislature created a three-member Railroad and Warehouse Commission with members appointed by the Governor. There were never term limits for this office. |
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Railroad & Warehouse Commissioner
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Elections: 1900-1966. On March 5, 1885, the legislature created a three-member Railroad and Warehouse Commission with members appointed by the Governor. On March 6, 1899, the legislature provided for the election of members of the Commission to commence with the November 1900 general election. In the initial election, two of the three seats were elected to four-year terms with the third for a two-year term. From 1902 through 1910, commissioners were elected to four-year terms. On April 13, 1911 the legislature established that commissioners were elected to six-year terms with one seat up every two years. As such, for the two seats on the ballot in 1912, one seat was designated as a four-year term and the other as a six-year term. From 1914 through the last election for the office in 1966, commissioners were elected to six-year terms. On May 25, 1967, the legislature created the a three-member Public Service Commission under the Department of Public Service. Members from the Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner served out their term on the Commission. Primaries for Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner were first held in September 1912. There were never term limits for this office. |
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Public Service Commissioner
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Elections: 1968-1972. On May 25, 1967, the legislature created the a three-member Public Service Commission under the Department of Public Service. Members from the Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner served out their term on the Commission and were eligible for reelection for one six-year term through the 1972 cycle. Thereafter members of the Public Service Commission were appointed by the governor with advice and consent of the state Senate. |
| Office |
Notes |
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State Senate
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Elections: 1857-present. State Senators were first elected to two-year terms except senators from odd-numbered districts elected in 1857 were elected to a one-year term for one cycle and two-year terms thereafter. Also, all state Senators were up for reelection in the cycle following apportionment. Beginning in the 1880s through 1970, state Senate seats were on the general election ballot every four years. From the 1970s and thereafter, state Senate seats have been on the ballot in cycles ending in ‘0,’ ‘2,’ and ‘6.’ There were 37 state Senate seats across 26 districts at statehood which changed over the decades after various apportionments as follows: 21 seats (Apportionment of 1860), 22 seats (1866), 41 seats (1871), 47 seats (1881), 54 seats (1889), 63 seats (1897), and 67 seats (1913). |
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State House
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Elections: 1857-present. State Representatives were elected to a one-year term until 1878 at which point they were elected to two-year terms. There were 80 state House seats at statehood across 37 districts, but those numbers have changed dramatically over the decades following various apportionments: 42 seats in 21 districts (Apportionment of 1860), 47 seats in 22 districts (1866), 106 seats in 41 districts (1871), 103 seats in 47 districts (1881), 114 seats in 54 districts (1889), 119 seats in 63 districts (1897), 130 seats in 67 districts (1913), 131 seats in 67 districts (1917), 135 seats in 118 districts (1963), 135 seats in 120 districts (1967), and 134 seats in 134 districts (1973). Over the decades there have been between one and six seats per House district. |
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Notes |
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Supreme Court Chief Justice
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Elections: 1857-present. The original term for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was set at seven years at statehood and the office was nonpartisan. The appointment of a new Chief Justice required the seat be on the ballot at the next annual election occuring more than 30 days following the vacancy. The term for Chief Justice was reduced to six years after a constitutional amendment passed in 1883. Partisan elections for the office were held 1894, 1900, and 1906 with nonpartisan elections returning in 1912. The first primary election for the office was also held in 1912. A 1956 constitutional amendment required that an appointment to the seat trigger a new election one year after the appointment is made. |
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Supreme Court Associate Justice
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Elections: 1857-present. The number of Associate Justices of the Supreme Court has changed over the decades beginning with two at statehood (1858-1881), four after a March 1881 legislative act (1881-1930), six after a 1930 constitutional amendment (1930-1972), eight after a 1972 constitutional amendment (1973-1982), and six through attrition after a 1982 constitutional amendment. The original term for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court was set at seven years at statehood and the office was nonpartisan. The appointment of a new Associate Justice required the seat be on the ballot at the next annual election occuring more than 30 days following the vacancy. The term for Associate Justice was reduced to six years after a constitutional amendment passed in 1883. Partisan elections for the office were held from 1892 through 1910 with nonpartisan elections returning in 1912. The first primary election for the office was also held in 1912. A 1956 constitutional amendment required that an appointment to the seat trigger a new election one year after the appointment is made. |
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Clerk of the Supreme Court
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Elections: 1857-1954. Elections for Clerk of the Supreme Court were held for three-year terms through the 1881 cycle. A constitutional amendment was passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years beginning in 1886 with the winner of Clerk of the Supreme Court in 1881 serving a five-year term. From 1886 through 1954, elections for this office were held for four-year terms. However, a constitutional amendment passed during the November 1956 general election making Clerk of the Supreme Court an appointed office. Primaries for Clerk of the Supreme Court were first held in September 1912. There were never term limits for this office. |