Pathway to the Governor’s Mansion in Minnesota, Part II: Where Are Political Careers Launched?

In the first report on the pathway to the governor’s mansion, Smart Politics documented the political experience Minnesota’s 38 governors have had en route to becoming the chief executive of the Gopher State. Nearly 80 percent had served in state government before getting elected, with a plurality serving in the state senate. Just over one-third of governors had also previously served at more than one level of government.

In today’s report, Smart Politics examines the geographic pathway to the governor’s mansion. From where were Minnesota’s governors born? Where did they launch their political careers? How many hailed from the metro region as opposed to outstate?

Historically, Minnesotans have been quite welcoming to politicians born outside of its borders (well before former New Yorker Norm Coleman became Mayor of St. Paul and then U.S. Senator), with only 14 of its 38 governors born in the Gopher State.

Naturally, as the Minnesota Territory and later the State of Minnesota was being settled in the mid- and late 19th Century, the percentage of residents born outside its borders was quite high, and thus the pool of candidates was more saturated with those born outside of Minnesota.

In fact, the first 15 governors of the Gopher State were born outside of Minnesota, as well as 19 of the first 20. John Johnson (1905-1909) was the first such native Minnesotan, born in Saint Peter.

Overall, four Minnesota Governors were born outside of the United States – all from Scandinavia: Knute Nelson (1893-1895) from Norway, John Lind (1899-1901) and Adolph Eberhart (1909-1915) from Sweden, and Hjalmar Petersen (1936-1937) from Denmark.

But even in the 20th Century, several governors were elected despite not having been born in the Gopher State, including Arne Carlson (New York), Harold LeVander (Nebraska), Elmer Anderson (Illinois), and Edward Thye (South Dakota). (LeVander and Thye later grew up in Minnesota).

The historical record shows it is much less important where a politician is born and much more important where one settles and launches a political career. Exactly half of the state’s 38 governors hailed from the metro area prior to becoming governor, with 19 coming from greater Minnesota.

Thirteen governors launched their political careers in Minneapolis (7) or St. Paul (6) proper, with another six in what is now the greater metro region. By contrast, only five governors were actually born in Minneapolis (Jesse Ventura, Orville Freeman, Luther Youngdahl, Floyd Olson) or St. Paul (Wendell Anderson) with only two born in the suburbs (Tim Pawlenty, Harold Stassen).

Of those 19 governors who launched their political careers from outside the metro region, the vast majority (12) came from the south central (7) and southeast (5) regions of the state, including four from Saint Peter: Henry Swift (1863-1864), Horace Austin (1870-1874), Andrew McGill (1887-1889), and John Johnson (1905-1909). (Note: Swift was never elected governor; he became governor when Alexander Ramsey resigned to become U.S. Senator). Two more governors came from Northfield: Edward Thye (1943-1947) and Karl Rolvaag (1963-1967).

An additional four governors have hailed from the central region of the state: Steven Miller of St. Cloud (1864-1866), Knute Nelson of Alexandria (1893-1895), Hjalmar Petersen of Askov (1936-1937), and C. Elmer Anderson of Brainerd (1951-1955).

Only two governors have hailed from the western part of Minnesota – Theodore Christiansen from Dawson (1925-1931) and Elmer Benson of Appleton (1937-1939) – and just one from the northern region – Rudy Perpich of Hibbing (1976-1979, 1983-1991).

And as for the current crop of 2010 hopefuls? Geographically, they represent a much more homogenous region of the state as compared to the 38 governors who have been elected.

Of the main 17 Republican and DFL candidates running or exploring a run for governor, 11 launched their political careers in the metro region, with three others (Mike Jungbauer, East Bethel; Tom Emmer, Delano; Paul Kohls, Victoria) just a stone’s throw outside the greater metro area.

Only three of the main candidates hail from greater Minnesota – former GOP House Minority Leader Marty Seifert in the West (Marshall) and DFL Representatives Tom Rukavina (Virginia) and Tom Bakk (Cook) in the North. (GOPer Phil Herwig also comes from outstate).

Four 2010 candidates were born outside of the Gopher State: DFLers John Marty (Illinois) and Matt Entenza (California) and GOPers Tom Emmer (Indiana) and Bill Haas (California).

Birthplace and Launching of Political Careers of Minnesota’s 38 Governors

Governor	Years	Born	Launched	Region
Tim Pawlenty	2003-	South St. Paul	Eagan	Metro
Jesse Ventura	1999-2003	Minneapolis	Maple Grove	Metro
Arne Carlson	1991-1999	New York	Minneapolis	Metro
Al Quie	1979-1983	Dennison	Dennison	South
Rudy Perpich	1976-1979, 1983-1991	Carson Lake	Hibbing	North
Wendell Anderson	1971-1976	St. Paul	St. Paul	Metro
Harold LeVander	1967-1971	Nebraska	South St. Paul	Metro
Kark Rolvaag	1963-1967	Northfield	Northfield	South
Elmer Andersen	1961-1963	Illinois	St. Paul	Metro
Orville Freeman	1955-1961	Minneapolis	Minneapolis	Metro
C. Elmer Anderson	1951-1955	Brainerd	Brainerd	Central
Luther Youngdahl	1947-1951	Minneapolis	Minneapolis	Metro
Edward Thye	1943-1947	South Dakota	Northfield	South
Harold Stassen	1939-1943	West Saint Paul	South St. Paul	Metro
Elmer Benson	1937-1939	Appleton	Appleton	West
Hjalmar Petersen	1936-1937	Denmark	Askov	Central
Floyd Olson	1931-1936	Minneapolis	Minneapolis	Metro
Theodore Christianson	1925-1931	Lac Qui Parle Township	Dawson	West
J.A.O. Preus	1921-1925	Wisconsin	Minneapolis	Metro
J.A.A. Burnquist	1915-1921	Iowa	St. Paul	Metro
Winfield Hammond	1915-1915	Massachusetts	St. James	South
Adolph Eberhart	1909-1915	Sweden	Mankato	South
John Johnson	1905-1909	Saint Peter	Saint Peter	South
Samuel Van Sant	1901-1905	Illinois	Winona	South
John Lind	1899-1901	Sweden	New Ulm	South
David Clough	1895-1899	New Hampshire	Minneapolis	Metro
Knute Nelson	1893-1895	Norway	Alexandria	Central
William Merriam	1889-1893	New York	St. Paul	Metro
Andrew McGill	1887-1889	Pennsylvania	Saint Peter	South
Lucius Hubbard	1882-1887	New York	Red Wing	South
John Pillsbury	1876-1882	New Hampshire	Minneapolis	Metro
Cushman Davis	1874-1876	New York	St. Paul	Metro
Horace Austin	1870-1874	Connecticut	Saint Peter	South
William Marshall	1866-1870	Missouri	Saint Anthony	Metro
Stephen Miller	1864-1866	Pennsylvania	St. Cloud	Central
Henry Swift	1863-1864	Ohio	Saint Peter	South
Alexander Ramsey	1860-1863	Pennsylvania	St. Paul	Metro
Henry Sibley	1858-1860	Michigan	Mendota	Metro

Note: Table denotes the launching of political careers in Minnesota politics. A few governors had political careers in other states before moving to Minnesota. Compiled by Smart Politics.

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