Arne Carlson
Encyclopedia
Arne Helge Carlson, Sr. (born September 24, 1934) is an American
politician
and the 37th Governor of the state
of Minnesota
.
, the son of Swedish immigrants from Göteborg (father) and Visby
(mother), Carlson attended The Choate School
(now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford, Connecticut
, and graduated from Williams College
in Williamstown, Massachusetts
in 1957. He later attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota
in Minneapolis
.
Carlson was married to Barbara Carlson
from 1965–1977. She became known in her own right after their divorce as a Minneapolis City Council member and a talk show personality. Together, they had a son, Tucker, (no relation to the MSNBC
personality) and two daughters, Kristin (deceased) and Anne, who has two children, Allie and Drew Davis. His second wife was Joanne Chabot. They had no children. After their divorce, he married Susan Shepard, with whom he has a daughter, Jessica. Susan served as First Lady
of Minnesota from 1991–1999.
from 1965–1967, and was the Republican
candidate for mayor in 1967, losing to Democratic-Farmer-Labor
incumbent
Arthur Naftalin
. He was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from January 1971-January 4, 1979. In 1978, he ran for and was elected state auditor
. He was re-elected in 1982 and 1986, serving in that position from January 4, 1979–January 7, 1991.
in the November 1990 general election
, and served from January 7, 1991–January 4, 1999. He won as a member of the Independent-Republican Party
. In September 1995, the party changed its name to, simply, the "Republican Party."
Carlson's election followed a scandal arising after the initial Republican nominee, businessman Jon Grunseth
, was accused of sexual improprieties that occurred several years prior with two then-underage girls and withdrew from the race nine days before the election. Carlson, who had started a write-in campaign when the improprieties first surfaced, had come in second in the primary to the more conservative Grunseth, and therefore when Grunseth dropped out of the race, became the Republican nominee.
Generally considered a moderate, he presented himself as a less polarizing leader than the incumbent governor, Rudy Perpich
. He managed to win the general election by 3 percentage points.
In 1993, he served as the Chairman of the Midwestern Governors Association
.
In 1994, the delegates to the Minnesota Republican Party State Convention viewed Carlson as too liberal, although he had switched his running mate to Joanne E. Benson, and endorsed instead Allen Quist
and Doug McFarland
. Carlson, however, went on to win the September state primary and faced Democrat
John Marty
in the November general election, winning by a large margin, 63% to 34%.
As governor, Carlson was well-known for being a big fan of University of Minnesota
sports; his official portrait in the Minnesota State Capitol
shows him wearing a letter jacket for the school.
Barack Obama
. In 2010, he announced that he would embark on a "Paul Revere
" tour of Minnesota to bring attention to fiscal problems facing the state. In 2010, he again broke with his party and endorsed Independence Party
candidate Tom Horner
in Minnesota's gubernatorial race and Tim Walz
for Congress. In a narrowly passed vote by the state Republican central committee, Carlson and 17 others were banned for 2 years from participating in party events, described by Politico
as a "stunning purge."
Following the July 1, 2011 shut down of the state government after Governor Mark Dayton
and state legislative leaders could not agree on a budget, Carlson teamed with Walter Mondale
and several prominent political and business leaders to propose forming a non-partisan budget commission.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and the 37th Governor of the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Early years, education and family
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of Swedish immigrants from Göteborg (father) and Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
(mother), Carlson attended The Choate School
Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate Rosemary Hall is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school located in Wallingford, Connecticut...
(now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
, and graduated from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
in Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
in 1957. He later attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
.
Carlson was married to Barbara Carlson
Barbara Carlson
Barbara Carlson is an American politician and broadcast journalist in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Her father, Harry Duffy, made a successful business of running the local lumber yard in Anoka, Minnesota. She was married to Minnesota Representative Arne Carlson from 1965 until they divorced in 1977. Arne...
from 1965–1977. She became known in her own right after their divorce as a Minneapolis City Council member and a talk show personality. Together, they had a son, Tucker, (no relation to the MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
personality) and two daughters, Kristin (deceased) and Anne, who has two children, Allie and Drew Davis. His second wife was Joanne Chabot. They had no children. After their divorce, he married Susan Shepard, with whom he has a daughter, Jessica. Susan served as First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
of Minnesota from 1991–1999.
Minneapolis city council, Minnesota House, state auditor
Carlson served one term on the Minneapolis City CouncilMinneapolis City Council
The Minneapolis City Council is the governing body of the City of Minneapolis. The City Council is composed of 13 single member districts, called wards. Barbara Johnson is president of the council. The council is dominated by members of the DFL Party with 12 members. The Green Party has one member...
from 1965–1967, and was the Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
candidate for mayor in 1967, losing to Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Arthur Naftalin
Arthur Naftalin
Arthur Naftalin was an American political scientist and politician. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party , he served as mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota from July 3, 1961, to July 6, 1969. He was the city's only Jewish mayor.Naftalin was born in Fargo, North Dakota, one of four...
. He was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
from January 1971-January 4, 1979. In 1978, he ran for and was elected state auditor
Minnesota State Auditor
The Minnesota State Auditor is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. State of Minnesota. The State Auditor is charged with overseeing more than $20 billion spent annually by local governments in Minnesota...
. He was re-elected in 1982 and 1986, serving in that position from January 4, 1979–January 7, 1991.
Gubernatorial campaigns and service as governor
Carlson was elected the 37th Governor of MinnesotaGovernor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
in the November 1990 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, and served from January 7, 1991–January 4, 1999. He won as a member of the Independent-Republican Party
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
. In September 1995, the party changed its name to, simply, the "Republican Party."
Carlson's election followed a scandal arising after the initial Republican nominee, businessman Jon Grunseth
Jon Grunseth
Jon Grunseth was a Minnesota businessman and politician and the 1990 Independent-Republican nominee for Governor of Minnesota. Grunseth won his party's endorsement and won its primary election, but was forced to quit the race nine days before election day in the wake of a scandal.Grunseth, the...
, was accused of sexual improprieties that occurred several years prior with two then-underage girls and withdrew from the race nine days before the election. Carlson, who had started a write-in campaign when the improprieties first surfaced, had come in second in the primary to the more conservative Grunseth, and therefore when Grunseth dropped out of the race, became the Republican nominee.
Generally considered a moderate, he presented himself as a less polarizing leader than the incumbent governor, Rudy Perpich
Rudy Perpich
Rudolph George "Rudy" Perpich, Sr. was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34th and 36th Governor of Minnesota from December 29, 1976 to January 4, 1979, and from January 3, 1983, to January 7, 1991...
. He managed to win the general election by 3 percentage points.
In 1993, he served as the Chairman of the Midwestern Governors Association
Midwestern Governors Association
The Midwestern Governors Association is a 501 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings together the Midwestern governors of states to work cooperatively on public policy issues of significance to the region. The MGA was created in December 1962 in Chicago, when articles of organization were...
.
In 1994, the delegates to the Minnesota Republican Party State Convention viewed Carlson as too liberal, although he had switched his running mate to Joanne E. Benson, and endorsed instead Allen Quist
Allen Quist
Allen J. Quist is a Minnesota politician, a former state representative, and a two-time candidate for governor of the state.-State representative:...
and Doug McFarland
Doug McFarland
Douglas Dale McFarland is a college professor at Hamline University and is a Minnesota politician.-Biography and Titles:...
. Carlson, however, went on to win the September state primary and faced Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
John Marty
John Marty
This is the article about the State Senator from Minnesota. For the singer known as John Marty, see Marty StuartJohn J. Marty is a member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 54, which includes portions of Hennepin and Ramsey counties in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. As a...
in the November general election, winning by a large margin, 63% to 34%.
As governor, Carlson was well-known for being a big fan of University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
sports; his official portrait in the Minnesota State Capitol
Minnesota State Capitol
The Minnesota State Capitol is located in Minnesota's capital city, Saint Paul, and houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Governor...
shows him wearing a letter jacket for the school.
Politically active retirement
Carlson has remained politically active in retirement. During a speech on October 23, 2008 at the state capitol, he endorsed Democratic presidential candidateUnited States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. In 2010, he announced that he would embark on a "Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
" tour of Minnesota to bring attention to fiscal problems facing the state. In 2010, he again broke with his party and endorsed Independence Party
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
candidate Tom Horner
Tom Horner
Tom Horner is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. He was a candidate in the 2010 election for Governor of Minnesota....
in Minnesota's gubernatorial race and Tim Walz
Tim Walz
Timothy James Walz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party .The district comprises the state's southern end, running along the entire border with Iowa...
for Congress. In a narrowly passed vote by the state Republican central committee, Carlson and 17 others were banned for 2 years from participating in party events, described by Politico
Politico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
as a "stunning purge."
Following the July 1, 2011 shut down of the state government after Governor Mark Dayton
Mark Dayton
Mark Brandt Dayton is an American politician, the 40th and current Governor of the state of Minnesota. Dayton previously served as United States Senator from Minnesota from 2001 to 2007 in the 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses...
and state legislative leaders could not agree on a budget, Carlson teamed with Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
and several prominent political and business leaders to propose forming a non-partisan budget commission.
Electoral history
- 1994 Race for Governor
- Arne Carlson (I-R) (inc.), 63%
- John MartyJohn MartyThis is the article about the State Senator from Minnesota. For the singer known as John Marty, see Marty StuartJohn J. Marty is a member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 54, which includes portions of Hennepin and Ramsey counties in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. As a...
(DFL), 34%
- 1990 Race for Governor
- Arne Carlson (I-R), 50%
- Rudy PerpichRudy PerpichRudolph George "Rudy" Perpich, Sr. was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34th and 36th Governor of Minnesota from December 29, 1976 to January 4, 1979, and from January 3, 1983, to January 7, 1991...
(DFL) (inc.), 47%
- 1986 Race for state Auditor
- Arne Carlson (I-R) (inc.)
- John Dooley (DFL)
- 1982 Race for state Auditor
- Arne Carlson (I-R) (inc.), 55%
- Paul WellstonePaul WellstonePaul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...
(DFL), 45%
- 1978 Race for state Auditor
- Arne Carlson (I-R)
- Robert W. Mattson, Jr.Robert W. Mattson, Jr.Robert W. Mattson, Jr. is an American lawyer who held elective political office in Minnesota, and is also involved in various business ventures in Florida. He served one term as Minnesota State Auditor from 1975–1979, and was Minnesota State Treasurer from 1983–1987. He is a member of the...
(DFL) (inc.)