List of political parties in Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Minnesota has had a history of favoring the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
candidates since the 1960s, especially in Presidential elections where it has been seen as a "safe state" for the Democratic Party candidate. However, Minnesota has also has an active Republican Party that had been viewed as gaining more support in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to population migration to the suburbs along with the party's focus on socially conservative positions on gun control, abortion and gay rights, although those gains have largely been reversed in recent years. The DFL won a majority in the state house during the 2006 elections, defeating the previous Republican majority, and retained the DFL majority in the state senate. The governorship is held by DFLer Mark Dayton.
Minnesota has one of the strongest levels of support, among the states, for supporting independent and third political party candidates.
In 1998 the Reform Party of Minnesota candidate for Governor, Jesse Ventura
, won the election
. The Reform Party later became the Independence Party. In 2002 Sheila Kiscaden
who had previously been a Republican was re elected as a member of the Independence Party. The Green Party of Minnesota
has had electoral success in city elections, particularly Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The governor is Mark Dayton. He is a member of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.
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...
candidates since the 1960s, especially in Presidential elections where it has been seen as a "safe state" for the Democratic Party candidate. However, Minnesota has also has an active Republican Party that had been viewed as gaining more support in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to population migration to the suburbs along with the party's focus on socially conservative positions on gun control, abortion and gay rights, although those gains have largely been reversed in recent years. The DFL won a majority in the state house during the 2006 elections, defeating the previous Republican majority, and retained the DFL majority in the state senate. The governorship is held by DFLer Mark Dayton.
Minnesota has one of the strongest levels of support, among the states, for supporting independent and third political party candidates.
Third political parties
The Farmer-Labor Party was a populist political party that managed to elect some of its candidates to the United States Congress, a rare feat among American third political parties, and eventually merged with the Minnesota Democratic Party in 1944 to create the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The success of the Farmer Labor Party shielded Minnesota from the worst of the restrictive ballot access laws that were passed in most states during the Red Scare era of the 1920s-1950s. State law governing nominating petitions for third party candidates and the definition of a major and minor political party have not prevented the rise of more than two major political parties, and have ensured that several different candidates are on the ballot in most state and federal elections.In 1998 the Reform Party of Minnesota candidate for Governor, Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
, won the election
Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1998
The 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura defeated Republican Party challenger Norm Coleman and Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party challenger Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III...
. The Reform Party later became the Independence Party. In 2002 Sheila Kiscaden
Sheila Kiscaden
Sheila Kiscaden is a United States politician. She is a former Minnesota State Senator from District 30, which includes much of Rochester and nearby rural areas. She was first elected to the Senate in 1992 as a Republican. In 2002, after being denied the Republican endorsement at the senate...
who had previously been a Republican was re elected as a member of the Independence Party. The Green Party of Minnesota
Green Party of Minnesota
The Green Party of Minnesota is the fourth largest political party in Minnesota and was founded in 1994 on the Four Pillars of the Green Party: Ecological Wisdom, Social and Economic Justice, Grassroots Democracy, and Nonviolence and Peace...
has had electoral success in city elections, particularly Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The governor is Mark Dayton. He is a member of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.
Recognized major political parties
- Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor PartyMinnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor PartyThe 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...
- Republican Party of MinnesotaRepublican Party of MinnesotaThe 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:...
- Independence Party of MinnesotaIndependence Party of MinnesotaThe 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...
Other political parties
- Socialist Party of MinnesotaSocialist Party of MinnesotaThe Central and Eastern Minnesota Socialist Party, also known as the Socialist Party of Minnesota, is a local chapter of the Socialist Party USA in the U.S. state of Minnesota...
(Socialist Party USASocialist Party USAThe Socialist Party USA is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972.The party is officially committed to left-wing...
} - Communist Party of Minnesota (Communist PartyCommunist Party USAThe Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
) - Constitution Party of MinnesotaConstitution Party of MinnesotaThe Constitution Party of Minnesota is an affiliate party of the national Constitution Party. The party supports strict adherence to the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Minnesota Constitution...
(Constitution PartyConstitution Party (United States)The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
) - Libertarian Party of MinnesotaLibertarian Party of MinnesotaThe Libertarian Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The state chair is Bob Odden.- External links:*...
(Libertarian PartyLibertarian Party (United States)The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
) - New Union Party of Minnesota (New Union PartyNew Union PartyThe New Union Party is a small political party in the United States. It was originally formed in 1974 as the New Unionists, several of whom had been members of Section Minneapolis of Socialist Labor Party of America . As with many such departures since the 1920s, they claimed SLP had become...
) - Socialist Workers Party of Minnesota (Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers Party (United States)The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
) - Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America (Democratic socialistsDemocratic socialismDemocratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
) - New Revolution PartyNew Revolution PartyThe New Revolution Party is an American political party begun in 2005 by political theorist, Cain Pence.It was started in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
- The Resource Party
- Liberty Union PartyLiberty Union PartyThe Liberty Union Party of Vermont, founded in 1970 by former Congressman William H. Meyer, Peter Diamondstone and others, originated in the anti-war and People's Party movements of the late 1960s and defines itself as a nonviolent socialist party.-History:...
- North Star Republic
Historic parties (now defunct or disbanded)
- Minnesota Farmer-Labor PartyMinnesota Farmer-Labor PartyThe Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party was a political party in the United States state of Minnesota, the most successful and longest-lasting of the constituent elements of the national Farmer–Labor Party movement, which had a presence in other states...
- Merged with the Minnesota Democratic Party in 1948 to form the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor PartyMinnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor PartyThe 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... - Grassroots PartyGrassroots PartyThe Grassroots Party is a minor political party. It was created in the 1980s to oppose drug prohibition. The party shares the political leftist values of the Greens but with a greater emphasis on marijuana/hemp legalization issues....
- Members moved to the Green Party of Minnesota or to the Liberal Party of Minnesota