This is a list of minority leaders of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...

{, class=wikitable , - bgcolor="#cccccc" ! Name !! Took office !! Left office !! Party/Caucus , - , Bolesaw G. Novak, , 1951, , 1955, ,

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

, - , Harold W. Schultz, , 1955, , 1963, , Liberal , - , Paul A. Thuet, , 1963, , 1967, , Liberal , - , Karl F. Grittner, , 1967, , 1971, , Liberal , - , Nick Coleman, , 1971, , 1973, , Liberal , - , Harold G. Krieger, , 1973, , 1975, ,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, - , Robert O. Ashbach, , 1975, , 1983, , Republican/

Independent-Republican The Republican Party of Minnesota is the oldest active political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Republican Party’s platform is relatively moderate. The party’s main issues are economic growth, education, healthcare, civi ...

, - , James E. Ulland, , 1983, , 1985, , Independent-Republican , - ,

Glen Taylor Glen Allen Taylor (born April 20, 1941) is an American billionaire business magnate and politician from Minnesota. A self-made businessman, Taylor made his fortune from being the founder and owner of Minnesota-based Taylor Corporation, one of th ...

, , 1985, , 1987, , Independent-Republican , - ,

Duane Benson Dean Duane Benson (August 5, 1945 – January 26, 2019) was an American football linebacker and politician. Football career Benson played college football and track and field at Hamline University. Benson graduated from Hamline University i ...

, , 1987, , 1993, , Independent-Republican , - , Dean Johnson, , 1993, , 1995, , Independent-Republican/Republican , - ,

Dick Day Richard Day (born March 9, 1937) in American politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate who represented District 26, which includes portions of Dodge, Freeborn, Goodhue, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele and Waseca counties in the sout ...

, , 1995, , 2007, , Republican , - ,

David Senjem David Howard Senjem ( ; born December 20, 1942) is an American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. He served as its majority leader from 2011 to 2013. A moderate Republican, Senjem has crossed party lines on many occasions, notably e ...

, , 2007, , 2011, , Republican , - ,

Tom Bakk Thomas M. Bakk ( ; born June 8, 1954) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. Currently independent and a former member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, Bakk represents District 3, which includes portions ...

, , 2011, , 2013, , Democratic-Farmer-Labor , - ,

David Hann David W. Hann (born April 16, 1952) is a Minnesota politician and a former List of Minority Leaders of the Minnesota Senate, minority leader of the Minnesota Senate. A Republican Party of Minnesota, Republican, he represented District 48, which co ...

, , 2013, , 2017, , Republican , - ,

, , 2017, , 2020, , Democratic-Farmer-Labor , - , Susan Kent, , 2020, , 2021, , Democratic-Farmer-Labor , - ,

Melisa Franzen Melisa López Franzen (née López Aquino, born 1980) is an American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 49 in the southwest Twin Cities metropo ...

, , 2021, , 2023, , Democratic-Farmer-Labor , -{{Party shading/Republican , Mark Johnson, , 2023, , designate, , Republican

Notes on Minnesota political party names

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to i ...

: On April 15, 1944 the state Democratic Party and the

Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to i ...

merged and created the

(DFL). It is affiliated with the national

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. *

Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the oldest active political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Republican Party’s platform is relatively moderate. The party’s main issues are economic growth, education, healthcare, civi ...

: From November 15, 1975 to September 23, 1995 the name of the state Republican party was the Independent-Republican party (I-R). The party has always been affiliated with the national

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. In 1913, Minnesota legislators began to be elected on nonpartisan ballots. Nonpartisanship also was an historical accident that occurred in the 1913 session when a bill to provide for no party elections of judges and city and county officers was amended to include the Legislature in the belief that it would kill the bill. Legislators ran and caucused as "Liberals" or "Conservatives" roughly equivalent in most years to Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Republican, respectively. The law was changed in 1973, in 1976, Senate members again ran with party designation.

References

Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
Minnesota Legislature M