The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the

Minnesota 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 List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party. As of 2022, it controls four of

's eight U.S. House seats, both of its U.S. Senate seats, the Minnesota House of Representatives, and all other statewide offices, including the governorship. Beginning in 2023, the party will also control 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 h ...

, giving it

full control Full may refer to: * People with the surname Full, including: ** Mr. Full (given name unknown), acting Governor of German Cameroon, 1913 to 1914 * A property in the mathematical field of topology; see Full set * A property of functors in the mathe ...

of state government. The party was formed by a merger between the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1944. The DFL is one of two state Democratic Party affiliates with a different name to the national party, the other being the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party.

History

The DFL was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the larger Farmer–Labor Party. Leading the merger effort were Elmer Kelm, the head of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the founding chairman of the DFL; Elmer Benson, effectively the head of the Farmer–Labor Party by virtue of his leadership of its dominant left-wing faction; and rising star Hubert H. Humphrey, who chaired the Fusion Committee that accomplished the union and then went on to chair its first state convention. By the party's second convention in 1946, tensions had re-emerged between members of the two former parties. While the majority of delegates supported left-wing policies, Humphrey managed to install a more conservative ally, Orville Freeman, as party secretary. Some Farmer–Labor leaders such as Benson moved to the Progressive Party. Freeman was elected the state's first DFL governor in 1954. Important members of the party have included Humphrey and

Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesot ...

, who each went on to be United States senators, vice presidents of the United States, and unsuccessful

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

nominees for president;

Eugene McCarthy Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. ...

, a U.S. senator who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968 as an anti-Vietnam War candidate; and Paul Wellstone, a U.S. senator from 1991 to 2002 who became an icon of populist

progressivism Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, tec ...

Current elected officials

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

Democrats have held both of Minnesota's seats in the U.S. Senate since 2009: File:Amy Klobuchar, official portrait, 113th Congress (cropped 2).jpg, Senior U.S. Senator File:Tina Smith, official portrait, 116th congress.jpg, Junior U.S. Senator

U.S. House of Representatives

Out of the eight seats Minnesota is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, four are held by Democrats:

Statewide officials

The Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party controls all five of the elected statewide offices: File:Tim Walz official photo (cropped).jpg,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

File:Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan 2019.jpg, Lieutenant Governor File:Steve Simon 2015.jpg, Secretary of State File:Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha is sworn in at the Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul MN (cropped).jpg, State Auditor File:Keith Ellison portrait (cropped).jpg,

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

State legislative leaders

* Senate Minority Leader: Melisa Franzen *

House Speaker The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerfo ...

: Melissa Hortman ** House Majority Leader: Ryan Winkler

Current leadership

* Chair: Ken Martin (since 2011) * Party Vice Chair: Marge Hoffa (since 2011) * Second Vice Chair: Shivanthi Sathanandan (since 2021) * Treasurer: Leah Midgarden (since 2021) * Secretary: Ceri Everett (since 2021) * Outreach Officer: Cheniqua Johnson (since 2021)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Democratic Party (United States) by state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Political parties established in 1944 1944 establishments in Minnesota