Warren Richard Spannaus (December 5, 1930 – November 27, 2017) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) and the

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 ...

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 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

from 1971 until 1983. Spannaus graduated from the

University of Minnesota Law School The University of Minnesota Law School is the law school of the University of Minnesota, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school confers four law degrees: a Juris Doctor (J.D.), a Master of Laws (LL.M.), a Master of Science in Patent Law ...

in 1963. He was elected attorney general in 1970 and assumed office on January 4, 1971. Spannaus was re-elected to the position twice, in 1974 and 1978, serving from 1971 to 1983. At the

1980 Democratic National Convention The 1980 Democratic National Convention nominated President Jimmy Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale for reelection. The convention was held in Madison Square Garden in New York City from August 11 to August 14, 1980. The 1980 convention ...

He won two votes for the presidential nomination In 1982, he ran for

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...

as the DFL-endorsed candidate but lost the primary election to former DFL Governor

Rudy Perpich Rudolph George Perpich Sr. (June 27, 1928 September 21, 1995) was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota, serving a total of just over 10 years. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34t ...

, who went on to win the general election. Spannaus joined the

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

-based law firm of

Dorsey & Whitney Dorsey & Whitney LLP (known as Dorsey) is an American law firm with over 500 lawyers, and a similar number of staff, located in 21 offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. The firm's headquarters is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where ...

.Larry Splett
Former Iowa Governor Thomas J. Vilsack Joins Dorsey & Whitney
April 12, 2007. Spannaus married Marjorie Clarkson and had three children.

References

Our Campaigns.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Spannaus, Warren 1930 births 2017 deaths Minnesota Attorneys General Minnesota Democrats Candidates in the 1980 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians University of Minnesota Law School alumni People from Saint Paul, Minnesota