Minnesota House of Representatives


The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, which is then subject to approval by the governor of Minnesota.
Established in 1858, the Minnesota House of Representatives has 134 members elected from single-member districts across the state. Representatives serve two-year terms without term limits, with all seats up for election every two years. The House is led by the Speaker, who is elected by members of the House, while political party leadership is governed by the Majority and Minority Leaders.
The Minnesota House of Representatives meets in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Paul. Member and staff offices, as well as most committee hearings, are in the nearby State Office Building.

History

The Minnesota House of Representatives was officially established on May 11, 1858, when Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd state in the Union. It replaced the Minnesota Territorial Legislature. It was formed alongside the Minnesota Senate to create the Minnesota State Legislature, the bicameral legislative body of the state.
In 1913, Minnesota legislators began to be elected on nonpartisan ballots. While campaigning and caucusing, legislators identified themselves as "Liberals" or "Conservatives." In 1973, a law change brought party designations back, beginning with the 1974 Minnesota House of Representatives election.
After the Nineteenth Amendment to [the United States Constitution|Nineteenth Amendment] was ratified in 1920, women were eligible for election to the legislature. In 1922, Mabeth Hurd Paige, Hannah Kempfer, Sue Metzger Dickey Hough, and Myrtle Cain were elected to the House of Representatives. As of 2023, a record-high 54 women serve in the House.

Elections

Each House district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B. Members are elected to two-year terms. Districts are redrawn after the decennial United States Census in time for the primary and general elections in years ending in 2. The most recent election was on November 5, 2024.

Composition

Members, 2025–2027

The 94th Minnesota Legislature began on January 14, 2025. For each major party, 67 representatives were elected, the second ever tie in the Minnesota House. After the election of Curtis Johnson was nullified in court, the session began with 67 Republican members, while the 66 elected DFL members sat out in an effort to deny quorum. On March 11, 2025, David Gottfried was elected to the seat, restoring the 67–67 tie. After Gottfried was seated, Melissa Hortman was granted the title "DFL Leader" instead of "Minority Leader", and the two parties entered into a power-sharing agreement.

Past notable members

U.S. senators from Minnesota

Governors of Minnesota

Lieutenant governors of Minnesota

Attorneys general of Minnesota

Treasurers of Minnesota

U.S. representatives from Minnesota

  • Henry M. Arens, 26th lieutenant governor of Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's General Ticket Seat One district
  • Ignatius L. Donnelly, 2nd lieutenant governor of Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 2nd district
  • Keith Ellison, 30th attorney general of Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 5th district ; deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee
  • Tom Emmer, U.S. House of Representatives majority whip ; chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 6th district
  • Arlen Erdahl, 18th secretary of state of Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 1st district
  • Brad Finstad, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 1st district
  • Gil Gutknecht, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 1st district
  • Magnus Johnson, U.S. senator from Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's general ticket Seat Five district
  • Ernest Lundeen, U.S. senator from Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 3rd district ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's general ticket Seat Eight district ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 3rd district
  • Betty McCollum, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 4th district
  • Rick Nolan, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 8th district ; 6th district
  • William I. Nolan, 26th lieutenant governor of Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 5th district
  • Ilhan Omar, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 5th district
  • Erik Paulsen, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 3rd district
  • James Wakefield, 9th lieutenant governor of Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 2nd district
  • William D. Washburn, U.S. senator from Minnesota ; U.S. representative from Minnesota's 3rd district and 4th district
  • Thomas Wilson, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 1st district ; Chief justice of the supreme court of Minnesota ; associate justice of the supreme court of Minnesota

Others