| As in the national government of the United | | | | level go to the U.S. Supreme Court in |
| States, power in Minnesota is divided into | | | | Washington, D.C.. |
| three main branches: Executive, Legislative, | | | | |
| and Judicial. | | | | In addition to the standard city and county |
| | | | levels of government found in the United |
| The executive branch is headed by the | | | | States, Minnesota also has other entities |
| governor, currently Tim Pawlenty, a | | | | that provide governmental oversight and |
| Republican, whose term began 6 January 2003. | | | | planning. Some actions in the Twin Cities |
| The current lieutenant governor of Minnesota | | | | metropolitan area are coordinated by the |
| is Carol Molnau. Molnau also currently serves | | | | Metropolitan Council, and many lakes and |
| as the head of the Minnesota Department of | | | | rivers are overseen by watershed districts |
| Transportation. | | | | and soil and water conservation districts. |
| | | | |
| Both the governor and lieutenant governor | | | | Politics Minnesota is known for active yet |
| have four-year terms. The governor has a | | | | quirky politics, with populism being a |
| cabinet consisting of the leaders of various | | | | longstanding force among all of the political |
| government agencies in the state, called | | | | parties that call the state home. Minnesota |
| commissioners. The full list of governors, | | | | politics include such oddities as a |
| and the dates they took office, is available | | | | professional wrestler turned governor and a |
| at List of Governors of Minnesota. The other | | | | protester turned crowd-surfing mayor not to |
| constitutional offices are secretary of | | | | mention one of the all-time most liberal |
| state, attorney general and state auditor. | | | | senators, Paul Wellstone. 77.3% of eligible |
| | | | Minnesotans voted in the 2004 U.S. |
| The Minnesota Legislature is a bicameral body | | | | presidential election, the highest of any |
| consisting of the Senate and the House of | | | | U.S. state. |
| Representatives. The state has 67 districts, | | | | |
| each covering about 60,000 people. Each | | | | Political conservatism is less strongly |
| district has one senator and two | | | | linked to church attendance in most of |
| representatives (each district being divided | | | | Minnesota than in other parts of the country, |
| into A and B subsections). | | | | perhaps a reflection of the strong mainline |
| | | | Protestant and Roman Catholic following, |
| Senators serve for four years, and | | | | though in the elections of 2000, 2002, and |
| representatives serve for two years. In the | | | | 2004 it was shown that this trend was in the |
| November 2004 election, the Republican Party | | | | process of changing in some Twin Cities |
| retained control of the Minnesota House of | | | | voting precincts. |
| Representatives by a single seat (68-66), | | | | |
| having lost a total of 13 seats. The | | | | As a result of its liberal and populist |
| Minnesota Senate is controlled by the | | | | political culture throughout much of the |
| Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party | | | | latter half of the 20th century, Minnesota |
| (DFL). | | | | has voted for Democrats for president longer |
| | | | than any other state (the District of |
| After picking up two seats in local special | | | | Columbia has voted for a Democrat in every |
| elections on 16 November 2005, and 27 | | | | election since 1964), since 1976. Minnesota |
| December, 2005, the DFL controls the senate | | | | and the District of Columbia were the only |
| (38-29). There was one Independence Party | | | | electoral votes not won by incumbent |
| state senator, former Republican Sheila | | | | Republican president Ronald Reagan, voting |
| Kiscaden (IP-Rochester) who caucused with the | | | | instead for former Vice President of the |
| DFL. She officially joined the party in | | | | United States and former U.S. Senator Walter |
| January 2006, bringing their lead to eight | | | | Mondale, a Minnesota native. It should be |
| seats. | | | | noted that a Minnesotan ran on the Democratic |
| | | | ticket as either President or Vice President |
| Minnesota's court system has three levels: | | | | in the 1964, 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1984. In |
| Trial courts. The state is split into 10 | | | | 2004, John Kerry narrowly won the state's 10 |
| judicial districts, with 257 judges. | | | | electoral votes by a margin of three |
| | | | percentage points with 51.1% of the vote. |
| Most state cases start in the trial courts. | | | | Republican strength is greatest in southern |
| | | | Minnesota and the suburbs of Minneapolis, |
| Minnesota Court of Appeals. This body hears | | | | especially in the area west of the city, and |
| appeals on cases tried in the trial courts. | | | | in developing outer suburban communities. |
| There are 16 judges, who divide into | | | | Democrats hold tremendous strength in |
| three-judge panels to hear appeals in courts | | | | Minneapolis/ St. Paul proper and in the Iron |
| across the state. | | | | Range of northeastern Minnesota, including |
| | | | Duluth. |
| Minnesota Supreme Court. The seven justices | | | | |
| on the Supreme Court hear appeals from the | | | | The state also enjoys a strong and active |
| Court of Appeals, the Tax Court, and the | | | | third party movement. The Reform Party was |
| Worker's Compensation Court. The court | | | | able to elect former mayor of Brooklyn Park, |
| automatically reviews first-degree murder | | | | and former wrestling superstar Jesse Ventura |
| convictions, and settles disputes over | | | | to the governorship in 1998; however Ventura |
| legislative elections. | | | | left the Reform Party in 2000 when Pat |
| | | | Buchanan took control. Ventura maintained |
| The state has two special courts created by | | | | close ties to the Independence Party, but |
| state law as executive-branch agencies: The | | | | chose not to seek reelection. In 2002 the |
| Tax Court deals with non-criminal tax cases | | | | Independence Party ran former democratic |
| across the state. It has three judges | | | | congressman Tim Penny in an unsuccessful bid |
| appointed by the governor to six-year terms, | | | | for the governorship. |
| following approval from the state Senate The | | | | |
| Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals deals | | | | Penny earned about 16% of the vote. |
| with cases involving worker injuries referred | | | | |
| to it on appeal, or transferred from district | | | | The state's Green Party has elected several |
| court. It has five judges appointed by the | | | | city council members and other local |
| governor to six-year terms, following | | | | office-holders in Duluth, Minneapolis and |
| approval from the state Senate Federal cases | | | | Winona, and has made strong runs for state |
| are heard in the United States District Court | | | | legislature during the past two election |
| for the District of Minnesota, which holds | | | | cycles. In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph |
| court in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and | | | | Nader received just over 5% of the |
| Fergus Falls. Minnesota is part of the Eighth | | | | presidential votes cast, gaining Major Party |
| Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in | | | | Status for the Green Party of Minnesota. |
| St. Louis, Missouri. Appeals beyond this | | | | |