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