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 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. Until Representative Melissa Hortman was assassinated, a record-high 55 women served in the House in 2025.
Elections
Each House district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B (for example, House district 32B is in Senate district 32). 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
94th Minnesota Legislature (2025–2027)
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 (District 40B) 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 (DFL) 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. After Hortman's assassination, Zack Stephenson became the House DFL Leader.
Historical composition
Past notable members
U.S. senators from Minnesota
Wendell R. Anderson, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1976–1978); 33rd governor of Minnesota (1971–1976)
Cushman Kellogg Davis, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1887–1900); 7th governor of Minnesota (1874–1876)
Alonzo J. Edgerton, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1881–1881)
Magnus Johnson, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1923–1925); U.S. representative from Minnesota's general ticket Seat Five district (1933–1935)
Ernest Lundeen, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1937–1940); U.S. representative from Minnesota's 3rd district (1917–1919); U.S. representative from Minnesota's general ticket Seat Eight district (1933–1935); U.S. representative from Minnesota's 3rd district (1935–1937)
Dwight M. Sabin, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1883–1889); Chair of the Republican National Committee (1883–1884)
William D. Washburn, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1889–1895); U.S. representative from Minnesota's 3rd district (1879–1883) and 4th district (1883–1885)
Governors of Minnesota
Wendell R. Anderson, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1976–1978); 33rd governor of Minnesota (1971–1976)
Joseph A. A. Burnquist, 19th governor of Minnesota (1915–1921); 20th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1913–1915); 21st attorney general of Minnesota (1939–1955)
Arne Carlson, 37th governor of Minnesota (1991–1999); 14th auditor of Minnesota (1979–1991)
Cushman Kellogg Davis, U.S. senator from Minnesota (1887–1900); 7th governor of Minnesota (1874–1876)
William Rush Merriam, 11th governor of Minnesota (1889–1893)
Stephen Miller, 4th governor of Minnesota (1864–1866)
Tim Pawlenty, 39th governor of Minnesota (2003–2011)
Hjalmar Petersen, 23rd governor of Minnesota (1936–1937); 28th lieutenant governor of Minnesota
Samuel Rinnah Van Sant, 15th governor of Minnesota (1901–1905)
Lieutenant governors of Minnesota
Henry M. Arens, 26th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1931–1933); U.S. representative from Minnesota's General Ticket Seat One district (1933–1935)
Thomas H. Armstrong, 5th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1866–1870)
Alphonso Barto; 7th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1874–1876)
Frank A. Day, 13th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1895–1897)
Ignatius L. Donnelly, 2nd lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1860–1863); U.S. representative from Minnesota's 2nd district (1863–1869)
Peggy Flanagan, 50th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (2019–present)
John L. Gibbs, 14th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1897–1899)
Charles A. Gilman, 9th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1880–1887)
Samuel Y. Gordon, 19th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1911–1913)
Carol Molnau, 46th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (2003–2011)
William I. Nolan, 26th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1925–1929); U.S. representative from Minnesota's 5th district (1929–1933)
Charles D. Sherwood, 4th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1864–1866)
Konrad K. Solberg, 27th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1933–1935)
James Wakefield, 9th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1876–1880); U.S. representative from Minnesota's 2nd district (1883–1887)
William H. Yale, 6th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1870–1874)
Attorneys general of Minnesota
Joseph A. A. Burnquist, 19th governor of Minnesota (1915–1921); 20th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1913–1915); 21st attorney general of Minnesota (1939–1955)
Gordon E. Cole, 2nd attorney general of Minnesota (1860–1866)
William J. Colvill, 3rd attorney general of Minnesota (1866–1888); Union colonel during the U.S. Civil War (1861–1863)
Francis R. E. Cornell, 4th attorney general of Minnesota (1868–1874)
Wallace B. Douglas, 10th attorney general of Minnesota (1899–1904)
Keith Ellison, 30th attorney general of Minnesota (2019–present); U.S. representative from Minnesota's 5th district (2007–2019); deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee (2017–2018)
Douglas M. Head, 25th attorney general of Minnesota (1967–1971)
Albert F. Pratt, 16th attorney general of Minnesota (1927–1928)
George P. Wilson, 5th attorney general of Minnesota (1874–1880)
Edward T. Young 12th attorney general of Minnesota (1905–1909)