Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Abbreviation	DFL
Chairperson	Richard Carlbom
Governor	Tim Walz
Lieutenant Governor	Peggy Flanagan
Senate President	Bobby Joe Champion
Senate Leader	Erin Murphy
House Leader	Vacant
Founded	April 15, 1944; 81 years ago (1944-04-15)
Merger of	Minnesota Democratic Party andMinnesota Farmer–Labor Party[1][2]
Headquarters	255 Plato Boulevard East Saint Paul,Minnesota
Youth wing	Minnesota Young DFL (MYDFL)
Ideology	Modern liberalism[3] Progressivism[4][5][6] Populism[7][8]
Political position	Center-left[9][3]
National affiliation	Democratic Party[9][10]
Colors	Blue
State Senate	34 / 67
State House	66 / 134
Statewide Executive Offices	5 / 5
U.S. Senate	2 / 2
U.S. House of Representatives	4 / 8
Election symbol
Website
dfl.org
Politics of Minnesota Political parties Elections

TheMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is a political party in the U.S. state ofMinnesota affiliated with the nationalDemocratic Party.^[11][12] The party was formed by a merger between theMinnesota Democratic Party and theMinnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1944.^[13] The DFL is one of two state Democratic Party affiliates with a different name from that of the national party, the other being the neighboringNorth Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party.^[11]

The DFL controls four of Minnesota's eightU.S. House seats, both of itsU.S. Senate seats, theMinnesota Senate, and all other statewide offices, including thegovernorship, making it the dominant party in the state. In theMinnesota House, it has apower-sharing agreement with its main political rival, theRepublican Party of Minnesota, following a tie in the2024 election.

The Nonpartisan League (NPL), founded in North Dakota in 1915 was anagrarian party focused on farmer grievances against corporatemonopolies.^[14] It expanded to Minnesota in 1917 and in 1918 it merged with the Duluth Union Labor Party to create theFarmer–Labor Party (FLP).

During the 1930s, the FLP gained support with radical platforms against economic and social inequalities. The party won the 1930 gubernatorial election underFloyd B. Olson. During this decade, Democrats had minimal success in the state now that the FLP effectively captured the left-wing vote and drew support away from urban workers, rural farmers, and immigrants. The party often won only single digits in statewide races as the FLP aligned informally with Roosevelt'sNew Deal coalition.

By 1938, the Farmer–Labor party's influence waned because of internal conflicts and accusations of incompetence and corruption, leading to a loss inthat year's gubernatorial election.^[15] The party suffered further setbacks in 1940 and 1942, losing congressional seats andthe gubernatorial race.

On April 15, 1944, the Farmer–Labor Party merged with theMinnesota Democratic Party, forming the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).^[16] Leading the merger effort were Elmer Kelm, the head of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the foundingchairman of the DFL;Elmer Benson, effectively the head of the Farmer–Labor Party by virtue of his leadership of its dominant left-wing faction; and rising starHubert H. Humphrey, who chaired the Fusion Committee that accomplished the union and then went on to chair its first state convention.^[17] This merger marked a pivotal shift influenced by academic liberals at theUniversity of Minnesota who advocated for integrating theNew Deal's progressive reforms within a more centralized, managerial political framework, transitioning from the movement-oriented politics of the Farmer-Labor party to a structure that emphasized interest-group pluralism.

During the post-war years, the DFL confronted various social issues, includingantisemitism, which reflected broader national conversations about race and ethnicity. The DFL also navigated with its stance oncivil rights and economic justice, influenced significantly by Minnesota's small but politically activeAfrican American communities. In early 1946, as aFair Employment Practice (FEPC) bill was moving through Congress, there was a surge of civil rights activism in the Twin Cities.^[18]

Factional battles were intensified by differing views on how to address the left-wing influence within the party, with significant conflicts between proponents ofHenry A. Wallace's progressive policies and the more moderate wing led by figures likeHubert Humphrey. By the party's second convention in 1946, tensions had re-emerged between members of the two former parties. While the majority of delegates supported left-wing policies, Humphrey managed to install a more conservative, anti-communist ally,Orville Freeman, as party secretary.^[19] Some disaffected Farmer–Labor leaders such as Benson moved to theProgressive Party.^[13] Freemanwas elected the state's first DFL governor in 1954. Important members of the party have included Humphrey andWalter Mondale, who each went on to beUnited States senators,vice presidents of the United States, and unsuccessfulDemocratic nominees forpresident;Eugene McCarthy, a U.S. senator who ran for the Democraticpresidential nomination in 1968 as ananti-Vietnam War candidate;Paul Wellstone, a U.S. senator from 1991 to 2002 who became an icon ofpopulistprogressivism;^[20]Amy Klobuchar, a U.S. senator who ran for theDemocratic nomination for president in 2020;^[21]Dean Phillips, aU.S. representative who ran for theDemocratic nomination for president in 2024;^[22] and Tim Walz, two-term governor chosen asKamala Harris' running mate in the2024 presidential election.^[23] The DFL has had varied success beginning in the late 1970s and through the late 2010s, in part due to the growth of single-issue splinter groups after reforms brought by the national party.^[17]

Following the2022 Minnesota elections, the DFL became the dominant party in the state, retaining every executive office, winning majorities in the stateHouse andSenate, and re-electing all incumbent congressional representatives. With their newly electedtrifecta, the DFL pursued a progressive agenda in theirfirst legislative session. Governor Tim Walz described the session as "the most successful legislative session, certainly in many of our lifetimes and maybe in Minnesota history."^[24] The newly elected government passed large expansions in welfare programs and spending. Notable policies passed include the expansion ofabortion rights, new programs to provide reproductive healthcare, protection ofgender affirming care,^[25] thelegalization of recreational cannabis, indexing education spending to inflation, investments in public transit, and paid sick leave for Minnesota workers.^[25][26] Former presidentBarack Obama praised the state government's actions, saying that "Minnesota has made progress on a whole host of issues – from protecting abortion rights and new gun safety measures to expanding access to the ballot and reducing child poverty. These laws will make a real difference in the lives of Minnesotans."^[27]

The DFL is governed by a state central committee, which is composed of representatives from each of the state's congressional districts. The state central committee is responsible for setting the party's platform, electing party officers, and conducting other party business. The DFL also has aconstitution andbylaws that govern its operations.^[12]

The party operates several community caucuses that organize and represent different communities within Minnesota; they not defined geographically.^[28] These include the:

• African American Caucus, which organizesAfrican Americans.
• Asian Pacific American Caucus, which organizesAsian Americans andPacific Islander Americans.
• Disability Caucus, which advocates for Minnesotans withdisabilities.
• Environmental Caucus, which advocates forenvironmental protection andsustainability.
• Feminist Caucus, which advocates forfeminist and women's issues.
• Hmong American Caucus, which organizesHmong Americans, the largest Asian American group in Minnesota.
• Latino Caucus (Spanish:Movimiento) which organizesLatino Americans.
• Minnesota Young DFL, which organizes young people.
• Muslim Caucus, which organizesMuslims, who make up between 1–2% of the state.^[29]
• Native People's Caucus, which organizes and supportsNative Americans andtribal communities.
• Progressive Caucus, which advocates forprogressive policies and opposes "corporate money in politics".
• Rural Caucus, which supports the state'srural communities.
• Senior Caucus, which advocates for the interests ofsenior citizens.
• Somali American Caucus, which organizesSomali Americans, who make up over 1% of the state's population.^[30][29]
• Stonewall DFL, which organizesLGBTQ+ Minnesotans.
• Veterans Caucus, which organizesveterans and their families.

The DFL's base of support is diverse, and it includes urban and suburban voters,working class voters,labor unions,environmentalists, and other progressive groups.^[31] The party has a strong presence in theTwin Cities metropolitan area.^[32] The DFL has lost support in traditional DFL strongholds such as theIron Range since 2016.^[33]

• Senior senator:Amy Klobuchar
• Junior senator:Tina Smith

Out of theeight seats Minnesota is apportioned in theU.S. House of Representatives, four are held by members of the DFL.

• 2nd district:Angie Craig (since 2019)
• 3rd district:Kelly Morrison (since 2025)
• 4th district:Betty McCollum (since 2001)
• 5th district:Ilhan Omar (since 2019)

• Governor:Tim Walz
• Lieutenant Governor:Peggy Flanagan
• Secretary of State:Steve Simon
• State Auditor:Julie Blaha
• Attorney General:Keith Ellison

• 
  Tim Walz
• 
  Peggy Flanagan
• 
  Steve Simon
• 
  Julie Blaha
• 
  Keith Ellison

• President of the Senate:Bobby Joe Champion (since 2023)
• Senate majority leader:Erin Murphy (since 2023)

• Minneapolis (list):Jacob Frey (since 2018) (1)
• Saint Paul (list):Melvin Carter (since 2018) (2)
• Duluth (list):Roger Reinert (since 2024) (5)

• Chair:Richard Carlbom (since 2025)^[34]
• Vice chair: Marge Hoffa (since 2011)
• Second vice chair: Shivanthi Sathanandan (since 2021)
• Treasurer: Lindy Sowmick (since 2025)
• Secretary: Ceri Everett (since 2021)
• Outreach officer: Quentin Wathum-Ocama (since 2025)

Through 1975, the party's constitution called for the election of a separate chairman and chairwoman to head state party activities. Only the chairman received compensation. In the mid-1970s, the party voted to change the titles of the chief party offices to chair and associate chair, specifying that they must both be salaried and must be of the opposite sex.

• Koryne Horbal (1968–1977)
• Claire Rumpel (1978–1979)
• Mike Hatch (1980–1983)
• Mary Monahan (1983–1985)
• Ruth Stanoch (1985–1989)
• Todd Otis (1990–1993)
• Rick Stafford (1993–1995)
• Mark Andrew (1995–1997)
• Richard Senese (1997–1999)
• Mike Erlandson (1999–2005)
• Brian Melendez (2005–2011)
• Ken Martin (2011–2025)
• Richard Carlbom (2025–present)

Election	Votes	%	Seats (MN)	±	%
2000	1,234,204	52.2	5 / 8	1	62.5
2002	1,097,911	49.9	4 / 8	1	50.0
2004	1,399,624	51.4	4 / 8	0	50.0
2006	1,152,621	52.9	5 / 8	1	62.5
2008	1,612,480	57.5	5 / 8	0	62.5
2010	1,002,026	47.9	4 / 8	1	50.0
2012	985,760	55.5	5 / 8	1	62.5
2014	985,760	50.2	5 / 8	0	62.5
2016	1,434,590	50.2	5 / 8	0	62.5
2018	1,420,748	55.1	5 / 8	0	62.5
2020	1,554,373	48.7	4 / 8	1	50.0
2022	1,250,479	50.1	4 / 8	0	50.0
2024	1,579,742	50.2	4 / 8	0	50.0

Election	Votes	%	Seats	±	%	Majority
1976	1,024,624	51.9	49 / 67	N/A	73.1	Yes
1980	1,024,624	49.3	46 / 67	3	68.7	Yes
1982	951,287	51.8	42 / 67	4	62.7	Yes
1986	765,584	52.6	47 / 67	5	70.2	Yes
1990	990,513	53.7	46 / 67	1	68.7	Yes
1992	1,247,594	53.0	45 / 67	1	67.2	Yes
1996	1,129,095	51.1	42 / 67	3	62.7	Yes
2000	1,219,497	49.6	39 / 67	3	58.2	Yes
2002	1,080,975	49.7	35 / 67	4	52.2	Yes
2006	1,183,319	55.3	44 / 67	6	65.7	Yes
2010	1,005,132	48.9	30 / 67	16	44.7	No
2012	1,532,065	55.8	39 / 67	9	58.2	Yes
2016	1,409,775	50.1	33 / 67	6	49.3	No
2020	1,577,523	49.8	33 / 67	0	49.3	No
2022	1,239,682	50.7	34 / 67	1	50.7	Yes

Election	Votes	%	Seats	±	%	Majority
2002	1,034,046	47.8	52 / 134	11	38.8	No
2004	1,381,412	51.2	66 / 134	13	49.3	No
2006	1,169,298	54.9	85 / 134	19	63.4	Yes
2008	1,516,633	54.9	87 / 134	2	64.9	Yes
2010	995,853	48.5	62 / 134	25	46.3	No
2012	1,468,364	53.7	73 / 134	11	54.5	Yes
2014	944,961	49.3	62 / 134	11	46.3	No
2016	1,366,375	49.1	57 / 134	4	42.5	No
2018	1,388,938	54.4	75 / 134	18	55.9	Yes
2020	1,601,357	51.1	70 / 134	5	52.2	Yes
2022	1,237,520	50.9	70 / 134	0	52.2	Yes
2024	1,545,213	49.9	67 / 134	3	50.0	No

• List of political parties in Minnesota
• Political party strength in Minnesota
• Politics of Minnesota

• Delton, Jennifer A. (2002).Making Minnesota Liberal: Civil Rights and the Transformation of the Democratic Party. Minneapolis:University of Minnesota Press.ISBN 0816639221.JSTOR 10.5749/j.ctttsfmc.LCCN 2001008251.
• Haynes, John Earl (Fall 1983). "Farm Coops and the Election of Hubert Humphrey to the Senate".Agricultural History.57 (2).
• Haynes, John Earl (1984).Dubious Alliance: The Making of Minnesota's DFL Party. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
• Henrickson, Gary P. (1981).Minnesota in the "McCarthy" Period: 1946–1954 (PhD thesis).University of Minnesota.
• Lebedoff, David (1969).The 21st Ballot: A Political Party Struggle in Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
• Lebedoff, David (1972).Ward Number Six. New York: Scribner. – Discusses the entry of radicals into the DFL party in 1968.
• Mitau, G. Theodore (Spring 1955)."The Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Schism of 1948"(PDF).Minnesota History.34 (5):187–194.JSTOR 20175887.

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