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Minnesota Supreme Court

From Ballotpedia
Minnesota Supreme Court
State-Supreme-Courts-Ballotpedia-template.png
Court Information
Justices: 7
Founded: 1858
Location:Saint Paul
Salary
Associates: $214,935[1]
Judicial Selection
Method:Nonpartisan election
Term: 6 years
Active justices
Theodora Gaïtas,Sarah E. Hennesy,Natalie E. Hudson,Anne K. McKeig,Gordon Moore,Karl Procaccini,Paul Thissen

Founded in 1858, theMinnesota Supreme Court is the state'scourt of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court isNatalie Hudson.

As of May 2024, all seven judges on the court were appointed by a Democratic governor.

The court meets in the Minnesota Judicial Center inSt. Paul, Minnesota.[2]

In Minnesota, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges,click here.

Contents

Jurisdiction

The state supreme court hears appeals from theMinnesota Court of Appeals,Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals,Minnesota Tax Court, Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board and Board of Judicial Standards. The court also takes direct appeals for first degree murder and election contest appeals. Additionally, the supreme court has jurisdiction over the administration of the state's judicial system.[3]

The chief justice is the administrative head of the judicial branch and supervises the work of all courts and theMinnesota judicial council. The state court administrator is appointed by the chief justice and the judicial council. The following positions are also appointed by the court: supreme court commissioner, clerk of the appellate courts, and state law librarian.[4]

The court oversees regulation of the practice of law and it resolves petitions filed by thelawyers for professional responsibility board. It also oversees judicial and lawyer discipline. Finally, the court creates rules and procedures for all courts in the state.[5][6]

Justices

The table below lists the current judges of theMinnesota Supreme Court, their political party, when they assumed office, and the appointing governor.

Salary

See also:Minnesota court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the justices of the court received a salary of $214,935, according to the National Center for State Courts.[7]

Judicial selection

See also:Judicial selection in Minnesota

Theseven judges of theMinnesota Supreme Court are chosen innonpartisan general elections to six-year terms. Sitting judges must run for re-election if they wish to serve additional terms. While party affiliation is not designated on the ballot, incumbency is.[8]

Qualifications

Judges of the supreme court are required to be "learned in the law" and under 70 years old. Sitting judges who reach the age of 70 while in office are allowed to serve until the last day of that month.[8]

Chief justice

The chief justice of theMinnesota Supreme Court is directly chosen by voters in anonpartisan election. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.[8]

Vacancies

See also:How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

Interim vacancies on the supreme court are filled viagubernatorial appointment. After serving for at least one year, the appointed judge can run for a full term in the next general election.[8] Other candidates may file to run against them in the election.[9]

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.


Elections

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court elections

2024

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court elections, 2024

The terms of threeMinnesota Supreme Court justices expired on January 7, 2025. The three seats were up fornonpartisan election on November 5, 2024. The primary was August 13, 2024. The filing deadline was June 4, 2024.

Candidates and results

Chief Justice: Hudson's seat

General election

General election for Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice

IncumbentNatalie E. Hudson defeatedStephen Emery in the general election for Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Natalie E. Hudson
Natalie E. Hudson (Nonpartisan)
 
63.4
 
1,529,063
Image of Stephen Emery
Stephen Emery (Nonpartisan)
 
36.2
 
872,720
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
9,023

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,410,806
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. IncumbentNatalie E. Hudson andStephen Emery advanced from the primary for Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Seat 5: McKeig's seat

General election

General election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 5

IncumbentAnne K. McKeig won election in the general election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 5 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Anne K. McKeig
Anne K. McKeig (Nonpartisan)
 
98.7
 
1,888,791
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.3
 
24,247

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,913,038
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. IncumbentAnne K. McKeig advanced from the primary for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 5.

Seat 6: Procaccini's seat

General election

General election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 6

IncumbentKarl Procaccini defeatedMatthew Hanson in the general election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 6 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Karl Procaccini
Karl Procaccini (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
56.6
 
1,322,180
Image of Matthew Hanson
Matthew Hanson (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
43.0
 
1,003,978
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
8,908

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,335,066
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. IncumbentKarl Procaccini andMatthew Hanson advanced from the primary for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 6.


2022

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court elections, 2022

The terms of twoMinnesota Supreme Court justices expired on January 2, 2023. The two seats were up fornonpartisan election on November 8, 2022.

Candidates and results

Seat 3: Moore's seat

General election

General election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 3

IncumbentGordon Moore won election in the general election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 3 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gordon Moore
Gordon Moore (Nonpartisan)
 
99.0
 
1,382,896
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.0
 
13,872

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,396,768
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. IncumbentGordon Moore advanced from the primary for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 3.

Seat 6: Hudson's seat

General election

General election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 6

IncumbentNatalie E. Hudson won election in the general election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 6 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Natalie E. Hudson
Natalie E. Hudson (Nonpartisan)
 
99.1
 
1,372,369
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.9
 
12,723

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,385,092
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. IncumbentNatalie E. Hudson advanced from the primary for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 6.


2020

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court elections, 2020

The term of oneMinnesota Supreme Court justice expired on January 4, 2021. The seat was up fornonpartisan election on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 11, 2020.[10]

Candidates and results

Thissen's seat

General election

General election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 4

IncumbentPaul Thissen defeatedMichelle L. MacDonald in the general election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 4 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Paul Thissen
Paul Thissen (Nonpartisan)
 
59.0
 
1,477,672
Image of Michelle L. MacDonald
Michelle L. MacDonald (Nonpartisan)
 
40.6
 
1,016,245
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
8,559

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,502,476
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.


2018

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court elections, 2018

The terms of fourMinnesota Supreme Court justices expired in 2019. Those justices stood fornonpartisan election by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench. The general election took place on November 6, 2018.

Candidates and results

Chief Justice: Gildea's seat

General election candidates

Seat 1: Anderson's seat

General election candidates

Seat 2: Chutich's seat

General election candidates


Candidate Connection = candidate completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Seat 5: McKeig's seat

General election candidates

2016

General election candidates

Seat 6

Natalie HudsonGreen check mark transparent.png(Incumbent)
Michelle L. MacDonald

Election results

November 8 general election

IncumbentNatalie Hudson defeatedMichelle L. MacDonald in the general election for Seat 6 on the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Minnesota Supreme Court, Seat 6, 2016
CandidateVote %Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngNatalie HudsonIncumbent58.81%1,266,827
Michelle L. MacDonald40.77%878,270
Write-in votes0.42%8,945
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)2,154,042
Source:Minnesota Secretary of State

August 9 primary election

Incumbent JusticeNatalie Hudson and challengerMichelle L. MacDonald were the top two finishers and advanced to the November 8 general election.

Minnesota Supreme Court Primary, Seat 6, 2016
CandidateVote %Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngNatalie HudsonIncumbent64.96%173,884
Green check mark transparent.pngMichelle L. MacDonald20.49%54,853
Craig Foss14.55%38,960
Total Votes (4110 of 4120 Precincts Reporting)267,697
Source:Minnesota Secretary of State Official Results

Appointments

2024

Justice Anderson vacancy

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court justice vacancy (May 2024)

GovernorTim Walz appointedSarah Hennesy to theMinnesota Supreme Court on April 22, 2024. She took office on May 13, 2024.[11]

Hennesy replaced JusticeBarry Anderson, who retired on May 11, 2024. Anderson's replacement isGovernorWalz's (D) fourth nominee to the seven-member supreme court.

In Minnesota, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges,click here.

Interim vacancies on the supreme court are filled viagubernatorial appointment. After serving for at least one year, the appointed judge can run for a full term in the next general election.[8] Other candidates may file to run against them in the election.[9]

Justice Chutich vacancy

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court justice vacancy (July 2024)

GovernorTim Walz (D) appointedTheodora Gaïtas to theMinnesota Supreme Court on April 22, 2024. She took office on August 1, 2024.[11]

Gaïtas replaced JusticeMargaret Chutich, who retired on July 31, 2024. Gaïtas isGovernorWalz's fifth nominee to the seven-member supreme court.

In Minnesota, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges,click here.

Interim vacancies on the supreme court are filled viagubernatorial appointment. After serving for at least one year, the appointed judge can run for a full term in the next general election.[8] Other candidates may file to run against them in the election.[9]

2023

Justice Hudson vacancy

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court justice vacancy (October 2023)

Minnesota governorTim Walz (D) appointedKarl Procaccini to theMinnesota Supreme Court. Procaccini replaced JusticeNatalie Hudson, who ascended to the Chief Justice position on October 2, 2023. Hudson's replacement wasGovernorWalz's (D) third nominee to the seven-member supreme court.

In Minnesota, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges,click here.

Interim vacancies on the supreme court are filled viagubernatorial appointment. After serving for at least one year, the appointed judge can run for a full term in the next general election.[8] Other candidates may file to run against them in the election.[9]

Chief Justice Gildea vacancy

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court chief justice vacancy (October 2023)

Minnesota governorTim Walz (D) appointedNatalie Hudson to the chief justiceship of theMinnesota Supreme Court. She had previously served as an associate justice of the court from 2015 until her ascension in 2023.

Hudson replaced Chief JusticeLorie Gildea, who retired on October 1, 2023. Gildea's replacement isGovernorWalz's (D) second nominee to the seven-member supreme court.

In Minnesota, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges,click here.

Interim vacancies on the supreme court are filled viagubernatorial appointment. After serving for at least one year, the appointed judge can run for a full term in the next general election.[8] Other candidates may file to run against them in the election.[9]

2020

See also:Minnesota Supreme Court justice vacancy (July 2020)

MinnesotaGovernorTim Walz (D) appointedGordon Moore to theMinnesota Supreme Court on May 15, 2020. Moore succeeded JusticeDavid Lillehaug, who retired on July 31, 2020. Lillehaug announced in June 2019 that he would not seek re-election in 2020, citing his diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease.[12] Moore was Gov. Walz's first nominee to the seven-member supreme court.

At the time of the appointment, interim vacancies were filled viagubernatorial appointment.

Caseloads

The table below details the number of cases filed with the court and the number of dispositions (decisions) the court reached in each year.[13][14]

Minnesota Supreme Court caseload data
YearFilingsDispositions
202383142
2022100127
202188124
202095148
201995157
2018112146
2017108109
2016117131
2015143136
201411599
2013107142
2012135104
201112295
201098114
2009111127
2008148126
2007132126

Analysis

Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters (2021)

See also:Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters

Ballotpedia Courts Determiners and Dissenters navigation ad.pngIn 2020, Ballotpedia publishedBallotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters, a study on how state supreme court justices decided the cases that came before them. Our goal was to determine which justices ruled together most often, which frequently dissented, and which courts featured the most unanimous or contentious decisions.

The study tracked the position taken by each state supreme court justice in every case they decided in 2020, then tallied the number of times the justices on the court ruled together. We identified the following types of justices:

  • We considered two justicesopinion partners if they frequently concurred or dissented together throughout the year.
  • We considered justices adissenting minority if they frequently opposed decisions together as a -1 minority.
  • We considered a group of justices adetermining majority if they frequently determined cases by a +1 majority throughout the year.
  • We considered a justice alone dissenter if he or she frequently dissented alone in cases throughout the year.

Summary of cases decided in 2020

  • Number of justices: 7
  • Number of cases: 106
  • Percentage of cases with a unanimous ruling: 74.5%% (79)
  • Justice most often writing the majority opinion: Justice McKeig (78)
  • Per curiam decisions: 13
  • Concurring opinions: 8
  • Justice with most concurring opinions: Justice Thissen (4)
  • Dissenting opinions: 16
  • Justice with most dissenting opinions: Justice Gildea and Anderson (5)

For the study's full set of findings in Minnesota, clickhere.

Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship (2020)

See also:Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship

Ballotpedia Courts State Partisanship navigation ad.pngLast updated: June 15, 2020

In 2020, Ballotpedia publishedBallotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country as of June 15, 2020.

The study presentedConfidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation, based on a variety of factors. This was not a measure of where a justice fell on the political or ideological spectrum, but rather a measure of how much confidence we had that a justice was or had been affiliated with a political party. To arrive at confidence scores we analyzed each justice's past partisan activity by collecting data on campaign finance, past political positions, party registration history, as well as other factors. The five categories ofConfidence Scores were:

  • Strong Democrat
  • Mild Democrat
  • Indeterminate[15]
  • Mild Republican
  • Strong Republican

We used the Confidence Scores of each justice to develop a Court Balance Score, which attempted to show the balance among justices with Democratic, Republican, and Indeterminate Confidence Scores on a court. Courts with higher positive Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Republican Confidence Scores, while courts with lower negative Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Democratic Confidence Scores. Courts closest to zero either had justices with conflicting partisanship or justices with Indeterminate Confidence Scores.[16]

Minnesota had a Court Balance Score of-3.57, indicatingDemocratic control of the court. In total, the study found that there were 15 states with Democrat-controlled courts, 27 states with Republican-controlled courts, and eight states with Split courts. The map below shows the court balance score of each state.

SSC by state.png


Bonica and Woodruff campaign finance scores (2012)

See also:Bonica and Woodruff campaign finance scores of state supreme court justices, 2012

In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan outlook of state supreme court justices in their paper, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns." A score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology while scores below 0 were more liberal. The state Supreme Court ofMinnesota was given a campaign finance score (CFscore), which was calculated for judges in October 2012. At that time,Minnesota received a score of-0.07. Based on the justices selected,Minnesota was the 22nd most liberal court. The study was based on data from campaign contributions by judges themselves, the partisan leaning of contributors to the judges, or—in the absence of elections—the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice but rather an academic gauge of various factors.[17]

Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court

Noteworthy cases

The following are noteworthy cases heard before the Minnesota Supreme Court. For a full list of opinions published by the court, clickhere. Know of a case we should cover here? Let us know byemailing us.

  • Limit of search and property seizure power (2014)Click for summary→

On August 20, 2014, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on two cases where defendants sought to suppress evidence on the grounds of illegal searches and seizures of property. This decision ensured the constitutional protection of unreasonable search and seizure in civil, and not just criminal, matters.[18]


In one of the cases,Daniel Garcia-Mendoza was pulled over while going 63 mph in a 60 mph zone. Garcia-Mendoza had a Mexican ID, but no Minnesota license, which he was ticketed for. His car was then searched, and law enforcers found methamphetamine and $611 in cash. Lower courts ruled that although the search was illegal, he had given up his rights for the car and cash as a part of a plea deal in unrelated drug trafficking charges. The supreme court reversed the ruling and sent the case back to the court of appeals.[19]


In the second case,Erica Ann Rohde was stopped for a signaling violation. Upon finding that her registration and license were revoked, police impounded her car and found methamphetamine and two glass pipes. She sought to have the drug evidence suppressed. She argued that the impoundment and search were illegal because she had not been arrested and her car posed no safety threat because she had parked it properly on a residential street. The supreme court sent the case back to a district court with the order to suppress the evidence.[19]

Ethics

Judicial conduct

TheMinnesota Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates inMinnesota. It is composed of four canons:

  • Canon 1: "A Judge Shall Uphold and Promote the Independence, Integrity, and Impartiality of the Judiciary, and Shall Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety"
  • Canon 2: "A Judge Shall Perform the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially, Competently, and Diligently"
  • Canon 3: "A Judge Shall Conduct the Judge's Personal and Extrajudicial Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict with the Obligations of Judicial Office"
  • Canon 4: "A Judge or Candidate for Judicial Office Shall Not Engage in Political or Campaign Activity that is Inconsistent with the Independence, Integrity, or Impartiality of the Judiciary"[20]

The full text of theMinnesota Code of Judicial Conduct can be foundhere.

Removal of justices

Judges inMinnesota may be removed in one of three ways:

  • By the supreme court, after a public hearing and on the recommendation of the board on judicial standards
  • Impeached by a majority vote of theMinnesota House of Representatives and convicted by a two-thirds vote of theSenate
  • By recall via a popular vote[21]

History of the court

Interior of the Minnesota Supreme Court courtroom

Minnesota was part of the Northwest Territory from 1787-1800. Afterward, parts of Minnesota were in the Indiana Territory, Illinois Territory, Michigan Territory, Wisconsin Territory, and Iowa Territory before becoming the Minnesota Territory in 1849. The Minnesota territorial supreme court was established by the1849 Organic Act, which also created district courts, probate courts, and justices of the peace. The first three justices were appointed by PresidentZachary Taylor (U.S. president). The justices, who were all from the east coast, oversaw trials in a district court within a territory and then convened to review decisions of those district courts, thus reviewing their own decisions. The territorial supreme court had no courthouse, so they met where there was meeting space available, including first in a hotel called the American House, and also in churches, stores, and other locations in St. Paul.[22][23][24]

The 1858 statehoodMinnesota Constitution, still in use today, provids for a supreme court, district courts, probate courts, and justice courts. Other courts could be formed with legislative enactment. The justices would be elected to serve seven-year terms and must be "men learned in the law."[25] The sole purpose of the court was to decide appeals.[26] In 1881 a fourth justice was added to the court due to the increased number of cases the court was hearing. The justice's terms were also reduced to six years, where they remain today. The 1930 constitutional amendmentMinnesota Replace Court Commissioners, Amendment 1 (1930) increased the number of justices by two, bringing the total to six.

The 1972Minnesota Reorganize State Judicial System, Amendment 2 (1972) constitutional amendment again modified the number of justices, providing that there could be 6-9 justices. The same 1972 amendment also authorized the discipline and removal of judges. In 1982 theMinnesota Create Court of Appeals, Amendment 1 (1982) took effect, creating a court of appeals and stipulating that there is to be seven supreme court justices, where the number remains today. The court of appeals reviews appeals of final decisions from district courts, state agencies, and local government.[27]

Noteworthy firsts

  • 1977: Rosalie Wahl became the first female justice to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court.[28]
  • 1992: The first African-American justice to serve on the supreme court,Alan Page, was elected in 1992, and took office in January 1993.[29]
  • 2012:Wilhelmina M. Wright became the first African-American female on the court following her appointment by GovernorMark Dayton on August 20, 2012.[30]

Courts in Minnesota

See also:Courts in Minnesota

InMinnesota, there is a single federal district court, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.

Click a link for information about that court type.

The image below depicts the flow of cases through Minnesota's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.

The structure of Minnesota's state court system.

Party control of Minnesota state government

Astate government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. A state supreme court plays a role in the checks and balances system of a state government.

Minnesota has a divided government where neither party holds atrifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and the upper chamber of the state legislature. Control of the lower chamber of the state legislature is split between parties.

State profile

Demographic data for Minnesota
 MinnesotaU.S.
Total population:5,482,435316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):79,6273,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:84.8%73.6%
Black/African American:5.5%12.6%
Asian:4.4%5.1%
Native American:1%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.7%3%
Hispanic/Latino:5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:92.4%86.7%
College graduation rate:33.7%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$61,492$53,889
Persons below poverty level:12.2%11.3%
Source:U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Clickhere for more information on the 2020 census andhere for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Minnesota.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the censushere.

Presidential voting pattern

See also:Presidential voting trends in Minnesota

Minnesotavoted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.


More Minnesota coverage on Ballotpedia

See also

MinnesotaJudicial SelectionMore Courts
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Courts in Minnesota
Minnesota Court of Appeals
Minnesota Supreme Court
Elections:202520242023202220212020201920182017
Gubernatorial appointments
Judicial selection in Minnesota
Federal courts
State courts
Local courts

External links

Footnotes

  1. The salary of the chief justice may be higher than an associate justice.
  2. Minnesota Judicial Branch, "Minnesota Supreme Court," accessed September 4, 2021
  3. Minnesota Judicial Branch, "Overview: Minnesota Supreme Court," accessed October 8, 2015
  4. Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State,"State Judiciary," accessed June 19, 2024
  5. Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State,"State Judiciary," accessed June 19, 2024
  6. Minnesota Judicial Branch,"Minnesota Supreme Court," accessed June 19, 2024
  7. National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
  8. 8.08.18.28.38.48.58.68.7National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 4, 2021
  9. 9.09.19.29.39.4The Office of the Revisor of Statutes, "Constitution of the State of Minnesota," accessed August 8, 2016
  10. Minnesota Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar," accessed July 26, 2019
  11. 11.011.1Minnesota Reformer, "Walz appoints two Supreme Court justices, solidifying an all DFL-appointed court ," April 22, 2024
  12. Minnesota Public Radio, "Lillehaug says he has Parkinson's, leaving Minnesota Supreme Court," June 12, 2019
  13. Minnesota Judicial Branch, "Annual Report 2021," accessed October 5, 2022
  14. Minnesota Judicial Branch, "Annual Report 2023," accessed September 24, 2024
  15. An Indeterminate score indicates that there is either not enough information about the justice’s partisan affiliations or that our research found conflicting partisan affiliations.
  16. The Court Balance Score is calculated by finding the average partisan Confidence Score of all justices on a state supreme court. For example, if a state has justices on the state supreme court with Confidence Scores of 4, -2, 2, 14, -2, 3, and 4, the Court Balance is the average of those scores: 3.3. Therefore, the Confidence Score on the court is Mild Republican. The use of positive and negative numbers in presenting both Confidence Scores and Court Balance Scores should not be understood to that either a Republican or Democratic score ispositive ornegative. The numerical values represent their distance from zero, not whether one score is better or worse than another.
  17. Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
  18. MPR News, "Minn. Supreme Court limits property seizures," August 21, 2014
  19. 19.019.1Star Tribune, "Minnesota Supreme Court rulings curb search and seizure authority," August 20, 2014
  20. The Office of the Revisor of Statutes,Minnesota Courts Rules: Code of Judicial Conduct, adopted July 1, 2009, accessed July 11, 2015
  21. JUSTIA US Law, "Minnesota Supreme Court Decisions," accessed August 18, 2025
  22. Minnesota State Law Library,"History of the Minnesota Supreme Court," accessed June 19, 2024
  23. Minnesota Judicial Branch',"Minnesota Supreme Court," accessed June 19, 2024
  24. Minnesota State Law Library,"History of the Minnesota Supreme Court," accessed June 19, 2024
  25. Minnesota Legislature,"Constitution of the State of Minnesota," accessed June 19, 2024
  26. Minnesota State Law Library,"The Law, Courts, and Lawyers in the Frontier Days of Minnesota: An Informal Legal History of the Years 1835 to 1865," accessed June 19, 2024
  27. Minnesota State Law Library,"History of the Minnesota Supreme Court," accessed June 19, 2024
  28. Twin Cities, "Rosalie Wahl, first woman on Minnesota Supreme Court, dies," July 22, 2013
  29. University of Mount Union, "Alan Page," accessed December 18, 2014
  30. The Uptake, "First African American Woman On MN Supreme Court," August 20, 2012

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Minnesota Supreme Court
Judicial selection in Minnesota2024 electionsCourts in Minnesota
Current judgesTheodora Gaïtas,Sarah E. Hennesy,Natalie E. Hudson,Anne K. McKeig,Gordon Moore,Karl Procaccini,Paul Thissen
Former judgesBarry Anderson,Paul Anderson,Kathleen Blatz,Margaret Chutich,Christopher Dietzen,Lorie Gildea,Natalie E. Hudson,David Lillehaug,Helen Meyer,Alan Page,David Stras,Wilhelmina M. Wright


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