List of Political Parties in Minnesota - Third Political Parties

Third Political Parties

The Farmer-Labor Party was a populist political party that managed to elect some of its candidates to the United States Congress, a rare feat among American third political parties, and eventually merged with the Minnesota Democratic Party in 1944 to create the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The success of the Farmer Labor Party shielded Minnesota from the worst of the restrictive ballot access laws that were passed in most states during the Red Scare era of the 1920s-1950s. State law governing nominating petitions for third party candidates and the definition of a major and minor political party have not prevented the rise of more than two major political parties, and have ensured that several different candidates are on the ballot in most state and federal elections.

In 1998 the Reform Party of Minnesota candidate for Governor, Jesse Ventura, won the election. The Reform Party later became the Independence Party. In 2002 Sheila Kiscaden who had previously been a Republican was re elected as a member of the Independence Party. The Green Party of Minnesota has had electoral success in city elections, particularly Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The governor is Mark Dayton. He is a member of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.