Farmer-Labor Party - Definition and Overview

Farmer-Labor Party was a political party of Minnesota. It was started in 1918. The party had a good deal of success in Minnesota. Three governors and four United States Senators of Minnesota were Farmer-Labor candidates.

The party platform called for: protection for farmers and labor union members, government ownership of some industries and social security laws.

The Minnesota Democratic Party led by Hubert H. Humphrey was able to merge the Farmer-Labor party with the Minnesota Democratic Party in 1944. Since 1944 the two parties together make up the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

• Minnesota Governors who were Farmer-Labor
  • Floyd B. Olson
  • Hjalmar Petersen
  • Elmer Austin Benson

• United States Senators from Minnesota who were Farmer-Labor
  • Henrik Shipstead later switched to Republican
  • Magnus Johnson
  • Elmer Austin Benson
  • Ernest Lundeen

There was also an unrelated national Farmer-Labor Party in the 1920s.