Arne Carlson

Arne Helge Carlson (born September 24, 1934) is an American politician who served from 1991 to 1999 as the 37th governor of Minnesota. Carlson is considered a liberal Republican. He served as Minnesota State Auditor from 1979 to 1991. Born into poverty in New York City, he attended the Choate Rosemary Hall preparatory school on a scholarship. After graduating from Williams College, he went to graduate school at the University of Minnesota. In his first race for elected office, Carlson was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 1965 as a Republican. He served until 1967. With the Republicans in the majority, Carlson also served as city council majority leader. In 1967, he ran for mayor of Minneapolis against incumbent Democratic mayor Arthur Naftalin. Carlson lost the close election. Carlson served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1971 until 1979, then as the Minnesota State Auditor from 1979 until 1991. He launched a bid for the Republican nomination for governor of Minnesota in 1990. He lost the primary election to businessman Jon Grunseth, but Grunseth became embroiled in two separate scandals weeks before the election and withdrew from the race, whereupon Carlson became the nominee. He defeated incumbent governor Rudy Perpich. In 1994, he easily won reelection to a second term. Since his return to private life in 1999, he has actively and exclusively supported Democratic (DFL) candidates while remaining a Republican.