The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is a major political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. The party was founded in 1944.
Background The progressive movement in Minnesota following the American Civil War was initially contained within the Minnesota Republican Party. But by the 1880s, the Republican Party became less receptive to progressive reform. The Farmer's Alliance and Knights of Labor, rising in political power, initially attempted to bring progressivism to the Minnesota Democratic Party during the 1886 gubernatorial campaign of A. A. Ames. After his defeat, the Farmer's Alliance and Knights of Labor failed to regain influence within either the Republican or Democratic Party. In 1890, the Farmer's Alliance organized the campaign of Sidney M. Owen as a third-party candidate. Despite Owen's electoral failure, the Farmer's Alliance secured enough of a voting base that in 1892, they joined with the Populists, who would be able to outperform the Democrats. In 1896, a fusion ticket with the Democrats was created, headed by John Lind. His second gubernatorial campaign, in 1898 on the fusion ticket, was successful. Lind served only one term. In 1902, the fusion was broken, and the Populists' poor performance ended the party. Progressives dominated the Democratic Party for the rest of the decade before slowly losing influence.
Origins of the Farmer-Labor Party
The Nonpartisan League (NPL), founded in North Dakota in 1915, was an agrarian party focused on farmer grievances against corporate monopolies. It expanded to Minnesota in 1917, and in 1918 merged with the Duluth Union Labor Party to create the Farmer–Labor Party (FLP).
During the 1930s, the FLP gained support for radical platforms aimed at addressing economic and social inequalities. The party won the 1930 Minnesota gubernatorial election under Floyd B. Olson. During this decade, Democrats had minimal success in the state, as 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 President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal coalition.
After Olson died in 1936, Hjalmar Petersen became governor until the inauguration of Elmer Benson. Olson was the unifying figure in the party, and both Benson and Petersen claimed to be his successor. In 1938, Petersen and Benson ran against each other in the primary. Benson led the radical wing and Petersen the more moderate leftist wing. Benson won the primary but lost the general election. Following Benson's defeat, Petersen's faction dominated the FLP. The party suffered further setbacks in 1940 and 1942, losing congressional seats. Petersen failed twice to recapture the governor's office. In 1942, Democrat Theodor S. Slen began opening dialogue with the Farmer-Laborites to discuss merging the two parties.
Founding On April 15, 1944, the Farmer–Labor Party merged with the Minnesota Democratic Party, forming the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) as a united front to oppose the now dominant Minnesota Republican Party. Leading the merger effort were Elmer Kelm, the head of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the founding chairman of the DFL, and Elmer Benson, who had retaken control of the FLP from Hjalmar Petersen after Petersen's electoral defeats in 1940 and 1942. Rising star Hubert Humphrey chaired the Fusion Committee that accomplished the union and then chaired its first state convention."DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR PARTY." n.d. Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed May 26, 2023. http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00586.xml
On April 7, 1944, as the DFL was being founded, a convention was held to determine whether an early nomination for governor could be decided. A unanimous agreement was made to nominate Hubert Humphrey. Humphrey declined, and Theodor S. Slen was asked but also refused to run. The convention dragged through the night. Without a resolution, the convention adjourned at 2:30PM on April 8, after about 24 hours. The convention reconvened on April 9, with 98% of initial delegates returning. Attorney and Olson supporter Harry Walsh was suggested as a potentially uniting figure, but failed to gain support. The hastily assembled primary election was held only a few days later, on April 16.
Byron G. Allen was nominated. Allen was from the Democratic wing, as an unknown dark horse candidate. His nomination was credited to his oratory skills. Allen was also supported by Vice President Henry A. Wallace.
Factional battles
After Allen's defeat and the end of World War II, little held the party together besides opposition to the Republican Party. The party quickly split ideologically into a left wing and a right wing, with ex-governor Elmer Benson initially leading the left and mayor of Minneapolis Hubert Humphrey leading the right. In 1946, Former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Harold H. Barker replaced Benson as the leader of the left wing, securing both the position of party chairman and the nomination for governor in 1946.
Barker continued his control over the DFL after his electoral defeat. In 1947, University of Minnesota student William Kubicek founded the Minnesota Young DFL (YDFL). Kubicek, and in turn the YDFL, became dominated by the party right. In December 1947, the YDFL and Barker's DFL found themselves so divided that Barker considered taking legal action against the YDFL for failing to conform to the larger party's platforms and leadership. By late January 1948, the YDFL had been rejected by the DFL leadership. The YDFL attempted to hold an independent convention separate from the DFL convention, which the DFL leadership considered illegal. The party right managed to regain control of the DFL, with Orville Freeman replacing Barker as chairman, Charles Halsted nominated for governor, and Humphrey nominated for U.S. Senate.
Some members of the left, including Elmer Benson, left the party, joining Henry A. Wallace's Progressive Party. This further weakened the leftists. That November, the DFL lost again, with the major exception of Humphrey, who was elected to the Senate. This victory and the Progressive Party's failure began to solidify the right's control of the party. By the end of 1949, Humphrey and his allies had successfully taken control of the DFL and reintegrated the YDFL.
In 1950, Halsted ran for governor again. He was challenged by the party's left, who rallied around Harry H. Peterson. Peterson defeated Halsted in the primary, but underperformance and defeat in the general election doomed his political career. Freeman resigned as DFL chairman to run an unsuccessful campaign for Attorney General of Minnesota, and was succeeded by ally and fellow member of the party right Karl Rolvaag.
Orville-Humphrey era
In 1952, Orville Freeman won the DFL nomination for governor without opposition from the party left. Freeman secured broad appeal in the party with his "Freeman Programs": increase aid to schools so $100 is invested in every student; remove limits on old-age pension and provide housing to those of a needy age; conduct a survey of all industry in the state and send the results to universities so new industry can be developed from existing infrastructure; establish a well-planned forestry and reforestation program; and create a public health program to help those with debilitating physical injuries and disabilities adjust into society. Freeman lost the general election, but succeeded in ending the factionalism within the party, securing the right wing's control. He and Hubert Humphrey now held control over the party. But their position was not yet secure.
Freeman administration In 1954, Karl Rolvaag was nominated to run for lieutenant governor and replaced as party chairman by Ray Hemenway, a loyal ally of Freeman. Freeman was expected to be renominated for governor unanimously, but former Freeman supporter Paul A. Rasmussen mounted a campaign against him. Freeman defeated Rasmussen in a landslide, and won the general election, securing his control over the DFL, as the first DFLer to be governor of Minnesota. Humphrey was also reelected to the U.S. Senate.
Along with Freeman's election and Humphrey's reelection, five other statewide offices were won for the first time. Rolvaag was elected lieutenant governor, Joseph L. Donovan was elected secretary of state, Miles Lord was elected attorney general, Arthur Hansen was elected state treasurer, and Frank Larkin was elected Clerk of the Supreme Court. Although nonpartisan, the House elected DFL-friendly Alfred I. Johnson as speaker. The Minnesota Senate became the only branch of the state government not under DFL control.
Freeman was reelected in 1956 and 1958, starting his third term with a 14-point victory, at the height of his popularity. Also in 1958, Eugene McCarthy was elected to Minnesota's other Senate seat, to serve alongside Humphrey. McCarthy was more progressive than Humphrey, calling himself "twice as liberal as Hubert Humphrey".Senator Eugene McCarthy obituary, telegraph.co.uk, December 12, 2005. On December 11, 1959, Freeman took the unusual action of declaring martial law in the city of Albert Lea to maintain law and order during a strike at the Wilson Packing Company. After 12 days, a federal court ruled that martial law was inappropriate."Martial Law Ordered in Meat Strike", Oakland Tribune, December 11, 1959, p1; "Court Ends Wilson Closure", December 23, 1959, p4 This action quickly eroded Freeman's popularity both inside and outside the party, and he lost reelection to Elmer L. Andersen in 1960.
Rolvaag administration
After his defeat, Freeman was appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by the newly elected President John F. Kennedy, and he was retained in that post by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He served until January 21, 1969. With Freeman and Humphrey both in federal politics, the DFL needed a candidate to replace Freeman as governor. Lieutenant governor Karl Rolvaag was chosen, easily winning his primary. The 1962 election was famously contentious, with the results not known until March 1963. The election was decided by only 91 votes, in Rolvaag's favor.
Rolvaag was the first Minnesota governor to serve a four-year term. The legislature was dominated by conservatives unfriendly to him, and Rolvaag vetoed more legislation than any of his predecessors. In 1964, after Humphrey was elected Vice President of the United States, Rolvaag appointed Walter Mondale to Humphrey's Senate seat.
By the time reelection was being considered, Rolvaag found support within his party dwindling. He had fallen out of favor with Humphrey amid a short list of achievements and worsening alcoholism. The DFL leadership endorsed Lieutenant Governor Sandy Keith for the nomination after a 20-ballot internal election. Undeterred, Rolvaag entered the DFL primary with a cry of "Let the people decide!", and continued support from Freeman. Rolvaag continued his reelection campaign and won the nomination. Keith conceded defeat in the primary election before the full election returns were even counted, due to his massive underperformance. Rolvaag lost the general election. Only two DFLers were reelected statewide in 1966, Secretary of State Joseph L. Donovan and Senator Mondale.
1968 presidential election dispute
In November 1967, Senator Eugene McCarthy began his presidential campaign. In April 1968, Humphrey began his presidential campaign. McCarthy and Humphrey held near opposite views on the ongoing Vietnam War, resulting in intense division within the DFL. McCarthy ran as a peace candidate, whereas Humphrey campaigned on the continuation of current policies. Humphrey defeated McCarthy at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Minnesota Miracle to Minnesota Massacre