Arne Carlson

Arne Carlson
Carlson in 2010
37th Governor of Minnesota
In office January 7, 1991 – January 4, 1999
Lieutenant	Joanell Dyrstad Joanne Benson
Preceded by	Rudy Perpich
Succeeded by	Jesse Ventura
14th Auditor of Minnesota
In office January 4, 1979 – January 7, 1991
Governor	Al Quie Rudy Perpich
Preceded by	Bob Mattson
Succeeded by	Mark Dayton
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office January 5, 1971 – January 2, 1979
Preceded by	Thor Anderson
Succeeded by	Todd Otis
Constituency	36th district (1971–1973) District 58B (1973–1979)
Member of the Minneapolis City Council from the 12th Ward
In office 1965–1967
Personal details
Born	Arne Helge Carlson (1934-09-24) September 24, 1934 (age 89) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican (1960–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic (until 1960)
Spouses	Barbara Duffy ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1977)​ Joanne Chabot (divorced) Susan Shepard
Children	3
Education	Williams College (BA)

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 moderate Republican. Before his governorship, he served as the 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 a scandal 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 supported Democratic candidates while remaining a Republican.