Arne Carlson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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 90) 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. He served as the 37th governor of Minnesota from 1991 to 1999. Carlson is known as a moderate Republican.

Before becoming governor, he was the Minnesota State Auditor from 1979 to 1991. He is the most recent Auditor to serve more than two terms.

Carlson was born in New York City and grew up in poverty. He earned a scholarship to a special school called Choate Rosemary Hall. After college, he went to graduate school at the University of Minnesota. His first elected job was on the Minneapolis City Council in 1965. He served there until 1967.

He also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1971 to 1979. Then he became the State Auditor. In 1990, he ran for governor. He lost the first round of voting to another candidate, Jon Grunseth. However, Grunseth faced problems before the election and stepped down. Carlson then became the main candidate. He won against the current governor, Rudy Perpich. In 1994, he easily won a second term.

Since leaving office in 1999, Carlson has mostly supported candidates from the Democratic (DFL) Party. He has done this even though he is still a Republican.

Early Life and Education

Arne Carlson was born in New York City. His parents were immigrants from Sweden. Carlson went to public schools in New York City. Later, he received a scholarship to attend The Choate School in Connecticut.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Williams College in 1957. After that, he took graduate classes at the University of Minnesota.

Political Career

Early Roles

Carlson served on the Minneapolis City Council from 1965 to 1967. In 1967, he ran for mayor of Minneapolis but lost. From 1971 to 1979, he was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

In 1978, he was elected Minnesota State Auditor. He was reelected in 1982 and 1986. He served as Auditor from 1979 to 1991. As State Auditor, Carlson worked to make sure cities and counties managed their money properly. He also improved how the state invested its money. This helped Minnesota become a leader in financial management.

Election for Governor in 1990

Carlson was a strong candidate for governor in 1990. He was well-known from his time as State Auditor. However, some people in his party preferred a different candidate, Jon Grunseth. Grunseth won the first round of voting.

But a few weeks before the main election, a problem came up for Jon Grunseth. He then decided to leave the race. Carlson, who had come in second, became the new Republican candidate. He ran as a write-in candidate for a short time. The state Supreme Court later ruled that Carlson could be on the ballot.

In the election on November 6, 1990, Carlson won. He defeated the current governor, Rudy Perpich.

Serving as Governor

Carlson with President Bill Clinton in 1993

Carlson became the 37th governor of Minnesota. He served from January 7, 1991, to January 4, 1999. During his time, the Republican Party in Minnesota changed its name.

When Carlson started, Minnesota had a large budget problem. By the end of his term, the state had extra money. His team also helped Minnesota get a top credit rating. This was the first time in 25 years a state received such an upgrade.

Carlson increased money for schools. He created a special group called the Children's Cabinet. This group worked on programs for children. He also helped start the first light rail in Minneapolis. He supported school choice programs, which allow families to choose different schools.

In 1993, Carlson was the leader of the Midwestern Governors Association. That same year, he signed a law called the Minnesota Human Rights Act. This law made it illegal to treat people unfairly based on their LGBT identity in housing, jobs, and education.

In 1994, Carlson ran for reelection. He won the primary election against another candidate, Allen Quist. Carlson then won the main election by a large amount. He defeated the Democratic candidate, John Marty.

As governor, Carlson was a big fan of the University of Minnesota. He worked closely with the university's president. He helped get a lot of money for improvements at the university. This led to new buildings and renovations.

After Being Governor

After leaving office in 1999, Carlson joined the board of a financial company. He became the chairman and CEO of that board the next year.

Carlson has stayed active in politics. In 2010, he spoke out about Minnesota's money problems. During a state government shutdown in 2011, he worked with Walter Mondale. They suggested a plan to solve the budget issues.

In a 2001 poll, Carlson was ranked second among Minnesota politicians. People felt he made a "great or major contribution" to the state.

Carlson has often supported Democratic candidates. He supported Barack Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. He also supported Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024. In 2010, he supported a different party's candidate for governor. Because of his views, some people in his own party voted to ban him from party events for two years.

Carlson has also spoken out against certain mining projects. He believes some projects are influenced by powerful money interests. He has also worked to change campaign finance rules. He wants to make sure political donations are fair and open.

Personal Life

Arne Carlson was married to Barbara Carlson from 1965 to 1977. They had three children together. He later married Joanne Chabot. After their divorce, he married Susan Shepard. They have one daughter. Susan Shepard was the First Lady of Minnesota while Carlson was governor.

Electoral History

See Also

• List of governors of Minnesota

Images for kids

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  Carlson in 2010

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  Carlson with President Bill Clinton in 1993