Minnesota is the 6th happiest state in the nation for a reason—we have progressive policies and programs, courtesy of DFL sponsored candidates making good on their promises to improve the lives of the people living here. Our support for these candidates is fueled by grassroots support from small communities within Goodhue County, in the form of volunteers and donations from people just like you!

WHAT WE DO FOR MINNESOTANS

Minnesota residents outside congressional offices protesting the budget bill of 2025

THE HISTORY OF THE DFL

The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party was created on April 15, 1944, after the Minnesota Democrats merged with the Farmer-Labor Party. Hubert H. Humphrey was instrumental in the merger and is considered by many to be the founder of the Minnesota DFL Party.
The DFL’s story first began during the 1920s, when representatives of the Nonpartisan League in Minnesota entered candidates for state election under the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party. The party’s platform consisted of progressive agrarian reform, the protection of farmers and union workers, the public ownership of railroads, utilities, and natural resources, and social security legislation.
The party earned popularity and legislative legitimacy, even gaining victories in Minnesota State and Congressional elections over candidates of the two major parties. From 1921 to 1941, constituents elected three governors, four U.S. senators, and eight U.S. representatives under the affiliation of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party. Then, on April 15, 1944, the party united with the Minnesota Democratic Party to form the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
The first DFL governor, Orville Freeman, was elected in 1954. Since then, the DFL Party has earned majorities in the state House and Senate, elected some of our nation’s most respected officials to the U.S. House and Senate, and put DFLers in the White House with Vice Presidents Hubert H. Humphrey and Walter Mondale.
For more than seventy years, the Minnesota DFL has worked tirelessly to enact progressive policies and provide a platform for those who need it the most. We believe that every Minnesotan has a right to stable employment with fair wages, to a proper education, to raise and provide for a family, to accessible and affordable healthcare, to live in safe communities, and to retire with dignity and security. We have made a lot of progress over the course of our party’s history, but there is still much more to do to ensure no one is left behind. Together, we will continue to build an even better Minnesota for all Minnesotans.
For details on each of these subjects, see our Action Agenda
- Agriculture, Food & Land Stewardship
- Civil, Human & Constitutional Rights
- Community Development & Local Business
- Corporate & Business Accountability to the Public
- Government Accountability to the Public
- Health & Human Services
- Media Access
- National Security
- Natural Resources and the Environment
- Public Safety
- Racial, Ethnic, Gender, LGBTQIA2S+, and Economic Justice
- Retirement Security
- Tax & Budget
- Transportation

“We don’t need more of the same, typical politicians fighting for themselves and for special interests. We need someone to believe in our small-business owners again and someone to champion those folks who play by the rules.”

— Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota

HOW THE DFL SUPPORTS CANDIDATES AND COMMUNITY

The DFL believes in free and fair elections, which means talking to our neighbors about the candidates with full transparency about how their lives will be affected should they take office. Part of our responsibility to the people in our districts is informing them about what policies are on the table, and how they can make their voices be heard, both through activism and getting to the voting booth. We do that by door-knocking, making phone calls, and posting notices online and in local papers. We believe Minnesotans should have all the facts, and all the tools they need to advocate for themselves and each other, and we’re always improving how we do that.