Frequently Asked Questions About the Minnesota Legislature

In the House, the Speaker of the House is also the leader of the majority caucus and, therefore, leader of the House. The chief assistant in the House is called the majority leader. To choose leaders, members of each party caucus meet on an informal basis within a week or two after the general election to organize and elect leaders. Each caucus can nominate a speaker designate. The speaker is officially elected by members of the entire House on the opening day of the session. The majority caucus also elects a majority leader and assistant leaders. Likewise, the minority caucus elects a minority leader to express the caucus opinion on the House floor, and other assistant minority leaders. For a list of current leaders in the House, see the House of Representatives Leadership web page.

In the Senate, the leader of the majority caucus directs the business of the Senate and is considered the leader of the Senate. He or she is elected by the members of the caucus, which also elects the leader's chief assistant, called the assistant majority leader. The minority caucus also elects its own leaders, much like the House does. The President of the Senate, who presides over the activities of the Senate and assigns bills to committees, is elected on the opening day of each biennial session. Senate leadership positions are noted on the Senate member page.

Whichever party holds the most seats in either the House or the Senate is considered the Majority Caucus.

Green and red books

The green and red member directories are joint publications of the Minnesota House and Senate. The green book, or Members Directory, is published near the beginning of the first year (odd year) of a biennial legislative session - usually in February. The green book contains pictures, biographical information, committee assignments, and contact information for all 134 representatives and 67 senators. It also lists key House and Senate staff and certain joint offices.

The red book, the Official Directory of the Minnesota Legislature, is published during the second year (even year) of the biennium. It contains additional information, such as the permanent rules of both the House and the Senate, joint rules, and statutory and constitutional provisions relating to the Legislature.

Note: the green book was not published in 2025.

Green and red books are available at the House Public Information Services at 3300 Centennial Office Building (3rd floor), 658 Cedar Street, 651-296-2146, and Senate Information Office, Room 231, State Capitol, 651-296-0504. Limited copies are mailed.

Blue book

The blue book or Minnesota Legislative Manual, is published by the Secretary of State's Office. It includes detailed information about the three branches of government, constitutional officers, and election statistics for certain offices over the state's history, as well as detailed information from the most recent election. The blue book also contains the state constitution and a history of proposed constitutional amendments.

Copies of the blue book are available to the public, free of charge from the Office of the Secretary of State or call 651-215-1440 to order one. The Secretary of State is at: Veterans Service Building, 20 W. 12th Street, Suite 210, Saint Paul, MN 55155. Most manuals, back to 1860, are also available electronically.

Senators are elected for a four-year term and representatives are elected for a two-year term. However, in election years ending in 0, such as 2010 or 2020, Senators serve for a two-year term in order to provide for the redistricting process done in conjunction with the United States census.

For more information on the members of the House and the Senate, see State Lawmakers: Minnesota State Government Series.

In many cases, the vacancy is filled by a special election, called by the governor. If the vacancy occurs close to the date of a general election and the Legislature is not in session, then the vacancy is filled at the general election. See Minnesota Statutes, section 240D.17-240D.27 for further details.

Minnesota Representatives and Senators must be qualified voters of the state, be 21 years of age, and must have resided one year in the state. In addition, state legislators must have lived the six months immediately preceding the election in the district from which they are elected.

Candidates for the Minnesota Senate or House of Representatives must file during the designated time period, usually in May and June of the election year, and pay a fee. Candidates cannot file for more than one office at the upcoming primary or general election.

The Office of the Secretary of State's candidate qualifications and the Minnesota Constitution article 4, section 6 are resources for these qualifications. Visit the Office of the Secretary of State's website for more about election laws, election calendars, and voter lists on the Elections and Voting page of their website.

How long are terms?

The House serves two-year terms. In the House of Representatives, the term start date is the first Monday in January every odd-numbered year.  

The Senate generally serves four-year terms (with the exception of a two-year term before redistricting changes take effect). The term start date is the first Monday in January of the odd-numbered year after their election. This has been the case since 1883. Prior to that, there were staggered Senate start-of-terms. 

What laws set term dates?

Minnesota Constitution, article 7, section 7 sets the official year of the state and its political subdivisions, which says that “the official year for the state of Minnesota commences on the first Monday in January in each year and all terms of office terminate at that time.” This constitutional amendment was added in 1883 (General Laws 1883, chapter 2). 

Similar language is also found in Minnesota Statutes 204D.02, subd. 2: “The term of office of all elective state and county officers shall begin on the first Monday in January of the odd-numbered year following their election.” This specific language was added by Laws of Minnesota 1981, chapter 29, article 6, sec. 2. However, a version of this language dates back to at least 1893 (General Laws 1893, chapter 4, sec. 2). 

When does session start?

In 2025 and moving forward, the regular session starts the first Tuesday after the second Monday in January of each odd-numbered year. See Minnesota Statutes 3.011. 

Before 2025, the regular session started on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January each odd-numbered year. When the first Monday was New Year’s Day, session started on the first Wednesday after the first Monday of the year. You can see an archived version of the statute in the Statutes Archive (e.g. Minnesota Statutes 2022, 3.011).

See also the FAQs: How long are terms for Minnesota Representatives and Senators? and When does the Minnesota Legislature meet?