Virgo and Cancer are the most common signs for Minnesota governors throughout history; Scorpios and Sagittariuses are the rarest

While Governor Tim Pawlenty may be more well-known as one of only two Minnesota governors to have been elected two times without a majority of the vote (along with Knute Nelson), his victory in 2002 also marked a first in Minnesota history.

After 145 years, Pawlenty finally ended the Sagittarius drought when he became the first Minnesotan to be elected governor under that astrological sign since statehood in 1857.

In today’s (admittedly frivolous) fifth installment of its Pathway to the Governor’s Mansion series, Smart Politics looks across history and up at the stars for the astrological signs of the 38 men who have served as governor of the Gopher State.

(Previous, more weighty installments of Smart Politics’ ‘Pathway to the Governor’s Mansion’ series include reports on the political experience, geographic background, ethnic background, and age of successful gubernatorial candidates in Minnesota history).

An examination of birth information provided by the Minnesota Historical Society finds governors born under the signs of Cancer and Virgo are the most common in Minnesota history, with five each.

There have actually been six Cancers if Rudy Perpich (June 27) is counted twice – the DFLer served from 1976-1979 after Governor Wendell R. Anderson resigned to become U.S. Senator, and then was elected twice, serving again from 1983 to 1991. (Perpich is officially known as the 34th and 36th Governors of Minnesota).

Other governors born under the sign of Cancer are Republicans Adolph Eberhart (June 23) and J.A.A. Burnquist (July 21), DFLer Karl Rolvaag (July 18), and Jesse Ventura (July 15).

The state’s first Virgo was the 2nd Governor of Minnesota, GOPer Alexander Ramsey (September 8). It would be 60 years before the next Virgo was elected, triggering a string of three out of five governors born under this astrological sign: Republican J.A.O. Preus (August 28) in 1920, Republican Theodore Christiansen (September 12) in 1924, and Farmer-Laborite Elmer Benson (September 2) in 1936. Republican Al Quie (September 18) was the last Virgo governor of the Gopher State.

Libra is the next most common astrological sign for Minnesota’s governors with four – each of whom were Republicans. The first two Libras were the state’s 5th and 6th governors – William Marshall (October 17) and Horace Austin (October 15) – to be followed almost one hundred years later by Harold LeVander (October 10) and Arne Carlson (September 24).

There has been an equal number of governors born under the signs of Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Gemini, Pisces, Taurus, and Leo (with three for each).

Only two Minnesota governors have been Scorpios – Democrat Winfield Hammond (November 17) and Farmer-Laborite Floyd Olson (November 13).

With Pawlenty breaking the Sagittarius drought in 2002, the astrological sign with the current longest dry spell in the Gopher State is Leo – the last of which being the state’s 16th Governor, Democrat John Johnson (July 28), who left office 100 years ago in 1909.

The winless streak for Leos will likely continue in 2010 as none of the major announced DFL or Republican candidates were born under that sign….unless

….Norm Coleman should enter the race. Coleman’s birthday is August 17th, and would be the best hope for Leos this election cycle.

And who among the major DFL and GOP candidates hopes to follow Pawlenty and extend the Sagittarius winning streak to two in a row? That would be DFL Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner (December 2) and DFL Representative Paul Thissen (December 10).

As for the favored signs – Cancer and Virgo – these are being represented in the 2010 gubernatorial fight by former Republican Representative Bill Haas (June 25) and DFL Representative Tom Rukavina (August 23) respectively.

Astrological Signs of Minnesota Governors, 1858-present

Governor
Years
Birthday
Sign
Henry Sibley
1858-1860
February 20 (1811)
Pisces
Alexander Ramsey
1860-1863
September 8 (1815)
Virgo
Henry Swift
1863-1864
March 23 (1823)
Aries
Stephen Miller
1864-1866
January 7 (1816)
Capricorn
William Marshall
1866-1870
October 17 (1825)
Libra
Horace Austin
1870-1874
October 15 (1831)
Libra
Cushman Davis
1874-1876
June 16 (1838)
Gemini
John Pillsbury
1876-1882
July 29 (1827)
Leo
Lucius Hubbard
1882-1887
January 26 (1836)
Aquarius
Andrew McGill
1887-1889
February 19 (1840)
Pisces
William Merriam
1889-1893
July 26 (1849)
Leo
Knute Nelson
1893-1895
February 2 (1842)
Aquarius
David Clough
1895-1899
December 27 (1846)
Capricorn
John Lind
1899-1901
March 25 (1854)
Aries
Samuel Van Sant
1901-1905
May 11 (1844)
Taurus
John Johnson
1905-1909
July 28 (1861)
Leo
Adolph Eberhart
1909-1915
June 23 (1870)
Cancer
Winfield Hammond
1915-1915
November 17 (1863)
Scorpio
J.A.A. Burnquist
1915-1921
July 21 (1879)
Cancer
J.A.O. Preus
1921-1925
August 28 (1883)
Virgo
Theodore Christianson
1925-1931
September 12 (1883)
Virgo
Floyd Olson
1931-1936
November 13 (1891)
Scorpio
Hjalmar Petersen
1936-1937
January 2 (1890)
Capricorn
Elmer Benson
1937-1939
September 2 (1895)
Virgo
Harold Stassen
1939-1943
April 13 (1907)
Aries
Edward Thye
1943-1947
April 26 (1896)
Taurus
Luther Youngdahl
1947-1951
May 29 (1896)
Gemini
C. Elmer Anderson
1951-1955
March 16 (1912)
Pisces
Orville Freeman
1955-1961
May 9 (1918)
Taurus
Elmer Andersen
1961-1963
June 17 (1909)
Gemini
Karl Rolvaag
1963-1967
July 18 (1913)
Cancer
Harold LeVander
1967-1971
October 10 (1910)
Libra
Wendell Anderson
1971-1976
February 1 (1933)
Aquarius
Rudy Perpich
1976-1979, 1983-1991
June 27 (1928)
Cancer
Al Quie
1979-1983
September 18 (1923)
Virgo
Arne Carlson
1991-1999
September 24 (1934)
Libra
Jesse Ventura
1999-2003
July 15 (1951)
Cancer
Tim Pawlenty
2003-present
November 27 (1960)
Sagittarius

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1 Comments

  1. Colleen Morse on December 14, 2009 at 1:51 pm

    I should have guessed that Pawlenty was Sagitarrius. That’s what my ex-husband was and he was never around when you needed him. For a lowdown on the sun signs of all the DFL candidates, go here:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Minnesota_Governor_Candidates_2010/files/

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