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Published April 11, 2012, 12:00 AM

DFL celebrates 68 years of history

Happy birthday, DFL – you’re 68 years young! Some people ask, what the heck is the DFL? Unlike most other states in the union, Minnesota has a long tradition of third parties. In 1915 the Non-Partisan League and the Duluth Union Labor Party merged to form the Farmer-Labor Party to reduce the power of corporate political interests that were openly exploiting farmers and laborers in rural and urban settings across the state.

Editor’s note: Charles Nettestad of Alexandria, the new chair of the Douglas County DFL, provided the following information about the Minnesota DFL Party, which is celebrating its 68th anniversary this year.

Happy birthday, DFL – you’re 68 years young!

Some people ask, what the heck is the DFL? Unlike most other states in the union, Minnesota has a long tradition of third parties. In 1915 the Non-Partisan League and the Duluth Union Labor Party merged to form the Farmer-Labor Party to reduce the power of corporate political interests that were openly exploiting farmers and laborers in rural and urban settings across the state.

The Farmer-Labor party successfully fielded three governors, four U.S. senators, eight representatives, and were the first ones to push for Social Security.

During World War II, Minnesota legend Hubert H. Humphrey led the charge to unite the Democratic Party with the Farmer-Labor Party in the state.

Since April 15, 1944, Minnesota hasn’t had your typical Democratic Party; we have the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

The DFL is unique in the American political system, but still battles for democracy, farmers, working folks, and a better tomorrow.

From Orville Freeman to Mark Dayton, Minnesota has typically had a leniency toward being governed in a progressive, forward thinking manner. This can be seen in everything the DFL does, spanning from the remarkable state parks system to Minnesota’s consistently above-average education ranking. The state has also been home to some of the nation’s most iconic progressive thinkers from the former Vice President Walter Mondale to the late Senator Paul Wellstone.

Minnesotans pride themselves on their “open arms” mentality and dreams of a fair and prosperous future as they always have, which is noted with several national companies started right here: Best Buy, 3M, Target, Caribou Coffee, Graco, Hormel, Medtronic, Pillsbury, Supervalu, and TCF Bank, just to name a few.

So, happy birthday to Minnesota’s very own Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

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