# John Marty *Minnesota state senator and former candidate for governor* John J. Marty (born November 1, 1956) is a Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) member of the [[Minnesota Senate]], where he has served since January 1987.[^1] His current seat, District 40, lies in Ramsey County in the northern Twin Cities suburbs and takes in Roseville, Arden Hills, Shoreview, New Brighton and Mounds View.[^1] Marty was the DFL nominee for [[Governor of Minnesota]] in 1994. He lost the general election to the incumbent Republican, [[Arne Carlson]], 63 percent to 34 percent.[^1] He entered the 1998 race but left it without filing. He also ran in 2010 and withdrew after he did not win his party's endorsement.[^1] A research dossier on former [[Hennepin County Attorney]] Michael O. Freeman records that Freeman lost the 1994 DFL endorsement to Marty.[^2] ## Early life, education and career Marty is a native of Evanston, Illinois, born November 1, 1956. His father is the author and theologian Martin E. Marty.[^1] He completed a BA in ethics at St. Olaf College in 1978.[^1] During 1979 and 1980 he held DFL Party posts as a campaign aide and communications director. In 1980 he joined the Criminal Justice Committee of the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] as an administrator and researcher.[^1] Beginning in 1985 he spent two years as a grant administrator with the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation.[^1] Following his 1986 Senate election he joined the board of the National Youth Leadership Council. He sat on the board of the nonprofit Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota from 1993 through 1996.[^1] ## Political career ### State legislator: 1987–present Voters in District 63 first sent Marty to the Senate on November 4, 1986. He took his seat on January 6, 1987, at the start of the 75th legislative session.[^1] His district has been renumbered three times: - The redistricting that followed the census in 1992 renumbered it from 63 to 54.[^1] - The 2012 redistricting renumbered it again, from 54 to 66.[^1] - He has represented District 40 since the 2022 election.[^1] His sixth term came with the election of November 7, 2006. He took 62 percent of the vote and won in all seven suburbs of the district.[^1] ### 1994 gubernatorial campaign In 1994 Marty challenged Republican governor Arne Carlson.[^1] He won the DFL primary with 38 percent. [[Mike Hatch]], a former state commerce commissioner and later attorney general, received 36 percent. Tony Bouza, a former [[Minneapolis police chief]], received 25 percent, and Richard T. Van Bergen received 1 percent.[^1] According to his Wikipedia biography, Marty's self-imposed campaign-finance limits restricted his statewide reach. Having spent most of his money on the primary, he lost to Carlson by nearly two to one.[^1] The Freeman dossier lists the 1994 endorsement loss to Marty among Freeman's campaigns. It cites Freeman's Minnesota Legislative Reference Library record and a Minnesota Historical Society finding aid for that career summary.[^2][^3] The record assembled here does not describe the endorsement contest itself. ### 1998 gubernatorial campaign Marty was among seven DFL candidates who entered the 1998 race for governor. He left the race before filing for office.[^1] The party eventually nominated Attorney General [[Skip Humphrey]], and the Reform Party nominee, [[Jesse Ventura]], won the election.[^1] The Freeman dossier records that Freeman won the 1998 DFL endorsement and then lost the primary to Humphrey.[^2] ### 2010 gubernatorial campaign On December 22, 2008, Marty opened an exploratory campaign for governor, citing encouragement from health care reformers. He made his candidacy formal some months afterward.[^1] He placed fourth in the precinct caucus straw poll of February 2, 2010, with 9.5 percent.[^1] He later left the race when the party endorsement went elsewhere.[^1] ## Political positions His Wikipedia biography identifies three areas of Marty's advocacy: - the environment; - health-care reform; - government ethics and campaign-finance reform.[^1] It credits him with writing the Minnesota Health Plan, a single-payer proposal. It also records that he published *Healing Healthcare* in 2016, a book arguing for universal coverage.[^1] According to the same source, he refuses soft money and lobbyist contributions and caps what he accepts from any individual.[^1] The biography attributes to him the following enactments: - the Minnesota ban on lobbyist gifts to public officials; - a ban on mercury in consumer products; - authorization of public benefit corporations; - authority for nurses to dispense oral contraceptives in family planning clinics; - renewable-energy legislation that created community solar.[^1] The record assembled here does not include the session laws for these enactments. The biography also records several further positions: - He opposes public funding of stadiums and professional sports teams. - He criticized proposed stadiums for the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. - He supports medical marijuana.[^1] ## Family and personal life Marty and his wife, Connie Marty (née Jaarsma), live in Roseville, Minnesota, and have two children. He is Lutheran.[^1] ## Electoral history His results in Senate and statewide contests are as follows:[^1] - 2022, Senate District 40: Marty (DFL) 26,490 (64.76%); Rachel Japuntich (R). - 2020, Senate District 66: Marty 31,880 (76.89%); Greg Copeland (R) 9,490 (22.89%). - 2016, Senate District 66: Marty 28,312 (74.34%); Carolyn Jass (R) 9,670 (25.39%). - 2012, Senate District 66: Marty 27,735 (73.82%); Wayde Brooks (R) 9,718 (25.87%). - 2010, Senate District 54: Marty 18,600 (56.52%); Tim Johnson (R) 14,277 (43.38%). - 2006, Senate District 54: Marty 21,847 (62.05%); Dan Williams (R) 13,328 (37.86%). - 2002, Senate District 54: Marty 21,609 (56.86%); Mark Zasadny (R) 16,359 (43.04%). - 2000, Senate District 54: Marty 23,614 (65.50%); Mark Zasadny (R) 12,440 (34.50%). - 1994, Governor: Arne Carlson (R, incumbent) 63%; Marty (DFL) 34%. - 1994, DFL primary for Governor: Marty 38%; Mike Hatch 36%; Tony Bouza 25%; Richard T. Van Bergen 1%. - 1992, Senate District 54: Marty 56%; Pat Igo (R) 44%. - 1990, Senate District 63: Marty 64%; Merlyn Scroggins (R) 36%. ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - John J. Marty, DFL member of the Minnesota Senate, currently representing District 40.[^1] - Michael O. Freeman served in the Minnesota Senate from 1982 to 1991. He was Hennepin County Attorney from 1991 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2023. His dossier records that he lost the 1994 DFL endorsement to Marty.[^2][^3] ### What - Member of the Minnesota Senate since 1987.[^1] - 1994 DFL nominee for governor.[^1] - Candidate for governor in 1998 and 2010, withdrawing both times.[^1] ### When - Elected to the Senate on November 4, 1986, and sworn in on January 6, 1987.[^1] - Lost the 1994 general election to Arne Carlson.[^1] - Opened an exploratory campaign for governor on December 22, 2008, and placed fourth in the February 2, 2010 straw poll.[^1] ### Where - Senate District 40 in Ramsey County: Roseville, Arden Hills, Shoreview, New Brighton and Mounds View.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *John Marty* (revision 1367766518, retrieved 2026-10-26) — Marty's birth, education, early career, Senate service and district changes, 1994, 1998 and 2010 gubernatorial campaigns, stated positions, family and electoral results. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Marty [^2]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Legislator record: Michael O. Freeman* (cited in Freeman Apex Dossier, 2026-09-02, note 14; graded S) — Freeman's Senate service, 1982–1991. The dossier note cites this record for Freeman's career summary, including the 1994 endorsement loss to Marty and the 1998 endorsement and primary. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10197 [^3]: Minnesota Historical Society, *Finding aid 00531* (cited in Freeman Apex Dossier, 2026-09-02, note 14; graded S) — cited by the dossier for Freeman's career, including his Hennepin County Attorney terms. https://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00531.xml