# Skip Humphrey *Former Minnesota Attorney General and state senator; son of Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and Senator Muriel Humphrey.* Hubert Horatio "Skip" Humphrey III (born June 26, 1942) is a retired American politician of the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]]. He sat in the [[Minnesota Senate]] from 1973 to 1983 and served as [[Minnesota Attorney General]] from 1983 to 1999.[^1][^2][^3] He later served as assistant director heading the Office of Older Americans at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.[^3][^4] He is a son of Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and U.S. Senator Muriel Humphrey.[^5][^6] In 1998 he was the DFL nominee for governor. He lost the November 3, 1998, three-way race to [[Jesse Ventura]] of the Reform Party, and Republican Norm Coleman was also defeated.[^7] His father was the Senate Democratic floor manager for the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]].[^8][^9] On January 14, 2026, the [[United States Department of Justice]] sued the State of Minnesota under Title VII of that Act. The Department's release announcing the suit described the State's apparatus as "Minnesota's 'Affirmative Action' Regime".[^10][^11] ## Early life Humphrey was born in [[Minneapolis]] on June 26, 1942.[^3] He holds a degree from American University. He also graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School, which the project's records list among the law schools attended by Minnesota attorneys general.[^3][^1][^12] ## Political career Humphrey won election to the Minnesota Senate in 1972 and held the seat for ten years, until 1983.[^2][^3] Voters elected him attorney general in 1982. He held that office for four consecutive terms, ending in 1999.[^1][^3] In 1988 he sought the U.S. Senate seat that both of his parents had held. Incumbent Independent-Republican Senator David Durenberger defeated him.[^3][^13] He then served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General. In 1996 he chaired President Bill Clinton's reelection campaign in Minnesota.[^3] In 1998 he won the DFL gubernatorial primary by a wide margin over several rivals, among them Ted Mondale.[^3] According to the project's Freeman dossier, Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman won the 1998 DFL endorsement but lost the primary to Humphrey.[^14] Humphrey's positions as a candidate were recorded in a September 1998 public-radio candidate interview.[^15] In the general election, Ventura was elected governor.[^7] His father died on January 13, 1978, at age 66.[^3] ## Political legacy The Wikipedia account places Humphrey within the progressive tradition of his father's New Deal–derived politics. It quotes him listing "taking on the tobacco industry" among the positions he said Minnesotans wanted. In 1999 the World Health Organization gave him its Director-General's Prize for outstanding global contribution to tobacco control.[^3] ## Personal life Humphrey and Nancy Lee Jeffery met while he was a student at American University. They married in the summer of 1963 while in Europe. The couple has three children. One of them, Hubert H. "Buck" Humphrey IV, was the 2002 candidate for [[Minnesota Secretary of State]]. He lost by three percentage points to Republican [[Mary Kiffmeyer]].[^3] After leaving office, Humphrey taught public health law and policy as a senior fellow at the [[University of Minnesota]]. He also worked as a senior vice president at Tunheim Partners, a Minnesota public-affairs firm.[^3] From 2004 he was president of AARP's Minnesota chapter, and he later sat on the national AARP board. In October 2011 he was named assistant director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Office of Older Americans.[^3][^4] The [[Mitchell Hamline School of Law]] carries a faculty biography for him.[^16] He is listed among the fellows of Harvard University's Institute of Politics.[^17] He is also listed as a recipient of the University of Minnesota's Outstanding Achievement Award.[^18] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III, Minnesota Attorney General 1983–1999 and state legislator, according to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.[^1][^2] - Hubert H. Humphrey, his father: - inaugurated mayor of Minneapolis on July 2, 1945;[^19] - U.S. senator from Minnesota and Senate Democratic whip from 1961;[^5][^20] - inaugurated vice president on January 20, 1965.[^21] - Walter Mondale, appointed by Governor Rolvaag on December 30, 1964, to fill the elder Humphrey's Senate seat.[^22] - [[Orville Freeman]], DFL secretary, who organized the party apparatus under the elder Humphrey in 1946.[^23] ### What **Civil rights legislation** - The elder Humphrey was named Democratic floor manager for the civil rights bill on March 9, 1964.[^8] - In March 1964 he and Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL) worked out a bipartisan compromise on Title VII.[^24] - The Senate passed the bill 73–27 on June 19, 1964.[^24] - President Johnson signed it on July 2, 1964, with the elder Humphrey present.[^25] - The enacted text is Pub. L. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241.[^9] - As vice president, the elder Humphrey attended Johnson's signing of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965.[^26] **Executive Order 11246 and later legislation** [[Executive Order 11246]] (September 24, 1965) governs [[Affirmative action|affirmative action]] in federal contracting.[^27][^28] A project claim row names the elder Humphrey as a co-architect of the order. The project's time table records that the order was drafted after his review recommended Labor Department enforcement. The cited order text is the source for the order itself, not for his role.[^27][^28] The elder Humphrey is recorded as a co-sponsor of the Consumer Product Safety Act, Pub. L. 92-573 (1972).[^29] **The pending federal action** The Department of Justice announced the suit in release No. 26-21, dated January 14, 2026. The release is titled *United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's 'Affirmative Action' Regime*. According to the release, Attorney General Pamela Bondi certified the case as a matter of general public importance.[^10] The complaint in [[United States v. State of Minnesota (0:26-cv-00273)]] (D. Minn., filed January 14, 2026) is brought under Title VII. It cites [[Minn. Stat. § 43A.191]] eight times. Those citations include subdivision 3(c), which requires an agency to explain its reason for hiring a non-affirmative candidate. The case is pending.[^11] The suit follows the Supreme Court's decision in [[Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services]], 605 U.S. 303 (2025). The Court held there that Title VII's disparate-treatment provision "draws no distinctions between majority-group plaintiffs and minority-group plaintiffs." The Court also rejected the Sixth Circuit's heightened "background circumstances" rule.[^30] The U.S. government has used "regime" for governments it opposes. For example, the [[Iraq Liberation Act]] of 1998 sets a policy of supporting efforts to remove "the regime headed by Saddam Hussein." The project's catalogue of U.S.-government "regime" usages finds Minnesota the only U.S. state so described.[^31] ### When - March 9, 1964: the elder Humphrey is named floor manager for the Civil Rights Act.[^8] - June 19, 1964: the Senate passes the Act, 73–27.[^24] - July 2, 1964: President Johnson signs the Act.[^25] - January 20, 1965: the elder Humphrey is inaugurated vice president.[^21] - September 24, 1965: Executive Order 11246 is issued.[^28] - October 31, 1995: the Minnesota Court of Appeals decides *State v. Knutson*, 539 N.W.2d 254. The project's time table records Humphrey III's office prosecuting, Ellison as defense counsel, and the state compelling unpublished photographs from the *Minnesota Daily*.[^32] - November 3, 1998: Ventura is elected governor over Humphrey III (DFL) and Coleman (R).[^7] - October 2011: Humphrey III is appointed to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau post.[^4] - January 14, 2026: the United States files suit against Minnesota under Title VII.[^10][^11] ### Where - Minneapolis: the subject's birthplace and the seat of his father's mayoralty from 1945.[^3][^19] ### How many - Senate vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1964: 73–27.[^24] - Terms served as attorney general: four consecutive, 1983–1999.[^1][^3] - States carried by the Johnson–Humphrey ticket in 1964: 44.[^33] - Citations of § 43A.191 in the 2026 complaint: eight.[^11] ## In the at-issue record [[At issue 082 - Hubert Humphrey was mayor of Minneapolis for three]] (AI-082) concerns the subject's father, not the subject. The row records three facts: - The elder Humphrey was mayor of Minneapolis, inaugurated in 1945.[^19] - He delivered the 1948 civil rights address to the Democratic National Convention.[^34] - Orville Freeman managed his successful 1948 Senate campaign.[^21] The row is anchored to a March 2025 White House presidential action on information silos.[^35] The row also states that later offices descend from this arrangement. That statement is the row's own framing; the cited sources document the offices and the campaign, not that claim. ## Notes [^1]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III* legislator profile — Attorney General 1983–1999; University of Minnesota Law. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10484 [^2]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Skip Humphrey* legislator record — state legislative service. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10270 [^3]: Wikipedia, *Skip Humphrey* (rev. 1372800315, retrieved 2026-10-25) — birth, education, Senate and Attorney General service, 1988 and 1998 campaigns, legacy, personal life, later posts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Humphrey [^4]: AARP, *Skip Humphrey Named Head of Office of Older Americans* (October 2011) — CFPB appointment. https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-10-2011/skip-humphrey-to-head-office-of-older-americans.html [^5]: U.S. Congress, *Biographical Directory: Hubert H. Humphrey* — Senate service; Civil Rights Act floor manager. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/H000953 [^6]: U.S. House of Representatives, History, Art & Archives, *Muriel Humphrey* — congressional service. https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/15464 [^7]: Minnesota Secretary of State, *Historical Election Data* — 1998 gubernatorial election, November 3, 1998: Ventura elected; Humphrey III (DFL) and Coleman (R) defeated. https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/data-maps/historical-election-data/ [^8]: U.S. Senate, *Proponents Build a Strategy for Success* (landmark legislation essay) — Humphrey named Democratic floor manager, March 9, 1964. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/landmark-legislation/civil-rights-act-of-1964/proponents-build-a-strategy-for-success-essay.htm [^9]: United States Statutes at Large, *Civil Rights Act of 1964*, Pub. L. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241 (1964) — enacted text. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-78/pdf/STATUTE-78-Pg241.pdf [^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, *United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's 'Affirmative Action' Regime*, release No. 26-21 (Jan. 14, 2026) — title; Bondi certification. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-department-justice-files-lawsuit-against-minnesotas-affirmative-action-regime [^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, *Complaint, United States v. State of Minnesota*, No. 0:26-cv-00273 (D. Minn. filed Jan. 14, 2026) — Title VII claim; eight citations of Minn. Stat. § 43A.191 including subd. 3(c). https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1423361/dl [^12]: University of Minnesota Law School, *Our History* — law school of Humphrey III among other Minnesota attorneys general. https://law.umn.edu/about/our-history [^13]: The Washington Post, *Humphrey Stepping Out of Father's Shadow* (Oct. 16, 1988) — 1988 U.S. Senate campaign. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/10/16/humphrey-stepping-out-of-fathers-shadow/738a05cc-50d0-4434-bc38-bb8547f31734/ [^14]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Michael O. Freeman* legislator profile (cited in the project's Freeman dossier, n. 14) — Freeman won the 1998 DFL endorsement and lost the primary to Humphrey. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10197 [^15]: Minnesota Public Radio, *Meet the Candidates: Skip Humphrey on Political Issues and Campaign* (Sept. 8, 1998) — 1998 candidacy. https://archive.mpr.org/stories/1998/09/08/meet-the-candidates-skip-humphrey-on-political-issues-and-campaign [^16]: Mitchell Hamline School of Law, *Faculty Biographies: Hubert H. Humphrey III* — faculty biography. https://mitchellhamline.edu/biographies/person/hubert-h-humphrey-iii/ [^17]: Institute of Politics at Harvard University, *Hubert H. Humphrey III* — fellows listing. https://iop.harvard.edu/fellows/hubert-h-humphrey-iii [^18]: University of Minnesota, *Outstanding Achievement Award: Hubert H. Humphrey III* — award recipient listing. https://uawards.umn.edu/recipients-outstanding-achievement-award/hubert-h-humphrey-iii [^19]: Minnesota Historical Society, *Hubert H. Humphrey research guide* — Minneapolis mayoralty from July 2, 1945. https://libguides.mnhs.org/hhh [^20]: U.S. Senate Historical Office, *Hubert H. Humphrey* (Senate leaders) — Senate leadership service. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/People_Leaders_Humphrey.htm [^21]: Wikipedia, *Hubert Humphrey* — Freeman managed 1948 Senate campaign; vice-presidential inauguration January 20, 1965. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Humphrey [^22]: Wikipedia, *Walter Mondale* — appointed to the Senate by Gov. Rolvaag, December 30, 1964. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mondale [^23]: Wikipedia, *Orville Freeman* — DFL secretary organizing the party apparatus, 1946. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orville_Freeman [^24]: U.S. Senate, *Civil Rights Act of 1964* (Art & History) — Humphrey–Dirksen compromise on Title VII; Senate passage 73–27, June 19, 1964. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/CivilRightsAct1964.htm [^25]: National Archives, *Civil Rights Act (1964)* (milestone document) — signed July 2, 1964. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/civil-rights-act [^26]: National Archives, *Voting Rights Act (1965)* (milestone document) — signed August 6, 1965. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/voting-rights-act [^27]: U.S. Department of Labor, OFCCP, *Executive Order 11246* — affirmative action in federal contracting; issued Sept. 24, 1965. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/executive-order-11246 [^28]: National Archives, Office of the Federal Register, *Executive Order 11246* (Sept. 24, 1965) — codified text. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/11246.html [^29]: United States Statutes at Large, *Consumer Product Safety Act*, Pub. L. 92-573, 86 Stat. 1207 (1972) — enacted text; Humphrey co-sponsorship per project claim row. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-86/pdf/STATUTE-86-Pg1207.pdf [^30]: Supreme Court of the United States, *Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services*, 605 U.S. 303 (2025) — Title VII holding on majority-group plaintiffs. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-1039_c0n2.pdf [^31]: United States Statutes at Large, *Iraq Liberation Act of 1998*, Pub. L. 105-338 — "regime" usage; catalogue finding per project note 40. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-105publ338/pdf/PLAW-105publ338.pdf [^32]: Minnesota Court of Appeals, *State v. Knutson*, 539 N.W.2d 254, No. C8-95-1093 (Oct. 31, 1995) — decision. https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/court-of-appeals/1995/c8-95-1093.html [^33]: Wikipedia, *1964 United States presidential election* — Johnson–Humphrey ticket carried 44 states. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_United_States_presidential_election [^34]: American Rhetoric, *Hubert Humphrey: 1948 Democratic National Convention Address* (July 14, 1948) — speech text. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/huberthumphey1948dnc.html [^35]: The White House, *Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos* (March 2025) — anchor of at-issue row AI-082. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/stopping-waste-fraud-and-abuse-by-eliminating-information-silos/