# Republican Party (United States) *Major United States political party, with Minnesota record entries from 1962 to 2026.* The Republican Party, called the Grand Old Party or GOP, was organized in 1854. It has been one of the two parties dominating American politics since the 1850s, opposite the [[Democratic Party (United States)]]. The current Wikipedia revision classifies it as right-wing populist and neo-nationalist.[^1] In Minnesota's statutory record, Republican governors appear at the origin and in the upkeep of the State's civil-service equity machinery. The project's tally of statute history lines places the chapter 43A vessel for [[Minn. Stat. § 43A.19]] and [[Minn. Stat. § 43A.191]] under Governor Quie (R) in 1981, followed by a 1985 rider under Governor Perpich (DFL). Thirteen amendments came after, seven of them under Republican governors, and none was a repeal.[^2][^3] On January 14, 2026, the [[United States Department of Justice]] sued the State under [[Title VII]] of the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] in [[United States v. State of Minnesota (0:26-cv-00273)]]. The complaint cites § 43A.191 eight times.[^4] The Department titled its release on the filing *United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's 'Affirmative Action' Regime* (No. 26-21).[^5] The U.S. government's own statute law uses "regime" for governments it opposes. The [[Iraq Liberation Act]] of 1998, for example, states 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.[^6] ## History Anti-slavery activists organized the party in 1854 in opposition to the Kansas–Nebraska Act and to slavery's spread into the western territories. It drew former Whigs, Free Soilers and former Know Nothings across the North. [[Abraham Lincoln]] won the presidency in 1860, and Southern states then seceded. Under Lincoln and a Republican Congress, the party directed the Union war effort and the abolition of slavery. Its Radical faction pressed the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments through Congress during Reconstruction. By the late 1870s the party had turned toward business and industrial interests.[^1] The party held most national power until 1932. In 1912 it divided when Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party challenged the conservatives under [[William Howard Taft]], and Woodrow Wilson won as a result. Republicans lost Congress during the Great Depression and returned to national power with Dwight D. Eisenhower's election in 1952. Wikipedia describes the later "Southern strategy" as drawing white voters who opposed Democratic support for civil rights. It also traces a realignment under Ronald Reagan from 1980 and a populist turn culminating in Donald Trump's 2016 election.[^1] ## Name and symbols The founders took the name in homage to Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party. The nickname traces to an 1875 *Congressional Record* reference to "this gallant old party." The *Cincinnati Commercial* changed the wording to "grand old party" the next year, and the abbreviation GOP is first recorded in 1884. The elephant mascot dates to a Thomas Nast cartoon in *Harper's Weekly* on November 7, 1874.[^1] ## Political positions Wikipedia states that the party was generally described as conservative until 2017. It cites comparative studies by the V-Dem Institute, the Polity Data Series and others that classify the party as "far-right" in an international context.[^1] ## Republican presidents As of 2025, there had been 19 Republican presidents and 20 Republican presidencies.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### What **The federal complaint.** The complaint in *United States v. State of Minnesota*, No. 0:26-cv-00273 (D. Minn. filed Jan. 14, 2026), alleges violations of Title VII. Its documentary predicate is Minn. Stat. § 43A.191, which it cites eight times. Those citations include subdivision 3(c), which requires an agency to explain its reason for hiring a candidate who is not from the affirmative-action group.[^4][^3] Attorney General Pamela Bondi certified the case as a matter of general public importance.[^5] The companion record dated June 18, 2026, treats the matter as live, and the pack records no ruling.[^7] The complaint followed *[[Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services]]*, 605 U.S. 303 (2025). In that case the Supreme Court held 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.[^8] **Maintenance without repeal.** The project's master record identifies statutes whose history lines show amendments from both parties and no repeal. Under that record, § 201.091 (voter lists) was amended from Governor Anderson's administration in 1973 through five amendments under Governor Walz.[^2] Two enactments, 1Sp2019 c 10 and 2023 c 62, each amended both instruments now named in federal suits. The 2023 enactment added the governor-escalation sentence to § 43A.191, which the master confirms by comparing the 2022 and 2025 texts.[^2][^3] The master describes its finding as "amendment without repeal, by every party," of the instruments now in federal court.[^2] The Time Table records § 43A.191 entering its thirtieth year in 2011 with no challenge under any governor to that point.[^9] The record carries two readings of this sequence. Under the defense reading, no current official designed the instruments, which are 34 to 46 years older than the administration being sued, and most were maintained by the opposing party. Under the prosecution reading, the sequence works as a ratchet: over fifty-five years the system added at every step and never removed an exemption. The record asserts the count and reserves the inference.[^2][^7] The companion summarizes the partisan sequence this way. The Democratic Attorney General now defends a statute that a Republican governor's chapter created and a Democratic governor's rider put into operation, and Republican governors signed seven of its amendments.[^7] **Court cases bearing the party's name.** In *Republican Party of Minnesota v. White*, decided June 27, 2002, the Supreme Court struck down Minnesota's judicial "announce clause." Justice Scalia wrote the opinion.[^10] The project's claim catalogue lists *Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois*, 497 U.S. 62 (1990), under its First Amendment theory as a case extending the patronage question to hiring decisions.[^11] ### Who - **Feminist caucuses.** The [[DFL Feminist Caucus]] was founded in April 1973 by Koryne Horbal and six co-founders, and it required endorsed candidates to support its platform.[^12][^13] Two months later, in June 1973, the [[GOP Feminist Caucus]] was founded as "GOP Women for Political Effectiveness" and took its later name in 1975. Its platform was substantially identical: equal rights, reproductive privacy and church-state separation. It added a standing commitment to advance "progressive Republican men and women" within the political system, a personnel plank that the companion record reads as the mirror of the DFL caucus's candidate pledge.[^7] The Time Table records the DFL caucus enforcing platform compliance statewide by 1977. It also records the caucus still operating in 1982 and 1986 and continuing through 2004.[^12] - **Emily Anne Staples.** In 1974 Staples left the Republican Party over the Equal Rights Amendment and joined the DFL. She then authored Minnesota's first [[Pay equity]] law.[^14] - **The 2025 House.** The companion record states that under the 2025 power-sharing agreement, Republicans held the House Speakership for the full biennium. It also states that they held outright committee control until the March 2025 special election. It records that during that period the party did not name § 43A.191, the statute at issue in the federal suit.[^7] - **The state party.** The [[Republican Party of Minnesota]] published a release titled *Republican Party of Minnesota Congratulates Tad Jude on GOP Endorsement for Secretary of State*.[^15] ### When - **1944:** The Democratic Party and the Farmer-Labor Party merged on April 15 to form the DFL, the GOP's principal opponent in Minnesota. Hubert H. Humphrey chaired the merged party.[^16] - **1962–63:** Elmer L. Andersen (R) lost the governorship to [[Karl Rolvaag]] (DFL) by 91 votes on November 6, 1962, which is recorded as the closest margin in state history.[^17] Rolvaag took office after a recount on March 25, 1963.[^18] - **1974:** Wendell R. Anderson (DFL) won re-election in a landslide, and the DFL held every statewide office.[^19] - **1978:** On November 7 the DFL lost 32 state House seats, and the Time Table records an unprecedented 67–67 legislative split.[^20] Coverage called the result the "Minnesota Massacre" and tied it to Anderson's appointment of himself to the U.S. Senate in 1976.[^21] - **1998:** On November 3 [[Jesse Ventura]] (Reform) won the governorship, defeating Humphrey III (DFL) and Coleman (R).[^22] On December 19 the House impeached President Clinton. The Time Table records Minnesota's delegation splitting six DFL members against and two Republicans in favor.[^23] - **2006:** John Kline (R) defeated Coleen Rowley (DFL) in the 2nd Congressional District, according to the Time Table.[^24] - **2026:** The Department of Justice filed its Title VII complaint against the State on January 14.[^4][^5] ## See also - [[Minnesota Legislature]] - [[Affirmative action]] - [[How Minnesota Got Here]] - [[Minnesota]] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Republican Party (United States)* (revision 1382038866, retrieved Oct. 26, 2026). Supports the party's founding, history, name, symbols, positions as classified by Wikipedia, and presidential count. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States) [^2]: *How Minnesota Got Here* (merged master, footnoted; validated). Supports the sequence tally and the "laminates" finding: the ch. 43A vessel under Quie (R) in 1981, the Perpich rider in 1985, thirteen amendments with seven under Republican governors, zero repeals, § 201.091, the shared vehicles, and the dual reading. No URL in pack. [^3]: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, *Minn. Stat. § 43A.191*. Supports the statute's text, including subd. 3(c), and its history line. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/43A.191 [^4]: 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). Supports the Title VII claims and the eight citations of § 43A.191, including subd. 3(c). https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1423361/dl [^5]: 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). Supports the release title and Attorney General Bondi's certification. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-department-justice-files-lawsuit-against-minnesotas-affirmative-action-regime [^6]: U.S. Congress, *Iraq Liberation Act of 1998*, Pub. L. 105-338. Supports the quoted "regime" usage. The single-state finding is the project's catalogue (*How Minnesota Got Here*, note 40). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-105publ338/pdf/PLAW-105publ338.pdf [^7]: *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified draft, June 18, 2026; validated). Supports the live-matter refresh, the partisan sequence of § 43A.191, the GOP Feminist Caucus's founding and platform, and the 2025 House power-sharing facts. No URL in pack. [^8]: Supreme Court of the United States, *Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services*, 605 U.S. 303 (2025). Supports the holding on majority-group plaintiffs. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-1039_c0n2.pdf [^9]: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, *Minn. Stat. § 43A.191* (Time Table row TL-0802, 2011). Supports the statute's age. "Zero challenges" is the Time Table's entry. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/43A.191 [^10]: Supreme Court of the United States, *Republican Party of Minnesota v. White* (June 27, 2002). Supports striking the announce clause and Scalia's authorship. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/536/765/ [^11]: Supreme Court of the United States, *Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois*, 497 U.S. 62 (1990). Supports the case citation. The characterization is the project's claim row. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/497/62/ [^12]: Minnesota Historical Society, *DFL Feminist Caucus records*, finding aid 00173. Supports the caucus's 1973 founding and its 1977, 1982 and 1986 activity. https://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00173.xml [^13]: MinnPost/MNopedia, *The Formation of the DFL Party Feminist Caucus* (March 2024). Supports the candidate-platform requirement. https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2024/03/the-formation-of-the-dfl-party-feminist-caucus/ [^14]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Emily Anne Staples*. Supports her 1974 party change and her pay equity authorship. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10650 [^15]: Republican Party of Minnesota, *Republican Party of Minnesota Congratulates Tad Jude on GOP Endorsement for Secretary of State* (undated in pack). Supports the endorsement release. https://mngop.com/republican-party-of-minnesota-congratulates-tad-jude-on-gop-endorsement-for-secretary-of-state/ [^16]: Wikipedia contributors, *Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party*. Supports the April 15, 1944 merger and Humphrey's role. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Democratic%E2%80%93Farmer%E2%80%93Labor_Party [^17]: Wikipedia contributors, *Elmer L. Andersen*. Supports the 91-vote result of November 6, 1962. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_L._Andersen [^18]: Wikipedia contributors, *Karl Rolvaag*. Supports the March 25, 1963 inauguration after the recount. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Rolvaag [^19]: Wikipedia contributors, *Wendell R. Anderson*. Supports the 1974 landslide re-election. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_R._Anderson [^20]: Minnesota Historical Society, MNopedia, *Minnesota Massacre: 1978 Election*. Supports the loss of 32 House seats and the 67–67 split as of November 7, 1978. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/event/minnesota-massacre-1978-election [^21]: Star Tribune, *DFL's mishandling of 1976 Senate appointment led to party's Minnesota Massacre*. Supports the attribution of the 1978 result to the self-appointment. https://www.startribune.com/dfl-s-mishandling-of-1976-senate-appointment-led-to-party-s-minnesota-massacre [^22]: Minnesota Secretary of State, *Historical Election Data*. Supports the result of the November 3, 1998 gubernatorial election. https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/data-maps/historical-election-data/ [^23]: U.S. Congress, *H.Res. 611*, 105th Congress (Dec. 19, 1998). Supports the impeachment resolution. The delegation split is from Time Table row TL-0677. https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/house-resolution/611 [^24]: Minnesota Secretary of State (Time Table row TL-0735). Supports the 2006 MN-2 result. https://www.sos.state.mn.us/