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Paul Thissen
2018 - Present
2027
7
Paul Thissen is a judge for Seat 4 of the Minnesota Supreme Court. He assumed office in 2018. His current term ends on January 5, 2027.
Thissen ran for re-election for the Seat 4 judge of the Minnesota Supreme Court. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Thissen was first appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court by Governor Mark Dayton (D) in 2018.[1] He was subsequently elected to the court in a nonpartisan election in 2020. To read more about judicial selection in Minnesota, click here.
Thissen is a former Democratic-Farmer-Labor member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 61B from 2002 to 2018. He served as speaker of the House from 2013 to 2014.[1][2]
In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country. As part of this study, we assigned each justice a Confidence Score describing our confidence in the degree of partisanship exhibited by the justices' past partisan behavior, before they joined the court.[3] Thissen received a confidence score of Strong Democrat.[4] Click here to read more about this study.
Biography
Thissen received an A.B. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of Chicago.[5] Prior to being appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court, he was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 61B from 2002 to 2018. His professional experience includes working in private practice with Briggs and Morgan, a lawyer in the Minnesota Public Defender's Office, and as a law clerk to United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Judge James Loken.[5]
Elections
2020
See also: Minnesota Supreme Court elections, 2020
General election
General election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 4
Incumbent Paul Thissen defeated Michelle L. MacDonald in the general election for Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 4 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Paul Thissen (Nonpartisan) | 59.0 | 1,477,672 |
 | Michelle L. MacDonald (Nonpartisan) | 40.6 | 1,016,245 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 8,559 | ||
| Total votes: 2,502,476 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2016
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 31, 2016.
Incumbent Paul Thissen defeated Tom Gallagher in the Minnesota House of Representatives District 61B general election.[6][7]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 61B General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Paul Thissen Incumbent |
80.59% | 20,282 | |
| Republican | Tom Gallagher | 19.41% | 4,885 | |
| Total Votes | 25,167 | |||
| Source: Minnesota Secretary of State | ||||
Incumbent Paul Thissen ran unopposed in the Minnesota House of Representatives District 61B Democratic primary.[8][9]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 61B Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Paul Thissen Incumbent (unopposed) | |
Tom Gallagher ran unopposed in the Minnesota House of Representatives District 61B Republican primary.[8][9]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 61B Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Tom Gallagher (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 12, 2014, and a general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, 2014. Incumbent Paul Thissen was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Tom Gallagher was unopposed in the Republican primary. Thissen defeated Gallagher in the general election.[10][11][12]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Thissen Incumbent |
80.9% | 14,740 | |
| Republican | Tom Gallagher | 18.9% | 3,445 | |
| Write-in | Write-in | 0.1% | 27 | |
| Total Votes | 18,212 | |||
2012
Thissen won re-election in the 2012 election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 61B. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary on August 14 and defeated Nate Atkins (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[13]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul Thissen Incumbent |
81.6% | 19,748 | |
| Republican | Nate Atkins | 18.4% | 4,448 | |
| Total Votes | 24,196 | |||
2010
Thissen won re-election to the District 63A seat in 2010. He had no primary opposition. He defeated Nate Atkins (R) in the general election on November 2, 2010.[13]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 63A (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Paul Thissen (DFL)
|
10,988 | 70.61% | ||
| Nathan Atkins (R) | 4,558 | 29.29% | ||
| Write-In | 15 | 0.1% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Paul Thissen won election to the District 63A Seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, defeating Rene Ramirez (R). [13]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 63A (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Paul Thissen (DFL)
|
15,314 | 74.24% | ||
| Rene Ramirez (R) | 5,280 | 25.60% | ||
| Write-In | 34 | 0.16% | ||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Paul Thissen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2012
Thissen's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[14]
Aging & Seniors
- Excerpt: "We should build communities that allow all ages to thrive and help older Minnesotans live independently and with dignity."
Agriculture
- Excerpt: "Strong family farms are essential to the continued viability of rural communities and to our entire state. I will fight to provide stability and predictability, as well as new opportunities, to allow family farmers to thrive — for this generation and the next."
Choice
- Excerpt: "The United States Constitution guarantees a woman’s right to choose. Paul Thissen supports each woman’s right to make personal medical decisions with her physician."
Civil Rights
- Excerpt: "Minnesota should be a place where ALL individuals are treated fairly and protected from discrimination based on their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or age."
Economy
- Excerpt: "We need to step up our game in seeking solutions that create jobs by strengthen strengthening the middle class and support the many bold Minnesotans who are striving to embark on new careers."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Analysis
Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship (2020)
Last updated: June 15, 2020
In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country as of June 15, 2020.
The study presented Confidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation. This was not a measure of where a justice fell on an ideological spectrum, but rather a measure of how much confidence we had that a justice was or had been affiliated with a political party. The scores were based on seven factors, including but not limited to party registration.[15]
The five resulting categories of Confidence Scores were:
- Strong Democrat
- Mild Democrat
- Indeterminate[16]
- Mild Republican
- Strong Republican
This justice's Confidence Score, as well as the factors contributing to that score, is presented below. The information below was current as of June 2020.
Paul
Thissen
Minnesota
- Partisan Confidence Score:
Strong Democrat - Judicial Selection Method:
Elected - Key Factors:
- Donated over $2,000 to Democratic candidates
- Held political office as a Democrat
- Was a registered Democrat before 2020
Partisan Profile
Details:
Thissen donated $23,232 to Democratic candidates and organizations. He served as a Democratic member of the Minnesota Legislature from 2002-2018. Thissen was a registered Democrat prior to 2020. He was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton (D). Thissen was endorsed by individuals and organizations that regularly endorse Democrats, including Walter Mondale (D).
State legislative tenure
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, Thissen served on the following committees:
| Minnesota committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Job Growth and Energy Affordability |
| • Legacy Funding |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Thissen served on the following committees:
| Minnesota committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Rules and Legislative Administration, DFL Lead |
2013-2014
In the 2013 legislative session, Thissen did not serve on a committee.
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Thissen served on the following committees:
| Minnesota committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Rules and Legislative Administration |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Thissen served on the following committees:
| Minnesota committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight, Chair |
| • Environment Policy and Oversight |
| • Finance |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Minnesota scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2018
In 2018, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from February 20 through May 21.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their support for the organization's principles, which it defines as "provid[ing] a basis for a constitutionally limited government established to sustain life, liberty, justice, property rights and free enterprise."
- Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues.
- Legislators are scored on how they voted on tax and fiscal legislation.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2017, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 3 through May 22. The legislature held a special session from May 23 to May 26.
|
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2016, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from March 8 through May 23.
|
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2015, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 6 through May 18.
|
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from February 25 to May 19.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 8 to May 20.
|
State supreme court judicial selection in Minnesota
- See also: Judicial selection in Minnesota
The seven judges of the Minnesota Supreme Court are chosen in nonpartisan general elections to six-year terms. Sitting judges must run for re-election if they wish to serve additional terms. While party affiliation is not designated on the ballot, incumbency is.[17]
Qualifications
Judges of the supreme court are required to be "learned in the law" and under 70 years old. Sitting judges who reach the age of 70 while in office are allowed to serve until the last day of that month.[17]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court is directly chosen by voters in a nonpartisan election. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.[17]
Vacancies
Interim vacancies on the supreme court are filled via gubernatorial appointment. After serving for at least one year, the appointed judge can run for a full term in the next general election.[17] Other candidates may file to run against them in the election.[18]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
|
Candidate Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 4 |
Officeholder Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 4 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Minnesota Judicial Branch, "Associate Justice Paul C. Thissen," accessed June 29, 2021
- ↑ Associated Press, "Minnesota House DFL elects Paul Thissen as minority leader," November 5, 2014
- ↑ We calculated confidence scores by collecting several data points such as party registration, donations, and previous political campaigns.
- ↑ The five possible confidence scores were: Strong Democrat, Mild Democrat, Indeterminate, Mild Republican, and Strong Republican.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Vote Smart, "Paul Thissen's Political Summary," accessed June 29, 2021
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "General election results, 2016," accessed December 19, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings," accessed June 3, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Minnesota State Primary: Tuesday, August 9, 2016," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "2014 Election Results," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "State Canvassing Board Report," August 19, 2014
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "2014 State General Election Candidate Filings," accessed July 25, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed June 29, 2021
- ↑ Paul Thissen's campaign website, "Issues," accessed June 29, 2021
- ↑ The seven factors were party registration, donations made to partisan candidates, donations made to political parties, donations received from political parties or bodies with clear political affiliation, participation in political campaigns, the partisanship of the body responsible for appointing the justice, and state trifecta status when the justice joined the court.
- ↑ An Indeterminate score indicates that there is either not enough information about the justice’s partisan affiliations or that our research found conflicting partisan affiliations.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 4, 2021
- ↑ The Office of the Revisor of Statutes, "Constitution of the State of Minnesota," accessed August 8, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Minnesota Supreme Court Seat 4 2018-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Minnesota House of Representatives District 61B 2003-2018 |
Succeeded by Jamie Long (D) |
| ||||||||||
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Minnesota • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Minnesota
State courts:
Minnesota Supreme Court • Minnesota Court of Appeals • Minnesota District Courts • Minnesota Problem-Solving Courts • Minnesota Tax Court • Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
State resources:
Courts in Minnesota • Minnesota judicial elections • Judicial selection in Minnesota
 |
State of Minnesota St. Paul (capital) |
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