Editing Minnesota (section)

=== Executive ===

{{Main|Governor of Minnesota}}
[[File:Tim Walz official photo (cropped 2).jpg|thumb|upright|Governor [[Tim Walz]]]]

The executive branch is led by Minnesota's [[Governor (United States)|governor]], currently [[Tim Walz]], a [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|DFLer]] who took office on January 7, 2019. Walz was also [[Kamala Harris]]'s running mate in the [[2024 United States presidential election]]. As chief executive, the [[Governor of Minnesota|governor]] appoints the heads of state agencies and is responsible for faithful execution of the law. As commander-in-chief of the state's armed forces, the governor also has command and control over the [[Minnesota National Guard]].<ref name="Article V, Minnesota Constitution">{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/constitution/#article_5|title=Article V, Minnesota Constitution|publisher=Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=May 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502203236/https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/constitution/#article_5|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[Governor of Minnesota#Cabinet|cabinet]] consisting of the [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota|lieutenant governor]] and the heads of Minnesota's 22 state agencies consults and assists the governor in the business of state government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mn.gov/governor/about-gov/governors-cabinet/|title=Governor's Cabinet|publisher=Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190246/https://mn.gov/governor/about-gov/governors-cabinet/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Aside from the governor and lieutenant governor, who are elected on a [[joint ticket]], Minnesotans separately elect three other constitutional officers: a [[Secretary of State of Minnesota|secretary of state]], an [[Minnesota Attorney General|attorney general]], and a [[Minnesota State Auditor|state auditor]].<ref name="Article V, Minnesota Constitution"/>{{Efn|The secretary of state is custodian of state records and the [[Great Seal of the State of Minnesota|state seal]], registers businesses, and administers elections. The secretary of state also processes notary public applications and administers Minnesota's [[address confidentiality program]] for victims of crime, among other responsibilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/index/statute/topic/SECRETARY%20OF%20STATE?year=2022|title=What does the Secretary of State's Office do?|publisher=Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190246/https://www.revisor.mn.gov/index/statute/topic/SECRETARY%20OF%20STATE?year=2022|url-status=live}}</ref>}}{{Efn|The attorney general is the chief law officer for the state of Minnesota, representing state agencies in legal proceedings and issuing written opinions on questions of law. As chief law officer, the attorney general also enforces state consumer protection and antitrust laws, regulates charities, and advocates for people and small businesses in utilities matters, among other responsibilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/|title=About Our Office|publisher=Office of the Minnesota Attorney General|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190247/https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}{{Efn|The state auditor supervises and audits the finances of Minnesota's 3,600 local governments, which altogether spend over $40 billion annually.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.osa.state.mn.us/about/about-us/what-we-do/|title=What We Do|publisher=Office of the Minnesota State Auditor|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015073657/https://www.osa.state.mn.us/about/about-us/what-we-do/|url-status=live}}</ref> The state auditor also performs under contract the annual [[single audit]] of [[Administration of federal assistance in the United States|federal programs]] administered by state agencies and their subrecipients. Public expenditures overseen by the state auditor thus exceed standalone state spending by 15.3 percent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.osa.state.mn.us/media/zubfptyn/2022-state-of-mn-single-audit.pdf|title=State of Minnesota Financial and Compliance Report on Federally Assisted Programs for the Year ended June 30, 2022|publisher=Minnesota Department of Management and Budget|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190247/https://www.osa.state.mn.us/media/zubfptyn/2022-state-of-mn-single-audit.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2023/11/why-minnesotas-local-audit-function-is-in-trouble/|title=Why Minnesota's local audit function is in trouble|author=Noah McVay|publisher=MinnPost|publication-date=November 6, 2023|access-date=December 6, 2023}}</ref>}} These five "executive officers" together constitute the [[Minnesota Executive Council|Executive Council]], which has certain statutory responsibilities in matters of state finance, emergency management, and public lands administration.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/index/statute/topic/EXECUTIVE%20COUNCIL?year=2022|title=2022 Minnesota Statutes Index: Executive Council|publisher=Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes|access-date=October 8, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190247/https://www.revisor.mn.gov/index/statute/topic/EXECUTIVE%20COUNCIL?year=2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

Constitutional officeholders:
* Governor [[Tim Walz]] (DFL)
* Lt. Governor [[Peggy Flanagan]] (DFL)
* Secretary of State [[Steve Simon]] (DFL)
* Attorney General [[Keith Ellison]] (DFL)
* State Auditor [[Julie Blaha]] (DFL)