Henry Martin Arens (November 21, 1873 – October 6, 1963) was a politician who served in many offices in Minnesota, including the U.S. House of Representatives.

Henry Martin Arens
Portrait of Henry Martin Arens in 1923.
26th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
In office
January 6, 1931 – January 3, 1933
GovernorFloyd B. Olson
Preceded byCharles Edward Adams
Succeeded byKonrad K. Solberg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's General Ticket
Seat One district
In office
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
Member of the Minnesota Senate
In office
1923–1930
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
1919–1922
Personal details
Born(1873-11-21)November 21, 1873
Bausenrode, Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia
DiedOctober 6, 1963(1963-10-06) (aged 89)
Jordan, Minnesota
Political partyFarmer Labor
ProfessionFarmer

Arens was born as Heinrich Martin Arens in Bausenrode near Fretter in the Kingdom of Prussia, today part of the municipality of Finnentrop, Westphalia, Germany. He migrated to the United States in November 1889 and was a farmer near Jordan, Minnesota.

Political career

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His first public office was as a member of the board of aldermen for Jordan from 1905 to 1913. He was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1919 to 1922 and in the state senate from 1923 to 1930.

In 1930, he was elected the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota and served one two-year term. In 1932 he was elected to the 73rd congress as a member of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party. (In 1932, all of Minnesota's representatives were elected at large.) He served only one term, from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1935, the start of the 20th Amendment. He was defeated for re-election in 1934 by Elmer Ryan, after which he commented that he was convinced "that politics is not worthwhile and that never again will I ask favors of the electorate."[1] In 1936 he attempted to retake his seat and was again defeated by Ryan.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress". 1963.
  2. ^ United States Congress. "Henry M. Arens". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
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Party political offices
Preceded by
Thomas J. Meighen
Farmer–Labor nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
1930
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
1931 – 1933
Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
General Ticket Established
U.S. Representative from Minnesota
General Ticket Seat One

March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
Succeeded by
General Ticket Abolished