After returning to his hometown of Rochester , Minnesota , Keith took a job as counsel with the Mayo Clinic , where he worked with future U.S. Supreme Court Justice , Harry Blackmun . In 1959 , he was elected to the Minnesota State Senate as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party ( DFL ) . During his tenure as a State Senator , Keith served as a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention . He was Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota under Governor Karl Rolvaag from 1963 until 1967 . He challenged Rolvaag for the nomination to be the DFL 's candidate for governor in the 1966 general election , but was defeated by Rolvaag in the primary election . In 1989 , Keith began serving as a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court . He became Chief Justice in 1990 and served in that capacity until 1998 .
1960 Democratic National Convention
1960 Democratic National Convention
Sandy Keith