Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty (IPA-enp??l?ntipron; born November 27, 1960) is the 39th and current (List of Governors of Minnesota) Governor of Minnesota. In the Minnesota gubernatorial election of 2002 (Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2002) he was elected governor and was inaugurated on January 6, 2003. He was re-elected in 2006 (Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2006) with 47% of the vote. On June 2, 2009, Pawlenty announced that he would not seek re-election in 2010 (Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2010).

As the conservative governor of Minnesota, a traditionally liberal state, Pawlenty was dubbed "Minnesotas Ronald Reagan". He has enacted market based reforms to health care and balanced the budget for the past eight years without raising taxes. In May 2010, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Pawlenty had exceeded his authority by using unallotment to balance the state budget. Although concerns have been raised related to the effects of his budget cuts in Minnesota, his fiscal reforms have attracted the attention of conservatives at the national level.

In 2008, Pawlenty was mentioned as a possible pick for John McCains vice presidential running-mate. Although McCain eventually chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Pawlenty earned a position as a finalist due to his conservative actions in Minnesota. In 2009, Pawlenty began taking steps that many see as leading up to a 2012 presidential bid. He has started a political action committee and has also made multiple trips to Iowa and New Hampshire.