Rudy Perpich, Minnesota’s longest-serving governor, died of colon cancer Sept. 21 at his home in Minnetonka, Minn. He was 67.
Mr. Perpich served as governor from 1976 to 1978 and from 1982 to 1990. He received national attention for pioneering statewide open enrollment in 1988. Mr. Perpich was a strong supporter of the state’s school-voucher plan and an advocate of allowing the state to assume greater responsibility for education funding.