John Connolly serves as temporary commissioner and state Medicaid director for the Department of Human Services. 

Prior to his appointment to temporary commissioner in 2026, he served as deputy commissioner and as assistant commissioner for the Health Care Administration within DHS. Medical Assistance, Minnesota's Medicaid program, and MinnesotaCare together provide coverage for services that support roughly 1 in 5 Minnesotans. 

Prior to joining the department, he served as chief strategist for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where he focused on advancement of Medicaid-funded services and programs, regulation of health facilities, homelessness and emergency response. 

Before that, he spent several years working in behavioral health in both state and county government, serving as deputy secretary for behavioral health for the California Health and Human Services Agency and director of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Division of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Connolly also served as a senior policy analyst at KFF and began his career as a public middle school teacher.

Connolly holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Chicago, a master’s degree in education from Bank Street College of Education and doctorate in health policy from Harvard University.