1938 Minnesota gubernatorial election

The 1938 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1938. Republican Party of Minnesota candidate Harold Stassen defeated Farmer–Labor Party incumbent Elmer Benson. Martin A. Nelson and George E. Leach unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination, while Hjalmar Petersen unsuccessfully ran for the Farmer-Labor nomination.

1938 Minnesota gubernatorial election

← 1936 November 8, 1938 1940 →

Nominee Harold Stassen Elmer Benson Thomas F. Gallagher Party Republican Farmer–Labor Democratic Popular vote 678,839 387,263 65,875 Percentage 59.92% 34.18% 5.81%

County results Stassen:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Benson      40-50%      50-60%

Governor before election Elmer Benson Farmer–Labor Elected Governor Harold Stassen Republican

Results

1938 Gubernatorial Election, Minnesota

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Harold Stassen	678,839	59.92%	+21.37%
	Farmer–Labor	Elmer Benson (incumbent)	387,263	34.18%	−26.55%
	Democratic	Thomas F. Gallagher	65,875	5.81%	n/a
	Industrial	John William Castle	899	0.08%	−0.63%
Majority			291,576	25.74%
Turnout			1,132,876
	Republican gain from Farmer–Labor		Swing

Further reading

• Benson, Elmer A. "Politics in My Lifetime." Minnesota History 47 (1980): 154–60. online
• Haynes, John Earl. Dubious alliance: the making of Minnesota's DFL Party (U of Minnesota Press, 1984)
• Kirby, Ales, David G. Dalin and John F. Rothmann. Harold E. Stassen: The Life and Perennial Candidacy of the Progressive Republican (2012)
• Lovin, Hugh T. "The Fall of Farmer–Labor Parties, 1936-1938." Pacific Northwest Quarterly (1971): 16–26. in JSTOR
• Sofchalk, Donald G. "Union and Ethnic Group Influence in the 1938 Election on the Minnesota Iron Ranges." Journal of the West (2003) 42#3 pp: 66–74.

See also

• List of Minnesota gubernatorial elections

External links

• http://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=653
• http://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=657