1948 Minnesota gubernatorial election
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November 2, 1948
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 County results Youngdahl: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Halsted: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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The 1948 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1948. Republican Luther Youngdahl was elected to a second term, defeating Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party challenger Charles Halsted.
Republican primary
[edit]Luther Youngdahl was renominated. Stafford King was Youngdahl's main opposition. King accused Youngdahl of ruling the Republican Party by dictation.[1] King waited until the final hours of the campaign registration window to file. His campaign came as a surprise, despite the known opposition between Youngdahl and King. King had previously changed his mind multiple times as to whether he would run. King's campaign was centered around deregulation of certain industries, notably a campaign to attempt to legalize gambling. King called the ban an "insidious encroachment of centralized authority upon local, county and state's rights."[2]
Former governor Harold Stassen put his support behind Youngdahl. Stassen did not criticize King, or even mention him, in his endorsement letter.[3]
Candidates
[edit]Nominated
[edit]- Luther Youngdahl, incumbent
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- W. Eugene Cooper, plumber
- William Daley, attorney
- Golden Davis, farmhand
- Stafford King, Minnesota state auditor
- Walt Werner, salesman
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Luther Youngdahl | 215,754 | 57.84% | |
| Republican | Stafford King | 148,636 | 39.84% | |
| Republican | William Daley | 2,646 | 0.71% | |
| Republican | Walt Werner | 2,344 | 0.63% | |
| Republican | W. Eugene Cooper | 1,939 | 0.52% | |
| Republican | Golden Davis | 1,722 | 0.46% | |
| Total votes | 373,041 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary
[edit]The Republican party had held the governor's office since 1939. In 1944, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) was founded as the main opposition against the Republicans. That year, Byron G. Allen, a member of the liberal wing of the DFL, was nominated. Following his defeat, Harold H. Barker, a member of the leftist wing of the party, was nominated. His campaign was also unsuccessful. With both wings of the party having been defeated electorally, the DFL soon found itself internally divided. Charles Halsted was nominated, supported by the right-wing faction of the party, then led by Hubert Humphrey.[5]
Candidates
[edit]Nominated
[edit]- Charles Halsted, former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Edgar Bernard, farmer, Republican primary candidate in 1934; Farmer-Labor primary candidate in 1936, 1940, 1942; and DFL primary candidate in 1946
- Walter Johnson, state chair of the Progressive Party
- Ray G. Moonan, attorney
- Francis L. Murphy, painter and 1944 nominee for lieutenant governor
- John Leo Nolan, small business owner
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Charles Halsted | 80,901 | 35.96% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Ray G. Moonan | 48,795 | 21.69% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Walter Johnson | 37,004 | 16.45% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Francis L. Murphy | 33,113 | 14.72% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | John Leo Nolan | 14,117 | 6.28% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Edgar Bernard | 11,022 | 4.90% | |
| Total votes | 224,952 | 100.00% | ||
Candidates
[edit]- Rudolph Gustafson, plumber (Industrial Government)
- Charles Halsted, member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (DFL)
- Orville Olson, head of Independent Voters of Minnesota (Prohibition)
- Luther Youngdahl, incumbent (Republican)
Campaigns
[edit]Youngdahl intended to desegregate the Minnesota National Guard. He considered segregation a "shame and disgrace" and a suitable cause to drive people towards communism. He was supported in the law by Minnesota Attorney General and former governor Joseph A. A. Burnquist.[7]
Halsted campaigned on a platform that the two biggest issues of the day were healthcare access and housing. He noted the scarcity in access to medical care in rural regions, with some medical buildings being nothing more than a single room. In the far north of the state, distances to the nearest hospital became as great as 100 miles. Halsted stated that the funds to build new hospitals were available, but no action had been taken to use the funds.[8]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Luther Youngdahl (incumbent) | 643,572 | 53.15% | −5.81% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Charles Halsted | 545,766 | 45.07% | +5.36% | |
| Prohibition | Orville Olson | 14,950 | 1.23% | n/a | |
| Industrial Government | Rudolph Gustafson | 6,598 | 0.54% | −0.79% | |
| Majority | 97,806 | 8.08% | |||
| Turnout | 1,210,886 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Parlin, L.D. (August 15, 1948). "King Raps Youngdahl Drive Tactics". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ Parlin, L.D. (August 6, 1948). "Auditor's Surprise Move Sets Stage For Hot Campaign". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ Parlin, L.D. (August 8, 1948). "STASSEN BACKS YOUNGDAHL". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ "Governor, 1948 Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive.
- ↑ Nordin, Gustaf A. (August 2, 1948). "The DFL Civil War". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ "Governor, 1948 Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive.
- ↑ Weinberg, Jack (June 29, 1948). "Youngdahl Demands Negro Entry In National Guard". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ "Halsted Attacks State GOP Rule". St. Paul Pioneer Press. September 12, 1948.
