Elmer Childress Candidate
| Born: |
April 28, 1917 Lathrop, Missouri Clinton County United States |
| Resided: |
Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Hennepin County |
| Death: | March 15, 2006 |
| Gender: | Man |
| Racial Minority: | Black |
| Occupation: | Business telephone installer, Vice-president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Urban League President. |
| Military Service: | U.S. Army, World War II (Technical 4, 1943-1944). |
| Political Party: | Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
| Notes: | Childress was the DFL-endorsed candidate for Secretary of State in 1970 making him the first African-American candidate to be endorsed for a statewide office by a major party in Minnesota history. Contemporary media articles erroneously characterized Childress as the first black nominated to statewide office in Minnesota history. However, that distinction belongs to Robert Turner, a St. Paul resident who was nominated by the Communist Party for Secretary of State in 1932 and 1934. Childress later served as State Commissioner of Veterans Affairs (1971-1975). |
| Sources: | Minnesota Death Certificate Index (2006-Mn-008154). Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File. Winona Daily News, July 2, 1970 (p. 7). The Minneapolis Tribune, July 6, 1970 (p. 22). |
The Minneapolis Tribune, June 29, 1970 (p. 1).
Election Details
| Number of state/federal offices sought | Number of campaigns | Number of winning campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Date | Election | Stage | Party | Votes | Percent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/15/1970 | Secretary of State | Primary | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | 87,983 | 22.99% | Lost |
Additional Images
St. Cloud Daily Times, September 14, 1970 (p. 11).