1872 Election Cycle

Ulysses Grant carried Minnesota en route to his landslide reelection victory. His 22.5-point win was his fifth best showing in the 10-state Midwest region behind Nebraska (41.4 points), Kansas (33.7 points), Iowa (27.9 points), and Michigan (27.2 points).

Congressional apportionment awarded Minnesota a third U.S. House seat with Republicans Mark Dunnell and John Averill reelected to two of them and Shakopee Mayor Horace Strait carrying the other. Republicans continued to hold the offices of state Auditor (O.P. Whitcomb) and Clerk of the Supreme Court with Sherwood Hough winning his third and final term for the latter.

Republicans entered the 15th Legislature in 1873 holding a 30-11 advantage over the Democrats in the state Senate and 78-28 advantage in the state House.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
11/05/1872 State House, District 10 General Manley C. Fuller (Republican) won with 1,038 votes (29.21%) and a winning margin of +6.64
Thomas B. Lindsay (Republican) won with 967 votes (27.21%) and a winning margin of +4.64
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Manley C. Fuller Man Republican 1,038 29.21
Thomas B. Lindsay Incumbent Man Republican 967 27.21
James Button Man Democrat 802 22.57
William Brown (i) Man Democrat 747 21.02

Button was a resident of New Haven.

Brown was a resident of Rochester.

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11/05/1872 Auditor General Orlen (O.P.) Whitcomb (Republican) won with 51,190 votes (59.48%) and a winning margin of +19.02
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Orlen (O.P.) Whitcomb Man Republican 51,190 59.48
Albert Scheffer Man Democrat 34,817 40.45
Scattering Write-In 62 0.07

Whitcomb was the Mayor of Rochester (1871-1872) and former Olmsted County Treasurer.

Scheffer was a resident of St. Paul, cashier at Dawson & Co. Bankers, Democratic nominee for Treasureer in 1875, and Republican in the state Senate (SD 26, 1887-1891). Scheffer was the brother of former Republican Treasurer Charles Scheffer (1860-1868).

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11/05/1872 President / Vice President General Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) won with 55,708 votes (61.27%) and a winning margin of +22.54
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Ulysses S. Grant Incumbent with Henry Wilson Man Republican 55,708 61.27
Horace Greeley with B. Gratz Brown Man Democrat 35,211 38.73

Grant and Wilson each received Minnesota's five Electoral College votes. Grant's 22.5-point win was his fifth best showing in the 10-state Midwest region behind Nebraska (41.4 points), Kansas (33.7 points), Iowa (27.9 points), and Michigan (27.2 points).

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11/05/1872 U.S. House, District 01 General Mark H. Dunnell (Republican) won with 20,806 votes (65.62%) and a winning margin of +31.24
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Mark H. Dunnell Incumbent Man Republican 20,806 65.62
Morton S. Wilkinson Man Democrat 10,901 34.38
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11/05/1872 State House, District 09 General Marcus Wing (Republican) won with 853 votes (29.99%) and a winning margin of +9.35
Martin Luther (M.L.) Tibbets (Republican) won with 828 votes (29.11%) and a winning margin of +8.47
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Marcus Wing Man Republican 853 29.99
Martin Luther (M.L.) Tibbets Man Republican 828 29.11
James Price Man Democrat 587 20.64
C.C. Curtice Man Democrat 576 20.25

Price was a resident of Eyota.

Curtice was a resident of Pleasant Grove.

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