1932 Election Cycle

Franklin Roosevelt ended a string of 18 consecutive losses since statehood for Democratic presidential nominees in Minnesota with a decisive 23-point victory over President Herbert Hoover.

Overall, though it was a banner cycle for the Farmer-Laborites. Governor Floyd Olson was reelected to a second term and Harry Peterson knocked Republican Attorney General Henry Benson out of office. Fellow party members K.K. Solberg and Knud Wefald won open seats for Lieutenant Governor and Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner respectively. Meanwhile, Republican Secretary of State Mike Holm won his sixth term and GOP Treasurer Julius Schmahl won his fourth. Democrats did not field a nominee for Lieutenant Governor.

The state lost a U.S. House seat and was not able to agree on the district lines so each of the nine seats were elected at-large. Three Republican incumbents were subsequently defeated in the primary (Victor Christgau, Melvin Maas, Godfrey Godwin) and four lost in the general election (August Andresen, William Nolan, Conrad Selvig, and William Pittenger). In total, Farmer-Laborites won five seats, Republicans won three, and Democrats notched one (Einar Hoidale) – their first in fourteen years (Carl Van Dyke, 1918, 4th CD).

Associate Supreme Court Justices Homer Dibell, Charles Loring, and I.M. Olsen were also victorious.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
12/20/1932 State Senate, District 29 Special Henry G. Teigan (Nonpartisan) won with 4,313 votes (51.83%) and a winning margin of +3.65
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Henry G. Teigan Man Nonpartisan 4,313 51.83
Henry A. Johnson Man Nonpartisan 4,009 48.17

Special election caused by the vacancy following the death of Senator Louis Duemke on November 19, 1932. Johnson was an attorney from Minneapolis and state Representative (HD 29, 1927-1933).

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12/13/1932 State Senate, District 29 Special Primary Henry G. Teigan (Nonpartisan) won with 2,315 votes (34.00%) and a winning margin of +19.92
Henry A. Johnson (Nonpartisan) won with 1,465 votes (21.52%) and a winning margin of +7.43
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Henry G. Teigan Man Nonpartisan 2,315 34.00
Henry A. Johnson Man Nonpartisan 1,465 21.52
Clifford L. Swanson Man Nonpartisan 959 14.09
Chester L. Nichols Man Nonpartisan 888 13.04
Kenneth F. Peterson Man Nonpartisan 357 5.24
John E. Zelin Man Nonpartisan 339 4.98
Louis A. Egler Man Nonpartisan 271 3.98
Roy Delferd Modeen Man Nonpartisan 146 2.14
Martin Westeren Man Nonpartisan 49 0.72
Byron (B.V.) Johnson Man Nonpartisan 19 0.28

Special primary election caused by the vacancy following the death of Senator Louis Duemke on November 19, 1932. Johnson was an attorney from Minneapolis and state Representative (HD 29, 1927-1933). Nichols was an attorney.

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11/08/1932 State Senate, District 53 Special Franklin E. Ebner (Nonpartisan) won with 8,566 votes (51.33%) and a winning margin of +2.65
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Franklin E. Ebner Man Nonpartisan 8,566 51.33
Gordon Rosenmeier Man Nonpartisan 8,123 48.67

Special election caused by the vacancy following the death of Senator Christian Rosenmeier on June 3, 1932. Ebner was an attorney from Brainerd. Rosenmeier was the son of the deceased state Representative.

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11/08/1932 State House, District 67 General Frank A. (F.A.) Green (Nonpartisan) won with 2,958 votes (53.57%) and a winning margin of +7.14
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Frank A. (F.A.) Green Man Nonpartisan 2,958 53.57
Evan (E.M.) Evans Man Nonpartisan 2,564 46.43

Green was a farmer from Stephen and former state Representative (HD 67, 1921-1931).

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11/08/1932 State House, District 67 General Eric Friberg (Nonpartisan) won with 2,626 votes (61.11%) and a winning margin of +22.22
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Eric Friberg Man Nonpartisan 2,626 61.11
Ole K. (O.K.) Christianson Man Nonpartisan 1,671 38.89
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