1976 Election Cycle

The 1976 cycle was the first following the Minnesota Republican Party changing its name to the Independent-Republican Party in November 1975. With native son U.S. Senator Walter Mondale as his running mate, Jimmy Carter carried Minnesota by a dozen points over President Gerald Ford in the beginning of what would eventually become a record run of victories outside of the South for Democratic presidential nominees.

DFLer Hubert Humphrey won a fifth nonconsecutive term by 42 points – the most lopsided U.S. Senate election in Minnesota history. Humphrey passed away in January 1978 and widow Muriel Humphrey was appointed to the seat.

Each party retained its respective U.S. House seats – five for the DFL, three for the Independent-Republicans.

The DFL emerged from the 1976 election holding 48 of 66 seats in the state Senate and 104 of 134 in the state House.

Chief Justice Robert Sheran and Associate Justice Walter Rogoscheske each won reelection to the Supreme Court without opposition.