1986 Election Cycle

All but one incumbent rolled to victory in constitutional offices this cycle: the DFL gubernatorial ticket of Rudy Perpich and Marlene Johnson, DFL Secretary of State Joan Anderson Growe, Independent-Republican Auditor Arne Carlson, and DFL Attorney General Skip Humphrey. However, DFL Treasurer Bob Mattson, Jr. lost the party endorsement and nomination to Bloomington business consultant Michael McGrath who held the seat for the DFL in November.

For the second consecutive cycle all eight U.S. Representatives were reelected – five DFLers and three Independent-Republicans. The 7th rematch between incumbent Arlan Stangeland and Collin Peterson concluded with the narrowest victory margin to date in Minnesota history for the office (0.06 points).

The DFL netted four seats in the state Senate to increase their margin to 47-20 and netted 18 seats in the House for an 83-51 advantage.

Associate Justice George Scott won a third term to the Supreme Court without opposition.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
12/22/1986 State House, District 16A Special Bernie Omann (Independent-Republican) won with 2,704 votes (50.41%) and a winning margin of +0.89
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Bernie Omann Man Independent-Republican 2,704 50.41
Carl F. Stich Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 2,656 49.52

Special election to the fill the vacancy due to the death of Independent-Republican Representative Ben Omann on November 17, 1986. This election was subject to a recount resulting in a gain of 27 votes for Omann and a loss of 21 votes for Stich. The State Canvassing Board certified totals are reflected above.

Omann was a resident of St. Stephen, college student, and son of Ben Omann.

Stich was a farmer and St. Wendell Township Supervisor.

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12/08/1986 State House, District 16A Special Primary Carl F. Stich (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) won with 570 votes (39.20%) and a winning margin of +23.73
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Carl F. Stich Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 570 39.20
Phillip Durkee Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 225 15.47
Rob Jacobs Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 182 12.52
Ron Czajkowski Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 160 11.00
LeRoy E. Swanson Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 158 10.87
Gerald L. Hasselbrink Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 60 4.13
Arnold B. Eveslage Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 59 4.06
Frank J. Simon Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 40 2.75

Special primary election to the fill the vacancy after the death of Independent-Republican Representative Ben Omann on November 17, 1986.

Stich was a farmer and St. Wendel Township Supervisor.

Durkee was a professor at College of St. Benedict.

Jacobs was a resident of Rice and paint shop supervisor.

Czajkowski was a special education teacher from Holdingford.

Swanson was a farmer from Royalton.

Hasselbrink was an attorney from rural St. Joseph.

Eveslage was a resident of St. Joseph and inspector at Franklin Manufacturing Co.

Simon was a farmer from Royalton.

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12/08/1986 State House, District 16A Special Primary Bernie Omann (Independent-Republican) won with 1,070 votes (40.68%) and a winning margin of +8.52
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Bernie Omann Man Independent-Republican 1,070 40.68
William F. Vouk Man Independent-Republican 846 32.17
Maureen Beuning Woman Independent-Republican 383 14.56
Maynard T. Sand Man Independent-Republican 331 12.59

Special primary election to the fill the vacancy after the death of Independent-Republican Representative Ben Omann on November 17, 1986.

Bernie Omann was a farmer, student at St. Cloud State University, and son of Rep. Omann.

Vouk was the Mayor of St. Stephen.

Beuning was a retired teacher and nurse from Le Sauk Township.

Sand was the Supervisor of Avon Township.

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11/04/1986 Auditor General Arne Carlson (Independent-Republican) won with 747,219 votes (55.09%) and a winning margin of +10.20
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Arne Carlson Incumbent Man Independent-Republican 747,219 55.09
John Dooley Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 608,913 44.90

Auditor Carlson was reelected to a second term.

Dooley was a law school student from Lake Elmo.

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11/04/1986 Attorney General General Hubert H. (Skip) Humphrey, III (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) won with 985,569 votes (70.32%) and a winning margin of +41.82
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Hubert H. (Skip) Humphrey, III Incumbent Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 985,569 70.32
Lewis Freeman Man Independent-Republican 399,483 28.50
Derrick P. Grimmer Man Grassroots 16,394 1.17

Attorney General Humphrey was reelected to a second term and received the largest percentage of the vote in a contested race for the office in state history, eclipsing Republican Edward Young's 67.32 percent in 1904. Humphrey's 41.82-point victory margin was also the largest in a contested race for attorney general since statehood.

Freeman was an Eden Prairie attorney.

Grimmer was a physicist from White Bear Lake, co-founder of the Grassroots Party, Grassroots nominee for U.S. Senate in 1988, and nominee for Vice President in 1992. He was nominated by petition.

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