Governor, 1942 Election

Primary Farmer-Labor

Date: September 8, 1942
Cycle: 1942
Office: Governor
State: Minnesota
District: Statewide
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent Margin
Hjalmar Petersen Man Farmer-Labor 66,405 58.05 +23.64
Paul A. Rasmussen Man Farmer-Labor 39,362 34.41
Edgar Bernard Man Farmer-Labor 8,627 7.54

Petersen was an editor and publisher from Askov, a former state Representative (HD 56, 1931-1935), Lieutenant Governor (1935-1936), and Governor (1936-1937), sitting Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner (1937-1943, 1955-1967), gubernatorial candidate in 1938 and nominee in 1940.

Rasmussen was a resident of Moorhead, former state Budget Commissioner under Governor Floyd Olson, and the Farmer-Labor nominee for Secretary of State in 1938. He would later be the DFL nominee for Railroad and Warehouse Commission in 1946 and state Treasurer in 1950 and get elected as a DFLer to the Railroad and Warehouse Commission (1952-1966) and Public Service Commission (1967-1970).

Bernard was a resident of Anoka, GOP gubernatorial candidate in 1934, and Farmer-Laborite gubernatorial candidate in 1936 and 1940.

Sources

  • The Legislative Manual of the State of Minnesota, 1943 (p. 269).