Governor, 1954 Election

General

Date: November 2, 1954
Cycle: 1954
Office: Governor
State: Minnesota
District: Statewide
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent Margin
Orville Freeman Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 607,099 52.73 +5.93
C. Elmer Anderson Incumbent Man Republican 538,865 46.80
Ross Schelin Man Industrial Government 5,453 0.47

Governor Anderson was the third Minnesota governor to lose a general election joining Democratic-People’s Governor John Lind in 1900 and Farmer-Laborite Elmer Benson in 1938.

Freeman was a Minneapolis attorney, former chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (1948-1950), and DFL gubernatorial nominee in 1952.

Schelin was a machine operator from Culver and nominated by petition.

Sources

  • The Legislative Manual of the State of Minnesota, 1955 (p. 534).