1948 Minnesota gubernatorial election
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November 2, 1948
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 County results Youngdahl: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Halsted: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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The 1948 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1948. Republican Luther Youngdahl was elected to a second term, defeating Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party challenger Charles Halsted.
Republican Primary
Luther Youngdahl was renominated. Stafford King was Youngdahl's main opposition. King accused Youngdahl of ruling the Republican Party by dictation.[1] King waited until the final hours of the campaign registration window to file. His campaign came as a surprise, despite the known opposition between Youngdahl and King. King has previously changed his mind multiple times as to whether he would run or not. King's campaign was centered around deregulation of certain industries, notably a campaign to attempt to legalize gambling. King called the ban an “insidious encroachment of centralized authority upon local, county and state's rights.”[2]
Former governor Harold Stassen put his support behind Youngdahl. Stassen did not criticize King, or even mention him, in his endorsement letter.[3]
Candidates
Nominated
- Luther Youngdahl, Incumbent
Eliminated in Primary
- Golden Davis, Farm hand
- Stafford King, Minnesota State Auditor
- W. Eugene Cooper, Plumber
- Walt Werner, Salesman
- William Daley, Attorney
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Luther Youngdahl | 215,754 | 57.84% | |
| Republican | Stafford King | 148,636 | 39.84% | |
| Republican | William Daley | 2,646 | 0.71% | |
| Republican | Walt Werner | 2,344 | 0.63% | |
| Republican | W. Eugene Cooper | 1,939 | 0.52% | |
| Republican | Golden Davis | 1,722 | 0.46% | |
| Total votes | 373,041 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Primary
The Republican party had held the governor's office since 1939. In 1944, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) was founded as the main opposition against the Republicans. That year, Byron G. Allen, a member of the liberal wing of the DFL, was nominated. Following his defeat, Harold H. Barker, a member of the leftist wing of the party, was nominated. His campaign was also unsuccessful. With both wings of the party having been defeated electorally, the DFL soon found itself internally divided. Charles Halsted was nominated, supported by the right-wing faction of the party, then led by Hubert Humphrey.[5]
Candidates
Nominated
- Charles Halsted, Former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Eliminated in Primary
- Edgar Bernard, Farmer, Republican primary candidate in 1934, and Farmer-Labor primary candidate in 1936, 1940, 1942, and DFL primary candidate in 1946
- Francis L. Murphy, Painter and 1944 nominee for Lieutenant Governor
- John Leo Nolan, Small business owner
- Ray G. Moonan, Attorney
- Walter Johnson, State chair of the Progressive Party
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Charles Halsted | 80,901 | 35.96% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Ray G. Moonan | 48,795 | 21.69% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Walter Johnson | 37,004 | 16.45% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Francis L. Murphy | 33,113 | 14.72% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | John Leo Nolan | 14,117 | 6.28% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Edgar Bernard | 11,022 | 4.90% | |
| Total votes | 224,952 | 100.00% | ||
Candidates
- Charles Halsted, Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (DFL)
- Luther Youngdahl, Incumbent (Republican)
- Orville Olson, Head of Independent Voters of Minnesota (Prohibition)
- Rudolph Gustafson, Plumber (Industrial Government)
Campaigns
Youngdahl intended to desegregate the Minnesota National Guard. He considered segregation a "shame and disgrace" and considered segregation a suitable cause to drive people towards communism. He was supported in the law by Minnesota Attorney General and former governor Joseph A. A. Burnquist.[7]
Halsted campaigned on a platform that the two biggest issues of the day were healthcare access and housing. Halsted noted the scarcity in access to medical care in rural regions, with some medical buildings being nothing more than a single room. In the far north of the state, distances to the nearest hospital became as great as 100 miles. Halsted stated that the funds to build new hospitals were available, however no action had been taken to use the funds.[8]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Luther Youngdahl (incumbent) | 643,572 | 53.15% | −5.81% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Charles Halsted | 545,766 | 45.07% | +5.36% | |
| Prohibition | Orville Olson | 14,950 | 1.23% | n/a | |
| Industrial Government | Rudolph Gustafson | 6,598 | 0.54% | −0.79% | |
| Majority | 97,806 | 8.08% | |||
| Turnout | 1,210,886 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- ↑ Parlin, L.D. (August 15, 1948). "King Raps Youngdahl Drive Tactics". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ Parlin, L.D. (August 6, 1948). "Auditor's Surprise Move Sets Stage For Hot Campaign". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ Parlin, L.D. (August 8, 1948). "STASSEN BACKS YOUNGDAHL". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ "Governor, 1948 Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive.
- ↑ Nordin, Gustaf A. (August 2, 1948). "The DFL Civil War". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ "Governor, 1948 Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive.
- ↑ Weinberg, Jack (June 29, 1948). "Youngdahl Demands Negro Entry In National Guard". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ "Halsted Attacks State GOP Rule". St. Paul Pioneer Press. September 12, 1948.
