1932 United States House of Representatives election in Minnesota

The 1932 United States House of Representatives election in Minnesota was held on November 8, 1932, to elect nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state's at-large seats.

1932 United States House of Representatives election in Minnesota

← 1930 November 8, 1932 1934 →
 
Nominee Magnus Johnson Paul J. Kvale Henry M. Arens
Party Farmer–Labor Farmer–Labor Farmer–Labor
Popular vote 388,616 380,444 361,724
Percentage 5.00% 4.90% 4.65%

 
Nominee Ernest Lundeen Theodore Christianson Einar Hoidale
Party Farmer–Labor Republican Democratic
Popular vote 350,455 337,110 321,949
Percentage 4.51% 4.34% 4.14%

 
Nominee Ray P. Chase Francis Shoemaker Harold Knutson
Party Republican Farmer–Labor Republican
Popular vote 321,102 317,109 313,221
Percentage 4.13% 4.08% 4.03%

Background

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Minnesota's representation in the United States House of Representatives fell from ten to nine seats after the Reapportionment Act of 1929. The Minnesota Legislature, controlled by the Republican Party, passed legislation redistricting these seats in April 1931. However, Governor Floyd B. Olson, a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party, vetoed it on April 20, stating that it was a gerrymander. The 7th congressional district stretched over 175 miles across the state and Henepin County was divided between three districts.[1]

The legislature was unable to overturn Olson's veto. Proponents of the legislation argued that the Constitution of the United States gives redistricting power solely to the legislature and Olson, as governor, had no power over it. The Minnesota Secretary of State started accepting nominations from the new districts and rejected at-large nominations.[2]

W. Yale Smiley filed a writ of mandamus to force the secretary of state to accept his at-large nomination. He was rejected and appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Smiley's favor on April 11, 1932. Minnesota had to use an at-large district as the legislature was not set to convene until January 1933, and Olson refused to call a special session.[3][4] Minnesota previously used an at-large seat during the 1912 election, which was won by James Manahan.[5]

Primary

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88 candidates were on the primary ballots for the Democrats, Farmer–Laborers, and Republicans. This long ballot resulted in long lines at polling locations and slow counting.[6][7] This was the first time in Minnesota history that women ran for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with Laura Emelia Naplin and Susie Stageberg seeking the Farmer–Labor nomination and Anna Dickie Olesen and Mary Brainerd seeking the Democratic nomination.[8]

Farmer–Labor

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Farmer–Labor vice chair Albert G. Bastis, state senator Lynn Thompson, and Andrew Olaf Devold reached an agreement with the Socialist Party of Minnesota. It agreed to not run candidates in all but one statewide race and endorsed the Farmer–Labor campaign under the condition that it would not do fusion with the Democrats.[9][10]

Republican

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Representative Frank Clague declined to seek reelection.[11] Milo B. Price initially filed to run against Victor Christgau in the 1st congressional district.[12]

Representatives Melvin Maas and Christgau, liberal Republicans who had conflicts with Herbert Hoover, announced that they would seek reelection, but not seek the endorsement of their district conventions.[13][14] The Republican Party of Minnesota voted to endorse August H. Andresen, Harold Knutson, William Alvin Pittenger, Conrad Selvig, J.V. Weber, and Theodore Christianson at its state convention, but not Maas and Christgau.[11]

Endorsements

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August H. Andresen
Victor Christgau
Theodore Christianson
Harold Knutson
William Alvin Pittenger
Conrad Selvig
J.V. Weber

Results

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Republican primary[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Theodore Christianson 139,680 8.08%
Republican Ray P. Chase 123,376 7.14%
Republican William I. Nolan (incumbent) 103,902 6.01%
Republican Joseph A. A. Burnquist 95,719 5.54%
Republican Harold Knutson (incumbent) 94,553 5.47%
Republican N. J. Holmberg 77,619 4.49%
Republican William Alvin Pittenger (incumbent) 76,665 4.43%
Republican Conrad Selvig (incumbent) 73,083 4.23%
Republican August H. Andresen (incumbent) 71,766 4.15%
Republican Henry Rines 70,203 4.06%
Republican Victor Christgau (incumbent) 68,583 3.97%
Republican Melvin Maas (incumbent) 68,121 3.94%
Republican Godfrey G. Goodwin (incumbent) 63,846 3.69%
Republican Elmer Adams 57,782 3.34%
Republican Milo B. Price 52,644 3.04%
Republican John H. Hougen 51,727 2.99%
Republican Charles A. Lund 47,618 2.75%
Republican Knute Knutson 44,684 2.58%
Republican J.V. Weber 43,168 2.50%
Republican Samuel A. Rask 39,121 2.26%
Republican Martin F. Falk 33,918 1.96%
Republican Louis P. Johnson 32,682 1.89%
Republican Hilding Alfred Swanson 32,046 1.85%
Republican E.F. Jacobson 30,666 1.77%
Republican Ed C. Cole 26,325 1.52%
Republican John W. Johnson 26,282 1.52%
Republican Orville Nelson 24,289 1.40%
Republican Charles J. Andre 24,040 1.39%
Republican Hans Yugve 22,283 1.29%
Republican George Reimers 17,691 1.02%
Republican Roy Dalfred Modeen 14,123 0.82%
Republican Kleve J. Flake 12,807 0.74%
Total votes 1,728,976 100.00%

Democratic

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The Democratic Party faced internal division between the Catholic and conservative Al Smith supporters and Protestant and liberal Franklin D. Roosevelt supporters. The liberal faction supported electoral fusion with the Farmer–Laborers while the conservatives opposed it.[17][18]

Einar Hoidale, Joseph Wolf, J. J. Farrell, Adolph Bremer, and Z. H. Austin led the liberal faction. John E. Regan, Ruth Haynes Carpenter, and Ray Moonan led the conservative faction.[17][18]

Two state conventions were held. The conservatives held a rival convention on April 14. They opposed any fusion between the Democrats and Farmer–Laborers. This faction controlled all of the party's activities except for the delegates to the 1932 Democratic National Convention, which the liberal faction controlled.[18]

General

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Supporters of Christgau sought to draft him as a write-in candidate after losing in the Republican primary.[19][20] He formally announced his write-in candidacy on September 28,[21] and his supporters requested one million ballot stickers.[22] He was accused of being a spoiler candidate and causing Republicans to lose.[23]

Eight incumbents sought reelection, eight Republicans and one Farmer-Laborer. The Farmer-Laborer won reelection, but only one Republican did so.[24] The Farmer-Labor Party won a majority of the seats and the top four recipients of vote were Farmer-Laborers.[25]

Franklin D. Roosevelt won the state in the concurrent presidential election, the first Democrat to do so.[1] Olson won reelection in the concurrent gubernatorial election with more votes than his party received in the U.S. House elections.[26]

Endorsements

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Victor Christgau

Individuals

Results

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1932 United States House of Representatives election in Minnesota[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Farmer–Labor Magnus Johnson 388,616 5.00%
Farmer–Labor Paul J. Kvale 380,444 4.90%
Farmer–Labor Henry M. Arens 361,724 4.65%
Farmer–Labor Ernest Lundeen 350,455 4.51%
Republican Theodore Christianson 337,110 4.34%
Democratic Einar Hoidale 321,949 4.14%
Republican Ray P. Chase 321,102 4.13%
Farmer–Labor Francis Shoemaker 317,109 4.08%
Republican Harold Knutson (incumbent) 313,221 4.03%
Republican August H. Andresen (incumbent) 312,198 4.02%
Republican William I. Nolan (incumbent) 306,266 3.94%
Republican Conrad Selvig (incumbent) 304,846 3.92%
Republican Joseph A. A. Burnquist 302,356 3.89%
Farmer–Labor J. L. Peterson 298,331 3.84%
Farmer–Labor Henry Teigan 291,837 3.75%
Farmer–Labor C.F. Gaarenstroom 291,687 3.75%
Republican William Alvin Pittenger (incumbent) 291,478 3.75%
Republican N. J. Holmberg 287,381 3.70%
Farmer–Labor Arthur C. Townley 261,120 3.36%
Democratic Robert C. Bell 237,881 3.06%
Democratic John P. Coughlin 214,462 2.76%
Democratic Silas M. Bryan 207,419 2.67%
Democratic Emil E. Holmes 205,673 2.65%
Democratic James R. Bennett 198,421 2.55%
Democratic Donald A. Chapman 190,530 2.45%
Democratic Hugh T. Kennedy 186,466 2.40%
Democratic John Bowe 184,587 2.37%
Write-In Victor Christgau (incumbent) 82,826 1.07%
Communist J.W. Anderson 16,299 0.21%
Communist M. Karson 9,573 0.12%
Communist Fred Lequier 8,927 0.11%
Write-In Melvin Maas (incumbent) 784 0.01%
Total votes 7,783,078 100.00%

References

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  1. ^ a b Shumate 1933, p. 58.
  2. ^ Shumate 1933, p. 59.
  3. ^ Shumate 1933, p. 59-60.
  4. ^ "Smiley v. Holm, 285 U.S. 355 (1932)". Justia. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024.
  5. ^ "Decision Hits Congressmen". Star Tribune. April 12, 1932. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Long Ballot In 3 Parties Slows Count". Star Tribune. June 21, 1932. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Earle Brown Is Nominated". Star Tribune. June 21, 1932. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "State To Vote On Record Size Ballot In June". Star Tribune. May 12, 1932. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Gieske 1979, p. 159.
  10. ^ "Pact With F.-L, Party Favored". Star Tribune. March 29, 1932. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "G.O.P. Of State Committed To Vote On Repeal". Star Tribune. May 2, 1932. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Milo Price". St. Cloud Times. January 2, 1932. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Maas, Christgau Ask No Favor". Star Tribune. April 19, 1932. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Put Christgau And Maas Out, Coleman Says". Albert Lea Tribune. April 27, 1932. p. 5. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Christgau Is Indorsed At W.C.T.U. Parley". Austin Daily Herald. June 10, 1932. p. 12. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Primary 1933, pp. 188–191.
  17. ^ a b Gieske 1979, p. 156-157.
  18. ^ a b c Gieske 1979, p. 162-163.
  19. ^ "Christgau to Open 'Sticker' Campaign". St. Cloud Times. September 3, 1932. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Cong. Christgau Is Urged To Make Race On Stickers". Blooming Prairie Times. September 8, 1932. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Sticker Drive For Christgau". Star Tribune. September 28, 1932. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Christgau Forces Place Order For A Million Stickers". Austin Daily Herald. September 21, 1932. p. 10. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Minnesota Politics". Minneapolis Journal. November 26, 1932. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Shumate 1933, p. 61-62.
  25. ^ Gieske 1979, p. 169.
  26. ^ Shumate 1933, p. 61.
  27. ^ "Wm. Green, Labor Head In America, Lauds Christgau". Blooming Prairie Times. November 3, 1932. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Moore, Preimesberger & Tarr 2001, pp. 1053.

Works cited

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Further reading

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