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{{Short description|Former American political party (1918–1944)}}
{{Short description|Former American political party (1918–1944)}}
{{Infobox political party
{{Infobox political party
|country = the United States
| name = Farmer–Labor Party of Minnesota
|name = Farmer–Labor Party of Minnesota
| logo = File:Farmer-Labor Party Ballot logo.jpg
|logo =File:Farmer-Labor Party Ballot logo.jpg
| leader =
|leader =
| foundation = {{start date|1918}}
|foundation = {{start date|1918}}
| dissolution = {{end date|1944}}
| headquarters =
|dissolution = {{end date|1944}}
| ideology = [[Left-wing populism]]
|headquarters =
|ideology = [[Populism]]<br>[[Progressivism]]<br>[[Cooperative economics]]
<br>[[Progressivism]]<br>[[Democratic socialism]]<br>[[Co-operative economics]]
|position = [[Left wing politics|Left-wing]]
| position = [[Left wing politics|Left-wing]]
|national = [[Farmer–Labor Party#Labor Party of the United States|Labor Party of the United States]] <small>(1919–20)</small><br />[[Farmer–Labor Party (United States)#Farmer–Labor Party of the United States|Farmer–Labor Party of the United States]] <small>(1920–23; 1924–36)</small><br />[[Farmer–Labor Party#Federated Farmer–Labor Party|Federated Farmer–Labor Party]] <small>(1923–24)</small><br />None <small>(1918–19; 1936–44)</small>
| national = None {{small|(1918–1919)}}<br />[[Labor Party of the United States]] {{small|(1919–1920)}}<br />[[Farmer–Labor Party of the United States]] {{small|(1920–1923)}}<br />[[Federated Farmer–Labor Party]] {{small|(1923–1924)}}<br />[[Farmer–Labor Party of the United States]] {{small|(1924–1936)}}<br />None {{small|(1936–1944)}}
|predecessor = [[Nonpartisan League]]
| merger = [[Nonpartisan League]]<br>[[Duluth Union Labor Party]]
|successor = [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]]
| successor = [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]]
| colorcode = {{party color|Farmer–Labor Party}}
|colors =
|website =
| country = the United States
|colorcode = {{party color|Farmer–Labor Party}}
}}
}}
The '''Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party (FL)''' was a [[left-wing]] [[United States|American]] [[political party]] in [[Minnesota]] between 1918 and 1944. Largely dominating Minnesota politics during the [[Great Depression]], it was one of the most successful statewide [[Third party (United States)|third party movements in United States history]] and the longest-lasting affiliate of the national [[Farmer–Labor Party (United States)|Farmer–Labor movement]]. At its height in the 1920s and 1930s, party members included [[List of governors of Minnesota|three Minnesota governors]], [[List of United States senators from Minnesota|four United States senators]], [[List of United States representatives from Minnesota|eight United States representatives]] and a [[Political party strength in Minnesota|majority]] in the [[Minnesota legislature]].
The '''Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party (FLP)''' was a [[left-wing]] [[United States|American]] [[political party]] in [[Minnesota]] between 1918 and 1944. The FLP largely dominated Minnesota politics during the [[Great Depression]]. It was one of the most successful statewide [[Third party (United States)|third party movements in United States history]] and the longest-lasting affiliate of the national [[Farmer–Labor Party (United States)|Farmer–Labor movement]]. At its height in the 1920s and 1930s, FLP members included [[List of governors of Minnesota|three Minnesota governors]], [[List of United States senators from Minnesota|four United States senators]], [[List of United States representatives from Minnesota|eight United States representatives]] and a [[Political party strength in Minnesota|majority]] in the [[Minnesota legislature]].


In 1944, [[Hubert H. Humphrey]] and [[Elmer Benson]] worked to merge the party with [[Minnesota Democratic Party|the state's Democratic Party]], forming the contemporary [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]].<ref>{{cite web| title =Farmer Labor Party| publisher =Spartacus| url =http://www.spartacus-educational.com/USAfarmerlabor.htm| access-date =2007-08-31}}</ref>
In 1944, [[Hubert H. Humphrey]] and [[Elmer Benson]] worked to merge the party with [[Minnesota Democratic Party|the state's Democratic Party]], forming the contemporary [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]].<ref>{{cite web| title =Farmer Labor Party| publisher =Spartacus| url =http://www.spartacus-educational.com/USAfarmerlabor.htm| access-date =2007-08-31}}</ref>


==History==
== History ==
[[File:Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party political banner.jpg|thumb|Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party political banner atop a car, circa 1925]] The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party emerged from the [[Non-Partisan League]] (NPL), which had expanded from [[North Dakota]] into Minnesota in 1918,<ref name=Hudelson2006 /> and the [[Union Labor Party of Duluth|Union Labor Party]] (ULP) of [[Duluth, Minnesota]], which was founded in February 1918.<ref name=Hudelson2006 /> In 1919, the NPL reorganized as the Working People's Non-Partisan League (WPNPL). In February 1920, the ULP joined the WPNPL.


[[File:Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party political banner.jpg|thumb|Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party political banner]] The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party emerged from the [[Nonpartisan League]] in [[North Dakota]] and the [[Labor Party (United States, 19th century)|Union Labor Party]] in [[Duluth, Minnesota]], on a platform of [[farmer]] and [[labor union]] protection, government ownership of certain industries, and [[social security|social security laws]].<ref>Hudelson, Richard & Ross, Carl. ''By the ore docks : a working people's history of Duluth'' Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, 2006. {{ISBN|0-8166-4636-8}} pp. 144–150.</ref> One of the primary obstacles of the party, besides constant vilification on the pages of local and state newspapers, was the difficulty of uniting the party's divergent base and maintaining political union between rural [[farmers]] and urban [[laborers]] who often had little in common other than the [[populism|populist]] perception that they were an oppressed class of hardworking producers exploited by a small elite.
The FLP ran on a platform of [[farmer]] and [[labor union]] protection, government ownership of certain industries, and [[social security|social security laws]].<ref name=Hudelson2006>{{cite book |last1=Hudelson |first1=Richard |last2=Ross |first2=Carl |title=By the Ore Docks: A Working People's History of Duluth |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |date=2006 |isbn=0-8166-4636-8 |pages=143–150}}</ref>


In 1936, the FLP was informally allied with the [[New Deal coalition]] and supported the reelection of President Franklin Roosevelt.<ref>William E. Leuchtenburg, ''Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940'' (1963) p. 190.</ref> Roosevelt was building a national coalition and wanted a solid base in Minnesota, where the Democrats were a weak third party.<ref>James S. Olson, ed. ''Historical Dictionary of the New Deal'' (1985) pp 164-165.</ref> Roosevelt had a deal with Governor Olson whereby the FLP would get federal patronage, and in turn the FLP would work to block a third-party ticket against Roosevelt in 1936.<ref>Clifford Edward Clark, ed. ''Minnesota in a Century of Change: The State and its People since 1900'' (1989). pp 375–379.</ref>
According to political scientist George Mayer: <blockquote> <small> The farmer approached problems as a proprietor or petty capitalist. Relief to him meant a mitigation of conditions that interfered with successful farming. It involved such things as tax reduction, easier access to credit, and a floor under farm prices. His individualist psychology did not create scruples against government aid, but he welcomed it only as long as it improved agricultural conditions. When official paternalism took the form of public works or the dole, he openly opposed it because assistance on such terms forced him to abandon his chosen profession, to submerge his individuality in the labor crew, and to suffer the humiliation of the bread line. Besides, a public works program required increased revenue, and since the state relied heavily on the property tax, the cost of the program seemed likely to fall primarily on him. <br> At the opposite end of the seesaw sat the city worker, who sought relief from the hunger, exposure, and disease that followed the wake of unemployment. Dependent on an impersonal industrial machine, he had sloughed off the frontier tradition of individualism for the more serviceable doctrine of cooperation through trade unionism. Unlike the depressed farmer, the unemployed worker often had no property or economic stake to protect. He was largely immune to taxation and had nothing to lose by backing proposals to dilute property rights or redistribute the wealth. Driven by the primitive instinct to survive, the worker demanded financial relief measures from the state.<ref>George H. Mayer, The Political Career of Floyd B. Olson, Reprint, (Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1987) 86-87.</ref> </small> </blockquote>


One of the primary obstacles of the party, besides constant vilification on the pages of local and state newspapers, was the difficulty of uniting the party's divergent base and maintaining political union between rural farmers and urban laborers who often had little in common other than the [[populism|populist]] perception that they were an oppressed class of hardworking producers exploited by a small elite. A powerful pro-Communist element wanted fusion during World War II to ensure solidarity between the USSR and the USA, as partners against the Nazis.<ref>Arnold A. Offner, ''Hubert Humphrey: The Conscience of the Country'' (Yale University Press, 2018) pp. 25, 40–43.</ref>
The [[Minnesota Democratic Party]], led by [[Hubert Humphrey]], was able to merge with the Farmer–Labor Party on April 15, 1944. Since 1944, the two parties together make up the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]].


According to political scientist George Mayer:<ref>George H. Mayer, ''The Political Career of Floyd B. Olson'', (Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1987) 86-87.</ref>
==Notable members==
<blockquote>The farmer approached problems as a proprietor or petty capitalist. Relief to him meant a mitigation of conditions that interfered with successful farming. It involved such things as tax reduction, easier access to credit, and a floor under farm prices. His individualist psychology did not create scruples against government aid, but he welcomed it only as long as it improved agricultural conditions. When official paternalism took the form of public works or the dole, he openly opposed it because assistance on such terms forced him to abandon his chosen profession, to submerge his individuality in the labor crew, and to suffer the humiliation of the bread line. Besides, a public works program required increased revenue, and since the state relied heavily on the property tax, the cost of the program seemed likely to fall primarily on him.<br><br>


At the opposite end of the seesaw sat the city worker, who sought relief from the hunger, exposure, and disease that followed the wake of unemployment. Dependent on an impersonal industrial machine, he had sloughed off the frontier tradition of individualism for the more serviceable doctrine of cooperation through trade unionism. Unlike the depressed farmer, the unemployed worker often had no property or economic stake to protect. He was largely immune to taxation and had nothing to lose by backing proposals to dilute property rights or redistribute the wealth. Driven by the primitive instinct to survive, the worker demanded financial relief measures from the state. </blockquote>
===Notable politicians elected===
[[File:FL-Convention1922.jpg|right|thumb|The 1922 Farmer–Labor Convention, held in Minneapolis]]
*[[Governor of Minnesota|Governors of Minnesota]] who were Farmer–Labor:
**[[Floyd B. Olson]] (1931–1936)
**[[Hjalmar Petersen]] (1936–1937)
**[[Elmer Austin Benson]] (1937–1939)
*[[United States Senate|United States senators]] from Minnesota who were Farmer–Labor
**[[Henrik Shipstead]] (1923–1941); later became a [[Republican Party of Minnesota|Republican]]
**[[Magnus Johnson]] (1923–1925)
**[[Elmer Austin Benson]] (1935–1937)
**[[Ernest Lundeen]] (1937–1940)
*[[United States House of Representatives|United States representatives]] from Minnesota who were Farmer–Labor:
**[[William Leighton Carss]] (1919–1921, 1925–1929)
**[[Ole J. Kvale]] (1923–1929)
**[[Knud Wefald]] (1923–1927)
**[[Paul John Kvale]] (1929–1939)
**[[Henry M. Arens]] (1933–1935)
**[[Magnus Johnson]] (1933–1935)
**[[Ernest Lundeen]] (1933–1937); had previously served as a Republican Representative (1915–1917), also served in the Senate
**[[Francis Shoemaker]] (1933–1935)
**[[John Bernard (American politician)|John T. Bernard]] (1937-1939)


The New Deal farm programs made the [[American Farm Bureau Federation]] the main organization for farmers. It was hostile to the FLP, leaving the FLP without power regarding farm economics.<ref>Richard M Valelly, ''Radicalism in the states : the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and the American political economy'' (1989) p. 15.</ref>

The [[Minnesota Democratic Party]], led by [[Hubert Humphrey]], was able to absorb the Farmer–Labor Party on April 15, 1944, creating the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]]. Humphrey and his team expelled the Communist element from the new organization.<ref>Hubert H. Humphrey, ''The Education of a Public Man. My Life and Politics'' (1976) pp 84-85.</ref>

== Notable members ==

[[File:FL-Convention1922.jpg|thumb|center|x100px|The 1922 Farmer–Labor Convention, held in Minneapolis]]

=== Governors of Minnesota ===
*[[Floyd B. Olson]] (1931–1936)
*[[Hjalmar Petersen]] (1936–1937)
*[[Elmer Austin Benson]] (1937–1939)

=== Lieutenant Governors of Minnesota ===
*[[Henry M. Arens]] (1931–1933)
*[[Konrad K. Solberg]] (1933–1935)
*[[Hjalmar Petersen]] (1935–1936)
*[[Gottfrid Lindsten]] (1937–1939)

=== Attorneys General of Minnesota ===
*[[Harry H. Peterson]] (1933–1936)
*[[William S. Ervin]] (1936–1939)

=== Minnesota State Treasurers ===
*[[C. A. Halverson]] (1937–1939)

=== United States Senators ===
*[[Henrik Shipstead]] (1923–1941); later became a [[Republican Party of Minnesota|Republican]]
*[[Magnus Johnson]] (1923–1925)
*[[Elmer Austin Benson]] (1935–1937)
*[[Ernest Lundeen]] (1937–1940)

=== United States Representatives ===
*[[William Leighton Carss]] (1919–1921, 1925–1929)
*[[Ole J. Kvale]] (1923–1929)
*[[Knud Wefald]] (1923–1927)
*[[Paul John Kvale]] (1929–1939)
*[[Henry M. Arens]] (1933–1935)
*[[Magnus Johnson]] (1933–1935)
*[[Ernest Lundeen]] (1933–1937); had previously served as a Republican Representative (1915–1917), also served in the Senate
*[[Francis Shoemaker]] (1933–1935)
*[[Rich T. Buckler]] (1935–1943)
*[[John Bernard (American politician)|John T. Bernard]] (1937–1939)
*[[Dewey Johnson (Minnesota politician)|Dewey Johnson]] (1937–1939)
*[[Henry Teigan]] (1937–1939)
*[[Harold Hagen]] (1943–1955); served as a Republican after 1945
{{See also|United States congressional delegations from Minnesota}}
{{See also|United States congressional delegations from Minnesota}}


=== Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives ===
=== Gubernatorial candidate performance ===
*[[Charles Munn (politician)|Charles Munn]] (1933–1935)
{|class="wikitable sortable"
*[[Harold H. Barker]] (1937–1939)

=== Minnesota State Legislators ===
*[[Samuel H. Bellman]] (1935–1938)
*[[Willard F. Bennett]] (1933–1943)
*[[Myrtle Cain]] (1923–1924)
*[[John W. Cox (Minnesota politician)|John W. Cox]] (1935–1938)
*[[Andrew Olaf Devold]] (1915–1918, 1919–1926, 1931–1939)

=== Local Politicians ===
*[[William A. Anderson]], Mayor of Minneapolis (1931–1933)
*[[Thomas E. Latimer]], Mayor of Minneapolis (1935–1937)
*[[William Mahoney (mayor)|William Mahoney]], Mayor of St. Paul (1932–1934)

=== Other members ===
*[[Nellie Stone Johnson]], civil rights activist
*[[Thomas Van Lear]], former mayor of Minneapolis
*[[Walter Liggett]], journalist
*[[Willard Munger]], future state legislator
*[[Susie Williamson Stageberg]], called the "Mother of Farmer-Labor"

== Electoral history ==
=== Federal offices ===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|+
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! colspan="6" | U.S. Senate
! colspan="9" | U.S. House of Representatives
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! Nominee
! # votes
! % votes
! Place
! Notes
! Election
! Leader
! colspan=2|Votes
! Seats
! Position
! Control
|-
|-
![[1918 United States Senate elections|1918]]
!Year
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
![[Governor of Minnesota|Gubernatorial]] candidate
|
!Popular votes
![[1918 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1918]]
!Percentage
|colspan=3|''Did Not Contest''
!Place
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|0|10|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{steady}}
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
![[1920 United States Senate elections|1920]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1918|1918]] || [[David H. Evans]]
|colspan=4|''No Seat Up''
|style="text-align:right"|111,948 || 28.73% || 2nd
|
![[1920 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1920]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|62,332
|style="text-align:right;"|8.34%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|0|10|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{steady}}
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
![[1922 United States Senate elections|1922]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1922|1922]] || [[Magnus Johnson]]
|[[Henrik Shipstead]]
|style="text-align:right"|295,479 || 43.13% || 2nd
|325,372
|{{Composition bar|47.10|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
![[1922 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1922]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|35,551
|style="text-align:right;"|5.58%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|1|10|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 1
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
![[1924 United States Senate elections|1923]] (S)
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1924|1924]] || [[Floyd B. Olson]]
|[[Magnus Johnson]]
|style="text-align:right"|366,029 || 43.84% || 2nd
|290,165
|{{Composition bar|57.48|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|rowspan=2|[[1924 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1924]]
|rowspan=2|N/A
|rowspan=2 style="text-align:right;"|337,035
|rowspan=2 style="text-align:right;"|41.48%
|rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|3|10|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|rowspan=2 |{{increase}} 2
|rowspan=2 {{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
![[1924 United States Senate elections|1924]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1926|1926]] || [[Magnus Johnson]]
|[[Magnus Johnson]]
|style="text-align:right"|266,845 || 38.09% || 2nd
|380,646
|{{Composition bar|45.50|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 5
|
|-
|-
![[1926 United States Senate elections|1926]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1928|1928]] || [[Ernest Lundeen]]
|colspan=4|''No Seat Up''
|style="text-align:right"|227,193 || 22.72% || 2nd
|
![[1926 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1926]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|230,758
|style="text-align:right;"|35.03%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|2|10|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 1
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
![[1928 United States Senate elections|1928]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1930|1930]] || [[Floyd B. Olson]]
|[[Henrik Shipstead]]
|style="text-align:right"|473,154 || 59.34% || 1st
|665,169
|{{Composition bar|65.38|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Re-elected'''
|
![[1928 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1928]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|251,126
|style="text-align:right;"|25.84%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|1|10|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 1
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
![[1930 United States Senate elections|1930]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1932|1932]] || [[Floyd B. Olson]]
|[[Ernest Lundeen]]
|style="text-align:right"|522,438 || 50.57% || 1st
|178,671
|{{Composition bar|22.89|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|3rd of 5
|
![[1930 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1930]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|271,599
|style="text-align:right;"|35.75%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|1|10|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{steady}}
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
![[1932 United States Senate elections|1932]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1934|1934]] || [[Floyd B. Olson]]
|colspan=4|''No Seat Up''
|style="text-align:right"|468,812 || 44.61% || 1st
|
![[1932 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1932]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|388,616
|style="text-align:right;"|38.75%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|5|9|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{increase}} 4
|{{yes2|Farmer-Labor}}
|-
|-
![[1934 United States Senate elections|1934]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1936|1936]] || [[Elmer Austin Benson|Elmer A. Benson]]
|[[Henrik Shipstead]]
|style="text-align:right"|680,342 || 60.74% || 1st
|503,379
|{{Composition bar|49.87|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Re-elected'''
|
![[1934 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1934]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|376,927
|style="text-align:right;"|37.86%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|3|9|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 2
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
![[1936 United States Senate elections|1936]] (S)
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1938|1938]] || [[Elmer Benson|Elmer A. Benson]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|style="text-align:right"|387,263 || 34.18% || 2nd
|
|rowspan=2|[[1936 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1936]]
|rowspan=2|N/A
|rowspan=2 style="text-align:right;"|462,714
|rowspan=2 style="text-align:right;"|42.40%
|rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|5|9|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|rowspan=2 |{{increase}} 2
|rowspan=2 {{yes2|Farmer-Labor}}
|-
|-
![[1936 United States Senate elections|1936]]
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1940|1940]] || [[Hjalmar Petersen]]
|[[Ernest Lundeen]]
|style="text-align:right"|459,609 || 36.55% || 2nd
|663,363
|{{Composition bar|62.24|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|-
![[1938 United States Senate elections|1938]]
|colspan=4|''No Seat Up''
|
![[1938 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1938]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|338,684
|style="text-align:right;"|31.63%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|1|9|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{decrease}} 4
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
![[1940 United States Senate elections|1940]]
|[[Elmer Austin Benson]]
|310,875
|{{Composition bar|25.70|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 5
|
![[1940 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1940]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|298,250
|style="text-align:right;"|24.74%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|1|9|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{steady}}
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
![[1942 United States Senate elections|1942]]
|[[Elmer Austin Benson]]
|213,965
|{{Composition bar|28.21|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 4
|
![[1942 United States House of Representatives elections#Minnesota|1942]]
|N/A
|style="text-align:right;"|151,684
|style="text-align:right;"|19.92%
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|1|9|{{party color|Farmer-Labor Party}}}}
|{{steady}}
|{{no2|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}}
|-
|-
|[[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1942|1942]] || [[Hjalmar Petersen]]
|style="text-align:right"|299,917 || 37.76% || 2nd
|}
|}


=== Minnesota state offices ===
==References==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|+
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! colspan="6" | Governor
! colspan="6" | Lieutenant Governor
! colspan="6" | Attorney General
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! Nominee
! # votes
! % votes
! Place
! Notes
! Year
! Nominee
! # votes
! % votes
! Place
! Notes
! Year
! Nominee
! # votes
! % votes
! Place
! Notes
|-
|[[1918 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1918]]
|David H. Evans
|111,948
|{{Composition bar|30.28|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 5
|
|[[1918 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1918]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|[[1918 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1918]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|-
|[[1920 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1920]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|[[1920 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1920]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|[[1920 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1920]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|-
|[[1922 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1922]]
|[[Magnus Johnson]]
|295,479
|{{Composition bar|43.13|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1922 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1922]]
|Arthur A. Siegler
|267,417
|{{Composition bar|39.59|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1922 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1922]]
|Roy C. Smelker
|254,715
|{{Composition bar|39.41|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1924 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1924]]
|[[Floyd B. Olson]]
|366,029
|{{Composition bar|43.84|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 5
|
|[[1924 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1924]]
|Emil E. Holmes
|345,633
|{{Composition bar|42.86|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1924 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1924]]
|Thomas V. Sullivan
|342,236
|{{Composition bar|42.59|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1926 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1926]]
|[[Magnus Johnson]]
|266,845
|{{Composition bar|38.09|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1926 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1926]]
|Emil E. Holmes
|236,307
|{{Composition bar|35.62|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1926 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1926]]
|Frank McAllister
|214,781
|{{Composition bar|33.32|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1928 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1928]]
|[[Ernest Lundeen]]
|227,193
|{{Composition bar|22.72|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 5
|
|[[1928 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1928]]
|Thomas J. Meighen
|235,133
|{{Composition bar|24.96|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1928 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1928]]
|C. F. Gaarenstroom
|192,472
|{{Composition bar|20.87|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1930 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1930]]
|[[Floyd B. Olson]]
|473,154
|{{Composition bar|59.34|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|[[1930 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1930]]
|[[Henry M. Arens]]
|345,225
|{{Composition bar|50.32|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|[[1930 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1930]]
|Joseph B. Himsl
|256,581
|{{Composition bar|36.57|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1932 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1932]]
|[[Floyd B. Olson]]
|522,438
|{{Composition bar|50.57|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Re-elected'''
|
|[[1932 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1932]]
|[[Konrad K. Solberg]]
|429,759
|{{Composition bar|45.34|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|[[1932 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1932]]
|[[Harry H. Peterson]]
|379,418
|{{Composition bar|39.87|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|-
|[[1934 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1934]]
|[[Floyd B. Olson]]
|468,812
|{{Composition bar|44.61|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Re-elected'''
|
|[[1934 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1934]]
|[[Hjalmar Petersen]]
|428,897
|{{Composition bar|43.64|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|[[1934 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1934]]
|[[Harry H. Peterson]]
|436,140
|{{Composition bar|44.89|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Re-elected'''
|
|-
|[[1936 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1936]]
|[[Elmer Austin Benson]]
|680,342
|{{Composition bar|60.74|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|[[1936 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1936]]
|[[Gottfrid Lindsten]]
|502,856
|{{Composition bar|47.46|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|[[1936 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1936]]
|[[Harry H. Peterson]]
|530,815
|{{Composition bar|49.62|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Re-elected'''
|
|-
|[[1938 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1938]]
|[[Elmer Austin Benson]]
|387,263
|{{Composition bar|34.18|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 4
|
|[[1938 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1938]]
|John J. Kinzer
|374,577
|{{Composition bar|34.73|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1938 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1938]]
|[[William S. Ervin]]
|378,385
|{{Composition bar|35.56|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1940 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1940]]
|[[Hjalmar Petersen]]
|459,609
|{{Composition bar|36.55|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 4
|
|[[1940 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1940]]
|Howard Y. Williams
|305,418
|{{Composition bar|26.11|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1940 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1940]]
|David J. Erickson
|284,337
|{{Composition bar|24.35|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1942 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1942]]
|[[Hjalmar Petersen]]
|299,917
|{{Composition bar|37.76|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 5
|
|[[1942 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1942]]
|Juls J. Anderson
|250,410
|{{Composition bar|33.42|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1942 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1942]]
|David J. Erickson
|187,074
|{{Composition bar|25.48|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! colspan="6" | Secretary of State
! colspan="6" | Treasurer
! colspan="6" | Auditor
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! Nominee
! # votes
! % votes
! Place
! Notes
! Year
! Nominee
! # votes
! % votes
! Place
! Notes
! Year
! Nominee
! # votes
! % votes
! Place
! Notes
|-
|[[1918 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1918]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|[[1918 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1918]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|[[1918 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1918]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|-
|[[1920 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1920]]
|Lily J. Anderson
|193,658
|{{Composition bar|26.37|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 5
|
|[[1920 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1920]]
|John P. Wagner
|191,429
|{{Composition bar|26.19|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 4
|
|[[1920 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1920]]
|colspan=4|''Seat Not Up''
|
|-
|[[1922 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1922]]
|[[Susie Williamson Stageberg]]
|247,757
|{{Composition bar|37.37|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1922 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1922]]
|Frank H. Keyes
|294,102
|{{Composition bar|46.39|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 2
|
|[[1922 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1922]]
|Eliza Evans Deming
|253,913
|{{Composition bar|39.60|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1924 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1924]]
|[[Susie Williamson Stageberg]]
|288,946
|{{Composition bar|35.75|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1924 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1924]]
|Carl M. "C. M." Berg
|322,585
|{{Composition bar|40.67|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1924 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1924]]
|colspan=4|''Seat Not Up''
|
|-
|[[1926 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1926]]
|Charles Olson
|217,424
|{{Composition bar|32.60|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 2
|
|[[1926 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1926]]
|Thomas J. Meighen
|244,861
|{{Composition bar|38.89|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 2
|
|[[1926 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1926]]
|S. O. Tjosvold
|218,074
|{{Composition bar|34.52|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 2
|
|-
|[[1928 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1928]]
|[[Susie Williamson Stageberg]]
|178,096
|{{Composition bar|18.41|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1928 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1928]]
|Peter J. Seberger
|205,228
|{{Composition bar|21.95|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1928 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1928]]
|colspan=4|''Seat Not Up''
|
|-
|[[1930 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1930]]
|Anna Olson Determan
|209,596
|{{Composition bar|27.36|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 4
|
|[[1930 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1930]]
|Frederick B. Miller
|271,286
|{{Composition bar|37.41|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1930 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1930]]
|[[Henry Teigan]]
|260,272
|{{Composition bar|35.96|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1932 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1932]]
|John T. Lyons
|342,496
|{{Composition bar|34.79|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 4
|
|[[1932 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1932]]
|Albert H. Kleffman
|360,498
|{{Composition bar|37.72|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1932 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1932]]
|colspan=4|''Seat Not Up''
|
|-
|[[1934 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1934]]
|[[Konrad K. Solberg]]
|359,322
|{{Composition bar|35.46|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 4
|
|[[1934 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1934]]
|Albert H. Kleffman
|377,472
|{{Composition bar|38.78|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1934 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1934]]
|John T. Lyons
|379,654
|{{Composition bar|38.69|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1936 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1936]]
|Paul C. Hartig
|426,668
|{{Composition bar|39.16|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 4
|
|[[1936 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1936]]
|[[C. A. Halverson]]
|468,713
|{{Composition bar|43.79|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|'''Elected'''
|
|[[1936 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1936]]
|colspan=4|''Seat Not Up''
|
|-
|[[1938 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1938]]
|Paul A. Rasmussen
|328,474
|{{Composition bar|29.81|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1938 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1938]]
|[[C. A. Halverson]]
|378,160
|{{Composition bar|35.27|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1938 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1938]]
|John T. Lyons
|364,636
|{{Composition bar|33.98|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|-
|[[1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1940]]
|James I. Heller
|230,148
|{{Composition bar|19.07|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1940]]
|[[C. A. Halverson]]
|296,477
|{{Composition bar|25.25|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1940]]
|colspan=4|''Seat Not Up''
|
|-
|[[1942 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1942]]
|Daniel D. Collins
|146,825
|{{Composition bar|19.07|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1942 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1942]]
|Charles J. Johnson
|183,458
|{{Composition bar|24.78|100|hex=#66FF99}}
|2nd of 3
|
|[[1942 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1942]]
|colspan=4|''Did Not Contest''
|
|-
|}

== See also ==
* [[Non-Partisan League]]
* [[New Deal coalition]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==Further reading==
== Further reading ==
* Benson, Elmer A. "Politics in My Lifetime." ''Minnesota History'' 47 (1980): 154-60. [http://collections.mnhs.org/mnhistorymagazine/articles/47/v47i04p154-161.pdf online]
* Benson, Elmer A. "Politics in My Lifetime." ''Minnesota History'' 47 (1980): 154-60. [http://collections.mnhs.org/mnhistorymagazine/articles/47/v47i04p154-161.pdf online]
* Delton, Jennifer. ''Making Minnesota Liberal: Civil Rights and the Transformation of the Democratic Party'' (2002) focus on how Humphrey used race issue to take over FLP..
* Garlid, George W. "The Antiwar Dilemma of the Farmer-Labor Party." ''Minnesota History'' (1967): 365-374. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20177928 in JSTOR]
* Garlid, George W. "The Antiwar Dilemma of the Farmer-Labor Party." ''Minnesota History'' (1967): 365-374. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20177928 in JSTOR]
*Gieske, Millard L. ''Minnesota Farmer-Laborism: The Third-Party Alternative'' (1979) 389pp
*Gieske, Millard L. ''Minnesota Farmer-Laborism: The Third-Party Alternative'' (1979) 389pp
Line 116: Line 825:
* Mayer, George H. ''The Political Career of Floyd B. Olson'' (1987)
* Mayer, George H. ''The Political Career of Floyd B. Olson'' (1987)
* Mitau, G. Theodore. "The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Schism of 1948." ''Minnesota History'' (1955): 187-194. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20175887 in JSTOR]
* Mitau, G. Theodore. "The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Schism of 1948." ''Minnesota History'' (1955): 187-194. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20175887 in JSTOR]
* Naftalin, Arthur. "The Tradition of Protest and the Roots of the Farmer-Labor Party." ''Minnesota History'' 35.2 (1956): 53-63. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20176002 online]
* Rude, Leslie G. "The rhetoric of farmer‐labor agitators." ''Communication Studies'' 20.4 (1969): 280-285.
* Sofchalk, Donald G. "Union and Ethnic Group Influence in the 1938 Election on the Minnesota Iron Ranges." ''Journal of the West'' (2003) 42#3 pp: 66-74.
* Sofchalk, Donald G. "Union and Ethnic Group Influence in the 1938 Election on the Minnesota Iron Ranges." ''Journal of the West'' (2003) 42#3 pp: 66-74.
* Valelly, Richard M. ''Radicalism in the States: The Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and the American Political Economy'' (University of Chicago Press, 1989)
* Valelly, Richard M. ''Radicalism in the States: The Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and the American Political Economy'' (University of Chicago Press, 1989)


==External links==
== External links ==
* [http://www.populist.com/09.5.pedersen.html Article on the Minnesota Farmer–Labor party from The Progressive Populist]
* [http://www.populist.com/09.5.pedersen.html Article on the Minnesota Farmer–Labor party from The Progressive Populist]
* [http://www.minnesotafl.blogspot.com/ Minnesota Farmer–Labor]
* [http://www.minnesotafl.blogspot.com/ Minnesota Farmer–Labor]

Latest revision as of 23:01, 19 October 2024

Farmer–Labor Party of Minnesota
Founded1918 (1918)
Dissolved1944 (1944)
Merger ofNonpartisan League
Duluth Union Labor Party
Succeeded byMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
IdeologyLeft-wing populism
Progressivism
Democratic socialism
Co-operative economics
Political positionLeft-wing
National affiliationNone (1918–1919)
Labor Party of the United States (1919–1920)
Farmer–Labor Party of the United States (1920–1923)
Federated Farmer–Labor Party (1923–1924)
Farmer–Labor Party of the United States (1924–1936)
None (1936–1944)

The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party (FLP) was a left-wing American political party in Minnesota between 1918 and 1944. The FLP largely dominated Minnesota politics during the Great Depression. It was one of the most successful statewide third party movements in United States history and the longest-lasting affiliate of the national Farmer–Labor movement. At its height in the 1920s and 1930s, FLP members included three Minnesota governors, four United States senators, eight United States representatives and a majority in the Minnesota legislature.

In 1944, Hubert H. Humphrey and Elmer Benson worked to merge the party with the state's Democratic Party, forming the contemporary Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.[1]

History

[edit]
Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party political banner atop a car, circa 1925

The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party emerged from the Non-Partisan League (NPL), which had expanded from North Dakota into Minnesota in 1918,[2] and the Union Labor Party (ULP) of Duluth, Minnesota, which was founded in February 1918.[2] In 1919, the NPL reorganized as the Working People's Non-Partisan League (WPNPL). In February 1920, the ULP joined the WPNPL.

The FLP ran on a platform of farmer and labor union protection, government ownership of certain industries, and social security laws.[2]

In 1936, the FLP was informally allied with the New Deal coalition and supported the reelection of President Franklin Roosevelt.[3] Roosevelt was building a national coalition and wanted a solid base in Minnesota, where the Democrats were a weak third party.[4] Roosevelt had a deal with Governor Olson whereby the FLP would get federal patronage, and in turn the FLP would work to block a third-party ticket against Roosevelt in 1936.[5]

One of the primary obstacles of the party, besides constant vilification on the pages of local and state newspapers, was the difficulty of uniting the party's divergent base and maintaining political union between rural farmers and urban laborers who often had little in common other than the populist perception that they were an oppressed class of hardworking producers exploited by a small elite. A powerful pro-Communist element wanted fusion during World War II to ensure solidarity between the USSR and the USA, as partners against the Nazis.[6]

According to political scientist George Mayer:[7]

The farmer approached problems as a proprietor or petty capitalist. Relief to him meant a mitigation of conditions that interfered with successful farming. It involved such things as tax reduction, easier access to credit, and a floor under farm prices. His individualist psychology did not create scruples against government aid, but he welcomed it only as long as it improved agricultural conditions. When official paternalism took the form of public works or the dole, he openly opposed it because assistance on such terms forced him to abandon his chosen profession, to submerge his individuality in the labor crew, and to suffer the humiliation of the bread line. Besides, a public works program required increased revenue, and since the state relied heavily on the property tax, the cost of the program seemed likely to fall primarily on him.

At the opposite end of the seesaw sat the city worker, who sought relief from the hunger, exposure, and disease that followed the wake of unemployment. Dependent on an impersonal industrial machine, he had sloughed off the frontier tradition of individualism for the more serviceable doctrine of cooperation through trade unionism. Unlike the depressed farmer, the unemployed worker often had no property or economic stake to protect. He was largely immune to taxation and had nothing to lose by backing proposals to dilute property rights or redistribute the wealth. Driven by the primitive instinct to survive, the worker demanded financial relief measures from the state.

The New Deal farm programs made the American Farm Bureau Federation the main organization for farmers. It was hostile to the FLP, leaving the FLP without power regarding farm economics.[8]

The Minnesota Democratic Party, led by Hubert Humphrey, was able to absorb the Farmer–Labor Party on April 15, 1944, creating the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Humphrey and his team expelled the Communist element from the new organization.[9]

Notable members

[edit]
The 1922 Farmer–Labor Convention, held in Minneapolis

Governors of Minnesota

[edit]

Lieutenant Governors of Minnesota

[edit]

Attorneys General of Minnesota

[edit]

Minnesota State Treasurers

[edit]

United States Senators

[edit]

United States Representatives

[edit]
See also: United States congressional delegations from Minnesota

Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives

[edit]

Minnesota State Legislators

[edit]

Local Politicians

[edit]

Other members

[edit]

Electoral history

[edit]

Federal offices

[edit]
U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives
Year Nominee # votes % votes Place Notes Election Leader Votes Seats Position Control
1918 Did Not Contest 1918 Did Not Contest
0 / 10
 Steady Republican
1920 No Seat Up 1920 N/A 62,332 8.34%
0 / 10
 Steady Republican
1922 Henrik Shipstead 325,372
47.10 / 100
 Elected 1922 N/A 35,551 5.58%
1 / 10
 Increase 1 Republican
1923 (S) Magnus Johnson 290,165
57.48 / 100
 Elected 1924 N/A 337,035 41.48%
3 / 10
 Increase 2 Republican
1924 Magnus Johnson 380,646
45.50 / 100
 2nd of 5
1926 No Seat Up 1926 N/A 230,758 35.03%
2 / 10
 Decrease 1 Republican
1928 Henrik Shipstead 665,169
65.38 / 100
 Re-elected 1928 N/A 251,126 25.84%
1 / 10
 Decrease 1 Republican
1930 Ernest Lundeen 178,671
22.89 / 100
 3rd of 5 1930 N/A 271,599 35.75%
1 / 10
 Steady Republican
1932 No Seat Up 1932 N/A 388,616 38.75%
5 / 9
 Increase 4 Farmer-Labor
1934 Henrik Shipstead 503,379
49.87 / 100
 Re-elected 1934 N/A 376,927 37.86%
3 / 9
 Decrease 2 Republican
1936 (S) Did Not Contest 1936 N/A 462,714 42.40%
5 / 9
 Increase 2 Farmer-Labor
1936 Ernest Lundeen 663,363
62.24 / 100
 Elected
1938 No Seat Up 1938 N/A 338,684 31.63%
1 / 9
 Decrease 4 Republican
1940 Elmer Austin Benson 310,875
25.70 / 100
 2nd of 5 1940 N/A 298,250 24.74%
1 / 9
 Steady Republican
1942 Elmer Austin Benson 213,965
28.21 / 100
 2nd of 4 1942 N/A 151,684 19.92%
1 / 9
 Steady Republican

Minnesota state offices

[edit]
Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General
Year Nominee # votes % votes Place Notes Year Nominee # votes % votes Place Notes Year Nominee # votes % votes Place Notes
1918 David H. Evans 111,948
30.28 / 100
 2nd of 5 1918 Did Not Contest 1918 Did Not Contest
1920 Did Not Contest 1920 Did Not Contest 1920 Did Not Contest
1922 Magnus Johnson 295,479
43.13 / 100
 2nd of 3 1922 Arthur A. Siegler 267,417
39.59 / 100
 2nd of 3 1922 Roy C. Smelker 254,715
39.41 / 100
 2nd of 3
1924 Floyd B. Olson 366,029
43.84 / 100
 2nd of 5 1924 Emil E. Holmes 345,633
42.86 / 100
 2nd of 3 1924 Thomas V. Sullivan 342,236
42.59 / 100
 2nd of 3
1926 Magnus Johnson 266,845
38.09 / 100
 2nd of 3 1926 Emil E. Holmes 236,307
35.62 / 100
 2nd of 3 1926 Frank McAllister 214,781
33.32 / 100
 2nd of 3
1928 Ernest Lundeen 227,193
22.72 / 100
 2nd of 5 1928 Thomas J. Meighen 235,133
24.96 / 100
 2nd of 3 1928 C. F. Gaarenstroom 192,472
20.87 / 100
 2nd of 3
1930 Floyd B. Olson 473,154
59.34 / 100
 Elected 1930 Henry M. Arens 345,225
50.32 / 100
 Elected 1930 Joseph B. Himsl 256,581
36.57 / 100
 2nd of 3
1932 Floyd B. Olson 522,438
50.57 / 100
 Re-elected 1932 Konrad K. Solberg 429,759
45.34 / 100
 Elected 1932 Harry H. Peterson 379,418
39.87 / 100
 Elected
1934 Floyd B. Olson 468,812
44.61 / 100
 Re-elected 1934 Hjalmar Petersen 428,897
43.64 / 100
 Elected 1934 Harry H. Peterson 436,140
44.89 / 100
 Re-elected
1936 Elmer Austin Benson 680,342
60.74 / 100
 Elected 1936 Gottfrid Lindsten 502,856
47.46 / 100
 Elected 1936 Harry H. Peterson 530,815
49.62 / 100
 Re-elected
1938 Elmer Austin Benson 387,263
34.18 / 100
 2nd of 4 1938 John J. Kinzer 374,577
34.73 / 100
 2nd of 3 1938 William S. Ervin 378,385
35.56 / 100
 2nd of 3
1940 Hjalmar Petersen 459,609
36.55 / 100
 2nd of 4 1940 Howard Y. Williams 305,418
26.11 / 100
 2nd of 3 1940 David J. Erickson 284,337
24.35 / 100
 2nd of 3
1942 Hjalmar Petersen 299,917
37.76 / 100
 2nd of 5 1942 Juls J. Anderson 250,410
33.42 / 100
 2nd of 3 1942 David J. Erickson 187,074
25.48 / 100
 2nd of 3
Secretary of State Treasurer Auditor
Year Nominee # votes % votes Place Notes Year Nominee # votes % votes Place Notes Year Nominee # votes % votes Place Notes
1918 Did Not Contest 1918 Did Not Contest 1918 Did Not Contest
1920 Lily J. Anderson 193,658
26.37 / 100
 2nd of 5 1920 John P. Wagner 191,429
26.19 / 100
 2nd of 4 1920 Seat Not Up
1922 Susie Williamson Stageberg 247,757
37.37 / 100
 2nd of 3 1922 Frank H. Keyes 294,102
46.39 / 100
 2nd of 2 1922 Eliza Evans Deming 253,913
39.60 / 100
 2nd of 3
1924 Susie Williamson Stageberg 288,946
35.75 / 100
 2nd of 3 1924 Carl M. "C. M." Berg 322,585
40.67 / 100
 2nd of 3 1924 Seat Not Up
1926 Charles Olson 217,424
32.60 / 100
 2nd of 2 1926 Thomas J. Meighen 244,861
38.89 / 100
 2nd of 2 1926 S. O. Tjosvold 218,074
34.52 / 100
 2nd of 2
1928 Susie Williamson Stageberg 178,096
18.41 / 100
 2nd of 3 1928 Peter J. Seberger 205,228
21.95 / 100
 2nd of 3 1928 Seat Not Up
1930 Anna Olson Determan 209,596
27.36 / 100
 2nd of 4 1930 Frederick B. Miller 271,286
37.41 / 100
 2nd of 3 1930 Henry Teigan 260,272
35.96 / 100
 2nd of 3
1932 John T. Lyons 342,496
34.79 / 100
 2nd of 4 1932 Albert H. Kleffman 360,498
37.72 / 100
 2nd of 3 1932 Seat Not Up
1934 Konrad K. Solberg 359,322
35.46 / 100
 2nd of 4 1934 Albert H. Kleffman 377,472
38.78 / 100
 2nd of 3 1934 John T. Lyons 379,654
38.69 / 100
 2nd of 3
1936 Paul C. Hartig 426,668
39.16 / 100
 2nd of 4 1936 C. A. Halverson 468,713
43.79 / 100
 Elected 1936 Seat Not Up
1938 Paul A. Rasmussen 328,474
29.81 / 100
 2nd of 3 1938 C. A. Halverson 378,160
35.27 / 100
 2nd of 3 1938 John T. Lyons 364,636
33.98 / 100
 2nd of 3
1940 James I. Heller 230,148
19.07 / 100
 2nd of 3 1940 C. A. Halverson 296,477
25.25 / 100
 2nd of 3 1940 Seat Not Up
1942 Daniel D. Collins 146,825
19.07 / 100
 2nd of 3 1942 Charles J. Johnson 183,458
24.78 / 100
 2nd of 3 1942 Did Not Contest

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Farmer Labor Party". Spartacus. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  2. ^ a b c Hudelson, Richard; Ross, Carl (2006). By the Ore Docks: A Working People's History of Duluth. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 143–150. ISBN 0-8166-4636-8.
  3. ^ William E. Leuchtenburg, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940 (1963) p. 190.
  4. ^ James S. Olson, ed. Historical Dictionary of the New Deal (1985) pp 164-165.
  5. ^ Clifford Edward Clark, ed. Minnesota in a Century of Change: The State and its People since 1900 (1989). pp 375–379.
  6. ^ Arnold A. Offner, Hubert Humphrey: The Conscience of the Country (Yale University Press, 2018) pp. 25, 40–43.
  7. ^ George H. Mayer, The Political Career of Floyd B. Olson, (Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1987) 86-87.
  8. ^ Richard M Valelly, Radicalism in the states : the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and the American political economy (1989) p. 15.
  9. ^ Hubert H. Humphrey, The Education of a Public Man. My Life and Politics (1976) pp 84-85.

Further reading

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  • Benson, Elmer A. "Politics in My Lifetime." Minnesota History 47 (1980): 154-60. online
  • Delton, Jennifer. Making Minnesota Liberal: Civil Rights and the Transformation of the Democratic Party (2002) focus on how Humphrey used race issue to take over FLP..
  • Garlid, George W. "The Antiwar Dilemma of the Farmer-Labor Party." Minnesota History (1967): 365-374. in JSTOR
  • Gieske, Millard L. Minnesota Farmer-Laborism: The Third-Party Alternative (1979) 389pp
  • Haynes, John Earl. Dubious alliance: the making of Minnesota's DFL Party (U of Minnesota Press, 1984)
  • Haynes, John Earl. "Farm Coops and the Election of Hubert Humphrey to the Senate." Agricultural History (1983): 201-211. in JSTOR
  • Haynes, John Earl. "The new history of the communist party in state politics: The implications for mainstream political history." Labor History (1986) 27#4 pp: 549-563.
  • Hyman, Colette A. "Culture as Strategy: Popular Front Politics and the Minneapolis Theatre Union, 1935-39." Minnesota History (1991): 294-306. in JSTOR
  • Lovin, Hugh T. "The Fall of Farmer-Labor Parties, 1936-1938." Pacific Northwest Quarterly (1971): 16-26. in JSTOR
  • McCoy, Donald R. Angry voices: Left-of-center politics in the New Deal era (1958; reprint 2012)
  • Mayer, George H. The Political Career of Floyd B. Olson (1987)
  • Mitau, G. Theodore. "The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Schism of 1948." Minnesota History (1955): 187-194. in JSTOR
  • Naftalin, Arthur. "The Tradition of Protest and the Roots of the Farmer-Labor Party." Minnesota History 35.2 (1956): 53-63. online
  • Rude, Leslie G. "The rhetoric of farmer‐labor agitators." Communication Studies 20.4 (1969): 280-285.
  • Sofchalk, Donald G. "Union and Ethnic Group Influence in the 1938 Election on the Minnesota Iron Ranges." Journal of the West (2003) 42#3 pp: 66-74.
  • Valelly, Richard M. Radicalism in the States: The Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and the American Political Economy (University of Chicago Press, 1989)
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