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  Carlson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Perpich: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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The 1990 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1990. Independent-Republican Party State Auditor and challenger Arne Carlson defeated then Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Governor Rudy Perpich, who had defeated Mike Hatch for the Democratic nomination. This remains the last gubernatorial election in Minnesota to date in which an incumbent governor ran for reelection to a third term.
The Independent-Republicans initially nominated businessman Jon Grunseth. Just over three weeks before the election, two women alleged that, in 1981, Grunseth had requested they swim nude during an Independence Day party at his home and, when they refused, he attempted to forcibly remove their swimsuits. The girls were 12 and 13 years old at the time of the incident. In response, Carlson — the runner-up in the Independent-Republican primary — announced a write-in candidacy, backed by US Senator Rudy Boschwitz. Despite denying the allegations (but admitting to past extramarital affairs), Grunseth dropped out of the race on October 28, just over a week before election day. The Independent-Republicans replaced him on the ballot with Carlson that day.
Carlson won the election by winning the heavily populated Ramsey and Hennepin counties. However, the race was kept close by Perpich's domination of the counties in Northern Minnesota, allowing for a margin of defeat of only 3.35%. As of 2024, this is the last time that an incumbent Governor of Minnesota lost re-election. This election was the first Minnesota gubernatorial election since 1962 that the winner of the gubernatorial election was of the same party as the incumbent president.