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 County results Boschwitz: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Contents
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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The 1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Wendell Anderson was defeated by Republican challenger Rudy Boschwitz.
In 1978, Minnesota's top three statewide offices were all up for election: the governorship and both U.S. Senate seats. But there was a particular oddity to the races: the incumbents, each a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, were all appointed to their offices, not elected. (Republicans took advantage of this, putting up billboards that read, "The DFL is going to face something scary — an election".)
First, after Walter Mondale was elected Vice President in 1976, sitting Governor Wendell Anderson resigned so that Lieutenant Governor Rudy Perpich, as the new governor, could appoint Anderson to the open seat. This did not sit well with the electorate. Then, in January 1978, Minnesota's other Senate seat opened up when Hubert Humphrey died; Perpich appointed Humphrey's widow, Muriel, to the office. But she did not want to run that fall, and the DFL nominated Bob Short for the post.
Though Democrats maintained large majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate, the November election was something of a disappointment for them, as they lost a handful of seats in both chambers. But for Minnesota's DFL it was a disaster, later dubbed the "Minnesota Massacre". Plywood magnate Rudy Boschwitz campaigned as a liberal Republican, freely spent his own money, and defeated Anderson by 16 points, while David Durenberger crushed Short by 26 points. Al Quie completed the Republican trifecta by downing Perpich 52% to 45%. (Perpich would be elected governor in 1982 and re-elected in 1986.)
The results in Minnesota marked the first time the GOP had held all three offices since Joseph H. Ball left the Senate in January 1949 after being defeated for re-election. Additionally, this election and the special election both marked the first time since 1958 that both Senate seats in a state flipped from one party to the other in a single election cycle.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Wendell Anderson (incumbent) | 286,209 | 56.9% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | John S. Connolly | 159,974 | 31.8% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Daryl W. Anderson | 23,159 | 4.6% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Lloyd M. Roberts | 12,709 | 2.5% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Dick Bullock | 11,485 | 2.3% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Emil L. Moses | 9,580 | 1.9% | |
| Total votes | 503,116 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ind.-Republican | Rudy Boschwitz | 185,393 | 86.8% | |
| Ind.-Republican | Harold Stassen | 28,170 | 13.2% | |
| Total votes | 213,563 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American | Sal Carlone | 4,085 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 4,085 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ind.-Republican | Rudy Boschwitz | 894,092 | 56.57% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Wendell Anderson (incumbent) | 638,375 | 40.39% | |
| American | Sal Carlone | 23,261 | 1.47% | |
| Socialist Workers | William Peterson | 9,856 | 0.62% | |
| Independent | Brian J. Coyle | 8,083 | 0.51% | |
| Workers League | Jean T. Brust | 3,891 | 0.25% | |
| Libertarian | Leonard J. Richards | 2,992 | 0.19% | |
| Others | Write-ins | 72 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 1,580,622 | 100.00% | ||
| Majority | 255,717 | 16.18% | ||
| Turnout | 1,580,622 | 62.95% | ||
| Ind.-Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||
Rudolph George Perpich Sr. was an American politician and dentist who served as the governor of Minnesota from 1976 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he is labeled as Minnesota's 34th and 36th governor. He was also the state's only Roman Catholic governor and the only one to serve non-consecutive terms.
Wendell Richard "Wendy" Anderson was an American hockey player, politician, and the 33rd governor of Minnesota, serving from January 4, 1971, to December 29, 1976. In late 1976 he resigned as governor in order to be appointed to the U.S. Senate after Senator Walter Mondale was elected Vice President of the United States. Anderson served in the Senate from December 30, 1976, to December 29, 1978. After losing the 1978 Senate election to Rudy Boschwitz, he resigned a few days before the end of his term to give Boschwitz seniority.
Rudolph Ely “Rudy” Boschwitz is an American politician and businessman who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 1978 until 1991. Boschwitz is a member of the Republican Party.
Mark Brandt Dayton is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019. He served as a United States Senator representing Minnesota from 2001 to 2007 and as Minnesota State Auditor from 1991 to 1995. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), which affiliates with the national Democratic Party.
The lieutenant governor of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Fifty individuals have held the office of lieutenant governor since statehood. The incumbent is Peggy Flanagan, a DFLer and the first Native American elected to a statewide executive office in Minnesota's history.
The 1996 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with the presidential election of the same year, in which Democrat Bill Clinton was re-elected president.
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The 1978 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies.
Minnesota is known for a politically active citizenry, with populism being a longstanding force among the state's political parties. Minnesota has consistently high voter turnout; in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, 77.8% of eligible Minnesotans voted – the highest percentage of any U.S. state or territory – versus the national average of 61.7%. This was due in part to its same day voter registration laws; previously unregistered voters can register on election day, at their polls, with evidence of residency.
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 1996 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democrat Paul Wellstone won reelection to a second term defeating former Republican Senator Rudy Boschwitz in a rematch.
Michelle Louise Helene Fischbach is an American attorney and politician who is the U.S. representative from Minnesota's 7th congressional district. The district, which is very rural, is geographically Minnesota's largest congressional district and includes most of the western area of the state. A Republican, Fischbach served as the 49th lieutenant governor of Minnesota from 2018 until 2019. As of 2024, she is the last Republican to have held statewide office in Minnesota.
The 1990 United States elections were held on November 6 and elected the members of the 102nd United States Congress. The elections occurred in the middle of Republican President George H. W. Bush's term and during the Gulf War. The Democratic Party slightly built on their control of Congress.
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The 1990 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz was defeated by Democratic challenger Paul Wellstone in a tight race. Widely considered an underdog and outspent by a 7-to-1 margin, Wellstone was the only candidate to defeat an incumbent senator as well as the only candidate to flip a seat in the 1990 election cycle and gained national attention after his upset victory. The race was also notable as the first in the history of the U.S. Senate where both major-party candidates were Jewish.
The 1984 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 6, 1984. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz defeated Democratic challenger Joan Growe.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 6, 2018. All of Minnesota's executive officers were up for election as well as all the seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives, several judicial seats, two United States Senate seats, Minnesota's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives, and several seats for local offices. Special elections were also held for a Minnesota Senate seat and Minnesota's Class 2 U.S. Senate seat. A primary election to nominate Republican and Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) candidates and several judicial and local primary elections were held on August 14, 2018.
The 1978 United States Senate special election in Minnesota was held on November 7, 1978. Democratic candidate Bob Short was defeated by Republican candidate David Durenberger.
The 2020 Minnesota Senate election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 3, 2020, to elect members to the Senate of the 92nd Minnesota Legislature. A primary election was held in several districts on August 11, 2020. The election coincided with the election of the other house of the Legislature, the House of Representatives, and other elections.
The 1994 Minnesota Attorney General election was held on Tuesday, November 8, 1994 to elect the Minnesota Attorney General for a four-year term. Incumbent DFLer Skip Humphrey ran for reelection to a fourth term, ultimately defeating Republican nominee Sharon Anderson. The election marked the seventh attorney general race in a row won by the DFL since 1970. Humphrey won every single county in the state, becoming the first person to do so since Governor Wendell Anderson in 1974, and the most recent person to do so as of 2024, although Governor Arne Carlson won all but three counties in the adjacent gubernatorial election, and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar won all but two in 2012.
