1956 Minnesota gubernatorial election
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The 1956 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1956. Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party candidate Orville Freeman defeated Republican Party of Minnesota challenger Ancher Nelsen.
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November 6, 1956
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 County results Freeman: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Nelsen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic-Farmer-Labor Primary
Freeman was renominated.
Candidates
Nominated
- Orville Freeman, Incumbent
Eliminated in Primary
- Francis P. McGrath, Softwater Conditioning Business Owner
- Mamie Norby, Teacher
- Thomas P. Duffy, Electrician
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Orville Freeman | 269,740 | 89.50% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Francis P. McGrath | 13,910 | 4.62% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Thomas P. Duffy | 12,851 | 4.26% | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Mamie Norby | 4,876 | 1.62% | |
| Total votes | 301,377 | 100% | ||
Republican Primary
Nelsen was nominated.
Candidates
Nominated
- Ancher Nelsen, Former Lieutenant Governor
Eliminated in Primary
- Paul Indykiewicz, welder
- Walt Warner, salesman
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ancher Nelsen | 283,844 | 94.40% | |
| Republican | Walt Warner | 12,195 | 4.06% | |
| Republican | Paul Indykiewicz | 4,654 | 1.55% | |
| Total votes | 300,693 | 100% | ||
General Election
Candidates
- Ancher Nelsen, Former Lieutenant Governor (Republican)
- Orville Freeman, Incumbent (DFL)
- Rudolph Gustafson, Plumber (Industrial Government)
Endorsements
Statewide officials
- Hjalmar Petersen, Former Governor[3]
Executive branch officials
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, Incumbent President[4]
Campaigns
During his campaign, Nelsen visited a hospital in Hastings, Minnesota. Nelsen described the conditions as "shocking", and questioned Freeman's claimed successes in healthcare. Nelsen invited Freeman to join him in visiting hospitals around the state, "to determine the facts."[5] Nelsen was the first gubernatorial candidate to appear on television during his campaign.[6]
Freeman argued that a four-year term would be preferable for governor, opposed to the current two-year terms. Freeman believed that two years was not a sufficient amount of time for programs to be fully implemented and given a fair chance.[7]
Prior to official results, Nelsen was expected to win the election.[4]
Debates
This was the first gubernatorial election in Minnesota in which debates were held.
| No. | Date | Host | Republican | DFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn |
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| Ancher Nelsen | Orville Freeman | |||
| 1 | November 2, 1956 | Mount Olivet Lutheran Church[8] | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Orville Freeman (incumbent) | 731,180 | 51.41% | −1.31% | |
| Republican | Ancher Nelsen | 685,196 | 48.18% | +1.38% | |
| Industrial Government | Rudolph Gustafson | 5,785 | 0.41% | −0.07% | |
| Majority | 45,984 | 3.23% | |||
| Turnout | 1,422,161 | ||||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | Swing | ||||