Farmer-Laborites scored their biggest victory to date with Magnus Johnson defeating J.A.O. Preus in a special U.S. Senate election held in July to fill the vacancy after the death of long-serving GOP lawmaker Knute Nelson. This marked the first time a U.S. Senate election was lost by Minnesota Republicans since the initial state legislative elections held for the office in December 1857.
Elections
Date
Office
Stage
Winners
Details
07/16/1923
U.S. Senate
Special
Magnus Johnson (Farmer-Labor) won with 290,165 votes (57.48%) and a winning margin of +18.79
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Magnus Johnson
Man
Farmer-Labor
290,165
57.48
Jacob A.O. (J.A.O.) Preus
Man
Republican
195,319
38.69
James A. Carley
Man
Democrat
19,311
3.83
Special election on July 16, 1923 for the unexpired term ending March 3, 1925 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Republican Knute Nelson on April 28, 1923.
Johnson was a resident of Kimball, a former state Representative (HD 26, 1915-1919), and sitting state Senator (SD 26, 1919-1923). Johnson was the Farmer-Laborite guberntorial nominee in 1926, won election to an at-large U.S. House seat (1933-1935), and sought the Farmer-Labor gubernatorial nomination in 1936.
Preus was an attorney from Minneapolis, former state Insurance Commissioner (1911-1915), former state Auditor (1915-1921), and sitting Governor (1921-1925).
Carley was an attorney from Plainview, former Democratic state Representative (HD 03, 1909-1911), and sitting state Senator (SD 03, 1915-1931, 1935-1952).
Jacob A.O. (J.A.O.) Preus (Republican) won with 57,919 votes (33.64%) and a winning margin of +14.78
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Jacob A.O. (J.A.O.) Preus
Man
Republican
57,919
33.64
Oscar Hallam
Man
Republican
32,482
18.87
Thomas D. Schall
Man
Republican
29,713
17.26
Sydney Anderson
Man
Republican
17,526
10.18
Victor L. Power
Man
Republican
15,384
8.94
Joseph Alfred Arner (J.A.A.) Burnquist
Man
Republican
8,381
4.87
Ernest Lundeen
Man
Republican
5,851
3.40
Halvor Steenerson
Man
Republican
4,032
2.34
John J. Martin
Man
Republican
861
0.50
Special primary election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Republican U.S. Senator Knute Nelson on April 28, 1923.
Preus was an attorney from Minneapolis, former state Insurance Commissioner (1911-1915), former state Auditor (1915-1921), and sitting Governor (1921-1925).
Hallam was an attorney from St. Paul, former Second Judicial District Judge, and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1913-1923). Hallam was also a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 1924.
Schall was an attorney from Excelsior and Progressive-turned-Republican U.S. Representative (CD 10, 1915-1925).
Anderson was an attorney from Lanesboro and U.S. Representative (CD 01, 1911-1925).
Power was an attorney and the Mayor of Hibbing (1913-1922, 1923-1924).
Burnquist was a resident of St. Paul, former state Representative (HD 33, 1909-1913), Lieutenant Governor (1913-1915), and Governor (1915-1921).
Lundeen was an attorney from Minneapolis, former state Representative (HD 42, 1911-1915), former U.S. Representative (CD 05, 1917-1919), and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1922. Lundeen ran for the U.S. House multiple times and would later serve two more terms as a Farmer-Laborite (AL, 1933-1935; CD 03, 1935-1937) before getting elected to the U.S. Senate (1937-1940). He was also a candidate for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1924.
Steenerson was a resident of Crookson, former Polk County prosecuting attorney (1881-1883), former city attorney of Crookson, former state Senator (SD 45, 1883-1887), and former U.S. Representative (CD 09, 1903-1923).
James A. Carley (Democrat) won with 7,555 votes (74.19%) and a winning margin of +48.38
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
James A. Carley
Man
Democrat
7,555
74.19
Francis C. Cary
Man
Democrat
2,628
25.81
Special primary election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Republican U.S. Senator Knute Nelson on April 28, 1923.
Carley was an attorney from Plainview, former Democratic state Representative (HD 03, 1909-1911), and sitting state Senator (SD 03, 1915-1931, 1935-1952).
Cary was a lecturer and former attorney from Minneapolis.
Magnus Johnson (Farmer-Labor) won with 57,570 votes (48.88%) and a winning margin of +16.28
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Magnus Johnson
Man
Farmer-Labor
57,570
48.88
Louis (L.A.) Fritsche
Man
Farmer-Labor
38,393
32.60
Charles A. Lindbergh
Man
Farmer-Labor
21,811
18.52
Special primary election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Republican U.S. Senator Knute Nelson on April 28, 1923.
Johnson was a resident of Kimball, a former state Representative (HD 26, 1915-1919), and sitting state Senator (SD 26, 1919-1923). Johnson was the Farmer-Laborite guberntorial nominee in 1926, won election to an at-large U.S. House seat (1933-1935), and sought the Farmer-Labor gubernatorial nomination in 1936.
Fritsche was a physician and Mayor of New Ulm.
Lindbergh was a resident of Little Falls, a former prosecuting attorney of Morrison County (1891-1893), former Republican U.S. Representative (CD 06, 1907-1917), Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 1916, and Republican candidate for Governor in 1918.