1923 Election Cycle

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).

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06/18/1923 U.S. Senate Special Primary 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. Senate 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).

Martin was an attorney from Minneapolis.

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06/18/1923 U.S. Senate Special Primary 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. Senate 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.

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06/18/1923 U.S. Senate Special Primary 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. Senate 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.

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