1960 Election Cycle

John Kennedy carried Minnesota by 1.4 points for the Democrats at the top of the ticket – the second narrowest election for the office at that point in state history.

Republicans were able to pry back one prominent office as a result with former state Senator Elmer Andersen knocking Governor Orville Freeman out of office by 1.5 points. The remaining DFL officeholders on the state ballot were reelected: Lieutenant Governor Karl Rolvaag, Secretary of State Joseph Donovan, appointed Attorney General Walter Mondale, and Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner Hjalmar Petersen. Republican Treasurer Val Bjornson was reelected to his fifth nonconsecutive term.

Hubert Humphrey fell short in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination but easily defeated former GOP state party chair P.K. Peterson to win a second term in the U.S. Senate. Republicans picked up a U.S. House seat for a second consecutive cycle – Clark MacGregor defeated six-term DFLer in the 3rd CD – to claim six of the nine congressional districts for the first time since the Election of 1946.

Chief Justice Roger Dell was reelected to the Supreme Court as were Associate Justices Oscar Knutson, Martin Nelson, and Thomas Gallagher.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
11/08/1960 State House, District 40 General Michael (Mike) Mulder (Nonpartisan) won with 763 votes (57.67%) and a winning margin of +15.34
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Michael (Mike) Mulder Man Nonpartisan 763 57.67
Dominic J. Perozino Man Nonpartisan 560 42.33
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11/08/1960 State House, District 39 General Ernest A. Beedle (Nonpartisan) won with 4,319 votes (58.29%) and a winning margin of +16.57
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Ernest A. Beedle Incumbent Man Nonpartisan 4,319 58.29
Raymond J. (Ray) Kempe Man Nonpartisan 3,091 41.71
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11/08/1960 State House, District 39 General Daniel Donald (D.D.) Wozniak (Nonpartisan) won with 6,656 votes (74.91%) and a winning margin of +49.83
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Daniel Donald (D.D.) Wozniak Incumbent Man Nonpartisan 6,656 74.91
Graham (G.T., Dixie) Hanks Man Nonpartisan 2,229 25.09
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11/08/1960 State House, District 38 General Anthony (Al) Podgorski (Nonpartisan) won with 2,503 votes (54.34%) and a winning margin of +8.68
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Anthony (Al) Podgorski Incumbent Man Nonpartisan 2,503 54.34
Raymond G. (Ray) Schultz Man Nonpartisan 2,103 45.66
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11/08/1960 U.S. Senate General Hubert H. Humphrey (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) won with 884,168 votes (57.53%) and a winning margin of +15.33
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Hubert H. Humphrey Incumbent Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 884,168 57.53
P. Kenneth (P.K.) Peterson Man Republican 648,586 42.20
Carl Feingold Man Socialist Workers 4,085 0.27

Senator Humphrey was elected to a third term. Humphrey resigned on December 29, 1964 after winning election to the Office of Vice President of the United States on November 3, 1964. DFLer Walter Mondale was appointed to the U.S. Senate on December 30, 1964 for the unexpired term ending January 3, 1967 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation.

Peterson was a resident of Minneapolis, former Chair of the Minnesota Republican Party (1950-1953), sitting state Representative (HD 34, 1947-1955), nominee for the Railroad and Warehouse Commission in 1964, and Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner (1967-1972).

Feingold was a resident of Minneapolis and Twin Cities organizer for the Socialist Workers Party. He was nominated by petition.

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