Governor, 1962 Election
General
| Candidate | Gender | Party | Votes | Percent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl Rolvaag | Man | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | 619,842 | 49.71 | +0.01 |
| Elmer L. Andersen Incumbent | Man | Republican | 619,751 | 49.71 | |
| William Braatz | Man | Industrial Government | 7,234 | 0.58 |
The 1962 election was the closest gubernatorial contest in state history, with Governor Andersen initially certified the winner by 142 votes on November 29th. A prolonged election contest resulted in a three-judge Ramsey County district court determining on March 21, 1963 that Rolvaag had won by 91 votes. [Andersen served a few months into this abbreviated second term].
Governor Andersen became the fifth Minnesota governor to lose a general election joining Democratic-People’s Governor John Lind in 1900, Farmer-Laborite Elmer Benson in 1938, Repubolican C. Elmer Anderson in 1954, and DFLer Orville Freeman in 1960.
Rolvaag had been an insurance executive from Rochester and was the sitting Lieutenant Governor (1955-1963).
Braatz was a resident of Plymouth and Industrial Government nominee for U.S. Senate in 1964, 1966, and 1970 and for the 5th CD in 1968. Braatz was nominated by petition.
Related Reports
- Can Dayton Catch Lightning in a Bottle Twice? (December 6, 2013)
Sources
- State of Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1963-1964 (p. 485).