Governor, 1978 Election
Primary Democratic-Farmer-Labor
| Candidate | Gender | Running mate | Party | Votes | Percent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudy (R.G.) Perpich Incumbent | Man | Alec G. Olson (Man) Incumbent | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | 390,069 | 80.04 | +60.09 |
| Alice Tripp | Woman | Mike Casper (Man) | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | 97,247 | 19.96 |
Perpich became governor on December 29, 1976 after the resignation of Wendell Anderson; Olson was a farmer from Spicer, former U.S. Representative (CD 06, 1963-1967), state Senator (SD 23, 1969-1973; SD 21, 1973-1976), and sitting Lieutenant Governor (1976-1979). Olson became Lieutenant Governor following Rudy Perpich succeeding Wendell Anderson as Governor on December 29, 1976.
Tripp was a farmer from Belgrade; Casper was a university physics professor.
Sources
- State of Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1979-1980 (p. 487).