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  MN US Senate
RACE DETAILS
Parents > United States > Minnesota > Senate Class II
OfficeSenate
HonorificSenator - Abbr: Sen.
Type General Election
Filing Deadline June 01, 1978 - 12:00pm Central
Polls Open November 07, 1978 - 06:00am Central
Polls Close November 07, 1978 - 11:00pm Central
Term Start January 03, 1979 - 12:00pm
Term End January 03, 1985 - 12:00pm
Contributor*crickets chirp*
Last ModifiedPaul πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ September 11, 2023 08:59pm
Data Sources
Description In 1978, all three key statewide races were up for election -- the Governorship, and both Senate Seats (the other Senate seat belonged to Hubert Humphrey, who died in 1978). But, there was a particular oddity to the three races -- all three had incumbents who were never elected to the office in the first place. This became a well played issue by the Republicans -- a billboard put up across the state read, "The DFL is going to face something scary -- an election".

When Walter Mondale ascended to the Vice Presidency in 1976, sitting Governor Wendell Anderson appointed himself to the open seat. This act did not sit well with the electorate. Plywood magnate Rudy Boschwitz campaigned as a liberal Republican and spent freely of his own money, but all that seemed to really matter was that he was neither a DFLer or Wendell Anderson in an election cycle where both were rejected by the voters. The end result was not even close -- the challenger Boschwitz won in a 16 point landslide as all three statewide offices switched into Republican hands.
LAST GENERAL ELECTION
  PartyDemocratic Won12/30/1976
NameWendell R. "Wendy" Anderson Votes1 (100.00%)
Term12/30/1976 - 12/29/1978 Margin1 (+100.00%)
NEXT GENERAL ELECTION
  PartyRepublican Won12/30/1978
NameRudy Boschwitz Votes1 (100.00%)
Term12/30/1978 - 01/03/1979 Margin1 (+100.00%)
PRIMARY/OTHER SCHEDULE
Sep 12, 1978 MN US Senate - R Primary
Rudy Boschwitz
R 213,563
Sep 12, 1978 MN US Senate - DFL Primary
Wendell R. "Wendy" Anderson
D 503,116

CANDIDATES
Photo
Name Rudy Boschwitz (I) Sen. Wendell R. "Wendy" Anderson Sal Carlone William E. Peterson Brian J. Coyle Jean T. Brust Leonard J. Richards
PartyRepublican Democratic American Socialist Workers Public Interest Independent Workers League Libertarian
Campaign Logo
Uncertified Votes 894,092 (56.57%) 638,375 (40.39%) 23,261 (1.47%) 9,856 (0.62%) 8,083 (0.51%) 3,891 (0.25%) 2,992 (0.19%)
Margin0 (0.00%) -255,717 (-16.18%) -870,831 (-55.09%) -884,236 (-55.94%) -886,009 (-56.05%) -890,201 (-56.32%) -891,100 (-56.38%)
Predict Avg.0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Cash On Hand $-- $-- $-- $-- $-- $-- $--
Website
Entry Date 01/01/1978 01/01/1978 01/01/1978 01/01/1978 01/01/1978 01/01/1978 01/01/1978
Bar
MATCHUP POLLS (0 from 0 pollsters)
ENDORSEMENTS
Endorsements
IS Sesel
MORE CANDIDATES
Photo  
Name (W) Others  
PartyIndependent  
Campaign Logo  
Uncertified Votes 72 (0.01%)  
Margin-894,020 (-56.56%)  
Predict Avg.0.00%  
Cash On Hand $--  
Website  
Entry Date 01/01/1978  
MATCHUP POLLS (0 from 0 pollsters)
ENDORSEMENTS
Endorsements
 


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