1956 United States presidential election in Minnesota
The 1956 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 1956, as part of the 1956 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
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| Turnout | 83.15%[1]  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County Results
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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Minnesota was won by the Republican Party candidate, incumbent President Dwight D. Eisenhower won the state over former Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson by a margin of 101,777 votes, or 7.6%, which made Minnesota 8% more Democratic than the nation-at-large. Eisenhower went on to win the election nationally, with 457 electoral votes and a landslide 15.4% lead over Stevenson in the popular vote. The 1956 presidential election was a rematch of the 1952 election, in which Eisenhower also defeated Stevenson, both nationally and in Minnesota. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time Minnesota was carried in two consecutive elections by the Republican nominee.
The Democratic nomination campaign leading into 1956 presidential election may have had a major role in the end of the political career of Coya Knutson, the first woman to be elected to the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota. The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, in a ploy to win a possible vice presidential nomination for its rising star, U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey, desperately attempted to ensure that Stevenson would win in the DFL Presidential Primary in Minnesota that year. However, Congresswoman Knutson, believing that the agricultural policy positions of U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee would have been more beneficial to her constituents, instead endorsed and campaigned on behalf of Kefauver. In part due to Knutson's efforts, Kefauver won the March 20th Minnesota Presidential Primary; as a result, when Stevenson was ultimately nominated, Kefauver was chosen as his running mate.
Two years later, shortly before the 1958 DFL state convention, a letter signed but not written by Knutson's husband was circulated to reporters. The contents of the letter played on anxieties over deviations from the rigid gender roles of the time, and its publication by newspapers essentially ensured Knutson's defeat in her bid for re-election that year. It has been alleged by several individuals, including Concordia College political science professor Harding Noblitt, Knutson biographer Gretchen Beito, and numerous people who were close to Knutson, that either DFL state leadership or local operatives wrote the letter and bribed Knutson's husband to sign it, as a means to exact retribution against the Congresswoman for denying Humphrey a shot at the vice presidential nomination in 1956.[3]
Minnesota would not vote Republican again until Eisenhower’s running mate, Richard Nixon, won the state in his re-election bid in 1972. Since then it has become a reliably Democratic state. No Republican would get over 70% of the vote in any Minnesota county again until Donald Trump in 2016.
Results
| 1956 United States presidential election in Minnesota[4] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Dwight D. Eisenhower (incumbent) | 719,302 | 53.68% | 11 | |
| Democratic | Adlai Stevenson | 617,525 | 46.08% | 0 | |
| Industrial Government | Eric Hass | 2,080 | 0.16% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers | Farrell Dobbs | 1,098 | 0.08% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,340,005 | 100.00% | 11 | ||
| Voter turnout | 83% | — | |||
Results by county
| County | Dwight David Eisenhower Republican |
Adlai Stevenson II Democratic |
Eric Hass[5] Industrial Government |
Farrell Dobbs[5] Socialist Workers |
Margin | Total votes cast[6] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Aitkin | 2,762 | 50.18% | 2,733 | 49.65% | 3 | 0.05% | 6 | 0.11% | 29 | 0.53% | 5,504 |
| Anoka | 9,359 | 44.37% | 11,697 | 55.46% | 23 | 0.11% | 13 | 0.06% | -2,338 | -11.08% | 21,092 |
| Becker | 4,608 | 49.81% | 4,619 | 49.93% | 15 | 0.16% | 9 | 0.10% | -11 | -0.12% | 9,251 |
| Beltrami | 3,974 | 50.97% | 3,807 | 48.83% | 2 | 0.03% | 14 | 0.18% | 167 | 2.14% | 7,797 |
| Benton | 3,591 | 57.77% | 2,609 | 41.97% | 8 | 0.13% | 8 | 0.13% | 982 | 15.80% | 6,216 |
| Big Stone | 1,737 | 44.25% | 2,180 | 55.54% | 5 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.08% | -443 | -11.29% | 3,925 |
| Blue Earth | 11,398 | 67.50% | 5,467 | 32.38% | 14 | 0.08% | 7 | 0.04% | 5,931 | 35.12% | 16,886 |
| Brown | 7,965 | 72.02% | 3,067 | 27.73% | 11 | 0.10% | 16 | 0.14% | 4,898 | 44.29% | 11,059 |
| Carlton | 4,168 | 39.04% | 6,484 | 60.73% | 16 | 0.15% | 9 | 0.08% | -2,316 | -21.69% | 10,677 |
| Carver | 6,226 | 72.49% | 2,334 | 27.17% | 14 | 0.16% | 15 | 0.17% | 3,892 | 45.31% | 8,589 |
| Cass | 4,007 | 59.23% | 2,748 | 40.62% | 4 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.09% | 1,259 | 18.61% | 6,765 |
| Chippewa | 3,623 | 51.32% | 3,434 | 48.64% | 3 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 189 | 2.68% | 7,060 |
| Chisago | 3,413 | 55.47% | 2,731 | 44.38% | 4 | 0.07% | 5 | 0.08% | 682 | 11.08% | 6,153 |
| Clay | 6,783 | 52.77% | 6,057 | 47.12% | 8 | 0.06% | 7 | 0.05% | 726 | 5.65% | 12,855 |
| Clearwater | 1,464 | 40.11% | 2,171 | 59.48% | 6 | 0.16% | 9 | 0.25% | -707 | -19.37% | 3,650 |
| Cook | 1,078 | 61.67% | 668 | 38.22% | 1 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.06% | 410 | 23.46% | 1,748 |
| Cottonwood | 4,619 | 66.29% | 2,344 | 33.64% | 4 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.01% | 2,275 | 32.65% | 6,968 |
| Crow Wing | 6,657 | 54.37% | 5,556 | 45.38% | 15 | 0.12% | 15 | 0.12% | 1,101 | 8.99% | 12,243 |
| Dakota | 13,112 | 50.74% | 12,672 | 49.04% | 35 | 0.14% | 20 | 0.08% | 440 | 1.70% | 25,839 |
| Dodge | 3,205 | 63.78% | 1,814 | 36.10% | 4 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,391 | 27.68% | 5,025 |
| Douglas | 5,114 | 54.87% | 4,194 | 45.00% | 7 | 0.08% | 5 | 0.05% | 920 | 9.87% | 9,320 |
| Faribault | 6,886 | 65.80% | 3,554 | 33.96% | 22 | 0.21% | 3 | 0.03% | 3,332 | 31.84% | 10,465 |
| Fillmore | 7,004 | 67.09% | 3,427 | 32.83% | 5 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.04% | 3,577 | 34.26% | 10,440 |
| Freeborn | 7,632 | 51.63% | 7,138 | 48.29% | 7 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.03% | 494 | 3.34% | 14,781 |
| Goodhue | 9,365 | 65.25% | 4,969 | 34.62% | 12 | 0.08% | 7 | 0.05% | 4,396 | 30.63% | 14,353 |
| Grant | 2,064 | 49.41% | 2,107 | 50.44% | 5 | 0.12% | 1 | 0.02% | -43 | -1.03% | 4,177 |
| Hennepin | 183,248 | 55.01% | 149,341 | 44.83% | 266 | 0.08% | 257 | 0.08% | 33,907 | 10.18% | 333,112 |
| Houston | 4,538 | 67.93% | 2,133 | 31.93% | 6 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,405 | 36.00% | 6,680 |
| Hubbard | 2,453 | 62.69% | 1,454 | 37.16% | 2 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.10% | 999 | 25.53% | 3,913 |
| Isanti | 2,348 | 47.35% | 2,605 | 52.53% | 2 | 0.04% | 4 | 0.08% | -257 | -5.18% | 4,959 |
| Itasca | 6,408 | 42.22% | 8,737 | 57.56% | 12 | 0.08% | 21 | 0.14% | -2,329 | -15.34% | 15,178 |
| Jackson | 3,543 | 52.23% | 3,232 | 47.64% | 7 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.03% | 311 | 4.58% | 6,784 |
| Kanabec | 1,950 | 52.80% | 1,736 | 47.01% | 3 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.11% | 214 | 5.79% | 3,693 |
| Kandiyohi | 5,445 | 44.25% | 6,834 | 55.54% | 14 | 0.11% | 12 | 0.10% | -1,389 | -11.29% | 12,305 |
| Kittson | 1,569 | 41.31% | 2,222 | 58.50% | 3 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.11% | -653 | -17.19% | 3,798 |
| Koochiching | 2,757 | 42.65% | 3,695 | 57.15% | 6 | 0.09% | 7 | 0.11% | -938 | -14.51% | 6,465 |
| Lac qui Parle | 3,276 | 53.63% | 2,826 | 46.27% | 4 | 0.07% | 2 | 0.03% | 450 | 7.37% | 6,108 |
| Lake | 2,055 | 39.96% | 3,079 | 59.87% | 6 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.06% | -1,024 | -19.91% | 5,143 |
| Lake of the Woods | 723 | 40.69% | 1,048 | 58.98% | 3 | 0.17% | 3 | 0.17% | -325 | -18.29% | 1,777 |
| Le Sueur | 5,026 | 58.45% | 3,556 | 41.35% | 11 | 0.13% | 6 | 0.07% | 1,470 | 17.10% | 8,599 |
| Lincoln | 2,060 | 46.92% | 2,316 | 52.76% | 10 | 0.23% | 4 | 0.09% | -256 | -5.83% | 4,390 |
| Lyon | 5,188 | 55.27% | 4,190 | 44.64% | 2 | 0.02% | 6 | 0.06% | 998 | 10.63% | 9,386 |
| Mahnomen | 875 | 36.58% | 1,513 | 63.25% | 2 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.08% | -638 | -26.67% | 2,392 |
| Marshall | 2,519 | 41.93% | 3,478 | 57.90% | 8 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.03% | -959 | -15.96% | 6,007 |
| Martin | 8,152 | 71.16% | 3,289 | 28.71% | 9 | 0.08% | 6 | 0.05% | 4,863 | 42.45% | 11,456 |
| McLeod | 6,743 | 68.61% | 3,068 | 31.22% | 13 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.04% | 3,675 | 37.39% | 9,828 |
| Meeker | 4,738 | 58.52% | 3,348 | 41.35% | 7 | 0.09% | 4 | 0.05% | 1,390 | 17.17% | 8,097 |
| Mille Lacs | 3,315 | 55.80% | 2,619 | 44.08% | 3 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.07% | 696 | 11.72% | 5,941 |
| Morrison | 5,042 | 51.84% | 4,653 | 47.84% | 17 | 0.17% | 15 | 0.15% | 389 | 4.00% | 9,727 |
| Mower | 9,570 | 50.66% | 9,219 | 48.80% | 87 | 0.46% | 14 | 0.07% | 351 | 1.86% | 18,890 |
| Murray | 3,261 | 54.61% | 2,695 | 45.13% | 6 | 0.10% | 9 | 0.15% | 566 | 9.48% | 5,971 |
| Nicollet | 5,322 | 66.81% | 2,636 | 33.09% | 4 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.05% | 2,686 | 33.72% | 7,966 |
| Nobles | 5,196 | 56.23% | 4,036 | 43.67% | 7 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.02% | 1,160 | 12.55% | 9,241 |
| Norman | 2,338 | 46.01% | 2,740 | 53.93% | 2 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.02% | -402 | -7.91% | 5,081 |
| Olmsted | 13,789 | 65.62% | 7,172 | 34.13% | 38 | 0.18% | 13 | 0.06% | 6,617 | 31.49% | 21,012 |
| Otter Tail | 12,764 | 65.88% | 6,571 | 33.91% | 21 | 0.11% | 19 | 0.10% | 6,193 | 31.96% | 19,375 |
| Pennington | 2,408 | 44.93% | 2,947 | 54.99% | 2 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.04% | -539 | -10.06% | 5,359 |
| Pine | 3,204 | 45.50% | 3,829 | 54.38% | 4 | 0.06% | 4 | 0.06% | -625 | -8.88% | 7,041 |
| Pipestone | 3,362 | 60.76% | 2,165 | 39.13% | 3 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.05% | 1,197 | 21.63% | 5,533 |
| Polk | 6,847 | 46.10% | 7,980 | 53.73% | 14 | 0.09% | 12 | 0.08% | -1,133 | -7.63% | 14,853 |
| Pope | 2,725 | 51.33% | 2,577 | 48.54% | 6 | 0.11% | 1 | 0.02% | 148 | 2.79% | 5,309 |
| Ramsey | 80,701 | 47.74% | 87,784 | 51.93% | 377 | 0.22% | 177 | 0.10% | -7,083 | -4.19% | 169,039 |
| Red Lake | 782 | 33.35% | 1,555 | 66.31% | 7 | 0.30% | 1 | 0.04% | -773 | -32.96% | 2,345 |
| Redwood | 5,956 | 66.13% | 3,039 | 33.74% | 5 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.07% | 2,917 | 32.39% | 9,006 |
| Renville | 5,728 | 57.52% | 4,213 | 42.31% | 7 | 0.07% | 10 | 0.10% | 1,515 | 15.21% | 9,958 |
| Rice | 8,471 | 65.24% | 4,489 | 34.57% | 14 | 0.11% | 10 | 0.08% | 3,982 | 30.67% | 12,984 |
| Rock | 3,267 | 67.19% | 1,591 | 32.72% | 2 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,676 | 34.47% | 4,862 |
| Roseau | 1,901 | 38.23% | 3,062 | 61.57% | 1 | 0.02% | 9 | 0.18% | -1,161 | -23.35% | 4,973 |
| Saint Louis | 39,902 | 38.84% | 62,190 | 60.54% | 529 | 0.51% | 102 | 0.10% | -22,288 | -21.70% | 102,723 |
| Scott | 4,148 | 54.59% | 3,431 | 45.16% | 11 | 0.14% | 8 | 0.11% | 717 | 9.44% | 7,598 |
| Sherburne | 2,681 | 59.75% | 1,796 | 40.03% | 7 | 0.16% | 3 | 0.07% | 885 | 19.72% | 4,487 |
| Sibley | 4,737 | 69.23% | 2,099 | 30.68% | 3 | 0.04% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,638 | 38.56% | 6,842 |
| Stearns | 17,364 | 63.70% | 9,829 | 36.06% | 36 | 0.13% | 28 | 0.10% | 7,535 | 27.64% | 27,257 |
| Steele | 6,435 | 65.91% | 3,293 | 33.73% | 30 | 0.31% | 6 | 0.06% | 3,142 | 32.18% | 9,764 |
| Stevens | 2,606 | 58.83% | 1,822 | 41.13% | 2 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 784 | 17.70% | 4,430 |
| Swift | 2,637 | 41.43% | 3,720 | 58.44% | 6 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,083 | -17.01% | 6,365 |
| Todd | 5,075 | 56.51% | 3,882 | 43.22% | 16 | 0.18% | 8 | 0.09% | 1,193 | 13.28% | 8,981 |
| Traverse | 1,467 | 45.87% | 1,724 | 53.91% | 4 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.09% | -257 | -8.04% | 3,198 |
| Wabasha | 4,728 | 66.89% | 2,301 | 32.56% | 32 | 0.45% | 7 | 0.10% | 2,427 | 34.34% | 7,068 |
| Wadena | 3,028 | 63.52% | 1,733 | 36.35% | 3 | 0.06% | 3 | 0.06% | 1,295 | 27.17% | 4,767 |
| Waseca | 4,663 | 67.69% | 2,215 | 32.15% | 9 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.03% | 2,448 | 35.53% | 6,889 |
| Washington | 9,562 | 56.06% | 7,462 | 43.75% | 21 | 0.12% | 11 | 0.06% | 2,100 | 12.31% | 17,056 |
| Watonwan | 3,963 | 67.62% | 1,886 | 32.18% | 8 | 0.14% | 4 | 0.07% | 2,077 | 35.44% | 5,861 |
| Wilkin | 2,335 | 55.36% | 1,881 | 44.59% | 2 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 454 | 10.76% | 4,218 |
| Winona | 9,743 | 61.30% | 6,048 | 38.05% | 70 | 0.44% | 32 | 0.20% | 3,695 | 23.25% | 15,893 |
| Wright | 7,257 | 59.42% | 4,944 | 40.48% | 5 | 0.04% | 7 | 0.06% | 2,313 | 18.94% | 12,213 |
| Yellow Medicine | 3,594 | 51.21% | 3,416 | 48.67% | 7 | 0.10% | 1 | 0.01% | 178 | 2.54% | 7,018 |
| Totals | 719,302 | 53.68% | 617,525 | 46.08% | 2,080 | 0.16% | 1,098 | 0.08% | 101,777 | 7.60% | 1,340,005 |
Notes
- Although he was born in Texas and grew up in Kansas before his military career, at the time of his election Eisenhower was president of Columbia University and was, officially, a resident of New York. During his first term as president, he moved his private residence to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and officially changed his residency to Pennsylvania.[2]
References
- "Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State". www.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- "The Presidents". David Leip. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
Eisenhower's home state for the 1956 Election was Pennsylvania
- "Coya's story". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- "1956 Presidential Election Results, 1956". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- Our Campaigns; MN US President Race, November 06, 1956
- Scammon, Richard M. (compiler); America at the Polls: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics 1920-1964; pp. 238-239 ISBN 0405077114
