1940 United States Senate election in Minnesota

Election

← 1934

November 5, 1940

1946 →


Nominee	Henrik Shipstead	Elmer A. Benson	John E. Regan
Party	Republican	Farmer–Labor	Democratic
Popular vote	641,049	310,875	248,658
Percentage	53.01%	25.71%	20.56%

County results
Shipstead: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Benson: 40–50%

U.S. senator before election

Henrik Shipstead
Farmer–Labor

Elected U.S. Senator

Henrik Shipstead
Republican

Elections in Minnesota

General elections

2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022

Federal elections

Presidential elections
1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 Dem 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep LMN
Senate elections
Class 1 1858 1863 1869 1875 1881 1886 1892 1899 1901 (sp) 1905 1911 1916 1922 1928 1934 1940 1946 1952 1958 1964 1970 1976 1978 (sp) 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 2024
Class 2 1858 1865 1871 (sp) 1871 1877 1881 (sp) 1883 1888 1895 1901 1907 1913 1918 1923 (sp) 1924 1930 1936 (sp) 1936 1942 (sp) 1942 1948 1954 1960 1966 1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2018 (sp) 2020 2026
House of Representatives
1849 (Terr) 1850 (Terr) 1852 (Terr) 1854 (Terr) 1856 (Terr) 1857 1859 1860 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1929 5th sp 7th sp 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1977 7th sp 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 5th 6th 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 1st sp 2024

State executive elections

Gubernatorial elections
1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970
Secretary of State elections
2010 2014 2018 2022
State Auditor elections
1934 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Attorney General elections
1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022

State legislative elections

Senate elections
1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1976 1980 1982 1986 1990 1992 1996 2000 2002 2006 2010 2012 2016 2020 2022 2026
House of Representatives elections
1910 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Special elections
Senate House of Representatives

Ballot questions

2012

Minneapolis

General elections
2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
Mayoral elections
2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
City Council elections
2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2023
City ballot questions
Question 2 (2021)

Saint Paul

Mayoral elections
2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021

The 1940 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent U.S. Senator Henrik Shipstead defected to the Republican Party of Minnesota from the Farmer–Labor Party of Minnesota, and defeated former Governor Elmer Benson of the Farmer–Labor Party and John E. Regan of the Minnesota Democratic Party to win a fourth term.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Louis Erickson
John E. O'Rourke, Former Minnesota State Representative from the 27th district (1935-1937)
John E. Regan, 1932 Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Minnesota State Representative from the 8th district (1931-1933)
Joseph Wolf

Results

Democratic primary election results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John E. Regan	50,328	52.31%
	Democratic	Joseph Wolf	20,759	21.58%
	Democratic	Louis Erickson	13,966	14.52%
	Democratic	John E. O'Rourke	11,154	11.59%
Total votes			96,207	100.00%

Farmer–Labor primary

Candidates

Declared

Elmer A. Benson, 24th Governor of Minnesota (1937-1939) and former U.S. Senator (1935-1936)
George H. Lommen, Minnesota State Senator from the 61st district since 1927

Results

Farmer–Labor primary election results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Farmer–Labor	Elmer A. Benson	79,245	61.90%
	Farmer–Labor	George H. Lommen	48,781	38.10%
Total votes			128,026	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Ben Andreen
Ray P. Chase, Former U.S. Representative (1933-1935) and 9th Minnesota State Auditor (1921-1931)
Michael Ferch
O. J. Hagen
Asher Howard, Former Minnesota State Representative from the 34th district (1917-1923)
Martin A. Nelson, 1934 and 1936 Republican gubernatorial nominee (unsuccessful)
Henrik Shipstead, Incumbent U.S. Senator since 1923
Engelberth Zeiner

Results

Republican primary election results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Henrik Shipstead (Incumbent)	168,876	51.37%
	Republican	Martin A. Nelson	97,812	29.75%
	Republican	Ray P. Chase	35,697	10.86%
	Republican	Ben Andreen	13,858	4.22%
	Republican	O. J. Hagen	5,810	1.77%
	Republican	Asher Howard	3,313	1.01%
	Republican	Michael Ferch	1,712	0.52%
	Republican	Engelberth Zeiner	1,660	0.50%
Total votes			328,738	100.00%

General election

Results

General election results^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Henrik Shipstead (Incumbent)	641,049	53.01%
	Farmer–Labor	Elmer A. Benson	310,875	25.71%
	Democratic	John E. Regan	248,658	20.56%
	Trotskyist Anti-War	Grace Holmes Carlson	8,761	0.72%
	Independent	Carl Winter	256	0.02
Total votes			1,209,343	100.00%
Majority			330,174	27.30%
	Republican gain from Farmer–Labor

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Primary Election Returns of Election held September 10, 1940" (PDF). Minnesota Legislature.
^ "General Election Returns for Minnesota - Tuesday, November Fifth, 1940" (PDF). Minnesota Legislature.

v t e (1939 ←) 1940 United States elections (→ 1941)
U.S. President	Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
U.S. Senate	Arizona California Connecticut Delaware Florida Idaho (Special) Illinois (Special) Indiana Kentucky (Special) Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Dakota Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Vermont (Special) Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
U.S. House of Representatives	Alabama 7th sp Arizona Arkansas California Colorado 3rd sp Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia 8th sp Hawaii Territory Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa 6th sp Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine 2nd sp Maryland Massachusetts Michigan 5th sp Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska 1st sp Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York 14th sp 22nd sp 31st sp North Carolina 1st sp North Dakota Ohio 7th sp 22nd sp Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee 9th (sp) Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Gubernatorial	Arizona Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maine Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Lt. Gov Missouri Lt. Gov Montana Nebraska Lt. Gov New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico North Carolina Lt. Gov North Dakota Ohio Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Washington West Virginia Wisconsin
State legislatures	Iowa Senate
General	Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Elections in Minnesota

General elections
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

State elections

Executive elections

Gubernatorial elections	1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections	1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970
Secretary of State elections	2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
State Auditor elections	1934 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Attorney General elections	1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022

Legislative elections

Senate elections	1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1976 1980 1982 1986 1990 1992 1996 2000 2002 2006 2010 2012 2016 2020 2022 2026
House of Representatives elections	1910 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024

Ballot questions

2012
- Amendment 1
- Amendment 2

Special elections: Senate; House of Representatives

Federal elections

Presidential elections

Senate elections

Class 1	1858 1863 1869 1875 1881 1886 1892 1899 1901 (sp) 1905 1911 1916 1922 1928 1934 1940 1946 1952 1958 1964 1970 1976 1978 (sp) 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018
Class 2	1858 1865 1871 (sp) 1871 1877 1881 (sp) 1883 1888 1895 1901 1907 1913 1918 1923 (sp) 1924 1930 1936 (sp) 1936 1942 (sp) 1942 1948 1954 1960 1966 1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2018 (sp) 2020

House of Representatives elections

Municipal elections

Minneapolis

General elections	2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
Mayoral elections	2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
City Council elections	2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2023

Saint Paul

Mayoral elections	2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021

v t e Notable third-party performances in United States elections
* Third party is endorsed by a major party
Presidential	1788–89* 1792* 1832 1848 1856 1860 1872* 1892 1896* 1912 1924 1948 1960 1968 1980 1992 1996
Senatorial (since 1940)	California 1940 Minnesota 1940 North Dakota 1940 Wisconsin 1940 Minnesota 1942 Minnesota 1942 Nebraska 1942 Virginia 1942 North Dakota 1944 Wisconsin 1944 California 1946 (Republican write-in) North Dakota 1946 North Dakota 1946 Tennessee 1946 Arkansas 1948 Alabama 1950 New Hampshire 1950 California 1952 Maine 1952 New York 1952 North Dakota 1952 Virginia 1952 South Carolina 1954 (Democratic write-in) Virginia 1954 Utah 1958 Virginia 1958 Virginia 1960 Virginia 1964 Mississippi 1966 Virginia 1966 Virginia 1966 Alabama 1968 Alaska 1968 Maryland 1968 New York 1968 Connecticut 1970 Mississippi 1970 New York 1970 Virginia 1970 Louisiana 1972 Florida 1974 Hawaii 1974 Nevada 1974 New York 1974 Utah 1974 Minnesota 1976 Virginia 1976 Alabama 1978 Arkansas 1978 Maine 1978 Mississippi 1978 New York 1980 Washington 1982 Tennessee 1984 Virginia 1990 Alaska 1992 Arizona 1992 Hawaii 1992 Louisiana 1992 Ohio 1992 Arizona 1994 Minnesota 1994 Ohio 1994 Vermont 1994 Virginia 1994 Alaska 1996 Minnesota 1996 Arizona 2000 Massachusetts 2000 Minnesota 2000 Alaska 2002 Kansas 2002 Massachusetts 2002 Mississippi 2002 Oklahoma 2002 Virginia 2002 Oklahoma 2004 Connecticut 2006 Indiana 2006 Maine 2006 Vermont 2006* Arkansas 2008 Idaho 2008 Minnesota 2008 Oregon 2008 Alaska 2010 (Republican write-in) Florida 2010 Indiana 2010 South Carolina 2010 Utah 2010 Indiana 2012 Maine 2012 Maryland 2012 Missouri 2012 Montana 2012 Vermont 2012* Kansas 2014 South Dakota 2014 Wyoming 2014 Alaska 2016 Arizona 2016 Idaho 2016 Indiana 2016 Kansas 2016 Maine 2018 New Mexico 2018 Vermont 2018* Alaska 2020* Arkansas 2020 Minnesota 2020 Nebraska 2020 Idaho 2022 North Dakota 2022 Utah 2022*
Gubernatorial (since 1940)	Minnesota 1940 Wisconsin 1940 Connecticut 1942 Minnesota 1942 New York 1942 Wisconsin 1942 North Dakota 1944 Wisconsin 1944 California 1946 Tennessee 1950 Maine 1952 Vermont 1952 Tennessee 1954 Nebraska 1956 Texas 1956 Utah 1956 Oklahoma 1958 Tennessee 1958 North Dakota 1960 Tennessee 1962 Virginia 1965 Alabama 1966 Georgia 1966 Idaho 1966 Maryland 1966 New York 1966 Tennessee 1966 Alabama 1970 Arkansas 1970 New Hampshire 1970 New York 1970 Mississippi 1971 New Hampshire 1972 Texas 1972 Washington 1972 Virginia 1973 Maine 1974 Nebraska 1974 Nevada 1974 Texas 1974 Vermont 1974 Vermont 1976 Alaska 1978 California 1978 Maine 1978 Rhode Island 1978 Alaska 1982 Arizona 1982 Hawaii 1982 Alaska 1986 Arizona 1986 Illinois 1986 Maine 1986 Oklahoma 1986 Vermont 1986 Utah 1988 Alaska 1990 Connecticut 1990 Kansas 1990 Maine 1990 New York 1990 Oklahoma 1990 Oregon 1990 Utah 1992 West Virginia 1992 Alaska 1994 Connecticut 1994 Hawaii 1994 Maine 1994 New Mexico 1994 Oklahoma 1994 Pennsylvania 1994 Rhode Island 1994 Vermont 1994 Alaska 1998 Maine 1998 Minnesota 1998 New York 1998 Pennsylvania 1998 Rhode Island 1998 Kentucky 1999 New Hampshire 2000 Vermont 2000 Arizona 2002 California 2002 Maine 2002 Minnesota 2002 New Mexico 2002 New York 2002 Oklahoma 2002 Vermont 2002 Wisconsin 2002 Alaska 2006 Illinois 2006 Maine 2006 Massachusetts 2006 Minnesota 2006 Texas 2006 Louisiana 2007 Vermont 2008 New Jersey 2009 Colorado 2010 Idaho 2010 Maine 2010 Massachusetts 2010 Minnesota 2010 Rhode Island 2010 Wyoming 2010 Kentucky 2011 Virginia 2013 Alaska 2014* Hawaii 2014 Maine 2014 Rhode Island 2014 Wyoming 2014 Maine 2018 Kansas 2018 Indiana 2020 Vermont 2020* Alaska 2022 Idaho 2022 Oregon 2022
Territorial Governors (since 1970)	U.S. Virgin Islands 1970 Puerto Rico 1972 District of Columbia 1974 U.S. Virgin Islands 1974 U.S. Virgin Islands 1978 Puerto Rico 1980 U.S. Virgin Islands 1986 Puerto Rico 1988 U.S. Virgin Islands 1990 U.S. Virgin Islands 1994 U.S. Virgin Islands 1998 Puerto Rico 2000 Northern Mariana Islands 2001 U.S. Virgin Islands 2002 Northern Mariana Islands 2005 U.S. Virgin Islands 2006 Northern Mariana Islands 2009 District of Columbia 2010 U.S. Virgin Islands 2010 District of Columbia 2014 Northern Mariana Islands 2014 U.S. Virgin Islands 2014 Puerto Rico 2016 District of Columbia 2018 Guam 2018 Northern Mariana Islands 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands 2018 Puerto Rico 2020 District of Columbia 2022 Northern Mariana Islands 2022 U.S. Virgin Islands 2022
State legislative	Alaska Hawaii West Virginia
Portal:Politics Third party (U.S. politics) List of third-party and independent performances in United States elections Third-party and independent members of the United States Congress