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Ventura: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Coleman: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Humphrey: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Other: 40–50% 60–70% Tie: 30–40% 40–50% 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Minnesota |
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The 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura defeated Republican Party challenger Norm Coleman and Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party challenger Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III. Ventura governed with a DFL-controlled state Senate and a Republican-controlled state House. As of 2024, this is the only time that a Reform Party candidate has been elected to statewide office.
Ventura's victory as a third-party candidate was considered a historic major upset. He ran on the Reform Party ticket, a party which had been founded by two-time presidential candidate Ross Perot who had received 24% of the vote in Minnesota in the 1992 presidential election and 12% in the 1996 election.[1]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Skip Humphrey | 182,562 | 36.95% | |
Democratic (DFL) | Mike Freeman | 93,714 | 18.97% | |
Democratic (DFL) | Doug Johnson | 91,888 | 18.60% | |
Democratic (DFL) | Mark Dayton | 88,070 | 17.83% | |
Democratic (DFL) | Ted Mondale | 36,237 | 7.33% | |
Democratic (DFL) | Ole Savior | 1,598 | 0.32% | |
Total votes | 494,069 | 100% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Norm Coleman | 127,957 | 91.32% | |
Republican | Bill Dahn | 12,167 | 8.68% | |
Total votes | 140,124 | 100 |
Ventura ran unopposed in his party's primary.
Minnesota Legislative Manual [6]
Humphrey was seen as the initial favorite, having scored a $6 billion dollar settlement with the tobacco industry in May of that year.[7] The DFL primary saw candidates mostly focusing on issues, rather than attacking Humphrey. Humphrey had lost the party's endorsement to Mike Freeman. The primary was nicknamed the "My Three Sons" campaign, owing to the political pedigree of three of the candidates, and Mark Dayton, heir to the Dayton fortune.[8] Humphrey was endorsed by the Star Tribune in the run up to November.
Coleman started as a strong challenger to Humphrey. Coleman received the Republican endorsement over more conservative candidates Allen Quist and Joanne Benson. Coleman ran as a social conservative, opposing abortion and gay marriage. He also campaigned on using the state's budget surplus to cut taxes, as well as expanding the state's school choice program to include school vouchers.[9]
Ventura spent around $300,000 and combined it with an aggressive grassroots campaign that featured a statewide bus tour, pioneered use of the Internet for political purposes, and aired quirky TV ads designed by Bill Hillsman, who forged the phrase "Don't vote for politics as usual."[10] Unable to afford many television ads, Ventura mainly focused on televised debates and public appearances, preaching his brand of libertarian politics. His speech at a parade in rural Minnesota during the summer attracted what organizers of the annual event described as one of its largest audiences. He ran on cutting taxes, reducing state government, and reducing public school classroom sizes to a 17 to 1 ratio. He also supported a public debate on the viability of legalized prostitution.[11]
A poll taken in June showed that Coleman would defeat any other Democratic candidate than Humphrey; Humphrey would defeat Coleman 44% to 34%. However, Ventura polled in the double digits. No other candidate in the Reform Party's brief history in Minnesota has received more than 5 percent of the votes in a statewide election.[12] Following the primary election in September, a poll on October 20 showed Humphrey leading 35% to Coleman (34%) and Ventura (21%). But the Star Tribune poll suggested that Ventura's surge with the voters had come mostly at Humphrey's expense. Since the primary, Humphrey's support among likely voters had dropped by 14 percentage points, while Coleman's had increased by 5 percentage points.[13][dead link]
No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Reform | Republican | Democratic |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||
Jesse Ventura | Norm Coleman | Skip Humphrey | |||||
1 | Oct. 1, 1998 | League of Women Voters | Judy Duffy | C-SPAN | P | P | P |
2 | Oct. 16, 1998 | League of Women Voters | Catherine Severin | C-SPAN | P | P | P |
3 | Oct. 24, 1998 | KARE (TV), KMSP-TV, KSTP-TV & KTCA |
Ken Stone | Twin Cities PBS | P | P | P |
4 | Oct. 30, 1998 | Insight News, KMOJ, KTCA-TV, MPR & Star Tribune |
Karen Louise Boothe Lori Sturdevant |
C-SPAN | P | P | P |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reform | Jesse Ventura | 773,713 | 36.99% | New | |
Republican | Norm Coleman | 717,350 | 34.29% | −29.04% | |
Democratic (DFL) | Skip Humphrey | 587,528 | 28.09% | −6.02% | |
Green | Ken Pentel | 7,034 | 0.34% | n/a | |
Libertarian | Frank Germann | 1,932 | 0.09% | −0.80% | |
Grassroots | Chris Wright | 1,727 | 0.08% | −1.12% | |
People's Champion | Fancy Ray McCloney | 919 | 0.04% | n/a | |
Socialist Workers | Thomas Fiske | 787 | 0.04% | −0.14% | |
Write-ins | 776 | n/a | |||
Majority | 56,363 | 2.69% | |||
Turnout | 2,091,766 | 60% | |||
Reform gain from Republican | Swing |
County | Coleman | Votes | Humphrey | Votes | Ventura | Votes | Others | Votes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aitkin | 31.6% | 2,447 | 30.3% | 2,347 | 37.4% | 2,897 | 0.6% | 47 |
Anoka | 29.3% | 37,111 | 19.7% | 24,975 | 50.7% | 64,100 | 0.3% | 363 |
Becker | 41.4% | 5,030 | 35.7% | 4,349 | 22.4% | 2,721 | 0.5% | 62 |
Beltrami | 39.8% | 5,872 | 35.9% | 5,289 | 23.0% | 3,387 | 1.3% | 195 |
Benton | 33.2% | 4,388 | 20.8% | 2,750 | 45.6% | 6,027 | 0.4% | 47 |
Big Stone | 31.9% | 912 | 40.0% | 1,144 | 27.5% | 786 | 0.5% | 15 |
Blue Earth | 30.9% | 7,031 | 24.9% | 5,666 | 43.8% | 9,973 | 0.6% | 111 |
Brown | 45.2% | 5,150 | 21.2% | 2,417 | 33.3% | 3,794 | 0.4% | 44 |
Carlton | 31.0% | 3,929 | 42.9% | 5,439 | 25.5% | 3,226 | 0.6% | 70 |
Carver | 39.9% | 11,479 | 16.1% | 4,621 | 43.8% | 12,606 | 0.3% | 88 |
Cass | 42.0% | 4,781 | 28.9% | 3,288 | 28.7% | 3,268 | 0.5% | 55 |
Chippewa | 28.3% | 1,721 | 34.0% | 2,064 | 37.4% | 2,271 | 0.3% | 19 |
Chisago | 28.0% | 5,376 | 18.9% | 3,621 | 52.8% | 10,138 | 0.4% | 71 |
Clay | 34.7% | 6,200 | 43.5% | 7,766 | 21.8% | 3,797 | 0.5% | 91 |
Clearwater | 44.8% | 1,439 | 35.0% | 1,124 | 19.5% | 625 | 0.7% | 24 |
Cook | 38.6% | 1,010 | 39.6% | 1,046 | 18.0% | 474 | 3.8% | 100 |
Cottonwood | 39.6% | 2,420 | 30.8% | 1,884 | 29.2% | 1,788 | 0.5% | 29 |
Crow Wing | 39.7% | 9,559 | 26.0% | 6,257 | 33.9% | 8,162 | 0.4% | 104 |
Dakota | 37.3% | 56,242 | 22.0% | 33,253 | 40.4% | 60,909 | 0.3% | 484 |
Dodge | 37.4% | 2,619 | 21.2% | 1,484 | 41.0% | 2,867 | 0.4% | 27 |
Douglas | 42.1% | 6,323 | 23.3% | 3,503 | 34.3% | 5,162 | 0.3% | 41 |
Faribault | 34.2% | 2,778 | 29.3% | 2,382 | 36.0% | 2,923 | 0.4% | 34 |
Fillmore | 39.7% | 3,359 | 33.4% | 2,823 | 26.2% | 2,219 | 0.7% | 56 |
Freeborn | 39.5% | 5,463 | 33.3% | 4,605 | 26.9% | 3,706 | 0.5% | 65 |
Goodhue | 33.9% | 6,786 | 22.7% | 4,547 | 43.0% | 8,610 | 0.5% | 92 |
Grant | 30.6% | 1,055 | 31.6% | 1,089 | 37.5% | 1,294 | 0.3% | 10 |
Hennepin | 31.9% | 155,311 | 30.2% | 147,059 | 36.9% | 179,954 | 1.0% | 4,778 |
Houston | 48.8% | 3,616 | 37.7% | 2,797 | 12.0% | 891 | 1.5% | 111 |
Hubbard | 42.6% | 3,697 | 30.1% | 2,609 | 26.7% | 2,317 | 0.7% | 57 |
Isanti | 27.3% | 3,719 | 19.6% | 2,665 | 52.9% | 7,209 | 0.3% | 36 |
Itasca | 37.8% | 7,181 | 41.6% | 7,911 | 19.8% | 3,768 | 0.8% | 143 |
Jackson | 34.9% | 1,796 | 33.5% | 1,728 | 31.1% | 1,605 | 0.5% | 24 |
Kanabec | 29.0% | 1,895 | 21.1% | 1,374 | 49.6% | 3,238 | 0.3% | 17 |
Kandiyohi | 34.5% | 6,287 | 29.3% | 5,337 | 35.9% | 6,530 | 0.2% | 45 |
Kittson | 32.2% | 757 | 50.3% | 1,185 | 16.5% | 389 | 1.0% | 23 |
Koochiching | 46.4% | 2,721 | 34.9% | 2,347 | 18.1% | 1,064 | 0.56% | 31 |
Lac Qui | 27.6% | 1,133 | 39.5% | 1,621 | 32.4% | 1,330 | 0.4% | 16 |
Lake | 30.1% | 1,766 | 42.2% | 2,472 | 26.4% | 1,545 | 1.3% | 75 |
LOTW | 41.5% | 837 | 42.2% | 852 | 14.3% | 288 | 2.1% | 41 |
Le Sueur | 30.4% | 3,582 | 22.2% | 2,614 | 47.1% | 5,551 | 0.3% | 35 |
Lincoln | 36.4% | 1,129 | 36.7% | 1,136 | 26.3% | 815 | 0.6% | 18 |
Lyon | 39.1% | 4,043 | 28.7% | 2,966 | 31.7% | 3,277 | 0.6% | 66 |
McLeod | 30.9% | 4,754 | 15.9% | 2,449 | 52.8% | 8,126 | 0.3% | 50 |
Mahnomen | 41.8% | 821 | 36.5% | 716 | 20.7% | 406 | 1.1% | 21 |
Marshall | 40.5% | 1,959 | 41.5% | 2,008 | 17.2% | 834 | 0.8% | 38 |
Martin | 38.8% | 3,676 | 26.7% | 2,534 | 34.2% | 3,243 | 0.2% | 23 |
Meeker | 31.3% | 3,320 | 19.7% | 2,083 | 48.6% | 5,153 | 0.4% | 39 |
Mille Lacs | 31.0% | 2,898 | 21.4% | 1,998 | 47.2% | 4,404 | 0.4% | 39 |
Morrison | 40.6% | 5,377 | 21.9% | 2,899 | 37.0% | 4,905 | 0.6% | 78 |
Mower | 34.9% | 5,529 | 39.3% | 6,234 | 25.2% | 3,990 | 0.7% | 111 |
Murray | 38.7% | 1,819 | 34.5% | 1,620 | 26.2% | 1,233 | 0.6% | 30 |
Nicollet | 33.2% | 4,345 | 25.9% | 3,384 | 40.3% | 5,272 | 0.6% | 78 |
Nobles | 39.0% | 3,265 | 31.8% | 2,664 | 28.7% | 2,404 | 0.4% | 34 |
Norman | 31.4% | 1,024 | 49.7% | 1,621 | 18.3% | 596 | 0.6% | 19 |
Olmsted | 42.7% | 19,480 | 26.8% | 12,205 | 30.1% | 13,710 | 0.4% | 199 |
Otter Tail | 45.0% | 10,785 | 29.1% | 6,982 | 25.3% | 6,069 | 0.5% | 116 |
Pennington | 38.8% | 2,226 | 39.3% | 2,253 | 21.4% | 1,226 | 0.6% | 35 |
Pine | 26.9% | 2,869 | 25.6% | 2,730 | 47.1% | 5,027 | 0.4% | 48 |
Pipestone | 46.8% | 2,127 | 35.7% | 1,621 | 16.6% | 752 | 0.9% | 43 |
Polk | 40.7% | 2,347 | 43.5% | 4,462 | 15.5% | 1,699 | 0.4% | 44 |
Pope | 33.6% | 1,954 | 32.9% | 1,738 | 36.1% | 2,099 | 0.3% | 17 |
Ramsey | 32.4% | 69,240 | 32.1% | 68,619 | 34.6% | 73,993 | 0.8% | 1,714 |
Red Lake | 39.6% | 842 | 43.3% | 920 | 16.0% | 339 | 1.1% | 24 |
Redwood | 42.8% | 3,140 | 22.5% | 1,654 | 34.5% | 2,533 | 0.2% | 17 |
Renville | 30.7% | 2,514 | 25.4% | 2,079 | 43.7% | 3,583 | 0.3% | 24 |
Rice | 29.7% | 6,732 | 28.5% | 6,518 | 41.3% | 9,444 | 0.7% | 170 |
Rock | 47.7% | 1,832 | 36.1% | 1,384 | 15.5% | 596 | 0.7% | 25 |
Roseau | 49.8% | 2,975 | 31.2% | 1,863 | 18.1% | 1,081 | 1.0% | 57 |
St. Louis | 28.1% | 24,439 | 47.3% | 41,208 | 23.8% | 20,682 | 0.8% | 17 |
Scott | 34.9% | 12,075 | 16.7% | 5,787 | 48.1% | 16,612 | 0.3% | 97 |
Sherburne | 32.1% | 8,139 | 16.4% | 4,163 | 51.2% | 13,004 | 0.3% | 73 |
Sibley | 32.1% | 2,261 | 17.9% | 1,262 | 49.7% | 3,497 | 0.3% | 24 |
Stearns | 38.5% | 20,731 | 21.7% | 11,696 | 39.2% | 21,116 | 0.6% | 320 |
Steele | 38.5% | 5,399 | 21.6% | 3,022 | 39.7% | 5,559 | 0.3% | 37 |
Stevens | 40.7% | 2,052 | 29.9% | 1,507 | 28.9% | 1,455 | 0.5% | 25 |
Swift | 26.7% | 1,410 | 35.1% | 1,852 | 38.0% | 2,006 | 0.2% | 11 |
Todd | 39.3% | 4,293 | 22.4% | 2,426 | 37.9% | 4,146 | 0.5% | 60 |
Traverse | 34.2% | 733 | 33.7% | 721 | 31.5% | 674 | 0.7% | 14 |
Wabasha | 35.8% | 3,363 | 23.6% | 2,221 | 40.2% | 3,776 | 0.4% | 41 |
Wadena | 43.1% | 2,563 | 25.9% | 1,537 | 30.3% | 1,782 | 1.1% | 63 |
Waseca | 35.8% | 3,064 | 22.3% | 1,904 | 41.4% | 3,543 | 0.5% | 42 |
Washington | 35.8% | 32,565 | 22.2% | 20,205 | 41.7% | 37,910 | 0.3% | 300 |
Watonwan | 33.4% | 1,711 | 27.9% | 1,429 | 38.3% | 1,965 | 0.4% | 19 |
Wilkin | 43.2% | 1,181 | 32.6% | 892 | 23.4% | 639 | 0.8% | 22 |
Winona | 42.9% | 7,856 | 33.7% | 6,176 | 22.1% | 4,039 | 1.3% | 235 |
Wright | 32.1% | 11,957 | 16.2% | 6,027 | 51.4% | 19,124 | 0.3% | 106 |
Yellow | 29.8% | 1,628 | 33.7% | 1,838 | 36.0% | 1,966 | 0.5% | 25 |
Totals | 34.29% | 717,350 | 28.09% | 587,528 | 36.99% | 773,713 | 0.63% | 13,175 |
((cite web))
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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