Perpich was the appointed (unelected) incumbent in 1978 when after Wendy
Anderson struck his deal with Perpich, then Lt. Gov., to resign the
governorship, raising Perpich to Governor in exchange for Perpich appointing
him to the US Senate seat vacated by Mondale's election to the Vice
Presidency in 1976.
The 1978 election became notorious as the Minnesota Massacre because the DFL
was rousted in all three major statewide offices: both US Senate seats and
the Governor's office. Hubert Humphrey had died and his wife, Muriel had
been appointed to fill the seat until the next regular election. She
demurred at actually running to fill his remaining term, so both Senate
seats came up for election in 1978.
Anderson's "self-annointing" appointment ruined his political career, and he
lost to Dave Durenberger, a corporate lawyer with no elective experience. An
internecine bloodbath occurred at the same time with conservative/prolife
DFLer and Leamington Hotel owner Bob Short going tooth and nail after
DFL-endorsed liberal Congressman Don Fraser. Using his huge wealth and
playing the 8th District anger over gun control to "Dump Fraser", he won the
primary, but lost handily to another newcomer, plywood retailer Rudy
Boschwitz. Perpich was controversial, considered a little nuts for some of
his ideas for curtailing costs in government (no new office furniture, etc.)
and, when combined with the Anderson appointment deal, found himself on the
short end of his contest with 1st District Congressman Al Quie, a moderate
to conservative oldtimer. (DFLer Tim Penny took Quie's old seat in a strange
twist for a bad year for DFLers.)
The DFL was devastated.
Four years later, Perpich came roaring back to defeat the DFL-endorsed
darling, Warren Spannaus, in a bitter primary and went on to defeat Quie
after a Quie showed nothing in managing the state's tax policy.
Enough for now?
Andy Driscoll
--
"Whatever keeps you from your work is your work."
Albert Camus
The Driscoll Group/Communications
Writing/Graphics/Strategic Development
1595 Selby Ave./Suite 206
St. Paul, MN 55104
651-649-1188/Fax:651-645-3169
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.driscollgroup.com
> From: "Steven C. Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 17:55:10 -0500
> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: history
>
> At 12:52 PM 9/15/2000 -0500, Richard Chandler wrote:
>>
>> Oh, and since most email tools will mess this up, I set the font to 10 pt
>> Courier and it all lines up.
>
> Came through totally unreadable anyway - nice try! I think you need to
> restrict the width more.
>
> Here are some I know:
> 1982 Senate race: Dayton vs Durenburger. The most expensive US Senate race
> to date - until Dayton ran again this year.
>
> Governor races: (victor on left.)
> 1994: Carlson vs John Marty. Bit of a landslide.
> 1990: Carlson vs Perpich.
> 1986: Perpich vs Cal Ludeman
> 1982: Perpich vs Wheelock Whitney
> 1978: Al Quie vs Rudy Perpich
> 1974: Wendell Anderson (DFL) vs John Johnson (R). Huge landslide.
>
> Hey, I thought that Rudy Perpich was governor twice. When was the first time?
>
> --
> Steven C. Anderson 612-722-6658 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> The Independence Party Candidate for Minnesota Senate, District 62
> http://www.SteveAnderson.org/
>
>
