PolitiFinder

1936 Minnesota Gubernatorial Election

Minnesota · 2 candidates · See every 1936 Governor race

Who won the 1936 Minnesota Gubernatorial Election?

Elmer Austin Benson won the 1936 Minnesota Gubernatorial Election. Elmer Austin Benson received 680,342 popular votes (60.74%). The main challenger was Martin A. Nelson (38.55%).

See the full head-to-head between Benson and Nelson

Benson +22.2 pts · won by 248,501 votes
Elmer Austin BensonDemocraticWINNER60.74%
680,342 votes
Martin A. NelsonRepublican38.55%
431,841 votes
Popular-vote totals for governor elections are compiled from official state results (via Wikipedia); Louisiana shows the decisive round of its jungle primary.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.