Elmer Austin Benson
| Elmer Austin Benson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 24th Governor of Minnesota | |
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In office January 4, 1937 – January 2, 1939 |
|
| Lieutenant | Gottfrid Lindsten |
| Preceded by | Hjalmar Petersen |
| Succeeded by | Harold Stassen |
|
United States Senator from Minnesota |
|
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In office December 27, 1935 – November 3, 1936 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas D. Schall |
| Succeeded by | Guy V. Howard |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 22, 1895 Appleton, Minnesota, United States |
| Died | March 13, 1985 (aged 89) Appleton, Minnesota, United States |
| Political party |
Farmer-Labor (until April 15, 1944) Democratic-Farmer-Labor (after April 15, 1944) |
| Spouse(s) | Francis Lillian Miller |
| Alma mater | William Mitchell College of Law |
| Profession | politician |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1918–1919 |
| Rank | Private |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Farmer-Labor (until April 15, 1944)
Elmer Austin Benson (September 22, 1895 – March 13, 1985) was an American lawyer and politician from Minnesota. In 1935, Elmer Benson was appointed to the U.S. Senate following the death of Thomas Schall. He served as the 24th governor of Minnesota, defeating Republican Martin Nelson in a landslide victory in Minnesota's 1936 gubernatorial election. He lost the governorship two years later following his defeat to Republican Harold Stassen in the 1938 gubernatorial election.
Born in 1895 in Appleton, Minnesota, he studied law at William Mitchell College of Law (then the St. Paul College of Law) and served for a year in the U.S. Army during World War I. Benson never practiced law after returning from active duty, choosing instead to pursue a banking and business career.
He was a close ally of Governor Floyd B. Olson, another member of the Farmer-Labor Party, who helped orchestrate Benson's political rise. Olson appointed Benson state Commissioner of Securities before choosing him to replace Thomas D. Schall in the United States Senate after Schall's death in December 1935. Benson served in the 74th congress, until November 3, 1936.
After Olson's premature death from cancer in 1936 and the interregnum of Lieutenant Governor Hjalmar Petersen, Benson stepped into the breach and was elected the 24th Governor of Minnesota by the largest margin in state history. He served as the 24th Governor of Minnesota from January 4, 1937, to January 2, 1939. He lost his bid for reelection in 1938. His defeat by a record margin in 1938 is seen as the end of the Farmer-Labor Party as an independent political force, and a setback for progressive politics in Minnesota. In 1940, he ran for the United States Senate against Henrik Shipstead, an incumbent senator who defected from the Farmer Labor Party to join the Republicans. Benson took second place, receiving 25% of the vote, in a race that also involved a Democrat, while Shipstead was reelected. He ran for the Senate for the last time in 1942, and was defeated by Republican Joseph H. Ball in a four-way race.
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