Johnson vs Dayton: Out with the Old, In with the Young?
Dayton bucked history in 2010: the younger Minnesota gubernatorial nominee has been victorious at more than twice the rate as the older nominee since statehood
The oldest governor in Minnesota history will square off against a Republican nominee nearly 20 years his junior this November.
DFLer Mark Dayton (born in 1947) will try to defeat a much younger GOP opponent for the second consecutive cycle – having narrowly dispatched with Tom Emmer (1961) four years ago.
Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson is 47 years old, while Dayton, at 67 years, 7 months, 16 days through Thursday, is already the oldest Minnesotan to serve in the position of governor by more than three years – and hopes to be the first to reach the age of 70.
Throughout Minnesota history, younger gubernatorial candidates have generally thrived on Election Day compared to their more seasoned counterparts, winning more than twice as many contests – 44 victories against 21 defeats (68 percent).
When the age difference between the major candidates has been at least 10 years, as it will be in 2014, the younger candidate has defeated the older one in 21 of 29 cycles, or 72 percent of the time.
With an age difference of 19 years, 9 months, and 16 days, the Dayton vs. Johnson matchup features the 6th biggest age gap between the top tier gubernatorial nominees across the 66 such contests in Minnesota history.
The largest age difference in a general election gubernatorial matchup in the Gopher State was in 1918 when Republican J.A.A. Burnquist (born in 1879) defeated Democrat David Evans (1852), who was 27 years his elder.
Two years prior, Burnquist was also 24 years younger than Democrat Thomas Dwyer (1852), who he also defeated.
The only other Minnesota gubernatorial contests with bigger age gaps than Johnson vs. Dayton were:
● 1986: DFLer Rudy Perpich (born 1928) and Republican Carl Ludeman (1951) at 23 years
● 1994: Republican Arne Carlson (1934) and DFLer John Marty (1956) at 22 years
● 1890: Republican William Merriam (1849) and Democrat Thomas Wilson (1827) at 22 years.
Dayton became Minnesota’s oldest governor shortly after taking office on May 12, 2011.
On that day, Dayton was 64 years, 3 months, 12 days old – one day older than Republican Arne Carlson when he left office in January 1999.
Only three other Gopher State governors have reached the age of 60 while in office:
● DFLer Rudy Perpich exited office during his second stint in 1991 at the age of 62 years, 6 months, 11 days
● Republican Samuel Van Sant left office in 1905 at 60 years, 7 months, 24 days
● Republican Harold LeVander completed his first and only term in 1971 at 60 years, 2 months, 25 days
The average age of Minnesota governors upon exiting office since statehood has been a shade over 49 years.
The advantage of youth at the ballot box has seemingly lessened in recent decades, with the older nominee winning in six of the last 14 contests: in 1960 (Elmer Andersen), 1966 (Harold LeVander), 1978 (Al Quie), 1986 (Rudy Perpich), 1994 (Arne Carlson), and 2010 (Dayton).
However, during a remarkable stretch from 1904 through 1942, the younger candidate defeated the older candidate in 19 out of 20 Minnesota gubernatorial races – even though many of these elder candidates were political heavyweights:
● 1926: Republican Theodore Christianson (born in 1883) defeated former U.S. Senator Magnus Johnson (1871)
● 1928: Christianson also defeated the older former U.S. Representative (and future U.S. Senator) Ernest Lundeen (1878)
● 1938: At just north of 30 years old, Republican Harold Stassen (1907) defeated former Governor Elmer Benson (1895)
● 1940 & 1942: Stassen defeated former Governor Hjalmer Peterson (1890)
The aforementioned Stassen holds the mark for being the youngest governor in Minnesota history to enter (31 years, 8 months, 20 days) and leave (36 years, 14 days) office.
If reelected, Dayton will be 71 years, 11 months, 12 days at the end of his second term in January 2019.
Dayton and Johnson will be joined on the ballot in November by Independence Party nominee Hannah Nicollet, Libertarian Chris Holbrook, and Grassroots candidate Chris Wright.
Oldest Governors in Minnesota History
|
Rank
|
Governor
|
Party
|
Born
|
Left Office
|
Age Left Office
|
|
1
|
Mark Dayton
|
DFL
|
Jan 26, 1947
|
In office
|
67 yrs, 7 months, 16 days
|
|
2
|
Arne Carlson
|
Republican
|
Sep 24, 1934
|
Jan 4, 1999
|
64 yrs, 3 months, 11 days
|
|
3
|
Rudy Perpich*
|
DFL
|
June 27, 1928
|
Jan 7, 1991
|
62 yrs, 6 months, 11 days
|
|
4
|
Samuel Van Sant
|
Republican
|
May 11, 1844
|
Jan 4, 1905
|
60 yrs, 7 months, 24 days
|
|
5
|
Harold LeVander
|
Republican
|
Oct 10, 1910
|
Jan 4, 1971
|
60 yrs, 2 months, 25 days
|
|
6
|
Al Quie
|
Republican
|
Sep 18, 1923
|
Jan 3, 1983
|
59 yrs, 3 months, 16 days
|
|
7
|
Luther Youngdahl
|
Republican
|
May 29, 1896
|
Sep 27, 1951
|
55 yrs, 3 months, 29 days
|
|
8
|
John Pillsbury
|
Republican
|
Jul 29, 1827
|
Jan 10, 1882
|
54 yrs, 5 months, 12 days
|
|
9
|
Elmer Andersen
|
Republican
|
June 17, 1909
|
Mar 20, 1963
|
53 yrs, 9 months, 3 days
|
|
10
|
Karl Rolvaag
|
DFL
|
July 18, 1913
|
Jan 2, 1967
|
53 yrs, 5 months, 15 days
|
|
11
|
Winfield Hammond
|
Democrat
|
Nov 17, 1863
|
Dec 30, 1915
|
52 yrs, 1 month, 13 days
|
|
12
|
David Clough
|
Republican
|
Dec 27, 1846
|
Jan 2, 1899
|
52 yrs, 6 days
|
|
13
|
Knute Nelson
|
Republican
|
Feb 2, 1843
|
Jan 31, 1895
|
51 yrs, 11 months, 29 days
|
|
14
|
Jesse Ventura
|
Reform
|
July 15, 1951
|
Jan 6, 2003
|
51 yrs, 5 months, 22 days
|
|
15
|
Lucius Hubbard
|
Republican
|
Jan 26, 1836
|
Jan 5, 1887
|
50 yrs, 11 months, 10 days
|
|
16
|
Edward Thye
|
Republican
|
Apr 26, 1896
|
Jan 8, 1947
|
50 yrs, 8 months, 13 days
|
|
17
|
Tim Pawlenty
|
Republican
|
Nov 27, 1960
|
Jan 3, 2011
|
50 yrs, 1 month, 7 days
|
|
18
|
Stephen Miller
|
Republican
|
Jan 7, 1816
|
Jan 8, 1866
|
50 yrs, 1 day
|
|
19
|
Andrew McGill
|
Republican
|
Feb 19, 1840
|
Jan 9, 1889
|
48 yrs, 10 months, 21 days
|
|
20
|
Henry Sibley
|
Democrat
|
Feb 20, 1811
|
Jan 2, 1860
|
48 yrs, 10 months, 13 days
|
|
21
|
John Johnson
|
Democrat
|
Jul 28, 1861
|
Sep 21, 1909
|
48 yrs, 1 month, 24 days
|
|
22
|
Alexander Ramsey
|
Republican
|
Sep 8, 1815
|
Jul 10, 1863
|
47 yrs, 10 months, 2 days
|
|
23
|
Theodore Christianson
|
Republican
|
Sep 12, 1883
|
Jan 6, 1931
|
47 yrs, 3 months, 25 days
|
|
24
|
Hjalmar Petersen
|
F-L
|
Jan 2, 1890
|
Jan 4, 1937
|
47 yrs, 2 days
|
|
25
|
John Lind
|
Democrat
|
Mar 25, 1854
|
Jan 7, 1901
|
46 yrs, 9 months, 13 days
|
|
26
|
Floyd Olson
|
F-L
|
Nov 13, 1891
|
Aug 22, 1936
|
44 yrs, 9 months, 9 days
|
|
27
|
Adolph Eberhart
|
Republican
|
Jun 23, 1870
|
Jan 5, 1915
|
44 yrs, 6 months, 13 days
|
|
28
|
William Marshall
|
Republican
|
Oct 17, 1825
|
Jan 9, 1870
|
44 years, 2 months, 23 days
|
|
29
|
Wendell Anderson
|
DFL
|
Feb 1, 1933
|
Dec 29, 1976
|
43 yrs, 10 months, 28 days
|
|
30
|
William Merriam
|
Republican
|
Jul 26, 1849
|
Jan 4, 1893
|
43 yrs, 5 months, 9 days
|
|
31
|
Elmer Benson
|
F-L
|
Sep 22, 1895
|
Jan 2, 1939
|
43 yrs, 3 months, 11 days
|
|
32
|
C. Elmer Anderson
|
Republican
|
Mar 16, 1912
|
Jan 5, 1955
|
42 yrs, 9 months, 20 days
|
|
33
|
Orville Freeman
|
DFL
|
May 9, 1918
|
Jan 2, 1961
|
42 yrs, 7 months, 24 days
|
|
34
|
Horace Austin
|
Republican
|
Oct 15, 1831
|
Jan 7, 1874
|
42 yrs, 2 months, 23 days
|
|
35
|
J.A.A. Burnquist
|
Republican
|
Jul 21, 1879
|
Jan 5, 1921
|
41 yrs, 5 months, 15 days
|
|
36
|
J.A.O. Preus
|
Republican
|
Aug 28, 1883
|
Jan 6, 1925
|
41 yrs, 4 months, 9 days
|
|
37
|
Henry Swift
|
Republican
|
Mar 23, 1823
|
Jan 11, 1864
|
40 yrs, 9 months, 19 days
|
|
38
|
Cushman Davis
|
Republican
|
Jun 16, 1838
|
Jan 7, 1876
|
37 yrs, 6 months, 22 days
|
|
39
|
Harold Stassen
|
Republican
|
Apr 13, 1907
|
Apr 27, 1943
|
36 yrs, 14 days
|
* Denote age Perpich left office after his second stint in 1991. Table compiled by Smart Politics.
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