Louis P. Johnson (June 30, 1876 – June 8, 1954) was an American politician who served in the Minnesota Senate from 1923 to 1931. He was a member of the Republican Party.

Louis P. Johnson
Member of the Minnesota Senate
from the 12th district
In office
January 2, 1923 – January 5, 1931
Preceded byFloyd Lindsley
Succeeded byJ.V. Weber
Personal details
Born(1876-06-30)June 30, 1876
Marshalltown, Iowa, U.S.
DiedJune 8, 1954(1954-06-08) (aged 77)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAlice
Children4
EducationLake Forest College

Early life

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Johnson was born on a farm in Marshalltown, Iowa, on June 30, 1876, and his family moved to Lincoln County, Minnesota, in 1890. He married Alice, with whom he had four children.[1]

Johnson graduated from Lake Forest College with a legal degree and was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association in 1903, and Minnesota State Bar Association in 1905.[1] He served as president of the Minnesota State Bar Association. He practiced law in Ivanhoe from 1903 to 1932, Mankato from 1932 to 1943, and Marshall from 1942 to his retirement in 1951.[2]

Johnson served as the Lincoln County attorney from 1910 to 1918.[1] He unsuccessfully ran to be a delegate for Albert B. Cummins from Minnesota's 2nd congressional district during the 1916 Republican primary.[3][4]

Career

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State Senate

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Johnson ran for a seat in the Minnesota Senate from the 12th district in the 1922 election. He placed first in the top-two primary, which eliminated incumbent senator Floyd Lindsley.[5] He defeated George Gurley in the election.[6] He narrowly defeated Charles F. Norwood in the 1926 election, in which a recount was conducted, [7][8] after spending $307.[9] He lost reelection to J.V. Weber in 1930.[10]

During Johnson's tenure in the state senate he served on the Agriculture, Civil Administration, Finance, Game and Fish, and Judiciary committees. He chaired the Temperance and Elections committees.[1] Johnson was a county delegate for Frank O. Lowden during the 1928 presidential campaign.[11][12]

In 1927, Johnson opposed launching an investigation into allegations that Thomas D. Schall used corruption in his 1924 senatorial campaign. He was a member of the five member committee that investigated Schall.[13][14] The committee unanimously supported a report ruling in favor of Schall.[15] In 1929, Johnson made a motion to expel Senator Ambrose Leo Lennon after Lennon was convicted of violating prohibition laws, but it failed.[16]

Congressional campaigns and later life

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Johnson sought the Republican nomination in the 1932 U.S. House of Representatives election, but lost in the primary. He was the first person to file for the primary.[17][18] In 1934, he defeated Paul Freidrich Dehnel for the Republican nomination in the 2nd congressional district, but placed third behind Democratic nominee Elmer Ryan and incumbent Minnesota Farmer–Labor U.S. Representative Henry M. Arens in the election.[19][20] He sought the Republican nomination in the 1936 election, but lost in the primary to Christian J. Laurisch.[21] He sought the Republican nomination in 1938, but lost in the primary to Joseph P. O'Hara.[22] He considered running as an independent in the 1940 election, but declined to do so.[23]

Johnson was speculated as a possible candidate for the 1928 U.S. Senate election[24] and for lieutenant governor or governor in the 1930 election.[25][26] He ran as the Republican nominee for mayor of Mankato in 1935, but lost to Frank J. Mahowald.[27][28] He supported Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1944 presidential election.[29] He died on June 8, 1954.[1]

Electoral history

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1922 Minnesota Senate 12th district primary[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Louis P. Johnson 3,279 38.07%
Nonpartisan George P. Gurley 2,903 33.70%
Nonpartisan Charles F. Norwood 1,659 19.26%
Nonpartisan Floyd Lindsley (incumbent) 773 8.97%
Total votes 8,614 100.00%
1922 Minnesota Senate 12th district election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Louis P. Johnson 6,152 56.95%
Nonpartisan George P. Gurley 4,650 43.05%
Total votes 10,802 100.00%
1926 Minnesota Senate 12th district election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Louis P. Johnson (incumbent) 5,225 50.17%
Nonpartisan Charles F. Norwood 5,190 49.83%
Total votes 10,415 100.00%
1930 Minnesota Senate 12th district election[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan J.V. Weber 7,102 58.89%
Nonpartisan Louis P. Johnson (incumbent) 4,957 41.11%
Total votes 12,059 100.00%
1932 United States House of Representatives in Minnesota Republican primary[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Theodore Christianson 139,680 8.08%
Republican Ray P. Chase 123,376 7.14%
Republican William I. Nolan (incumbent) 103,902 6.01%
Republican Joseph A. A. Burnquist 95,719 5.54%
Republican Harold Knutson (incumbent) 94,553 5.47%
Republican N. J. Holmberg 77,619 4.49%
Republican William Alvin Pittenger (incumbent) 76,665 4.43%
Republican Conrad Selvig (incumbent) 73,083 4.23%
Republican August H. Andresen (incumbent) 71,766 4.15%
Republican Henry Rines 70,203 4.06%
Republican Victor Christgau (incumbent) 68,583 3.97%
Republican Melvin Maas (incumbent) 68,121 3.94%
Republican Godfrey G. Goodwin (incumbent) 63,846 3.69%
Republican Elmer Adams 57,782 3.34%
Republican Milo B. Price 52,644 3.04%
Republican John H. Hougen 51,727 2.99%
Republican Charles A. Lund 47,618 2.75%
Republican Knute Knutson 44,684 2.58%
Republican J.V. Weber 43,168 2.50%
Republican Samuel A. Rask 39,121 2.26%
Republican Martin F. Falk 33,918 1.96%
Republican L.P. Johnson 32,682 1.89%
Republican Hilding Alfred Swanson 32,046 1.85%
Republican E.F. Jacobson 30,666 1.77%
Republican Ed C. Cole 26,325 1.52%
Republican John W. Johnson 26,282 1.52%
Republican Orville Nelson 24,289 1.40%
Republican Charles J. Andre 24,040 1.39%
Republican Hans Yugve 22,283 1.29%
Republican George Reimers 17,691 1.02%
Republican Roy Dalfred Modeen 14,123 0.82%
Republican Kleve J. Flake 12,807 0.74%
Total votes 1,728,976 100.00%
1934 United States House of Representatives in Minnesota 2nd congressional district Republican primary[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Louis P. Johnson 12,350 68.90%
Republican Paul Freidrich Dehnel 5,575 31.10%
Total votes 17,925 100.00%
1934 United States House of Representatives in Minnesota 2nd congressional district election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Elmer Ryan 43,677 37.23%
Farmer–Labor Henry M. Arens (incumbent) 37,663 32.11%
Republican Louis P. Johnson 35,968 30.66%
Total votes 117,308 100.00%
1936 United States House of Representatives in Minnesota 2nd congressional district Republican primary[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Christian J. Laurisch 5,449 26.45%
Republican Louis P. Johnson 4,482 21.75%
Republican Joseph P. O'Hara 4,150 20.14%
Republican F.J. Nenno 3,357 16.29%
Republican Arch D. Campbell 2,305 11.19%
Republican Paul F. Dehnel 861 4.18%
Total votes 20,604 100.00%
1938 United States House of Representatives in Minnesota 2nd congressional district Republican primary[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Joseph P. O'Hara 15,967 51.36%
Republican Louis P. Johnson 15,122 48.64%
Total votes 31,089 100.00%

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Johnson, Louis P." Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "Louis P. Johnson, Ex-Senator, Dies". Albert Lea Tribune. June 9, 1954. p. 16. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Sample Ballot". Redwood Gazette. March 8, 1916. p. 9. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Christopherson High Man". Albert Lea Tribune. March 25, 1916. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "1922 12th district primary". Minnesota Historical Election Archive Reference Library. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "1922 12th district election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive Reference Library. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "1926 12th district election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive Reference Library. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  8. ^ "Senator L.P. Johnson Wins Election Contest". Minneapolis Journal. December 15, 1926. p. 24. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Vote Contest Cases To Cost State $10,000". Albert Lea Tribune. April 14, 1927. p. 14. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b Legislative Manual 1933, pp. 371.
  11. ^ "Delegate". Star Tribune. March 18, 1928. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Lowden Forces Fail To Tie Up Clear Majority". Minneapolis Journal. March 18, 1928. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Senate Orders Quiz Of Charge Against Schall". Austin Daily Herald. March 3, 1927. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Nolan Places 3 Republicans On Committee". Star Tribune. March 4, 1927. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Unanimous Committee Report Says Schall Charges Unproved". Glenville Progress. April 28, 1927. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "State Senate Asked To Oust Mill City Man". Austin Daily Herald. January 8, 1929. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ a b Primary 1933, pp. 188–191.
  18. ^ "L.P. Johnson First to File". Minneapolis Journal. April 18, 1932. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b Primary 1935, pp. 195.
  20. ^ a b Moore, Preimesberger & Tarr 2001, pp. 1059.
  21. ^ a b Primary 1937, pp. 196.
  22. ^ a b Primary 1939, pp. 201.
  23. ^ "Mankato Attorney Quits Ryan Race". Star Tribune. October 9, 1940. p. 21. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Senator L.P. Johnson May Seek U.S. Toga". Brainerd Daily Dispatch. January 20, 1928. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Henry Rutledge to Be Lt. Governor Candidate". St. Cloud Times. December 24, 1929. p. 11. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Latest Filings Made At St. Paul". Brainerd Daily Dispatch. March 3, 1930. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Mankato to Name New Mayor Tuesday". Minneapolis Journal. March 31, 1935. p. 25. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "1935 Mankato Mayoral election". Albert Lea Tribune. April 5, 1935. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Lifelong Republican to Speak for FR". Austin Daily Herald. October 31, 1944. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

Works cited

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