# 1978 Minnesota State Auditor election

Elections in Minnesota :
General elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
Federal elections
Presidential elections
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
Dem
2004
Dem
2008
Dem
Rep
2012
2016
Dem
Rep
2020
Dem
Rep
2024
Dem
Rep
LMN
Senate elections
Class 1
1858
1863
1869
1875
1881
1886
1892
1899
1901 (sp)
1905
1911
1916
1922
1928
1934
1940
1946
1952
1958
1964
1970
1976
1978 (sp)
1982
1988
1994
2000
2006
2012
2018
2024
Class 2
1858
1865
1871 (sp)
1871
1877
1881 (sp)
1883
1888
1895
1901
1907
1913
1918
1923 (sp)
1924
1930
1936 (sp)
1936
1942 (sp)
1942
1948
1954
1960
1966
1972
1978
1984
1990
1996
2002
2008
2014
2018 (sp)
2020
2026
House of Representatives
1849 (Terr)
1850 (Terr)
1852 (Terr)
1854 (Terr)
1856 (Terr)
1857
1859
1860
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1929
5th sp
7th sp
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1977
7th sp
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
5th
6th
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
1st sp
2024
2026 :
State executive elections
Gubernatorial elections
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1883
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1883
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1966
1970
Secretary of State elections
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1883
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
State Auditor elections
1857
1863
1869
1875
1881
1886
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Attorney General elections
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1883
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026 :
State legislative elections
Senate elections
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1976
1980
1982
1986
1990
1992
1996
2000
2002
2006
2010
2012
2016
2020
2022
2026
House of Representatives elections
1910
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Special elections
Senate
House of Representatives :
Ballot questions
2012
Amendment 1
Amendment 2 :
Minneapolis
General elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Mayoral elections
1957
1959
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
City Council elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2023
2025
City ballot questions
Question 2 (2021) :
Saint Paul
Mayoral elections
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
vte :
The 1978 Minnesota State Auditor election was held on 7 November 1978 in order to elect the state auditor of Minnesota. Republican nominee and incumbent member of the Minnesota House of Representatives Arne Carlson defeated Democratic–Farmer–Labor nominee and incumbent state auditor Robert W. Mattson Jr. and Communist nominee Helen S. Kruth.

## General election

On election day, 7 November 1978, Republican nominee Arne Carlson won the election by a margin of 77,207 votes against his foremost opponent Democratic–Farmer–Labor nominee Robert W. Mattson Jr., thereby gaining Republican control over the office of state auditor. Carlson was sworn in as the 14th state auditor of Minnesota on 2 January 1979.

### Results

Minnesota State Auditor election, 1978 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Arne Carlson | 773,150 | 51.83 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Robert W. Mattson Jr. (incumbent) | 695,943 | 46.66 |
| | Communist | Helen S. Kruth | 22,576 | 1.51 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,491,669 | 100.00 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) |