Arlan Stangeland

Arlan Ingehart Stangeland (b. February 8, 1930 in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Minnesota. As a Republican, Stangeland served on the Barnesville, Minnesota school board (1976–1977) and as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (1966–1975) before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as the representative from Minnesota's 7th congressional district in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Robert Bergland. Stangeland served in the 95th, 96th, 97th, 98th, 99th, 100th, and 101st congresses, (February 22, 1977 – January 3, 1991). He lost his campaign for reelection in the 1990 House election, due largely to a scandal, and subsequently retired from politics.

Background

He graduated from Moorhead High School in Moorhead, Minnesota in 1948. He then worked as a farmer. Stangeland was a delegate to the Minnesota State Republican conventions from 1964 to 1968.

1977 election

Stangeland sought election as a Republican to the 95th congress in a special election on February 22, 1977, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Robert Bergland, who left the House to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. In the primary on February 8, Stangeland defeated Richard Franson, "a frequent candidate who lived in Minneapolis, far from the district,""Minnesotans voting today on Bergland's House seat." Associated Press: 8 Feb. 1977.] with 97 percent of the vote.Ibid.]

Stangeland ran against the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee Michael J. Sullivan, a former Walter Mondale aide, in the general election. During the campaign one controversy erupted when Roman Catholic bishop Victor H. Balke encouraged voters in the Diocese of Crookston to vote for Sullivan, whom he described as "very pro-church," and against Stangeland, whom he described as having a "very negative" voting record in the state house.Ibid.] Stangeland campaigned "on the theme that the heavily rural northwestern Minnesota needed another farmer, like Mr. Bergland, in Congress"Ibid.] and won the election, receiving 71,251 votes to Sullivan's 43,467.Naughton, James M. "Minnesota victory elates Republicans." "New York Times": 24 Feb. 1977.] (Stangeland also defeated minor candidates Jim Born of the American Party and independent candidate Jack Bibeau)."Minnesotans voting today on Bergland's House seat."]

Stangeland's victory was a political upset. The "New York Times" headline the day after the election read "Minnesota victory elates Republicans" and attributed Stangeland's success to "his lifelong residence in the district, his roots as a farmer in a mostly rural area, and his identification as a Lutheran in an area that is predominantly Protestant".Ibid.] and said Sullivan had been "handicapped by his Roman Catholic faith and his reliance on the support of name Democrats rather than grass-roots organizations."Ibid.]

Phone calls controversy

In January 1990 it was reported that Stangeland had made several hundred long-distance phone calls from 1986 to 1987 on his House credit card to and from the residences of a female lobbyist from Virginia. Stangeland admitted that he had made the calls, acknowledged that some of them may have been personal, but denied having a romantic relationship to the woman.Apple, R.W., Jr. "In Minnesota politics, a test of character." "New York Times": 30 Oct. 1990.] Rasky, Susan F. "The 1990 elections: Four issues and how they played at the polls before uncertain voters." "New York Times": 8 Nov. 1990.] His popularity sharply dropped and Stangeland lost the 1990 election to Democrat Collin Peterson.

Stangeland is married with seven children. He is a resident of Barnesville.

References

* [http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10633 Minnesota Legislators Past and Present]