Representative Einar Hoidale

Einar Hoidale (August 17, 1870 – December 5, 1952) was an American lawyer, newspaper editor, and elected official who served as a Representative from Minnesota in the United States Congress from 1933 to 1935. A member of the Democratic Party, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in office, representing his constituents during a significant period in American history in the early years of the New Deal.

Hoidale was born on August 17, 1870, in Tromsø, Troms, Norway, the son of Andrew Hoidale and Dorthea (Lund) Hoidale. He immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of seven, settling in Minnesota, where he grew up in the developing communities of the Upper Midwest. His early experience as an immigrant in a largely rural state shaped his later professional and political interests, particularly his engagement with local public affairs and the concerns of small-town residents.

By 1890, Hoidale had entered the field of journalism, serving as editor of the Western Guard newspaper in Madison, Minnesota. His work as a newspaper editor placed him at the center of civic discourse in his community and provided an avenue for engagement with political and legal issues. Seeking formal legal training, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota Law School, from which he graduated in 1898. That same year he was admitted to the bar of the State of Minnesota and commenced the practice of law.

Hoidale began his legal career in New Ulm, Minnesota, where he entered into practice with attorney Henry Northrup Somsen (1875–1955). He quickly moved into public service, serving as prosecuting attorney for Brown County, Minnesota, from 1900 to 1906. In addition to his county responsibilities, he served as judge advocate for the Minnesota State Militia from 1900 to 1908, combining legal expertise with quasi-military administrative duties. Through these roles he developed a reputation as a capable lawyer and public official, which laid the groundwork for his later statewide and national political ambitions.

A committed Democrat in a state often dominated by other parties, Hoidale emerged as a prominent candidate for higher office. He was the Democratic Party candidate for the United States Senate from Minnesota in 1930. In that election he participated in a highly competitive three-way race involving the Republican and Farmer–Labor parties, reflecting the complex partisan landscape of Minnesota in the early twentieth century. Hoidale came in second place, narrowly losing to Republican incumbent Thomas Schall, but finishing ahead of former Congressman and future senator Ernest Lundeen, the Farmer–Labor Party candidate.

Hoidale’s most significant federal service came in the House of Representatives. He was elected at-large to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat and served in the 73rd Congress from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1935. His term coincided with the opening phase of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, a period of intense legislative activity in response to the Great Depression. As a member of the House of Representatives, Einar Hoidale participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Minnesota constituents during this transformative era in American economic and social policy.

After his single term in the House, Hoidale again sought a seat in the United States Senate. He was nominated once more as the Democratic candidate and entered another three-way contest in 1934, this time against Farmer–Labor incumbent Henrik Shipstead and a Republican opponent. As in 1930, Hoidale finished in second place, losing to Shipstead but demonstrating continued statewide support in a politically divided electorate. Following this defeat, he did not return to Congress and resumed his legal and civic activities outside of elective office.

Einar Hoidale died on December 5, 1952, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His career spanned journalism, law, military-related legal service, county prosecution, and federal office, and his congressional service from 1933 to 1935 placed him among the lawmakers who confronted the challenges of the Great Depression and helped shape the early New Deal period.