Arlan Stangeland

American politician

Arlan Inghart Stangeland (February 8, 1930 – July 2, 2013) was an American politician from Minnesota. As a Republican, Stangeland served in the United States House of Representatives from February 22, 1977 to January 3, 1991. He lost his campaign for reelection in the 1990 House election and subsequently retired from politics.

He attended grades 1 8 at Oak Mound School in Kragnes Township, Minnesota and graduated from Moorhead High School in Moorhead, Minnesota in 1948. While growing up, he was active in the Oak Mound 4 H Club, Oak Mound Parent Teacher Association, and the Oak Mound Community Club. Following high school, he worked as a farmer raising Purebred Shorthorns and grew his family. He married Virginia (Trowbridge) Stangeland and fathered seven children, two girls and five boys. Stangeland was a long time member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church. Stangeland was a delegate to the Minnesota State Republican conventions from 1964 to 1968.

Stangeland served on the Barnesville, Minnesota school board (1966–1975) and then as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (1976–1977) 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 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 (D), who left the House to become U. S. Secretary of Agriculture. In the Republican primary on February 8, Stangeland defeated Richard Franson, "a frequent candidate who lived in Minneapolis, far from the district," with 97 percent of the vote. (Stangeland also defeated minor candidates Jim Born of the American Party and independent candidate Jack Bibeau). Nonetheless, his popularity sharply dropped and Stangeland lost the election to Democratic State Senator Collin Peterson, who had run against him twice before, nearly defeating him in 1986.