Stenvig was an independent politician who espoused a "law and order" platform amid the social unrest of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
He was compared to other law-and-order mayors such as Sam Yorty of Los Angeles and Philadelphia's Frank Rizzo.
DFL Mayor Arthur Naftalin had declined to run for a fifth term and the race for the open seat attracted several candidates.
Stenvig ran an unconventional campaign that relied on limited funds and volunteer labor.
Stenvig received 62% of the vote in the election, surprising many veteran political observers in the city.