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| Elections in Wisconsin |
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The 1904 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1904.
Incumbent Republican Governor Robert M. La Follette defeated Democratic nominee George Wilbur Peck and Social-Democratic nominee William A. Arnold with 50.55% of the vote.
In the aftermath of the 1902 election, the state legislature enacted the direct primary (subject to a statewide referendum) and La Follette's tax reform bill. The new tax law, which required railroads to pay taxes based on property owned rather than profits, resulted in railroads paying nearly double the amount of taxes they had paid before the enactment of the law. [1] Having accomplished his first two major goals, La Follette next focused on regulating railroad rates, but the railroads prevented passage of his bill in 1903. [2] During this period, La Follette became increasingly convinced of the need for a direct income tax in order to minimize tax avoidance by the wealthy. [3] During his governorship, La Follette appointed African-American William Miller for a position in his office. [4]
The Wisconsin Republican party split in the run up to the election due to the incumbent governor Robert La Follette's embrace of progressive ideas such as a state income tax and greater regulation of the railroads. There were two Republican conventions for the Republican nomination, one for La Follette's and one backed by more conservative elements of the Republican party.
After the legislature adjourned in mid-1903, La Follette began lecturing on the Chautauqua circuit, delivering 57 speeches across the Midwest. [5] He also earned the attention of muckraker journalists like Ray Stannard Baker and Lincoln Steffens, many of whom supported La Follette's progressive agenda. [6] La Follette's continued movement towards progressivism alienated many Republican Party leaders, and La Follette's followers and conservative party leaders held separate conventions in 1904; ultimately, the state Supreme Court declared that La Follette was the Republican Party's 1904 gubernatorial nominee. [7]
Major party candidates
Other candidates
In the general election in Wisconsin that year, La Follette won 51 percent of the vote, but he ran far behind Republican President Theodore Roosevelt, who took 63 percent of the Wisconsin's vote in the national election by comparison. In that same election, Wisconsin voters approved the implementation of the direct primary. [11]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert M. La Follette (incumbent) | 227,253 | 50.55% | −2.34% | |
| Democratic | George W. Peck | 176,301 | 39.22% | −0.66% | |
| Social Democratic | William A. Arnold | 24,857 | 5.53% | +1.16% | |
| National Republican | Edward Scofield | 12,136 | 2.70% | ||
| Prohibition | William H. Clark | 8,764 | 1.95% | −0.69% | |
| Socialist Labor | Charles M. Minkley | 249 | 0.06% | −0.16% | |
| Scattering | 10 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 50,952 | 11.33% | |||
| Total votes | 449,570 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | -1.68% | |||
This is one of only four gubernatorial elections in which Door County has voted for the Democratic candidate and the only one in the 20th century; Door County had last voted Democratic in 1859 and would not do so again until 2006. Florence County voted Democratic for the first time ever and would not do so again until 1954.
| County [12] [13] | Robert M. La Follette Republican | George W. Peck Democratic | William A. Arnold Social Democratic | Edward Scofield National Republican | William H. Clark Prohibition | Charles M. Minkley Socialist Labor | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,317 | 74.36% | 360 | 20.33% | 24 | 1.36% | 30 | 1.69% | 40 | 2.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 957 | 54.04% | 1,771 |
| Ashland | 2,928 | 60.95% | 1,561 | 32.49% | 139 | 2.89% | 88 | 1.83% | 86 | 1.79% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,367 | 28.46% | 4,804 |
| Barron | 3,112 | 67.76% | 1,124 | 24.47% | 68 | 1.48% | 81 | 1.76% | 200 | 4.35% | 8 | 0.17% | 1,988 | 43.28% | 4,593 |
| Bayfield | 2,512 | 79.34% | 499 | 15.76% | 27 | 0.85% | 50 | 1.58% | 74 | 2.34% | 4 | 0.13% | 2,013 | 63.58% | 3,166 |
| Brown | 5,027 | 54.46% | 3,692 | 40.00% | 211 | 2.29% | 190 | 2.06% | 107 | 1.16% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,335 | 14.46% | 9,230 |
| Buffalo | 1,933 | 61.21% | 1,127 | 35.69% | 6 | 0.19% | 41 | 1.30% | 51 | 1.61% | 0 | 0.00% | 806 | 25.52% | 3,158 |
| Burnett | 1,256 | 88.02% | 93 | 6.52% | 17 | 1.19% | 19 | 1.33% | 41 | 2.87% | 1 | 0.07% | 1,163 | 81.50% | 1,427 |
| Calumet | 1,438 | 45.12% | 1,571 | 49.29% | 78 | 2.45% | 70 | 2.20% | 30 | 0.94% | 0 | 0.00% | -133 | -4.17% | 3,187 |
| Chippewa | 3,362 | 59.17% | 2,061 | 36.27% | 37 | 0.65% | 101 | 1.78% | 115 | 2.02% | 6 | 0.11% | 1,301 | 22.90% | 5,682 |
| Clark | 2,851 | 51.88% | 2,315 | 42.13% | 40 | 0.73% | 120 | 2.18% | 167 | 3.04% | 2 | 0.04% | 536 | 9.75% | 5,495 |
| Columbia | 3,580 | 50.81% | 3,011 | 42.73% | 111 | 1.58% | 169 | 2.40% | 175 | 2.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 569 | 8.08% | 7,046 |
| Crawford | 1,638 | 43.71% | 1,996 | 53.27% | 12 | 0.32% | 55 | 1.47% | 44 | 1.17% | 2 | 0.05% | -358 | -9.55% | 3,747 |
| Dane | 9,388 | 53.87% | 7,268 | 41.71% | 154 | 0.88% | 277 | 1.59% | 338 | 1.94% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,120 | 12.17% | 17,426 [lower-alpha 2] |
| Dodge | 3,035 | 31.50% | 6,167 | 64.00% | 53 | 0.55% | 248 | 2.57% | 132 | 1.37% | 1 | 0.01% | -3,132 | -32.50% | 9,636 |
| Door | 1,383 | 41.73% | 1,716 | 51.78% | 24 | 0.72% | 96 | 2.90% | 95 | 2.87% | 0 | 0.00% | -333 | -10.05% | 3,314 |
| Douglas | 4,221 | 66.98% | 1,428 | 22.66% | 386 | 6.13% | 114 | 1.81% | 123 | 1.95% | 30 | 0.48% | 2,793 | 44.32% | 6,302 |
| Dunn | 2,886 | 70.56% | 925 | 22.62% | 57 | 1.39% | 111 | 2.71% | 111 | 2.71% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,961 | 47.95% | 4,090 |
| Eau Claire | 3,230 | 54.55% | 2,337 | 39.47% | 144 | 2.43% | 70 | 1.18% | 137 | 2.31% | 3 | 0.05% | 893 | 15.08% | 5,921 |
| Florence | 302 | 45.35% | 343 | 51.50% | 3 | 0.45% | 13 | 1.95% | 5 | 0.75% | 0 | 0.00% | -41 | -6.16% | 666 |
| Fond du Lac | 5,271 | 44.06% | 6,115 | 51.12% | 82 | 0.69% | 333 | 2.78% | 161 | 1.35% | 1 | 0.01% | -844 | -7.06% | 11,963 |
| Forest | 906 | 73.06% | 251 | 20.24% | 19 | 1.53% | 48 | 3.87% | 15 | 1.21% | 1 | 0.08% | 655 | 52.82% | 1,240 |
| Gates | 1,208 | 69.35% | 436 | 25.03% | 19 | 1.09% | 36 | 2.07% | 43 | 2.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 772 | 44.32% | 1,742 |
| Grant | 4,440 | 49.27% | 4,170 | 46.28% | 46 | 0.51% | 193 | 2.14% | 161 | 1.79% | 1 | 0.01% | 270 | 3.00% | 9,011 |
| Green | 2,346 | 48.07% | 2,170 | 44.47% | 97 | 1.99% | 80 | 1.64% | 187 | 3.83% | 0 | 0.00% | 176 | 3.61% | 4,880 |
| Green Lake | 1,610 | 44.95% | 1,778 | 49.64% | 25 | 0.70% | 96 | 2.68% | 73 | 2.04% | 0 | 0.00% | -168 | -4.69% | 3,582 |
| Iowa | 2,931 | 56.52% | 2,066 | 39.84% | 13 | 0.25% | 55 | 1.06% | 121 | 2.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 865 | 16.68% | 5,186 |
| Iron | 899 | 57.63% | 605 | 38.78% | 10 | 0.64% | 23 | 1.47% | 23 | 1.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 294 | 18.85% | 1,560 |
| Jackson | 2,228 | 66.23% | 960 | 28.54% | 24 | 0.71% | 72 | 2.14% | 80 | 2.38% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,268 | 37.69% | 3,364 |
| Jefferson | 2,982 | 38.01% | 4,477 | 57.07% | 78 | 0.99% | 171 | 2.18% | 136 | 1.73% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,495 | -19.06% | 7,845 [lower-alpha 2] |
| Juneau | 2,642 | 56.89% | 1,806 | 38.89% | 28 | 0.60% | 102 | 2.20% | 66 | 1.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 836 | 18.00% | 4,644 |
| Kenosha | 2,608 | 47.74% | 2,277 | 41.68% | 378 | 6.92% | 126 | 2.31% | 60 | 1.10% | 13 | 0.24% | 331 | 6.06% | 5,463 [lower-alpha 2] |
| Kewaunee | 1,475 | 45.67% | 1,586 | 49.10% | 99 | 3.07% | 35 | 1.08% | 35 | 1.08% | 0 | 0.00% | -111 | -3.44% | 3,230 |
| La Crosse | 4,287 | 48.07% | 4,239 | 47.53% | 83 | 0.93% | 120 | 1.35% | 186 | 2.09% | 3 | 0.03% | 48 | 0.54% | 8,919 [lower-alpha 2] |
| Lafayette | 2,522 | 50.86% | 2,310 | 46.58% | 9 | 0.18% | 56 | 1.13% | 61 | 1.23% | 1 | 0.02% | 212 | 4.28% | 4,959 |
| Langlade | 1,713 | 53.13% | 1,410 | 43.73% | 16 | 0.50% | 51 | 1.58% | 33 | 1.02% | 1 | 0.03% | 303 | 9.40% | 3,224 |
| Lincoln | 2,175 | 53.56% | 1,675 | 41.25% | 89 | 2.19% | 75 | 1.85% | 46 | 1.13% | 1 | 0.02% | 500 | 12.31% | 4,061 |
| Manitowoc | 3,898 | 44.57% | 3,977 | 45.48% | 557 | 6.37% | 213 | 2.44% | 100 | 1.14% | 0 | 0.00% | -79 | -0.90% | 8,745 |
| Marathon | 4,782 | 48.98% | 4,556 | 46.66% | 131 | 1.34% | 160 | 1.64% | 131 | 1.34% | 4 | 0.04% | 226 | 2.31% | 9,764 |
| Marinette | 3,125 | 60.27% | 1,519 | 29.30% | 186 | 3.59% | 209 | 4.03% | 143 | 2.76% | 3 | 0.06% | 1,606 | 30.97% | 5,185 |
| Marquette | 1,160 | 46.53% | 1,192 | 47.81% | 7 | 0.28% | 58 | 2.33% | 75 | 3.01% | 1 | 0.04% | -32 | -1.28% | 2,493 |
| Milwaukee | 28,185 | 38.63% | 23,143 | 31.72% | 17,394 | 23.84% | 3,228 | 4.42% | 918 | 1.26% | 91 | 0.12% | 5,042 | 6.91% | 72,959 |
| Monroe | 3,146 | 53.22% | 2,483 | 42.01% | 26 | 0.44% | 108 | 1.83% | 148 | 2.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 663 | 11.22% | 5,911 |
| Oconto | 2,563 | 56.92% | 1,703 | 37.82% | 43 | 0.95% | 138 | 3.06% | 54 | 1.20% | 2 | 0.04% | 860 | 19.10% | 4,503 |
| Oneida | 1,424 | 61.62% | 689 | 29.81% | 119 | 5.15% | 39 | 1.69% | 36 | 1.56% | 4 | 0.17% | 735 | 31.80% | 2,311 |
| Outagamie | 5,042 | 53.44% | 3,996 | 42.36% | 74 | 0.78% | 216 | 2.29% | 105 | 1.11% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,046 | 11.09% | 9,434 |
| Ozaukee | 1,258 | 39.80% | 1,746 | 55.24% | 93 | 2.94% | 37 | 1.17% | 26 | 0.82% | 1 | 0.03% | -488 | -15.44% | 3,161 |
| Pepin | 848 | 60.01% | 496 | 35.10% | 1 | 0.07% | 43 | 3.04% | 24 | 1.70% | 1 | 0.07% | 352 | 24.91% | 1,413 |
| Pierce | 2,906 | 67.57% | 1,124 | 26.13% | 21 | 0.49% | 130 | 3.02% | 120 | 2.79% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,782 | 41.43% | 4,301 |
| Polk | 2,832 | 80.45% | 443 | 12.59% | 68 | 1.93% | 79 | 2.24% | 93 | 2.64% | 3 | 0.09% | 2,389 | 67.87% | 3,520 [lower-alpha 3] |
| Portage | 2,933 | 48.84% | 2,825 | 47.04% | 30 | 0.50% | 131 | 2.18% | 86 | 1.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 108 | 1.80% | 6,005 |
| Price | 1,817 | 65.57% | 802 | 28.94% | 52 | 1.88% | 32 | 1.15% | 64 | 2.31% | 1 | 0.04% | 1,015 | 36.63% | 2,771 [lower-alpha 4] |
| Racine | 4,635 | 45.30% | 3,639 | 35.56% | 1,232 | 12.04% | 464 | 4.53% | 249 | 2.43% | 13 | 0.13% | 996 | 9.73% | 10,232 |
| Richland | 2,075 | 47.34% | 1,923 | 43.87% | 24 | 0.55% | 99 | 2.26% | 262 | 5.98% | 0 | 0.00% | 152 | 3.47% | 4,383 |
| Rock | 5,242 | 45.65% | 4,940 | 43.02% | 326 | 2.84% | 635 | 5.53% | 340 | 2.96% | 1 | 0.01% | 302 | 2.63% | 11,484 |
| Sauk | 3,297 | 46.08% | 3,280 | 45.84% | 31 | 0.43% | 228 | 3.19% | 319 | 4.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 17 | 0.24% | 7,155 |
| Sawyer | 739 | 69.72% | 264 | 24.91% | 10 | 0.94% | 21 | 1.98% | 25 | 2.36% | 1 | 0.09% | 475 | 44.81% | 1,060 |
| Shawano | 3,033 | 59.54% | 1,836 | 36.04% | 22 | 0.43% | 95 | 1.86% | 106 | 2.08% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,197 | 23.50% | 5,094 |
| Sheboygan | 4,936 | 45.13% | 4,598 | 42.04% | 794 | 7.26% | 423 | 3.87% | 167 | 1.53% | 18 | 0.16% | 338 | 3.09% | 10,937 [lower-alpha 2] |
| St. Croix | 3,226 [lower-alpha 5] | 55.48% | 2,389 | 41.08% | 61 | 1.05% | 47 | 0.81% | 91 | 1.56% | 1 | 0.02% | 837 | 14.39% | 5,815 |
| Taylor | 1,456 | 57.37% | 966 | 38.06% | 31 | 1.22% | 49 | 1.93% | 35 | 1.38% | 1 | 0.04% | 490 | 19.31% | 2,538 |
| Trempealeau | 3,202 | 67.60% | 1,297 | 27.38% | 6 | 0.13% | 85 | 1.79% | 147 | 3.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,905 | 40.22% | 4,737 |
| Vernon | 4,378 | 75.73% | 1,126 | 19.48% | 20 | 0.35% | 78 | 1.35% | 178 | 3.08% | 1 | 0.02% | 3,252 | 56.25% | 5,781 |
| Vilas | 1,217 | 65.18% | 566 | 30.32% | 30 | 1.61% | 35 | 1.87% | 18 | 0.96% | 1 | 0.05% | 651 | 34.87% | 1,867 |
| Walworth | 3,246 | 48.00% | 2,948 | 43.60% | 104 | 1.54% | 219 | 3.24% | 245 | 3.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 298 | 4.41% | 6,762 |
| Washburn | 812 | 62.65% | 392 | 30.25% | 31 | 2.39% | 37 | 2.85% | 24 | 1.85% | 0 | 0.00% | 420 | 32.41% | 1,296 |
| Washington | 1,999 | 40.42% | 2,717 | 54.94% | 50 | 1.01% | 136 | 2.75% | 41 | 0.83% | 2 | 0.04% | -718 | -14.52% | 4,945 |
| Waukesha | 4,179 | 49.36% | 3,767 | 44.49% | 193 | 2.28% | 147 | 1.74% | 180 | 2.13% | 1 | 0.01% | 412 | 4.87% | 8,467 |
| Waupaca | 4,690 | 68.90% | 1,643 | 24.14% | 50 | 0.73% | 182 | 2.67% | 240 | 3.53% | 2 | 0.03% | 3,047 | 44.76% | 6,807 |
| Waushara | 2,663 | 73.14% | 751 | 20.63% | 18 | 0.49% | 128 | 3.52% | 79 | 2.17% | 2 | 0.05% | 1,912 | 52.51% | 3,641 |
| Winnebago | 5,422 | 43.28% | 6,134 | 48.96% | 195 | 1.56% | 503 | 4.01% | 269 | 2.15% | 6 | 0.05% | -712 | -5.68% | 12,529 |
| Wood | 3,245 | 53.81% | 2,506 | 41.56% | 121 | 2.01% | 89 | 1.48% | 68 | 1.13% | 1 | 0.02% | 739 | 12.26% | 6,030 |
| Total | 227,253 | 50.55% | 176,301 | 39.22% | 24,857 | 5.53% | 12,136 | 2.70% | 8,764 | 1.95% | 249 | 0.06% | 50,952 | 11.33% | 449,570 |
During the 1904 campaign, La Follette pledged that he would not resign as governor during his term, but after winning re-election he directed state representative Irvine Lenroot, a close political ally, to secure his election to the United States Senate. [14] Shortly after La Follette delivered the inaugural message of his third term as governor, Lenroot began meeting with other legislators to assure that La Follette would be able to win election to the Senate; at that time, the state legislature elected senators. [15] La Follette was formally nominated by the Republican caucus on January 23, 1905, and the state legislature chose him the following day. [16] La Follette delayed accepting the nomination and continued to serve as governor until December 1905, when he announced his resignation. [17] [18] Throughout 1905, La Follette continued to push his progressive policies, including the state regulation of railroad rates. The state legislature passed a relatively weak regulation bill that La Follette considered vetoing, but he ultimately signed the law. [19] Lieutenant Governor James O. Davidson succeeded La Follette as governor and went on to win re-election in 1906. [20]
Robert MarionLa Follette Sr., was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the governor of Wisconsin from 1901 to 1906. A Republican for most of his life, he ran for president of the United States as the nominee of his own Progressive Party in the 1924 presidential election. Historian John D. Buenker describes La Follette as "the most celebrated figure in Wisconsin history".
Edward Scofield was an American lumberman and Republican politician. He was the 19th governor of Wisconsin (1897–1901) and served in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Door, Marinette, and Oconto counties. Earlier in life, during the American Civil War, he served as an officer in the Union Army.
Francis Edward McGovern was an American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin. He served as the 22nd Governor of Wisconsin from 1911 to 1915. In 1911 especially he sponsored a major series of progressive achievements through the legislature. Originally a close ally of Senator Robert M. La Follette, the two progressive leaders held an uneasy truce for McGovern's reelection in 1912. The two became bitter enemies in 1913-1916 and McGovern lost his bids for office and retired from politics.
The Progressive Party was a political party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election. The party advocated progressive positions such as government ownership of railroads and electric utilities, cheap credit for farmers, the outlawing of child labor, stronger laws to help labor unions, more protection of civil liberties, an end to American imperialism in Latin America, and a referendum before any president could lead the nation into war.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin is a conservative political party in Wisconsin and is the Wisconsin affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The state party chair is Brian Schimming. The state party is divided into 72 county parties for each of the state's counties, as well as organizations for the state's eight congressional districts. It currently controls the majority of Wisconsin's U.S. House seats, one of its U.S. Senate seats, and has supermajorites in both houses of the state legislature.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler.
The 1912 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 5, 1912 as part of the 1912 United States presidential election. State voters chose 13 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1948 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 2, 1948, as part of the 1948 United States presidential election. State voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1922 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1922. Primary elections were held on September 5, 1922.
The 1924 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 4, 1924, as part of the 1924 United States presidential election. Voters chose fifteen representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1932 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932. Incumbent Republican Governor Philip La Follette was defeated in the Republican primary, and in the midst of the Great Depression and nationwide voter dissatisfaction with the Republican Party, Democratic nominee Albert G. Schmedeman defeated Republican nominee Walter J. Kohler Sr. and Socialist nominee Frank Metcalfe with 52.48% of the vote. Schmedeman became the first Democrat to win a gubernatorial election in Wisconsin since George Wilbur Peck in 1892. 2 years later, in 1934, La Follette would run for governor again and defeated Schmedeman, this time running with the Progressive Party.
The 1877 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1877. Under internal party pressure, incumbent Republican Governor Harrison Ludington, who had barely won the 1875 election, was pressured to not seek a second term. Former State Assembly Speaker William E. Smith, a longtime figure in Wisconsin politics, was selected as the Republican nominee, and Milwaukee County Municipal Judge Thomas A. Mallory won a protracted battle for the nomination at the Democratic convention. Smith and Mallory were joined in the general election by Greenback nominee Edward Phelps Allis. Ultimately, though the Republican vote share shrunk relative to 1875, the Democratic vote share shrunk more, and Smith won a larger victory than Ludington did, though only with a 44% plurality.
The 1894 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1894.
The 1896 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1896.
The 1898 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1898.
The 1900 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1900.
The 1902 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1902.
The 1906 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1906. Primary elections were held on September 4, 1906.
The 1910 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1910. Primary elections were held on September 6, 1910.
The Forty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 11, 1905, to June 21, 1905, in regular session, and re-convened for a special session from December 4, 1905, through December 19, 1905. During this term, legislative business was largely held in the north wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol, which was the only part of the capitol to remain intact after the 1904 fire.
