1934 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

1934 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

←  1928 November 6, 1934 1940  →

Nominee Robert La Follette Jr. John M. Callahan John B. Chapple Party Progressive Democratic Republican Popular vote 440,513 223,438 210,569 Percentage 47.78% 24.24% 22.84%

County results La Follete Jr.:      30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Callahan:      30–40%     40–50% Chapple:      30–40%     40–50%

U.S. senator before election Robert La Follette Jr. Republican Elected U.S. Senator Robert La Follette Jr. Progressive

The 1934 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 6, 1934.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Robert La Follette Jr. left his party and, with his brother Philip, formed the new Wisconsin Progressive Party. La Follette was re-elected on the Progressive ticket over Democrat John M. Callahan and Republican John B. Chapple. Robert La Follette Jr. was the first non-Republican to have won an election for this seat to the United States Senate from Wisconsin since John Lendrum Mitchell in 1893.

Progressive primary

Candidates

• Robert M. La Follette Jr., incumbent senator since 1925

Results

1934 Progressive U.S. Senate primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive	Robert M. La Follette Jr. (incumbent)	154,373	100.00%
Total votes			154,373	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• John B. Chapple, nominee for U.S. Senate in 1932

Results

1934 Republican U.S. Senate primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John B. Chapple	126,034	100.00%
Total votes			126,034	100.00%

Democratic primary

Gertrude Bowler in 1924

Candidates

• Gertrude Bowler, Democratic Party activist and anti-Prohibitionist
• John M. Callahan, former Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman (1925–1927) and nominee for Wisconsin Secretary of State in 1910 and 1924
• William D. Carroll, state senator from Prairie du Chien
• Charles E. Hammersley, candidate for governor in 1930
• Francis E. McGovern, former governor of Wisconsin (1911–15)

Results

1934 Democratic U.S. Senate primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John M. Callahan	58,270	29.06%
	Democratic	Francis E. McGovern	48,931	24.41%
	Democratic	Charles E. Hammersley	38,369	19.14%
	Democratic	William D. Carroll	29,137	14.53%
	Democratic	Gertrude Bowler	25,785	12.86%
Total votes			200,492	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• John B. Chapple, candidate for U.S. Senate in 1932 (Republican)
• John M. Callahan, former Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman (Democratic)
• Fern Dobbins (Independent Communist)
• Robert M. La Follette Jr., incumbent senator since 1925 (Progressive)
• Theodore Lee (Independent Prohibition)
• James P. Sheehan (Socialist)

Results

1934 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin ^{[2] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive	Robert La Follette Jr. (incumbent)	440,513	47.78%	N/A
	Democratic	John M. Callahan	223,438	24.24%	N/A
	Republican	Fred H. Clausen	210,569	22.84%	62.73
	Socialist	James P. Sheehan	44,453	4.82%	N/A
	Communist	Fern Dobbins	2,127	0.23%	0.03
	Prohibition	Theodore Lee	826	0.09%	2.79
	Write-in		23	0.00%	N/A
Total votes			921,949	100.00%
	Progressive gain from Republican

See also

• 1934 United States Senate elections

References

1. "The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1935" (PDF). p. 548. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
2. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 1934" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
3. "The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1935" (PDF). Our Campaigns. p. 599. Retrieved June 17, 2021.