1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

←  1934 November 5, 1940 1946  →

Nominee Robert La Follette Jr. Fred H. Clausen James E. Finnegan Party Progressive Republican Democratic Popular vote 605,609 553,692 176,688 Percentage 45.26% 41.38% 13.20%

County results La Follete Jr.:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Clausen:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

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

The 1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 5, 1940.

Incumbent Progressive U.S. Senator Robert La Follette Jr. was elected to a third term in office over Republican Fred H. Clausen and Democrat James E. Finnegan.

Progressive primary

Candidates

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

Results

1940 Progressive U.S. Senate primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive	Robert M. La Follette Jr. (incumbent)	144,692	100.00%
Total votes			144,692	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Walter B. Chilsen, former State Assemblyman (1919–21) and editor of the Merrill Daily Herald
• Fred H. Clausen, farming equipment manufacturer ^[2]
• Michael G. Eberlein
• Glenn Frank, former President of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• John P. Koehler, Health Commissioner of Milwaukee
• William C. Maas
• Reuben W. Peterson, former State Assemblyman (1937–39)

Campaign

Frank died two days before the primary, on September 15, but remained on the ballot.

Results

1940 Republican U.S. Senate primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Fred H. Clausen	109,293	31.23%
	Republican	John P. Koehler	64,774	18.51%
	Republican	Glenn Frank (deceased)	47,885	13.68%
	Republican	Michael G. Eberlein	43,784	12.51%
	Republican	William C. Maas	29,940	8.56%
	Republican	Reuben W. Peterson	29,331	8.38%
	Republican	Walter B. Chilsen	24,928	7.12%
Total votes			349,935	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• William D. Carroll, former State Senator (1933–37)
• John Cudahy, former U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Irish Free State (write-in)
• James E. Finnegan, former Wisconsin Attorney General (1933–37)
• James J. Kerwin

Results

1940 Democratic U.S. Senate primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James E. Finnegan	55.145	42.79%
	Democratic	William D. Carroll	36,306	28.17%
	Democratic	James J. Kerwin	22,642	17.57%
	Democratic	John Cudahy (write-in)	14,773	11.46%
Total votes			128,866	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Fred H. Clausen, farming equipment manufacturer (Republican)
• James E. Finnegan, former Wisconsin Attorney General (Democratic)
• Ted Furman (Communist)
• Robert M. La Follette Jr., incumbent Senator since 1925 (Progressive)
• Adolf Wiggert (Socialist Labor)

Results

1940 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin ^{[3] [4]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive	Robert M. La Follette Jr. (incumbent)	805,609	45.26%	2.52
	Republican	Fred H. Clausen	553,692	41.38%	18.54
	Democratic	James E. Finnegan	176,688	13.20%	11.04
	Communist	Ted Furman	1,308	0.10%	N/A
	Socialist Labor	Adolf Wiggert	838	0.06%	N/A
Total votes			1,538,135	100.00%
	Progressive hold

See also

• 1940 United States Senate elections

References

1. "The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954" (PDF). p. 517. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
2. "Clausen, Frederick Harold 1875 - 1944". Wisconsin Historical Society. August 8, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
3. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1940" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
4. "The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954" (PDF). Our Campaigns. p. 599. Retrieved June 17, 2021.