1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

Last updated

1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Flag of Wisconsin (1913-1981).svg
  1938 November 5, 1940 1942  
  Julius P. Heil.jpg Orland Steen Loomis (Wisconsin governor-elect).jpg Francis E. McGovern.jpg
Nominee Julius P. Heil Orland Steen Loomis Francis E. McGovern
Party Republican Progressive Democratic
Popular vote558,678546,436264,985
Percentage40.67%39.78%19.29%

1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Heil:      30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Loomis:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
McGovern:     30–40%

Governor before election

Julius P. Heil
Republican

Elected Governor

Julius P. Heil
Republican

The 1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Primary elections were held on September 17, 1940.

Contents

Incumbent Republican Governor Julius P. Heil defeated Progressive nominee Orland Steen Loomis and Democratic nominee Francis E. McGovern with 40.67% of the vote.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • James K. Robinson, dentist, [1] unsuccessful candidate for Progressive nomination for Lieutenant Governor in 1936

Results

Republican primary results [2] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Julius P. Heil (incumbent) 249,269 67.98%
Republican James K. Robinson117,38532.02%
Total votes366,654 100.00%

Progressive primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Results

Primary results by county:
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Loomis
20-30%
30-40%
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
70-80%
80-90%
Stafford
30-40%
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
80-90%
Nelson
20-30%
40-50%
60-70%
Alfonsi
20-30%
30-40%
40-50%
60-70%
80-90%
>90%
Gunderson
30-40%
40-50% 1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial Progressive primary election results map by county.svg
Primary results by county:
  Loomis
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Stafford
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   80–90%
  Nelson
  •   20–30%
  •   40–50%
  •   60–70%
  Alfonsi
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   60–70%
  •   80–90%
  •   >90%
  Gunderson
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
Progressive primary results [2] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Progressive Orland Steen Loomis 50,699 33.05%
Progressive Harold E. Stafford41,31126.93%
Progressive Philip E. Nelson 24,48515.96%
Progressive Paul Alfonsi 22,53114.69%
Progressive Henry Gunderson 14,3729.37%
Total votes153,398 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrawn

  • William B. Rubin [8]

Results

Democratic primary results [2] [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Francis E. McGovern 54,025 38.91%
Democratic William R. Callahan44,86832.31%
Democratic Raymond J. Cannon 30,56022.01%
Democratic Gerhard A. Hagedorn9,4076.77%
Total votes138,860 100.00%

Other party nominations

General election

Results

1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Julius P. Heil (incumbent) 558,678 40.67% −14.72%
Progressive Orland S. Loomis 546,43639.78%+3.77%
Democratic Francis E. McGovern 264,98519.29%+11.30%
Communist [a] Fred Basset Blair 2,3400.17%
Socialist Labor [b] Louis Fisher 1,1580.08%−0.06%
Scattering [c] 1570.01%
Plurality12,2420.89%
Total votes1,373,754 100.00%
Republican hold Swing -18.50%

Results by county

Barron County, Buffalo County, Grant County, Monroe County, Sauk County, Trempealeau County, and Vernon County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1892, while Juneau County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1890.

County [10] [11] Julius P. Heil
Republican
Orland S. Loomis
Progressive
Francis E. McGovern
Democratic
All Others
Various
Margin [d] Total votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %
Adams 1,23134.54%2,11259.26%2115.92%100.28%-881-24.72%3,564
Ashland 3,12034.46%4,34047.93%1,53716.98%570.63%-1,220-13.47%9,054
Barron 5,42239.47%7,21652.53%1,0717.80%290.21%-1,794-13.06%13,738
Bayfield 2,19831.51%3,83354.95%90612.99%380.54%-1,635-23.44%6,975
Brown 13,53640.08%8,91026.38%11,30533.47%250.07%2,231 [e] 6.61%33,776
Buffalo 2,80344.65%3,07749.01%3936.26%50.08%-274-4.36%6,278
Burnett 1,75636.46%2,45150.89%58712.19%220.46%-695-14.43%4,816
Calumet 4,15654.94%2,05127.12%1,35017.85%70.09%2,10527.83%7,564
Chippewa 6,97944.88%6,88944.31%1,65910.67%220.14%900.58%15,549
Clark 6,97749.93%5,73541.04%1,2038.61%590.42%1,2428.89%13,974
Columbia 5,90738.93%7,70950.80%1,54810.20%110.07%-1,802-11.87%15,175
Crawford 3,71246.64%2,43130.55%1,81322.78%20.03%1,28116.10%7,958
Dane 15,86325.14%42,13666.78%5,0127.94%840.13%-26,273-41.64%63,095
Dodge 10,71245.75%8,07934.50%4,59919.64%250.11%2,63311.24%23,415
Door 4,38455.66%2,59632.96%85310.83%430.55%1,78822.70%7,876
Douglas 6,35929.70%10,41848.66%4,49020.97%1410.66%-4,059-18.96%21,408
Dunn 5,04745.35%5,18546.59%8827.93%140.13%-138-1.24%11,128
Eau Claire 8,09542.03%9,22447.90%1,9229.98%170.09%-1,129-5.86%19,258
Florence 74940.46%67736.57%41122.20%140.76%723.89%1,851
Fond du Lac 13,21248.48%8,53531.32%5,43519.94%730.27%4,67717.16%27,255
Forest 1,26729.72%1,36632.04%1,61737.93%130.30%-251 [f] -5.89%4,263
Grant 7,66442.50%8,04644.62%2,29812.74%260.14%-382-2.12%18,034
Green 4,78647.37%4,26442.20%1,04410.33%100.10%5225.17%10,104
Green Lake 4,07156.86%1,59122.22%1,48720.77%110.15%2,48034.64%7,160
Iowa 3,83442.82%4,09245.70%1,01911.38%90.10%-258-2.88%8,954
Iron 1,51230.91%2,67154.60%68714.04%220.45%-1,159-23.69%4,892
Jackson 2,67535.92%4,29457.66%4746.36%40.05%-1,619-21.74%7,447
Jefferson 8,10546.00%5,57631.65%3,92322.26%160.09%2,52914.35%17,620
Juneau 2,61530.11%5,63264.85%4345.00%40.05%-3,017-34.74%8,685
Kenosha 10,35535.63%10,63136.58%8,01327.57%600.21%-276-0.95%29,059
Kewaunee 3,33148.95%1,56022.92%1,88627.71%280.41%1,445 [e] 21.23%6,805
La Crosse 11,50443.95%10,27739.26%4,37516.72%180.07%1,2274.69%26,174
Lafayette 4,06544.29%3,33036.28%1,77819.37%50.05%7358.01%9,178
Langlade 3,62738.76%2,71028.96%2,99632.02%250.27%631 [e] 6.74%9,358
Lincoln 4,35244.01%4,44144.91%1,06010.72%360.36%-89-0.90%9,889
Manitowoc 10,26640.11%9,83238.41%5,47721.40%220.09%4341.70%25,597
Marathon 12,76944.22%9,87234.19%6,16421.35%710.25%2,89710.03%28,876
Marinette 7,43349.91%2,92119.61%4,50830.27%320.21%2,925 [e] 19.64%14,894
Marquette 2,54160.72%1,12826.95%51012.19%60.14%1,41333.76%4,185
Milwaukee 115,73233.35%147,82642.59%82,03623.64%1,4620.42%-32,094-9.25%347,056
Monroe 4,53936.08%7,13456.71%8897.07%170.14%-2,595-20.63%12,579
Oconto 5,10445.48%2,73924.41%3,36429.98%150.13%1,740 [e] 15.51%11,222
Oneida 2,93833.45%3,65841.65%2,15724.56%290.33%-720-8.20%8,782
Outagamie 15,63752.96%7,42125.13%6,40621.70%610.21%8,21627.83%29,525
Ozaukee 3,64143.33%2,90834.61%1,83821.88%150.18%7338.72%8,402
Pepin 1,78754.02%1,13734.37%37611.37%80.24%65019.65%3,308
Pierce 4,35546.64%4,16044.55%8118.69%110.12%1952.09%9,337
Polk 4,04437.29%5,80553.53%9758.99%210.19%-1,761-16.24%10,845
Portage 4,73630.84%5,44535.46%5,16133.61%130.08%-709-4.62%15,355
Price 3,55846.25%2,61634.00%1,39218.09%1271.65%94212.24%7,693
Racine 16,75439.65%15,58336.88%9,79523.18%1260.30%1,1712.77%42,258
Richland 4,72053.24%3,04134.30%1,08912.28%150.17%1,67918.94%8,865
Rock 18,48250.39%11,66131.79%6,45117.59%840.23%6,82118.60%36,678
Rusk 3,22146.89%2,33333.96%1,28818.75%270.39%88812.93%6,869
Sauk 6,53542.36%7,38547.87%1,4929.67%150.10%-850-5.51%15,427
Sawyer 2,21845.71%1,54031.74%1,08522.36%90.19%67813.97%4,852
Shawano 6,74549.92%4,75735.21%1,98714.71%220.16%1,98814.71%13,511
Sheboygan 14,14144.24%6,95521.76%10,73233.58%1350.42%3,409 [e] 10.67%31,963
St. Croix 4,87143.77%4,48440.29%1,75615.78%170.15%3873.48%11,128
Taylor 3,06841.03%2,71236.27%1,66822.31%300.40%3564.76%7,478
Trempealeau 3,85239.52%4,61147.31%1,27713.10%60.06%-759-7.79%9,746
Vernon 5,35244.15%5,83348.12%9267.64%120.10%-481-3.97%12,123
Vilas 1,87041.12%1,21326.67%1,42731.38%380.84%443 [e] 9.74%4,548
Walworth 10,98064.88%3,24519.18%2,68815.88%100.06%7,73545.71%16,923
Washburn 1,90334.77%3,03355.42%5259.59%120.22%-1,130-20.65%5,473
Washington 6,76751.37%3,95129.99%2,44518.56%110.08%2,81621.38%13,174
Waukesha 15,34451.88%9,66832.69%4,53215.32%330.11%5,67619.19%29,577
Waupaca 8,37153.53%5,81337.17%1,4239.10%310.20%2,55816.36%15,638
Waushara 4,17963.44%1,75926.70%6289.53%210.32%2,42036.74%6,587
Winnebago 17,01349.67%9,75128.47%7,41321.64%730.21%7,26221.20%34,250
Wood 7,23140.85%8,42147.57%2,01611.39%330.19%-1,190-6.72%17,701
Total558,67840.67%546,43639.78%264,98519.29%3,6550.27%12,2420.89%1,373,754

Counties that flipped from Progressive to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Progressive

Counties that flipped from Progressive to Democratic

Notes

  1. "Independent Communist"
  2. "Independent Socialist Labor"
  3. These are not listed in the Blue Book but are listed in the Board of Canvassers report.
  4. All margins are Heil over Loomis unless otherwise noted
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Heil's margin over McGovern
  6. McGovern's margin over Loomis

References

  1. "Governor Renounces Third Term; While Seeking His Second". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Green Bay, Wisconsin. August 1, 1940. p. 19. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (1942). "Primary Vote For Governor By Counties". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1942. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 578.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. "WI Governor, 1940 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  4. "Chippewa Falls Attorney To Speak at Meeting Wednesday". Madison Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin. February 12, 1940. p. 3. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  5. Kasparek, Jonathan (2006). Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip F. La Follette. Wisconsin Historical Society. p. 231. ISBN   978-0-87020-353-4.
  6. "WI Governor, 1940 - PRG Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  7. "Once More". Leader-Telegram. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. August 9, 1940. p. 14. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  8. "Rubin Fails To Enter Race For Governor". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. August 6, 1940. p. 8. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  9. "WI Governor, 1940 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  10. 1 2 Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of State Canvassers - Election of State Officers - November 5, 1940
  11. 1 2 The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (1942). "Summary Vote For Governor By Counties". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1942. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 666.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Bibliography