1954 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

1954 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
← 1952 November 2, 1954 1956 →
 
Nominee Walter J. Kohler Jr. William Proxmire
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 596,158 560,747
Percentage 51.45% 48.40%
County results
Kohler:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Proxmire:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Walter J. Kohler Jr.
Republican

Elected Governor

Walter J. Kohler Jr.
Republican

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The 1954 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954.

Incumbent Republican Governor Walter J. Kohler Jr. defeated Democratic nominee William Proxmire in a rematch of the 1952 election with 51.45% of the vote.

Primary election

Primary elections were held on September 14, 1954.[1]

Democratic party

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic William Proxmire 141,548 62.43%
Democratic James E. Doyle 85,187 37.57%
Total votes 226,735 100.00%

Republican party

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Walter J. Kohler Jr. (incumbent) 331,006 100.00%
Total votes 331,006 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Results

1954 Wisconsin gubernatorial election[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Walter J. Kohler Jr. (incumbent) 596,158 51.45% −11.03%
Democratic William Proxmire 560,747 48.40% +11.13%
Socialist Labor[a] Arthur Wepfer 1,722 0.15%
Scattering[b] 39 0.00%
Majority 35,411 3.06%
Total votes 1,158,666 100.00%
Republican hold Swing -22.16%

Results by county

Proxmire was the first Democrat since George W. Peck in 1904 to win Florence County. By voting for Proxmire, Rusk County backed the losing candidate for the first time since its establishment in 1901.

County[4][5] Walter J. Kohler Jr.
Republican 		William Proxmire
Democratic 		Arthur Wepfer
Socialist Labor 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Adams 1,440 51.01% 1,380 48.88% 3 0.11% 60 2.13% 2,823
Ashland 2,730 44.40% 3,414 55.52% 5 0.08% -684 -11.12% 6,149
Barron 5,874 52.81% 5,245 47.15% 4 0.04% 629 5.65% 11,123
Bayfield 1,978 45.82% 2,327 53.90% 0 0.00% -349 -8.08% 4,317[c]
Brown 18,832 54.00% 16,009 45.91% 32 0.09% 2,823 8.09% 34,874[d]
Buffalo 2,290 54.32% 1,926 45.68% 0 0.00% 364 8.63% 4,216
Burnett 1,602 50.60% 1,559 49.24% 3 0.09% 43 1.36% 3,166[e]
Calumet 4,244 65.47% 2,235 34.48% 2 0.03% 2,009 30.99% 6,482[d]
Chippewa 6,212 49.01% 6,452 50.90% 11 0.09% -240 -1.89% 12,675
Clark 5,593 52.10% 5,142 47.90% 0 0.00% 451 4.20% 10,735
Columbia 6,431 59.35% 4,390 40.51% 15 0.14% 2,041 18.84% 10,836
Crawford 3,388 56.83% 2,569 43.09% 5 0.08% 819 13.74% 5,962
Dane 25,220 42.78% 33,634 57.05% 98 0.17% -8,414 -14.27% 58,955[f]
Dodge 11,429 61.42% 7,168 38.52% 11 0.06% 4,261 22.90% 18,608
Door 4,399 64.28% 2,444 35.72% 0 0.00% 1,955 28.57% 6,843
Douglas 6,393 37.48% 10,655 62.47% 9 0.05% -4,262 -24.99% 17,057
Dunn 4,367 54.17% 3,692 45.80% 1 0.01% 675 8.37% 8,062[e]
Eau Claire 8,228 47.36% 9,111 52.44% 34 0.20% -883 -5.08% 17,374[d]
Florence 741 48.15% 786 51.07% 12 0.78% -45 -2.92% 1,539
Fond du Lac 14,436 63.08% 8,423 36.80% 27 0.12% 6,013 26.27% 22,886
Forest 1,320 39.04% 2,055 60.78% 6 0.18% -735 -21.74% 3,381
Grant 8,545 70.27% 3,595 29.56% 20 0.16% 4,950 40.70% 12,161[d]
Green 4,986 65.25% 2,648 34.66% 7 0.09% 2,338 30.60% 7,641
Green Lake 3,838 72.57% 1,443 27.28% 8 0.15% 2,395 45.28% 5,289
Iowa 3,233 56.41% 2,493 43.50% 5 0.09% 740 12.91% 5,731
Iron 1,258 33.74% 2,464 66.08% 7 0.19% -1,206 -32.34% 3,729
Jackson 2,552 45.27% 3,077 54.59% 8 0.14% -525 -9.31% 5,637
Jefferson 8,503 56.37% 6,573 43.58% 8 0.05% 1,930 12.80% 15,084
Juneau 3,466 60.66% 2,231 39.04% 17 0.30% 1,235 21.61% 5,714
Kenosha 12,759 41.29% 18,120 58.64% 21 0.07% -5,361 -17.35% 30,900
Kewaunee 3,558 54.35% 2,982 45.55% 6 0.09% 576 8.80% 6,546
La Crosse 12,023 53.24% 10,497 46.48% 64 0.28% 1,526 6.76% 22,584
Lafayette 2,976 58.57% 2,104 41.41% 1 0.02% 872 17.16% 5,081
Langlade 3,460 48.62% 3,649 51.28% 7 0.10% -189 -2.66% 7,116
Lincoln 4,166 56.99% 3,141 42.97% 3 0.04% 1,025 14.02% 7,310
Manitowoc 11,118 48.96% 11,557 50.89% 35 0.15% -439 -1.93% 22,710
Marathon 11,771 44.75% 14,488 55.08% 45 0.17% -2,717 -10.33% 26,304
Marinette 5,671 51.27% 5,387 48.70% 4 0.04% 284 2.57% 11,062
Marquette 2,225 67.61% 1,062 32.27% 4 0.12% 1,163 35.34% 3,291
Milwaukee 129,318 44.16% 162,858 55.62% 631 0.22% -33,540 -11.45% 292,815[g]
Monroe 4,603 56.58% 3,530 43.39% 3 0.04% 1,073 13.19% 8,136
Oconto 4,606 54.91% 3,776 45.01% 7 0.08% 830 9.89% 8,389
Oneida 3,766 53.52% 3,266 46.42% 4 0.06% 500 7.11% 7,036
Outagamie 16,565 65.12% 8,826 34.70% 45 0.18% 7,739 30.43% 25,436
Ozaukee 5,557 58.50% 3,930 41.37% 12 0.13% 1,627 17.13% 9,499
Pepin 1,141 57.66% 835 42.19% 2 0.10% 306 15.46% 1,979[d]
Pierce 4,363 60.61% 2,827 39.27% 9 0.13% 1,536 21.34% 7,199
Polk 3,901 51.84% 3,616 48.05% 8 0.11% 285 3.79% 7,525
Portage 5,168 40.42% 7,605 59.48% 11 0.09% -2,437 -19.06% 12,785[d]
Price 2,692 47.12% 3,002 52.55% 19 0.33% -310 -5.43% 5,713
Racine 19,158 45.80% 22,634 54.11% 34 0.08% -3,476 -8.31% 41,826
Richland 3,949 60.20% 2,603 39.68% 6 0.09% 1,346 20.52% 6,560[e]
Rock 16,633 58.27% 11,852 41.52% 60 0.21% 4,781 16.75% 28,545
Rusk 2,447 49.86% 2,448 49.88% 11 0.22% -1 -0.02% 4,908[e]
Sauk 7,065 59.40% 4,816 40.49% 12 0.10% 2,249 18.91% 11,893
Sawyer 2,078 59.05% 1,439 40.89% 2 0.06% 639 18.16% 3,519
Shawano 6,566 64.32% 3,634 35.60% 8 0.08% 2,932 28.72% 10,208
Sheboygan 18,512 55.28% 14,821 44.26% 153 0.46% 3,691 11.02% 33,486
St. Croix 4,700 53.10% 4,148 46.86% 4 0.05% 552 6.24% 8,852
Taylor 2,399 46.83% 2,713 52.96% 11 0.21% -314 -6.13% 5,123
Trempealeau 3,680 47.30% 4,095 52.63% 5 0.06% -415 -5.33% 7,780
Vernon 4,099 48.57% 4,337 51.39% 3 0.04% -238 -2.82% 8,439
Vilas 2,564 63.70% 1,457 36.20% 4 0.10% 1,107 27.50% 4,025
Walworth 9,622 68.86% 4,339 31.05% 13 0.09% 5,283 37.81% 13,974
Washburn 1,948 52.39% 1,768 47.55% 2 0.05% 180 4.84% 3,718
Washington 6,924 64.54% 3,804 35.46% 0 0.00% 3,120 29.08% 10,728
Waukesha 20,358 57.53% 15,001 42.39% 26 0.07% 5,357 15.14% 35,386[d]
Waupaca 8,185 71.44% 3,266 28.51% 5 0.04% 4,919 42.93% 11,457[d]
Waushara 3,386 72.03% 1,305 27.76% 10 0.21% 2,081 44.27% 4,701
Winnebago 18,428 62.21% 11,170 37.71% 26 0.09% 7,258 24.50% 29,624
Wood 8,522 55.16% 6,899 44.66% 28 0.18% 1,623 10.51% 15,449
Total 596,158 51.45% 560,747 48.40% 1,722 0.15% 35,411 3.06% 1,158,666

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

  1. ^ "Independent Socialist Labor"
  2. ^ These are not listed in the Blue Book but are listed in the Board of Canvassers report.
  3. ^ Includes 12 Scattering votes
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Includes 1 Scattering vote
  5. ^ a b c d Includes 2 Scattering votes
  6. ^ Includes 3 Scattering votes
  7. ^ Includes 8 Scattering votes

References

  1. ^ "Table IV. 1954 Elections". Voting Information. Washington, D.C.: Prepared by Office of Armed Forces Information & Education, Department of Defense. April 1954. pp. 99–101. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "Doyle funeral Saturday". Wausau Daily Herald. Wausau, Wisconsin. April 2, 1987. p. 20. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  3. ^ a b The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (1956). "Vote For State Officers, Primary Election". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1956. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 702.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of State Canvassers for State Officers - General Election - 1954
  5. ^ a b The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (1956). "Vote For State Officers By Counties, General Election, November 4, 1954". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1956. Madison, Wisconsin. pp. 745–746.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Bibliography