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1936 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

Main article: 1936 United States presidential election

The 1936 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1936 as part of the 1936 United States presidential election. State voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1936 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
← 1932 November 3, 1936 1940 →
 
Nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt Alf Landon
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New York Kansas
Running mate John Nance Garner Frank Knox
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 802,984 380,828
Percentage 63.79% 30.26%
County Results
President before election

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic

Elected President

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic

Wisconsin had since the decline of the Populist movement been substantially a one-party state dominated by the Republican Party.[1] The Democratic Party became entirely uncompetitive outside certain German Catholic counties adjoining Lake Michigan as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, completely fled from William Jennings Bryan's agrarian and free silver sympathies.[2] As Democratic strength weakened severely after 1894 – although the state did develop a strong Socialist Party to provide opposition to the GOP – Wisconsin developed the direct Republican primary in 1903 and this ultimately created competition between the "League" under Robert M. La Follette, and the conservative "Regular" faction.[3]

The beginning of the 1910s would see a minor Democratic revival as many La Follette progressives endorsed Woodrow Wilson,[4] but this flirtation would not be long-lasting as Wilson's "Anglophile" foreign policies were severely opposed by Wisconsin's largely German- and Scandinavian-American populace.[5] Subsequent federal elections saw the Midwest desert the Democratic Party even more completely due to supposed preferential treatment of Southern farmers,[6] and in Wisconsin there were never more than three Democrats in the state legislature (and none in the State Senate) between 1921 and 1929.

The Great Depression radically altered the state's politics, as the La Follette family did not support President Herbert Hoover in 1932, with the result that he lost to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt by two-to-one. Following a brief Democratic interlude after the 1932 elections, Robert M. La Follette, Jr. formed the Wisconsin Progressive Party and during the 1934 midterm elections that party captured seven of Wisconsin's ten House of Representatives seats and most statewide offices under a platform of improved land conservation and a federal referendum and initiative system.[7] La Follette, despite his respect for Union Party nominee William Lemke, strongly endorsed Roosevelt,[8] whilst Landon based his hopes on traditional Democrats responding to Al Smith's backing of him and the state's farmers' dislike of trade treaties as reducing their access to foreign markets.

At the beginning of the poll it was thought that Union Party candidate Lemke would threaten Roosevelt's hold on Wisconsin's electoral votes as the Midwest had gone through a record heatwave and extreme drought.[9] Republican nominee Alf Landon campaigned in Wisconsin in late September, arguing that Roosevelt's trade agreements with Canada were hurting Wisconsin's farmers,[10] and that racial tolerance in a state where virtually all areas outside inner Milwaukee had become sundown towns[11] alongside academic freedom were critical issues for the state and the nation.[12] Landon did receive a good reception in Milwaukee, but had his hotel invaded in Oshkosh.[12] Senator La Follette did much of the campaigning for Roosevelt in the state, whilst the President focused his campaign on other states of the Midwest.[13]

Late in September, polls showed Roosevelt narrowly leading Landon,[14] although a Gallup poll showed him increasing his lead in Wisconsin.[15] Although no later polls were conducted, as it turned out Roosevelt won convincingly and held his two-to-one 1932 margin, carrying all but four counties. Vis-à-vis the 1932 election, Roosevelt gained significantly in the industrial areas of the northwest – in Douglas County he gained 24 percent on his 1932 figures – and in the urban southeast,[16] but lost in the rural areas lying between these two groups. A substantial vote for Lemke from isolationist German Catholics would pave the way for the traditionally Democratic areas in the east to permanently leave the party with the following election, as this group could not accept the urban bias of the New Deal.

Roosevelt was the first Democrat since Franklin Pierce in 1852 to carry Rock County. As of 2020, this remains the strongest performance by a Democrat in Wisconsin.[17]

Results

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1936 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt (incumbent) 802,984 63.79% 12
Republican Alf Landon 380,828 30.26% 0
Union[a] William Lemke 60,297 4.79% 0
Socialist Norman Thomas 10,626 0.84% 0
Communist[b] Earl R. Browder 2,197 0.17% 0
Independent[c] D. Leigh Colvin 1,071 0.09% 0
Socialist Labor[d] John W. Aiken 557 0.04% 0
Write-in Scattering[e] 152 0.01% 0
Totals 1,258,712 100.00% 12

Results by county

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County[18][19] Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic 		Alf Landon
Republican 		William Lemke
Union 		Norman Thomas
Socialist 		Various
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 2,289 63.96% 1,191 33.28% 85 2.37% 5 0.14% 9 0.25% 1,098 30.68% 3,579
Ashland 5,904 68.01% 2,439 28.10% 226 2.60% 52 0.60% 60 0.69% 3,465 39.91% 8,681
Barron 7,419 55.55% 5,067 37.94% 714 5.35% 97 0.73% 58 0.43% 2,352 17.61% 13,355
Bayfield 4,336 65.37% 2,071 31.22% 109 1.64% 64 0.96% 53 0.80% 2,265 34.15% 6,633
Brown 21,417 68.92% 8,433 27.14% 1,088 3.50% 108 0.35% 31 0.10% 12,984 41.78% 31,077
Buffalo 3,434 55.44% 2,481 40.05% 249 4.02% 27 0.44% 3 0.05% 953 15.39% 6,194
Burnett 2,801 62.80% 1,422 31.88% 191 4.28% 33 0.74% 13 0.29% 1,379 30.92% 4,460
Calumet 4,694 65.99% 1,972 27.72% 424 5.96% 14 0.20% 9 0.13% 2,722 38.27% 7,113
Chippewa 7,854 53.08% 5,760 38.93% 1,107 7.48% 50 0.34% 25 0.17% 2,094 14.15% 14,796
Clark 6,931 52.78% 5,196 39.57% 845 6.43% 84 0.64% 76 0.58% 1,735 13.21% 13,132
Columbia 8,936 59.36% 5,607 37.25% 445 2.96% 38 0.25% 28 0.19% 3,329 22.11% 15,054
Crawford 4,377 55.02% 2,857 35.91% 699 8.79% 12 0.15% 11 0.14% 1,520 19.11% 7,956
Dane 35,856 67.77% 15,233 28.79% 1,333 2.52% 268 0.51% 218 0.41% 20,623 38.98% 52,908
Dodge 14,782 65.41% 6,829 30.22% 900 3.98% 66 0.29% 22 0.10% 7,953 35.19% 22,599
Door 3,952 51.57% 3,146 41.05% 535 6.98% 11 0.14% 20 0.26% 806 10.52% 7,664
Douglas 16,684 75.28% 5,079 22.92% 192 0.87% 90 0.41% 118 0.53% 11,605 52.36% 22,163
Dunn 5,619 51.20% 4,570 41.64% 702 6.40% 53 0.48% 31 0.28% 1,049 9.56% 10,975
Eau Claire 10,065 58.31% 6,802 39.41% 331 1.92% 43 0.25% 19 0.11% 3,263 18.90% 17,260
Florence 1,037 53.67% 800 41.41% 70 3.62% 17 0.88% 8 0.41% 237 12.27% 1,932
Fond du Lac 14,821 57.16% 9,179 35.40% 1,785 6.88% 70 0.27% 76 0.29% 5,642 21.76% 25,931
Forest 3,092 68.18% 1,334 29.42% 89 1.96% 13 0.29% 7 0.15% 1,758 38.77% 4,535
Grant 9,170 52.39% 7,196 41.11% 1,072 6.12% 34 0.19% 31 0.18% 1,974 11.28% 17,503
Green 5,941 60.26% 3,700 37.53% 165 1.67% 27 0.27% 26 0.26% 2,241 22.73% 9,859
Green Lake 3,840 55.84% 2,926 42.55% 94 1.37% 8 0.12% 9 0.13% 914 13.29% 6,877
Iowa 4,988 54.85% 3,623 39.84% 445 4.89% 12 0.13% 26 0.29% 1,365 15.01% 9,094
Iron 3,319 76.46% 902 20.78% 47 1.08% 5 0.12% 68 1.57% 2,417 55.68% 4,341
Jackson 4,537 65.01% 2,235 32.02% 181 2.59% 18 0.26% 8 0.11% 2,302 32.98% 6,979
Jefferson 11,144 64.33% 5,599 32.32% 524 3.02% 40 0.23% 17 0.10% 5,545 32.01% 17,324
Juneau 4,544 55.74% 3,084 37.83% 488 5.99% 19 0.23% 17 0.21% 1,460 17.91% 8,152
Kenosha 18,137 66.57% 7,268 26.68% 1,537 5.64% 199 0.73% 104 0.38% 10,869 39.89% 27,245
Kewaunee 4,971 74.01% 1,527 22.73% 213 3.17% 4 0.06% 2 0.03% 3,444 51.27% 6,717
La Crosse 14,455 63.29% 7,558 33.09% 769 3.37% 37 0.16% 21 0.09% 6,897 30.20% 22,840
Lafayette 4,976 53.81% 3,801 41.11% 432 4.67% 18 0.19% 20 0.22% 1,175 12.71% 9,247
Langlade 5,837 67.22% 2,635 30.34% 126 1.45% 38 0.44% 48 0.55% 3,202 36.87% 8,684
Lincoln 5,520 59.86% 3,120 33.83% 523 5.67% 36 0.39% 23 0.25% 2,400 26.02% 9,222
Manitowoc 15,539 64.68% 5,094 21.20% 3,274 13.63% 90 0.37% 29 0.12% 10,445 43.47% 24,026
Marathon 17,898 66.10% 7,328 27.06% 1,661 6.13% 150 0.55% 39 0.14% 10,570 39.04% 27,076
Marinette 8,884 62.24% 4,938 34.59% 369 2.59% 65 0.46% 18 0.13% 3,946 27.64% 14,274
Marquette 1,812 46.26% 1,957 49.96% 135 3.45% 8 0.20% 5 0.13% -145 -3.70% 3,917
Milwaukee 221,512 74.59% 54,811 18.46% 13,100 4.41% 6,311 2.13% 1,224 0.41% 166,701 56.14% 296,958
Monroe 6,491 54.06% 4,695 39.10% 750 6.25% 40 0.33% 32 0.27% 1,796 14.96% 12,008
Oconto 6,729 60.98% 3,774 34.20% 454 4.11% 67 0.61% 10 0.09% 2,955 26.78% 11,034
Oneida 5,208 64.65% 2,294 28.48% 483 6.00% 60 0.74% 11 0.14% 2,914 36.17% 8,056
Outagamie 16,163 59.07% 9,485 34.66% 1,642 6.00% 50 0.18% 24 0.09% 6,678 24.40% 27,364
Ozaukee 5,594 70.65% 1,785 22.54% 489 6.18% 36 0.45% 14 0.18% 3,809 48.11% 7,918
Pepin 1,785 51.80% 1,466 42.54% 177 5.14% 11 0.32% 7 0.20% 319 9.26% 3,446
Pierce 4,061 44.06% 3,935 42.70% 1,139 12.36% 61 0.66% 20 0.22% 126 1.37% 9,216
Polk 5,618 53.51% 3,596 34.25% 920 8.76% 334 3.18% 31 0.30% 2,022 19.26% 10,499
Portage 10,576 71.25% 3,969 26.74% 246 1.66% 32 0.22% 21 0.14% 6,607 44.51% 14,844
Price 5,098 66.62% 2,215 28.95% 220 2.88% 43 0.56% 76 0.99% 2,883 37.68% 7,652
Racine 24,474 64.54% 10,850 28.61% 2,052 5.41% 244 0.64% 300 0.79% 13,624 35.93% 37,920
Richland 4,080 46.97% 4,245 48.87% 294 3.38% 17 0.20% 50 0.58% -165 -1.90% 8,686
Rock 17,991 53.34% 14,693 43.56% 907 2.69% 72 0.21% 66 0.20% 3,298 9.78% 33,729
Rusk 3,877 57.18% 2,453 36.18% 338 4.99% 80 1.18% 32 0.47% 1,424 21.00% 6,780
Sauk 8,355 56.41% 5,626 37.98% 757 5.11% 37 0.25% 37 0.25% 2,729 18.42% 14,812
Sawyer 2,834 59.88% 1,726 36.47% 140 2.96% 23 0.49% 10 0.21% 1,108 23.41% 4,733
Shawano 8,865 68.59% 3,679 28.46% 274 2.12% 79 0.61% 28 0.22% 5,186 40.12% 12,925
Sheboygan 17,415 62.06% 8,865 31.59% 1,442 5.14% 234 0.83% 107 0.38% 8,550 30.47% 28,063
St. Croix 4,679 41.71% 4,316 38.47% 2,153 19.19% 52 0.46% 18 0.16% 363 3.24% 11,218
Taylor 4,721 67.55% 1,758 25.15% 355 5.08% 112 1.60% 43 0.62% 2,963 42.40% 6,989
Trempealeau 5,929 60.30% 3,339 33.96% 525 5.34% 21 0.21% 18 0.18% 2,590 26.34% 9,832
Vernon 6,044 53.22% 4,811 42.36% 459 4.04% 17 0.15% 26 0.23% 1,233 10.86% 11,357
Vilas 2,559 61.69% 1,298 31.29% 216 5.21% 22 0.53% 53 1.28% 1,261 30.40% 4,148
Walworth 7,093 44.15% 8,462 52.67% 444 2.76% 52 0.32% 15 0.09% -1,369 -8.52% 16,066
Washburn 3,220 61.73% 1,650 31.63% 303 5.81% 29 0.56% 14 0.27% 1,570 30.10% 5,216
Washington 7,129 58.96% 3,589 29.68% 1,297 10.73% 60 0.50% 17 0.14% 3,540 29.28% 12,092
Waukesha 14,982 59.47% 8,921 35.41% 1,125 4.47% 121 0.48% 45 0.18% 6,061 24.06% 25,194
Waupaca 6,920 47.52% 6,680 45.88% 895 6.15% 46 0.32% 20 0.14% 240 1.65% 14,561
Waushara 2,636 41.05% 3,302 51.43% 423 6.59% 34 0.53% 26 0.40% -666 -10.37% 6,421
Winnebago 18,522 58.57% 11,679 36.93% 1,201 3.80% 140 0.44% 79 0.25% 6,843 21.64% 31,621
Wood 9,982 62.57% 4,902 30.73% 903 5.66% 66 0.41% 100 0.63% 5,080 31.84% 15,953
Totals 802,984 63.79% 380,828 30.26% 60,297 4.79% 10,626 0.84% 3,977 0.32% 422,156 33.54% 1,258,712

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Electors

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These were the names of the electors for each ticket.[18]

Franklin D. Roosevelt
& John Nance Garner
Democratic Party 		Alf Landon
& Frank Knox
Republican Party 		William Lemke
& Thomas C. O'Brien
Union Party
  • M. L. Richdorf
  • William B. Rubin
  • Elizabeth Cook
  • Paul A. Hemmy Jr.
  • Bart E. McGonigle
  • Anthony J. Szozerbinski
  • Henry L. Nunn
  • Joseph Barnett
  • William G. Bate
  • Gerald F. Clifford
  • Edwin Larkin
  • Fred A. Russell
  • Edward J. Samp
  • John B. Chapple
  • George Ingersoll
  • Robert Caldwell
  • William L. Graves
  • Leon Novak
  • James T. Drought
  • William Campbell
  • Wilson S. Delzell
  • Orville G. Hegner
  • Charles Dawson
  • Peter J. Skamser
  • Anthony Baranowski
  • William J. Noe
  • Paul H. Kuehn
  • Arthur M. Lockard
  • Joseph F. Walsh
  • Clement J. Lange
  • Alice Reddin
  • Frank W. Smith
  • Carl N. Dehlinger
  • Alfred T. Moore
  • Alfred J. LaGrandeur
  • Herbert A. Mittelsdorf
Earl R. Browder
& James W. Ford
Communist Party 		D. Leigh Colvin
& Claude A. Watson
Prohibition Party 		John W. Aiken
& Emil F. Teichert
Socialist Labor Party 		Norman Thomas
& George A. Nelson
Socialist Party
  • Frank B. Metcalfe
  • Harry Miller
  • Al Jensen
  • Glenn P. Turner
  • Arthur Oschsner
  • Leonard Place
  • Clara Palm
  • Fred Kneevers
  • William Zuegge
  • Jesse Winters
  • Paul Boyd
  • Ole Blum
  • John Sekat
  • Victor E. Tollefson
  • Dalton G. Johnson
  • Joseph Gary
  • George Walker
  • Frank Ingram
  • Gussie Battiest
  • Fern Dobbins
  • Esther Mattson
  • Allan Kaufman
  • Herman Hardrath
  • Henry Hamberg
  • Hazel Williams
  • Charles H. Berryman
  • Benjamin Hansche
  • Helen Nichol
  • Horace G. Willey
  • Charles H. Mott
  • Ivan T. Mishoff
  • Theron Shove
  • Wallace Schaal
  • Ida Hopkins
  • Abraham L. Knapton
  • Nellie Tribbey
  • David Lynch
  • Valdemar Werdier
  • Louise Weber
  • William J. Philumalee
  • Louis Ballin
  • Alex Gradijan
  • Steve Paschke
  • Alfred L. Koeser
  • Mike Jastinski
  • William Kelenic
  • Thomas Henry Bagan
  • John G. Shepherd

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Listed as "Independent Union" in Wisconsin
  2. ^ Listed as "Independent Communist" in Wisconsin
  3. ^ Listed as "Independent Prohibition" in Wisconsin
  4. ^ Listed as "Independent Socialist Labor" in Wisconsin
  5. ^ The Scattering votes are not listed in the 1937 Blue Book. The Board of Canvassers report shows the Scattering vote in its own column, separate from the total vote per county.

References

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  1. ^ Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179 ISBN 0313213798
  2. ^ Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526 ISBN 0815719094
  3. ^ Hansen, John Mark; Shigeo Hirano, and Snyder, James M. Jr.; 'Parties within Parties: Parties, Factions, and Coordinated Politics, 1900-1980'; in Gerber, Alan S. and Schickler, Eric; Governing in a Polarized Age: Elections, Parties, and Political Representation in America, pp. 165-168 ISBN 978-1-107-09509-0
  4. ^ Crews, Kenneth D.; 'Woodrow Wilson, Wisconsin, and the Election of 1912'; Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 3: 'Presidents, Vice Presidents and Political Parties: Performance and Prospects' (Summer, 1982), pp. 369-376
  5. ^ Leary, William M. (jr.); 'Woodrow Wilson, Irish Americans, and the Election of 1916'; The Journal of American History, Vol. 54, No. 1 (June 1967), pp. 57-72
  6. ^ Morello, John A.; Albert D. Lasker, Advertising, and the Election of Warren G. Harding, p. 64 ISBN 0275970302
  7. ^ Janus, Erika; A Short History of Wisconsin, p. 138 ISBN 0870204734
  8. ^ 'Roosevelt Assets Large in Wisconsin: Backed by La Follettes and Labor, His Forces Count on Retaining State'; The New York Times, October 22, 1936, p. 13
  9. ^ Blair, Edson; 'Washington: Both Sides of the Curtain: Lemke's Part in the National Election Campaign – La Follette and Discriminating Wisconsin Voters – Landon and Illinois'; Barron's (Boston, Massachusetts), August 24, 1936, p. 4
  10. ^ Hagerty, James A.; 'Drive in Wisconsin Began by Landon: Leaders Pledge State Victory When They Board His Train on Way to Milwaukee'; The New York Times, September 26, 1936, p. 1
  11. ^ See Loewen, James W.; Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, pp. 56, 68 ISBN 1595586741
  12. ^ a b 'Landon Demands Racial Tolerance: In Wisconsin Wayside Talks Candidate Also Calls for Academic Freedom'; Special to The New York Times, September 27, 1936, p. 30
  13. ^ 'La Follette Urges Roosevelt Return: Senator Radios a Call From Chicago to All Liberals to Back the President'; The New York Times, September 29, 1936, p. 23
  14. ^ 'Close Race Seen in Four States Landon Will Visit: Trend of Democratic Popularity in Four States'; Daily Boston Globe, September 22, 1936, p. 3
  15. ^ Gallup, George; 'Roosevelt Is Gaining According to Nationwide Poll: Delaware, Minnesota Shift Gives 306 Electoral Votes'; Daily Boston Globe, October 4, 1936, p. 5
  16. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 387-388 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  17. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  18. ^ a b c Wisconsin Historical Society, Certificate of Board of State Canvassers Relative to Presidential Candidates and Presidential Electors - November 3, 1936
  19. ^ a b Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. "Summary Vote For President By Counties". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1937. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 418.
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