1912 Wisconsin gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	1912 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Country:	Wisconsin
Flag Year:	1866
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1910 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	1910
Next Election:	1914 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Next Year:	1914
Election Date:	November 5, 1912
Image1:	File:Francis E. McGovern.jpg
Nominee1:	Francis E. McGovern
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	179,360
Percentage1:	45.54%
Nominee2:	John C. Karel
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	167,316
Percentage2:	42.48%
Image3:	File:Thompson-carl-d.jpg
Nominee3:	Carl D. Thompson
Party3:	Socialist Party of America
Popular Vote3:	34,468
Percentage3:	8.75%
Map Size:	250px
Governor
Before Election:	Francis E. McGovern
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Francis E. McGovern
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The 1912 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1912. Primary elections were held on September 3, 1912.

Incumbent Republican Governor Francis E. McGovern defeated Democratic nominee John C. Karel and Socialist nominee Carl D. Thompson, with 45.54% of the vote. This was the closest gubernatorial election in Wisconsin during the Fourth Party System and one of only two decided by single digits during that era.

This was the tenth consecutive Republican victory in Wisconsin, breaking the previous record of nine consecutive wins that ran from 1855 through 1871. This streak would eventually reach 19 consecutive Republican wins before being broken in 1932.

Primary election

Republican party

Candidates

• Francis E. McGovern, incumbent Governor

Results

Democratic party

Candidates

• John C. Karel, Milwaukee County Court judge
• Adolph J. Schmitz, lawyer, Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1894,^[1] Democratic nominee for Governor in 1910

Results

Socialist party

Candidates

• Carl D. Thompson, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Results

Prohibition party

Candidates

• Charles L. Hill, Prohibition nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1910

Results

General election

Results by county

Karel was the first Democrat since George W. Peck in 1890 to carry Racine County. Additionally, Forest County, Portage County, Sheboygan County, and Waukesha County voted Democratic for the first time since 1892. After this election, Forest County, Marathon County, and Milwaukee County would not vote Democratic again until 1932.

Portage County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1873. Additionally, Waukesha County, Forest County, and Sheboygan County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1884, 1886, and 1888, respectively.

County	Francis E. McGovern Republican		John C. Karel Democratic		Carl D. Thompson Social Democratic		Charles L. Hill Prohibition		William H. Curtis Socialist Labor		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		991		70.43%		326		23.17%		53		3.77%		34		2.42%		3		0.21%		665		47.26%		1,407
	Ashland		1,797		52.96%		1,235		36.40%		243		7.16%		107		3.15%		11		0.32%		562		16.56%		3,393
	Barron		2,360		62.30%		920		24.29%		226		5.97%		257		6.78%		24		0.63%		1,440		38.01%		3,788
	Bayfield		1,239		57.49%		539		25.01%		275		12.76%		79		3.67%		23		1.07%		700		32.48%		2,155
	Brown		3,936		48.84%		3,444		42.73%		510		6.33%		146		1.81%		23		0.29%		492		6.10%		8,059
	Buffalo		1,525		62.99%		804		33.21%		28		1.16%		47		1.94%		17		0.70%		721		29.78%		2,421
	Burnett		983		68.17%		214		14.84%		158		10.96%		54		3.74%		33		2.29%		768		53.33%		1,442
	Calumet		1,317		46.90%		1,393		49.61%		65		2.31%		25		0.89%		8		0.28%		-76		-2.71%		2,808
	Chippewa		2,471		50.45%		2,232		45.57%		83		1.69%		99		2.02%		12		0.24%		239		4.88%		4,898
	Clark		2,650		61.06%		1,433		33.02%		115		2.65%		114		2.63%		28		0.65%		1,217		28.04%		4,340
	Columbia		3,045		53.60%		2,395		42.16%		98		1.73%		132		2.32%		11		0.19%		650		11.44%		5,681
	Crawford		1,571		47.29%		1,634		49.19%		49		1.48%		64		1.93%		4		0.12%		-63		-1.90%		3,322
	Dane		8,358		51.81%		7,102		44.03%		232		1.44%		398		2.47%		41		0.25%		1,256		7.79%		16,131
	Dodge		2,697		31.42%		5,656		65.89%		98		1.14%		129		1.50%		4		0.05%		-2,959		-34.47%		8,584
	Door		1,358		50.04%		1,156		42.59%		67		2.47%		125		4.61%		8		0.29%		202		7.44%		2,714
	Douglas		2,450		47.31%		1,584		30.59%		935		18.05%		148		2.86%		62		1.20%		866		16.72%		5,179
	Dunn		2,571		73.25%		621		17.69%		205		5.84%		91		2.59%		22		0.63%		1,950		55.56%		3,510
	Eau Claire		2,947		61.40%		1,497		31.19%		228		4.75%		108		2.25%		17		0.35%		1,450		30.21%		4,800
	Florence		386		69.42%		146		26.26%		12		2.16%		11		1.98%		1		0.18%		240		43.17%		556
	Fond du Lac		3,955		42.11%		4,824		51.37%		289		3.08%		314		3.34%		9		0.10%		-869		-9.25%		9,391
	Forest		569		42.49%		693		51.76%		45		3.36%		29		2.17%		3		0.22%		-124		-9.26%		1,339
	Grant		3,868		50.35%		3,496		45.51%		93		1.21%		214		2.79%		11		0.14%		372		4.84%		7,682
	Green		2,044		50.73%		1,707		42.37%		85		2.11%		172		4.27%		20		0.50%		337		8.36%		4,029
	Green Lake		1,299		44.17%		1,526		51.89%		39		1.33%		76		2.58%		1		0.03%		-227		-7.72%		2,941
	Iowa		2,343		51.55%		2,009		44.20%		32		0.70%		160		3.52%		1		0.02%		334		7.35%		4,545
	Iron		628		52.38%		450		37.53%		65		5.42%		31		2.59%		25		2.09%		178		14.85%		1,199
	Jackson		1,830		72.16%		550		21.69%		68		2.68%		81		3.19%		7		0.28%		1,280		50.47%		2,536
	Jefferson		2,075		30.15%		4,546		66.06%		101		1.47%		150		2.18%		8		0.12%		-2,471		-35.91%		6,882
	Juneau		1,675		54.33%		1,179		38.24%		153		4.96%		62		2.01%		14		0.45%		496		16.09%		3,083
	Kenosha		2,650		43.82%		2,722		45.01%		462		7.64%		175		2.89%		38		0.63%		-72		-1.19%		6,047
	Kewaunee		1,415		45.72%		1,635		52.83%		19		0.61%		26		0.84%		0		0.00%		-220		-7.11%		3,095
	La Crosse		3,688		47.09%		3,628		46.32%		346		4.42%		153		1.95%		17		0.22%		60		0.77%		7,832
	Lafayette		2,414		54.00%		1,971		44.09%		19		0.43%		62		1.39%		4		0.09%		443		9.91%		4,470
	Langlade		1,341		46.40%		1,446		50.03%		54		1.87%		45		1.56%		4		0.14%		-105		-3.63%		2,890
	Lincoln		1,661		50.17%		1,421		42.92%		188		5.68%		29		0.88%		12		0.36%		240		7.25%		3,311
	Manitowoc		2,951		38.59%		3,818		49.93%		808		10.57%		62		0.81%		8		0.10%		-867		-11.34%		7,647
	Marathon		3,865		43.17%		4,374		48.86%		505		5.64%		176		1.97%		32		0.36%		-509		-5.69%		8,952
	Marinette		2,612		55.72%		1,764		37.63%		210		4.48%		90		1.92%		12		0.26%		848		18.09%		4,688
	Marquette		1,161		54.03%		925		43.04%		15		0.70%		44		2.05%		4		0.19%		236		10.98%		2,149
	Milwaukee		17,771		24.15%		31,746		43.14%		21,301		28.94%		991		1.35%		1,785		2.43%		-10,445		-14.19%		73,594
	Monroe		2,441		52.68%		1,869		40.33%		117		2.52%		185		3.99%		22		0.47%		572		12.34%		4,634
	Oconto		2,373		55.69%		1,710		40.13%		120		2.82%		46		1.08%		12		0.28%		663		15.56%		4,261
	Oneida		1,107		55.13%		700		34.86%		169		8.42%		22		1.10%		10		0.50%		407		20.27%		2,008
	Outagamie		4,076		49.10%		3,831		46.15%		179		2.16%		157		1.89%		59		0.71%		245		2.95%		8,302
	Ozaukee		714		24.87%		2,074		72.24%		55		1.92%		22		0.77%		6		0.21%		-1,360		-47.37%		2,871
	Pepin		748		59.70%		453		36.15%		21		1.68%		27		2.15%		4		0.32%		295		23.54%		1,253
	Pierce		2,295		71.10%		694		21.50%		81		2.51%		100		3.10%		58		1.80%		1,601		49.60%		3,228
	Polk		2,095		70.47%		465		15.64%		266		8.95%		106		3.57%		41		1.38%		1,630		54.83%		2,973
	Portage		2,366		45.36%		2,652		50.84%		99		1.90%		89		1.71%		10		0.19%		-286		-5.48%		5,216
	Price		1,225		53.68%		682		29.89%		273		11.96%		67		2.94%		35		1.53%		543		23.79%		2,282
	Racine		3,725		43.05%		3,918		45.28%		550		6.36%		328		3.79%		120		1.39%		-193		-2.23%		8,652
	Richland		1,930		50.43%		1,444		37.73%		107		2.80%		331		8.65%		15		0.39%		486		12.70%		3,827
	Rock		4,717		49.14%		4,263		44.41%		227		2.36%		319		3.32%		74		0.77%		454		4.73%		9,600
	Rusk		976		59.26%		427		25.93%		181		10.99%		50		3.04%		13		0.79%		549		33.33%		1,647
	Sauk		2,774		50.61%		2,348		42.84%		58		1.06%		290		5.29%		11		0.20%		426		7.77%		5,481
	Sawyer		485		56.07%		354		40.92%		10		1.16%		15		1.73%		1		0.12%		131		15.14%		865
	Shawano		2,753		62.94%		1,386		31.69%		107		2.45%		114		2.61%		14		0.32%		1,367		31.25%		4,374
	Sheboygan		4,197		43.61%		4,227		43.92%		1,047		10.88%		138		1.43%		16		0.17%		-30		-0.31%		9,625
	St. Croix		2,442		54.98%		1,720		38.72%		152		3.42%		121		2.72%		7		0.16%		722		16.25%		4,442
	Taylor		1,195		53.71%		757		34.02%		246		11.06%		21		0.94%		6		0.27%		438		19.69%		2,225
	Trempealeau		2,474		64.82%		1,206		31.60%		39		1.02%		93		2.44%		5		0.13%		1,268		33.22%		3,817
	Vernon		2,880		64.75%		1,310		29.45%		70		1.57%		174		3.91%		14		0.31%		1,570		35.30%		4,448
	Vilas		416		47.22%		383		43.47%		61		6.92%		12		1.36%		9		1.02%		33		3.75%		881
	Walworth		2,835		51.03%		2,287		41.16%		88		1.58%		325		5.85%		21		0.38%		548		9.86%		5,556
	Washburn		821		53.49%		476		31.01%		193		12.57%		40		2.61%		5		0.33%		345		22.48%		1,535
	Washington		1,803		38.39%		2,735		58.24%		138		2.94%		20		0.43%		0		0.00%		-932		-19.85%		4,696
	Waukesha		3,235		44.64%		3,521		48.59%		183		2.53%		295		4.07%		13		0.18%		-286		-3.95%		7,247
	Waupaca		3,741		68.12%		1,339		24.38%		141		2.57%		199		3.62%		72		1.31%		2,402		43.74%		5,492
	Waushara		2,142		73.18%		586		20.02%		75		2.56%		93		3.18%		31		1.06%		1,556		53.16%		2,927
	Winnebago		5,490		51.05%		4,398		40.90%		498		4.63%		202		1.88%		166		1.54%		1,092		10.15%		10,754
	Wood		2,422		46.22%		2,340		44.66%		340		6.49%		122		2.33%		16		0.31%		82		1.56%		5,240
Total	179,360	45.54%	167,316	42.48%	34,468	8.75%	9,433	2.40%	3,253	0.83%	12,044	3.06%	393,849

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Crawford
• Fond du Lac
• Forest
• Green Lake
• Langlade
• Portage
• Racine
• Sheboygan
• Waukesha

Counties that flipped from Social Democratic to Democratic

• Milwaukee

Bibliography

• Book: Glashan, Roy R. . American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978 . Meckler Books . 1979 . 0-930466-17-9 .
• Book: Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 . Washington, D.C. . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . 1998 . 1-56802-396-0 . .
• Book: 1913 . The Wisconsin Blue Book . Democrat Printing Co., State Printer . Madison, Wisconsin . .

Notes and References

1. Book: Bruce . William George . Currey . Josiah Seymour . 1922 . History of Milwaukee City and County . II . Milwaukee . The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company . 404–407 .