1926 Wisconsin gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	1926 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Country:	Wisconsin
Flag Year:	1913
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1924 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	1924
Next Election:	1928 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Next Year:	1928
Election Date:	November 2, 1926
Image1:	File:Fred R. Zimmerman.jpg
Nominee1:	Fred R. Zimmerman
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	350,927
Percentage1:	63.47%
Nominee2:	Charles B. Perry
Party2:	Independent (politician)
Popular Vote2:	76,507
Percentage2:	13.84%
Image4:	File:Virgil H. Cady.png
Nominee4:	Virgil H. Cady
Party4:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote4:	72,627
Percentage4:	13.14%
Image5:	File:Herman O. Kent.png
Nominee5:	Herman O. Kent
Party5:	Socialist Party of America
Popular Vote5:	40,293
Percentage5:	7.29%
Map Size:	250px
Governor
Before Election:	John J. Blaine
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Fred R. Zimmerman
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The 1926 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1926. Primary elections were held on September 7, 1926.

Incumbent Republican Governor John J. Blaine retired to run for the U.S. Senate. Republican nominee Fred R. Zimmerman defeated Independent Charles B. Perry, Democratic nominee Virgil H. Cady and Socialist nominee Herman O. Kent.

Primary election

Republican party

Candidates

• Herman L. Ekern, incumbent Attorney General of Wisconsin
• Charles B. Perry, incumbent member of the Wisconsin State Assembly (ran as independent in general)
• W. Stanley Smith, former Commissioner of Insurance^{[1] [2]}
• Fred R. Zimmerman, incumbent Secretary of State of Wisconsin

Results

Democratic party

Candidates

• Virgil H. Cady, Democratic nominee for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district in 1914

Results

Socialist party

Candidates

• Herman O. Kent, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Results

Prohibition party

Candidates

• Adolph R. Bucknam, Prohibition nominee for U.S. Senate in 1922 and for Governor in 1924
• David W. Emerson, Prohibition nominee for Governor in 1914
• Alex McEathron, Prohibition nominee for Wisconsin's 9th congressional district in 1910

Results

Other party nominations

• Alex Gorden, Socialist Labor
• Charles B. Perry, Independent, incumbent member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

General election

Results by county

County	Fred R. Zimmerman Republican		Charles B. Perry Independent		Virgil H. Cady Democratic		Herman O. Kent Socialist		All Others Various		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		743		68.17%		98		8.99%		155		14.22%		54		4.95%		40		3.67%		588		53.94%		1,090
	Ashland		2,970		64.43%		907		19.67%		390		8.46%		160		3.47%		183		3.97%		2,063		44.75%		4,610
	Barron		4,577		74.36%		704		11.44%		356		5.78%		261		4.24%		257		4.18%		3,873		62.92%		6,155
	Bayfield		2,193		82.79%		167		6.30%		102		3.85%		83		3.13%		104		3.93%		2,026		76.48%		2,649
	Brown		7,757		54.73%		1,267		8.94%		4,093		28.88%		780		5.50%		276		1.95%		3,664		25.85%		14,173
	Buffalo		1,581		75.97%		182		8.75%		158		7.59%		97		4.66%		63		3.03%		1,399		67.23%		2,081
	Burnett		1,591		85.31%		87		4.66%		52		2.79%		46		2.47%		89		4.77%		1,504		50.64%		1,865
	Calumet		1,817		53.87%		263		7.80%		1,182		35.04%		59		1.75%		52		1.54%		635		18.83%		3,373
	Chippewa		5,874		71.35%		1,309		15.90%		590		7.17%		117		1.42%		343		4.17%		4,565		55.45%		8,233
	Clark		5,778		76.87%		884		11.76%		479		6.37%		153		2.04%		223		2.97%		4,894		65.11%		7,517
	Columbia		5,075		70.55%		824		11.46%		1,006		13.99%		138		1.92%		150		2.09%		4,069		56.57%		7,193
	Crawford		2,081		63.10%		283		8.58%		805		24.41%		45		1.36%		84		2.55%		1,276		38.69%		3,298
	Dane		13,215		58.88%		5,029		22.41%		2,427		10.81%		1,029		4.58%		745		3.32%		8,186		36.47%		22,445
	Dodge		6,420		55.53%		934		8.08%		3,588		31.03%		467		4.04%		153		1.32%		2,832		24.49%		11,562
	Door		2,234		66.57%		861		25.66%		120		3.58%		33		0.98%		108		3.22%		1,373		40.91%		3,356
	Douglas		8,852		83.92%		789		7.48%		385		3.65%		208		1.97%		314		2.98%		8,063		76.44%		10,548
	Dunn		4,371		79.68%		643		11.72%		204		3.72%		127		2.31%		141		2.57%		3,728		67.95%		5,486
	Eau Claire		5,355		68.11%		1,789		22.76%		391		4.97%		107		1.36%		220		2.80%		3,566		45.36%		7,862
	Florence		1,004		89.01%		67		5.94%		23		2.04%		9		0.80%		25		2.22%		937		83.07%		1,128
	Fond du Lac		8,270		66.22%		1,250		10.01%		2,558		20.48%		185		1.48%		226		1.81%		5,712		45.74%		12,489
	Forest		1,571		74.88%		180		8.58%		275		13.11%		23		1.10%		49		2.34%		1,296		61.77%		2,098
	Grant		6,469		69.55%		1,284		13.80%		1,208		12.99%		120		1.29%		220		2.37%		5,185		55.75%		9,301
	Green		3,253		77.34%		475		11.29%		291		6.92%		70		1.66%		117		2.78%		2,778		66.05%		4,206
	Green Lake		2,725		71.07%		477		12.44%		499		13.02%		27		0.70%		106		2.76%		2,226		58.06%		3,834
	Iowa		3,178		62.68%		1,304		25.72%		359		7.08%		84		1.66%		145		2.86%		1,874		36.96%		5,070
	Iron		1,724		82.77%		196		9.41%		57		2.74%		43		2.06%		63		3.02%		1,528		73.36%		2,083
	Jackson		2,424		81.45%		270		9.07%		106		3.56%		84		2.82%		92		3.09%		2,154		72.38%		2,976
	Jefferson		6,088		69.55%		913		10.43%		1,415		16.16%		139		1.59%		199		2.27%		4,673		53.38%		8,754
	Juneau		3,168		76.54%		428		10.34%		396		9.57%		73		1.76%		74		1.79%		2,740		66.20%		4,139
	Kenosha		9,212		65.84%		597		4.27%		3,567		25.49%		304		2.17%		312		2.23%		5,645		40.34%		13,992
	Kewaunee		1,484		57.83%		478		18.63%		435		16.95%		112		4.36%		57		2.22%		1,006		39.20%		2,556
	La Crosse		7,268		70.51%		1,092		10.59%		1,627		15.78%		96		0.93%		225		2.18%		5,641		54.72%		10,308
	Lafayette		3,659		67.04%		493		9.03%		1,159		21.23%		67		1.23%		80		1.47%		2,500		45.80%		5,458
	Langlade		3,504		60.68%		314		5.44%		1,685		29.18%		93		1.61%		179		3.10%		1,819		31.50%		5,775
	Lincoln		2,666		59.88%		1,250		28.08%		306		6.87%		93		2.09%		137		3.08%		1,416		31.81%		4,452
	Manitowoc		6,588		62.45%		1,420		13.46%		2,111		20.01%		245		2.32%		186		1.76%		4,477		42.44%		10,550
	Marathon		9,437		74.17%		1,156		9.09%		798		6.27%		985		7.74%		348		2.73%		8,281		65.08%		12,724
	Marinette		4,831		77.79%		640		10.31%		447		7.20%		96		1.55%		196		3.16%		4,191		67.49%		6,210
	Marquette		1,413		68.79%		159		7.74%		432		21.03%		15		0.73%		35		1.70%		981		47.76%		2,054
	Milwaukee		43,948		43.99%		15,411		15.43%		12,386		12.40%		27,250		27.28%		910		0.91%		16,698		16.71%		99,905
	Monroe		3,221		69.96%		706		15.33%		325		7.06%		141		3.06%		211		4.58%		2,515		54.63%		4,604
	Oconto		3,379		60.23%		1,391		24.80%		698		12.44%		66		1.18%		76		1.35%		1,988		35.44%		5,610
	Oneida		2,702		72.75%		400		10.77%		369		9.94%		134		3.61%		109		2.93%		2,302		61.98%		3,714
	Outagamie		9,105		69.10%		2,049		15.55%		1,444		10.96%		234		1.78%		344		2.61%		7,056		53.55%		13,176
	Ozaukee		1,484		39.97%		462		12.44%		1,608		43.31%		78		2.10%		81		2.18%		-124		-3.34%		3,713
	Pepin		1,024		63.92%		250		15.61%		214		13.36%		54		3.37%		60		3.75%		774		48.31%		1,602
	Pierce		4,132		76.01%		569		10.47%		205		3.77%		359		6.60%		171		3.15%		3,563		65.54%		5,436
	Polk		3,349		77.25%		437		10.08%		204		4.71%		124		2.86%		221		5.10%		2,912		67.17%		4,335
	Portage		3,869		46.97%		497		6.03%		3,685		44.73%		57		0.69%		130		1.58%		184		2.23%		8,238
	Price		3,012		76.72%		518		13.19%		194		4.94%		95		2.42%		107		2.73%		2,494		63.53%		3,926
	Racine		12,958		70.63%		2,908		15.85%		1,473		8.03%		486		2.65%		521		2.84%		10,050		54.78%		18,346
	Richland		3,634		74.51%		483		9.90%		549		11.26%		39		0.80%		172		3.53%		3,085		63.26%		4,877
	Rock		10,697		80.67%		1,537		11.59%		641		4.83%		155		1.17%		230		1.73%		9,160		69.08%		13,260
	Rusk		2,407		69.87%		658		19.10%		157		4.56%		84		2.44%		139		4.03%		1,749		50.77%		3,445
	Sauk		4,117		61.26%		677		10.07%		1,553		23.11%		179		2.66%		195		2.90%		2,564		38.15%		6,721
	Sawyer		1,177		78.26%		153		10.17%		85		5.65%		38		2.53%		51		3.39%		1,024		68.09%		1,504
	Shawano		2,999		71.40%		406		9.67%		374		8.90%		318		7.57%		103		2.45%		2,593		61.74%		4,200
	Sheboygan		5,141		42.55%		3,581		29.64%		1,902		15.74%		1,238		10.25%		220		1.82%		1,560		12.91%		12,082
	St. Croix		3,958		65.71%		1,305		21.67%		372		6.18%		207		3.44%		181		3.01%		2,653		44.05%		6,023
	Taylor		2,332		74.62%		396		12.67%		140		4.48%		190		6.08%		67		2.14%		1,936		61.95%		3,125
	Trempealeau		3,961		73.95%		728		13.59%		432		8.07%		65		1.21%		170		3.17%		3,233		60.36%		5,356
	Vernon		3,987		76.61%		618		11.88%		256		4.92%		161		3.09%		182		3.50%		3,369		64,74%		5,204
	Vilas		907		83.90%		45		4.16%		61		5.64%		36		3.33%		32		2.96%		849		78.26%		1,081
	Walworth		5,691		77.28%		714		9.70%		636		8.64%		78		1.06%		245		3.33%		4,977		67.59%		7,364
	Washburn		1,572		79.59%		211		10.68%		57		2.89%		76		3.85%		59		2.99%		1,361		68.91%		1,975
	Washington		2,721		52.41%		519		10.00%		1,735		33.42%		156		3.00%		61		1.17%		986		18.99%		5,192
	Waukesha		6,277		63.83%		1,337		13.60%		1,730		17.59%		298		3.03%		192		1.95%		4,547		46.24%		9,834
	Waupaca		5,637		78.35%		905		12.58%		398		5.53%		112		1.56%		143		1.99%		4,732		65.77%		7,195
	Waushara		2,972		82.26%		351		9.71%		172		4.76%		41		1.13%		77		2.13%		2,621		72.54%		3,613
	Winnebago		10,048		64.72%		3,112		20.05%		1,642		10.58%		459		2.96%		264		1.70%		6,936		44.68%		15,525
	Wood		6,089		67.15%		1,710		18.86%		693		7.64%		358		3.95%		218		2.40%		4,379		48.29%		9,068
Total	350,927	63.47%	76,507	13.84%	72,627	13.14%	40,293	7.29%	12,558	2.27%	274,420	49.63%	552,912

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Columbia
• Green Lake
• Jefferson
• Kenosha
• Marquette
• Pepin
• Portage
• Racine
• Richland
• Rock
• Walworth
• Washington
• Waukesha
• Winnebago

Bibliography

• Book: Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 . Washington, D.C. . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . 1998 . 1-56802-396-0 . .
• Book: Holmes . Fred L. . 1927 . The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1927 . Democrat Printing Company, State Printer . Madison, Wisconsin . .

Notes and References

1. Book: Wisconsin Insurance Report, 2005 . 2005 . Office of the Commissioner of Insurance . Jorge Gomez, Commissioner of Insurance . Madison, Wisconsin . 5.
2. News: . July 24, 1926 . W. Stanley Smith In Attack On Candidates . 23 April 2021 . The Sheboygan Press . Sheboygan, Wisconsin . 2.