1928 United States presidential election in Wisconsin explained

See main article: article and 1928 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1928 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Country:Wisconsin
Flag Year:1913
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1924 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Previous Year:1924
Next Election:1932 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Next Year:1932
Election Date:November 6, 1928
Image1:Herbert Hoover - NARA - 532049.jpg
Nominee1:Herbert Hoover
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:California
Running Mate1:Charles Curtis
Electoral Vote1:13
Popular Vote1:544,205
Percentage1:53.52%
Nominee2:Al Smith
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:New York
Running Mate2:Joseph T. Robinson
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:450,259
Percentage2:44.28%
Map Size:315px
President
Before Election:Calvin Coolidge
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:Herbert Hoover
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1928 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 6, 1928 as part of the 1928 United States presidential election. State voters chose 13 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

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 1920 Wisconsin's status as a one-party Republican state was solidified as James M. Cox won less than a sixth of the state's presidential vote and Democrats claimed only four state legislative seats, all but one of which would be lost in 1922. Conservative Southern Democrat John W. Davis would do even worse, winning less than one-twelfth of Wisconsin's 1924 presidential vote, and there would never be more than two Democrats in the state legislature between 1922 and 1928.

Nonetheless, in that 1924 election Wisconsin's popular long-time Republican Senator La Follette would via prevalent isolationist and progressive sentiment carry the state's electoral votes, and when La Follette died the following year his family did not endorse a Republican, but rather New York City Catholic Democrat Al Smith.[7] The nomination of Smith – inevitable with other Democrats sitting the election out[8] – had the effect of aligning the Democrats towards Wisconsin's sizeable Southern and Eastern European immigrant population, and Smith's Wall Street connections helped reconnect the isolationist, conservative German Catholic areas of eastern Wisconsin who had completely deserted the Democrats over opposition to Wilson's foreign policies.[9]

When Senator John J. Blaine endorsed Smith in late September,[10] it became clear that La Follette's endorsement of him had been shared by other prominent Progressives,[11] despite his son urging that sides not be taken.[12] Polls in October, after both candidates had campaigned in the state, viewed Wisconsin as close but leaning toward Smith.[11] However, when the polls closed, it became clear Hoover was showing greater strength than expected even in the pro-Catholic eastern region,[13] and when returns from Milwaukee came in later Smith did not receive the projected two-to-one majority.

Hoover thus carried Wisconsin by a comfortable 9.24 percentage point margin, still a remarkable transformation from 1920 when the state had been Cox's weakest and Harding won by over 55 percentage points. Smith recouped the Third Party System Democratic counties: in entirely Catholic Marshfield Township which typically gave pre-1916 Democrats over ninety percent but gave Cox only 4 percent, Smith won all but two percent.[9] Hoover's ability to take the La Follette vote in anti-Catholic Scandinavian areas of western Wisconsin was critical in winning him the state.[13], this is the last election in which Douglas County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[14]

Results

1928 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[15] [16]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
RepublicanHerbert Hoover544,20553.52%13
DemocraticAl Smith450,25944.28%0
SocialistNorman Thomas18,2131.79%0
ProhibitionWilliam F. Varney2,2450.22%0
Independent WorkersWilliam Z. Foster1,5280.15%0
Independent LaborVerne L. Reynolds3810.04%0
Write-inScattering410.00%0
Totals1,016,872100.00%13

Results by county

CountyHerbert Hoover
Republican
Al Smith
Democratic
Norman Thomas
Socialist
All Others
Various
MarginTotal votes cast
%%%%%
Adams1,62462.95%91435.43%240.93%180.70%71027.52%2,580
Ashland3,63949.35%3,57048.41%951.29%700.95%690.94%7,374
Barron8,45571.98%3,18527.12%710.60%350.30%5,27044.87%11,746
Bayfield3,27963.41%1,70933.05%490.95%1342.59%1,57030.36%5,171
Brown9,37136.04%16,46563.32%1350.52%330.13%-7,094-27.28%26,004
Buffalo3,02761.88%1,83637.53%110.22%180.37%1,19124.35%4,892
Burnett2,74274.71%88023.98%310.84%170.46%1,86250.74%3,670
Calumet2,40538.04%3,87161.22%350.55%120.19%-1,466-23.19%6,323
Chippewa7,51455.41%5,98544.13%250.18%370.27%1,52911.27%13,561
Clark6,94862.48%3,93835.41%1401.26%950.85%3,01027.07%11,121
Columbia7,61560.70%4,81938.41%500.40%610.49%2,79622.29%12,545
Crawford3,45251.18%3,23848.01%190.28%360.53%2143.17%6,745
Dane23,68054.84%19,12644.29%2520.58%1260.29%4,55410.55%43,184
Dodge9,66049.71%9,53649.07%1800.93%580.30%1240.64%19,434
Door3,63659.28%2,45640.04%170.28%250.41%1,18019.24%6,134
Douglas11,28061.20%6,76236.69%870.47%3031.64%4,51824.51%18,432
Dunn7,09676.51%2,04522.05%520.56%810.87%5,05154.46%9,274
Eau Claire10,07969.25%4,38530.13%490.34%420.29%5,69439.12%14,555
Florence99364.27%54034.95%20.13%100.65%45329.32%1,545
Fond du Lac12,59351.36%11,71947.80%1260.51%810.33%8743.56%24,519
Forest1,91852.82%1,67746.19%130.36%230.63%2416.64%3,631
Grant10,05259.85%6,63039.48%370.22%750.45%3,42220.38%16,794
Green5,15264.18%2,81235.03%310.39%320.40%2,34029.15%8,027
Green Lake3,03853.15%2,62245.87%260.45%300.52%4167.28%5,716
Iowa5,48463.26%3,12936.09%200.23%360.42%2,35527.17%8,669
Iron1,27440.68%1,72455.04%160.51%1183.77%-450-14.37%3,132
Jackson4,35375.17%1,36423.55%220.38%520.90%2,98951.61%5,791
Jefferson8,61257.28%6,30541.94%760.51%410.27%2,30715.35%15,034
Juneau3,77757.74%2,70841.40%340.52%220.34%1,06916.34%6,541
Kenosha11,33050.66%10,63847.57%2761.23%1190.53%6923.09%22,363
Kewaunee1,55627.94%3,98871.61%110.20%140.25%-2,432-43.67%5,569
La Crosse11,32155.78%8,87743.74%380.19%590.29%2,44412.04%20,295
Lafayette5,13458.53%3,58540.87%160.18%360.41%1,54917.66%8,771
Langlade3,71547.15%4,07851.76%450.57%410.52%-363-4.61%7,879
Lincoln4,02556.06%3,09143.05%280.39%360.50%93413.01%7,180
Manitowoc7,51941.70%10,29257.08%1720.95%490.27%-2,773-15.38%18,032
Marathon10,12748.02%10,67550.61%2211.05%680.32%-548-2.60%21,091
Marinette6,51657.04%4,78141.85%960.84%310.27%1,73515.19%11,424
Marquette2,55465.44%1,31333.64%150.38%210.54%1,24131.80%3,903
Milwaukee82,02539.77%110,66853.66%12,9346.27%6100.30%-28,643-13.89%206,237
Monroe5,93660.83%3,70938.01%590.60%550.56%2,22722.82%9,759
Oconto4,66151.91%4,25347.37%280.31%370.41%4084.54%8,979
Oneida3,10054.32%2,50443.88%751.31%280.49%59610.44%5,707
Outagamie12,37849.58%12,47449.96%650.26%500.20%-96-0.38%24,967
Ozaukee2,33837.16%3,86461.41%701.11%200.32%-1,526-24.25%6,292
Pepin1,83958.57%1,27640.64%160.51%90.29%56317.93%3,140
Pierce6,49167.65%3,01731.44%510.53%360.38%3,47436.21%9,595
Polk6,90575.14%2,17723.69%760.83%320.35%4,72851.45%9,190
Portage5,16143.03%6,76456.39%360.30%340.28%-1,603-13.36%11,995
Price3,21057.92%2,22340.11%480.87%611.10%98717.81%5,542
Racine17,42356.56%13,02142.27%2580.84%1040.34%4,40214.29%30,806
Richland5,68570.87%2,26228.20%320.40%430.54%3,42342.67%8,022
Rock21,49770.75%8,72628.72%810.27%800.26%12,77142.03%30,384
Rusk3,52463.62%1,92534.75%510.92%390.70%1,59928.87%5,539
Sauk7,49658.89%5,15140.47%350.27%470.37%2,34518.42%12,729
Sawyer1,88261.44%1,12936.86%290.95%230.75%75324.58%3,063
Shawano5,19857.34%3,77941.69%520.57%360.40%1,41915.65%9,065
Sheboygan12,64051.17%11,43946.31%5352.17%870.35%1,2014.86%24,701
St. Croix6,85562.16%4,08337.02%560.51%340.31%2,77225.14%11,028
Taylor2,64854.61%2,09543.20%881.81%180.37%55311.40%4,849
Trempealeau5,59664.96%2,96334.40%160.19%390.45%2,63330.57%8,614
Vernon6,59671.28%2,55927.65%350.38%640.69%4,03743.62%9,254
Vilas1,60958.11%1,08339.11%461.66%311.12%52619.00%2,769
Walworth9,84669.36%4,25329.96%450.32%520.37%5,59339.40%14,196
Washburn2,89870.03%1,19228.81%360.87%120.29%1,70641.23%4,138
Washington4,16341.13%5,82757.57%1151.14%170.17%-1,664-16.44%10,122
Waukesha12,21860.15%7,84638.63%1680.83%790.39%4,37221.53%20,311
Waupaca8,92872.32%3,30726.79%680.55%420.34%5,62145.53%12,345
Waushara4,06875.42%1,26023.36%340.63%320.59%2,80852.06%5,394
Winnebago16,19161.10%9,99537.72%2010.76%1140.43%6,19623.38%26,501
Wood6,65551.24%6,16747.48%1311.01%350.27%4883.76%12,988
Totals544,20553.52%450,25944.28%18,2131.79%4,1950.41%93,9469.24%1,016,872

Counties that flipped from Independent to Republican

Counties that flipped from Independent to Democratic

Electors

Starting with this election, voters in Wisconsin no longer chose presidential electors directly. For the 1928 election, Wisconsin adopted the modern "short ballot" whereby one votes for the presidential candidates by name with the understanding that a vote for a candidate is a vote for that party's entire slate of electors. These were the names of the electors for each ticket in 1928.[15]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179
  2. Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526
  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
  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
  7. Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 59
  8. Warren, Kenneth F.; Encyclopedia of U.S. campaigns, elections, and electoral behavior: A-M, Volume 1, p. 620
  9. Baggaley, Andrew R.; 'Religious Influence on Wisconsin Voting, 1928-1960'; The American Political Science Review, Vol. 56, No. 1 (March 1962), pp. 66-70
  10. 'La Follette Chief Out Against Hoover: Senator Blaine Say No Republican Owes Allegiance to Him'; The New York Times, September 24, 1928
  11. 'Party Lines Fade in Wisconsin: Straight Ticket Is Non-Existent in the Criss-Cross of Politics. Betting Even on the State but Odds Should Be Given on Smith, the Republicans Say'
  12. 'La Follette Shuns Aid to Either Party: Principles Forced Into Campaign by Progressives Are Only Hope of People, He Declares'; The New York Times, October 27, 1928, p. 9
  13. 'Wisconsin Starts Hoover with Lead: Republican Shows Strength in Smith Territory'; Daily Boston Globe;
  14. Sullivan, Robert David; 'How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  15. Wisconsin Historical Society, Certificate of Board of State Canvassers Relative to Presidential Electors - November 6, 1928
  16. Book: The Wisconsin Blue Book 1929. State Printing Board. Summary Vote For President. Madison, Wisconsin. 815.