| Election Name: | 1932 Wisconsin gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Wisconsin |
| Flag Year: | 1913 |
| Type: | Presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1930 Wisconsin gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1930 |
| Next Election: | 1934 Wisconsin gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1934 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 1932 |
| Image1: | File:Albert G Schmedeman.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Albert G. Schmedeman |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 590,114 |
| Percentage1: | 52.48% |
| Nominee2: | Walter J. Kohler Sr. |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 470,805 |
| Percentage2: | 41.87% |
| Image3: | File:Frank B. Metcalfe.png |
| Nominee3: | Frank Metcalfe |
| Party3: | Socialist Party of America |
| Popular Vote3: | 56,965 |
| Percentage3: | 5.07% |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Philip La Follette |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Albert G. Schmedeman |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1932 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932. Incumbent Republican Governor Philip La Follette was defeated in the Republican primary, and in the midst of the Great Depression and nationwide voter dissatisfaction with the Republican Party, Democratic nominee Albert G. Schmedeman defeated Republican nominee Walter J. Kohler Sr. and Socialist nominee Frank Metcalfe with 52.48% of the vote. Schmedeman became the first Democrat to win a gubernatorial election in Wisconsin since George Wilbur Peck in 1892. Two years later, in 1934, La Follette would run for governor again and defeated Schmedeman, this time running with the Progressive Party.
This was the only Democratic victory in a Wisconsin gubernatorial election between 1892 and 1958. As of 2022, this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Juneau, Shawano, and Waupaca have voted for a Democratic candidate.
Primary elections were held on September 20, 1932.
Major party candidates
Other candidates
Schmedeman's victory ended many long streaks of Republican victories in counties throughout the state. In particular, Schmedeman was the first Democrat to ever win Barron County, Burnett County, Grant County, Iron County, Rusk County, and Trempealeau County. He was also the first Democrat since William A. Barstow in 1853 to win Adams County and Vernon County along with the first since Barstow in 1855 to win Waupaca County. Additionally, Clark County, Jackson County, and Lafayette County voted Democratic for the first time since 1873. This election saw Marinette County back the losing the candidate for the first time ever.
Columbia County, Grant County, Green County, Iowa County, Lafayette County, and Sauk County would not vote Democratic again until 2002, nor would Monroe County until 2006.
| County | Albert G. Schmedeman Democratic | Walter J. Kohler Sr. Republican | Frank Metcalfe Socialist | All Others Various | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adams | 1,601 | 55.96% | 1,211 | 42.33% | 26 | 0.91% | 23 | 0.80% | 390 | 13.63% | 2,861 | ||||||||||||
| Ashland | 5,044 | 58.88% | 3,342 | 39.01% | 83 | 0.97% | 97 | 1.13% | 1,702 | 19.87% | 8,566 | ||||||||||||
| Barron | 6,858 | 58.79% | 4,536 | 38.88% | 147 | 1.26% | 125 | 1.07% | 2,322 | 19.90% | 11,666 | ||||||||||||
| Bayfield | 2,600 | 48.84% | 2,478 | 46.55% | 114 | 2.14% | 131 | 2.46% | 122 | 2.29% | 5,323 | ||||||||||||
| Brown | 15,206 | 54.91% | 12,046 | 43.50% | 367 | 1.33% | 76 | 0.27% | 3,160 | 11.41% | 27,695 | ||||||||||||
| Buffalo | 2,827 | 57.17% | 2,079 | 42.04% | 16 | 0.32% | 23 | 0.47% | 748 | 15.13% | 4,945 | ||||||||||||
| Burnett | 2,127 | 57.02% | 1,496 | 40.11% | 53 | 1.42% | 54 | 1.45% | 631 | 16.92% | 3,730 | ||||||||||||
| Calumet | 4,992 | 71.76% | 1,879 | 27.01% | 61 | 0.88% | 25 | 0.36% | 3,113 | 44.75% | 6,957 | ||||||||||||
| Chippewa | 7,383 | 54.27% | 6,084 | 44.73% | 81 | 0.60% | 55 | 0.40% | 1,299 | 9.55% | 13,603 | ||||||||||||
| Clark | 7,279 | 61.05% | 4,251 | 35.65% | 230 | 1.93% | 163 | 1.37% | 3,028 | 25.40% | 11,923 | ||||||||||||
| Columbia | 7,873 | 56.91% | 5,861 | 42.36% | 54 | 0.39% | 47 | 0.34% | 2,012 | 14.54% | 13,835 | ||||||||||||
| Crawford | 4,333 | 64.61% | 2,325 | 34.67% | 14 | 0.21% | 34 | 0.51% | 2,008 | 29.94% | 6,706 | ||||||||||||
| Dane | 24,536 | 51.33% | 22,280 | 46.61% | 831 | 1.74% | 155 | 0.32% | 2,256 | 4.72% | 47,802 | ||||||||||||
| Dodge | 14,333 | 66.84% | 6,846 | 31.93% | 214 | 1.00% | 50 | 0.23% | 7,487 | 34.92% | 21,443 | ||||||||||||
| Door | 3,009 | 45.65% | 3,493 | 52.99% | 37 | 0.56% | 53 | 0.80% | -484 | -7.34% | 6,592 | ||||||||||||
| Douglas | 8,341 | 44.94% | 9,452 | 50.92% | 510 | 2.75% | 259 | 1.40% | -1,111 | -5.99% | 18,562 | ||||||||||||
| Dunn | 4,203 | 47.42% | 4,522 | 51.02% | 81 | 0.91% | 57 | 0.64% | -319 | -3.60% | 8,863 | ||||||||||||
| Eau Claire | 6,359 | 41.48% | 8,810 | 57.46% | 86 | 0.56% | 77 | 0.50% | -2,451 | -15.99% | 15,332 | ||||||||||||
| Florence | 789 | 46.44% | 849 | 49.97% | 38 | 2.24% | 23 | 1.35% | -60 | -3.53% | 1,699 | ||||||||||||
| Fond du Lac | 13,935 | 54.90% | 11,127 | 43.84% | 214 | 0.84% | 105 | 0.41% | 2,808 | 11.06% | 25,381 | ||||||||||||
| Forest | 2,243 | 66.28% | 1,096 | 32.39% | 22 | 0.65% | 23 | 0.68% | 1,147 | 33.89% | 3,384 | ||||||||||||
| Grant | 8,656 | 54.19% | 7,168 | 44.88% | 59 | 0.37% | 89 | 0.56% | 1,488 | 9.32% | 15,972 | ||||||||||||
| Green | 4,862 | 55.21% | 3,824 | 43.42% | 62 | 0.70% | 58 | 0.66% | 1,038 | 11.79% | 8,806 | ||||||||||||
| Green Lake | 3,782 | 55.78% | 2,948 | 43.48% | 29 | 0.43% | 21 | 0.31% | 834 | 12.30% | 6,780 | ||||||||||||
| Iowa | 4,520 | 55.69% | 3,523 | 43.41% | 20 | 0.25% | 53 | 0.65% | 997 | 12.28% | 8,116 | ||||||||||||
| Iron | 1,554 | 46.58% | 1,550 | 46.46% | 59 | 1.77% | 173 | 5.19% | 4 | 0.12% | 3,336 | ||||||||||||
| Jackson | 3,282 | 56.61% | 2,405 | 41.48% | 55 | 0.95% | 56 | 0.97% | 877 | 15.13% | 5,798 | ||||||||||||
| Jefferson | 10,283 | 61.15% | 6,437 | 38.28% | 77 | 0.46% | 20 | 0.12% | 3,846 | 22.87% | 16,817 | ||||||||||||
| Juneau | 3,722 | 55.97% | 2,824 | 42.47% | 53 | 0.80% | 51 | 0.77% | 898 | 13.50% | 6,650 | ||||||||||||
| Kenosha | 11,526 | 48.12% | 10,305 | 43.02% | 1,883 | 7.86% | 240 | 1.00% | 1,221 | 5.10% | 23,954 | ||||||||||||
| Kewaunee | 4,278 | 70.43% | 1,762 | 29.01% | 19 | 0.31% | 15 | 0.25% | 2,516 | 41.42% | 6,074 | ||||||||||||
| La Crosse | 10,194 | 48.34% | 10,766 | 51.06% | 65 | 0.31% | 61 | 0.29% | -572 | -2.71% | 21,086 | ||||||||||||
| Lafayette | 4,677 | 56.22% | 3,593 | 43.19% | 22 | 0.26% | 27 | 0.32% | 1,084 | 13.03% | 8,319 | ||||||||||||
| Langlade | 5,256 | 59.06% | 3,498 | 39.30% | 110 | 1.24% | 36 | 0.40% | 1,758 | 19.75% | 8,900 | ||||||||||||
| Lincoln | 4,544 | 53.57% | 3,816 | 44.98% | 69 | 0.81% | 54 | 0.64% | 728 | 8.58% | 8,483 | ||||||||||||
| Manitowoc | 13,816 | 65.25% | 7,029 | 33.20% | 276 | 1.30% | 52 | 0.25% | 6,787 | 32.05% | 21,173 | ||||||||||||
| Marathon | 15,462 | 62.22% | 8,850 | 35.61% | 493 | 1.98% | 47 | 0.19% | 6,612 | 26.61% | 24,852 | ||||||||||||
| Marinette | 5,036 | 40.80% | 7,009 | 56.79% | 252 | 2.04% | 46 | 0.37% | -1,973 | -15.98% | 12,343 | ||||||||||||
| Marquette | 2,207 | 54.67% | 1,801 | 44.61% | 16 | 0.40% | 13 | 0.32% | 406 | 10.06% | 4,037 | ||||||||||||
| Milwaukee | 131,158 | 49.86% | 87,911 | 33.42% | 42,404 | 16.12% | 1,570 | 0.60% | 43,247 | 16.44% | 263,043 | ||||||||||||
| Monroe | 6,147 | 60.90% | 3,807 | 37.72% | 55 | 0.54% | 85 | 0.84% | 2,340 | 23.18% | 10,094 | ||||||||||||
| Oconto | 5,651 | 57.93% | 4,008 | 41.09% | 57 | 0.58% | 39 | 0.40% | 1,643 | 16.84% | 9,755 | ||||||||||||
| Oneida | 3,846 | 56.42% | 2,729 | 40.03% | 213 | 3.12% | 29 | 0.43% | 1,117 | 16.39% | 6,817 | ||||||||||||
| Outagamie | 13,353 | 52.33% | 11,866 | 46.50% | 236 | 0.92% | 64 | 0.25% | 1,487 | 5.83% | 25,519 | ||||||||||||
| Ozaukee | 5,004 | 69.33% | 2,071 | 28.69% | 132 | 1.83% | 11 | 0.15% | 2,933 | 40.63% | 7,218 | ||||||||||||
| Pepin | 1,606 | 52.90% | 1,401 | 46.15% | 17 | 0.56% | 12 | 0.40% | 205 | 6.75% | 3,036 | ||||||||||||
| Pierce | 3,650 | 47.35% | 3,717 | 48.22% | 254 | 3.29% | 88 | 1.14% | -67 | -0.87% | 7,709 | ||||||||||||
| Polk | 5,142 | 54.85% | 3,999 | 42.66% | 131 | 1.40% | 102 | 1.09% | 1,143 | 12.19% | 9,374 | ||||||||||||
| Portage | 7,205 | 55.92% | 5,552 | 43.09% | 85 | 0.66% | 43 | 0.33% | 1,653 | 12.83% | 12,885 | ||||||||||||
| Price | 3,620 | 55.74% | 2,606 | 40.13% | 129 | 1.99% | 139 | 2.14% | 1,014 | 15.61% | 6,494 | ||||||||||||
| Racine | 15,956 | 47.24% | 15,344 | 45.43% | 2,176 | 6.44% | 299 | 0.89% | 612 | 1.81% | 33,775 | ||||||||||||
| Richland | 3,448 | 45.42% | 4,042 | 53.24% | 31 | 0.41% | 71 | 0.94% | -594 | -7.82% | 7,592 | ||||||||||||
| Rock | 10,734 | 35.17% | 19,367 | 63.45% | 285 | 0.93% | 136 | 0.45% | -8,633 | -28.28% | 30,522 | ||||||||||||
| Rusk | 2,636 | 49.24% | 2,485 | 46.42% | 166 | 3.10% | 66 | 1.23% | 151 | 2.82% | 5,353 | ||||||||||||
| Sauk | 7,000 | 54.30% | 5,761 | 44.69% | 50 | 0.39% | 81 | 0.63% | 1,239 | 9.61% | 12,892 | ||||||||||||
| Sawyer | 1,952 | 53.61% | 1,599 | 43.92% | 67 | 1.84% | 23 | 0.63% | 353 | 9.70% | 3,641 | ||||||||||||
| Shawano | 6,914 | 65.38% | 3,349 | 31.67% | 236 | 2.23% | 76 | 0.72% | 3,565 | 33.71% | 10,575 | ||||||||||||
| Sheboygan | 12,419 | 45.89% | 13,661 | 50.48% | 860 | 3.18% | 124 | 0.46% | -1,242 | -4.59% | 27,064 | ||||||||||||
| St. Croix | 6,312 | 58.74% | 4,263 | 39.67% | 94 | 0.87% | 77 | 0.72% | 2,049 | 19.07% | 10,746 | ||||||||||||
| Taylor | 3,667 | 62.03% | 1,580 | 26.73% | 621 | 10.50% | 44 | 0.74% | 2,087 | 35.30% | 5,912 | ||||||||||||
| Trempealeau | 5,286 | 60.78% | 3,302 | 37.97% | 70 | 0.80% | 39 | 0.45% | 1,984 | 22.81% | 8,697 | ||||||||||||
| Vernon | 5,365 | 58.93% | 3,638 | 39.96% | 35 | 0.38% | 66 | 0.72% | 1,727 | 18.97% | 9,104 | ||||||||||||
| Vilas | 1,351 | 41.40% | 1,783 | 54.64% | 43 | 1.32% | 86 | 2.64% | -432 | -13.24% | 3,263 | ||||||||||||
| Walworth | 5,338 | 35.46% | 9,585 | 63.68% | 78 | 0.52% | 52 | 0.35% | -4,247 | -28.21% | 15,053 | ||||||||||||
| Washburn | 2,256 | 53.83% | 1,785 | 42.59% | 104 | 2.48% | 46 | 1.10% | 471 | 11.24% | 4,191 | ||||||||||||
| Washington | 7,707 | 68.67% | 3,350 | 29.85% | 146 | 1.30% | 21 | 0.19% | 4,357 | 38.82% | 11,224 | ||||||||||||
| Waukesha | 10,772 | 47.10% | 11,619 | 50.81% | 423 | 1.85% | 55 | 0.24% | -847 | -3.70% | 22,869 | ||||||||||||
| Waupaca | 7,079 | 51.17% | 6,502 | 47.00% | 188 | 1.36% | 66 | 0.48% | 577 | 4.17% | 13,835 | ||||||||||||
| Waushara | 2,803 | 48.76% | 2,866 | 49.85% | 35 | 0.61% | 45 | 0.78% | -63 | -1.10% | 5,749 | ||||||||||||
| Winnebago | 13,241 | 46.72% | 14,501 | 51.16% | 483 | 1.70% | 117 | 0.41% | -1,260 | -4.45% | 28,342 | ||||||||||||
| Wood | 7,968 | 57.76% | 5,585 | 40.49% | 163 | 1.18% | 79 | 0.57% | 2,383 | 17.27% | 13,795 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 590,114 | 52.48% | 470,805 | 41.87% | 56,965 | 5.07% | 6,618 | 0.59% | 119,309 | 10.61% | 1,124,502 | ||||||||||||