1904 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
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 County results La Follette : 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Peck : 40-50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Wisconsin |
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The 1904 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1904.
Incumbent Republican Governor Robert M. La Follette defeated Democratic nominee George Wilbur Peck and Social-Democratic nominee William A. Arnold with 50.55% of the vote.
Conventions
[edit]In the aftermath of the 1902 election, the state legislature enacted the direct primary (subject to a statewide referendum) and La Follette's tax reform bill. The new tax law, which required railroads to pay taxes based on property owned rather than profits, resulted in railroads paying nearly double the amount of taxes they had paid before the enactment of the law.[1] Having accomplished his first two major goals, La Follette next focused on regulating railroad rates, but the railroads prevented passage of his bill in 1903.[2] During this period, La Follette became increasingly convinced of the need for a direct income tax in order to minimize tax avoidance by the wealthy.[3] During his governorship, La Follette appointed African-American William Miller for a position in his office.[4]
The Wisconsin Republican party split in the run up to the election due to the incumbent governor Robert La Follette's embrace of progressive ideas such as a state income tax and greater regulation of the railroads. There were two Republican conventions for the Republican nomination, one for La Follette's and one backed by more conservative elements of the Republican party.
After the legislature adjourned in mid-1903, La Follette began lecturing on the Chautauqua circuit, delivering 57 speeches across the Midwest.[5] He also earned the attention of muckraker journalists like Ray Stannard Baker and Lincoln Steffens, many of whom supported La Follette's progressive agenda.[6] La Follette's continued movement towards progressivism alienated many Republican Party leaders, and La Follette's followers and conservative party leaders held separate conventions in 1904; ultimately, the state Supreme Court declared that La Follette was the Republican Party's 1904 gubernatorial nominee.[7]
General election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Major party candidates
- George Wilbur Peck, Democratic, former Governor
- Robert M. La Follette, Republican, incumbent Governor
Other candidates
- Edward Scofield, National Republican, former Governor (replacing Samuel A. Cook)[8][9]
- William H. Clark, Prohibition, Prohibition nominee for Wisconsin's 6th congressional district in 1898
- William A. Arnold, Socialist (Social-Democratic Party of Wisconsin), printer[10]
- Charles M. Minkley, Socialist Labor, Socialist Labor nominee for Wisconsin's 5th congressional district in 1902
Results
[edit]In the general election in Wisconsin that year, La Follette won 51 percent of the vote, but he ran far behind Republican President Theodore Roosevelt, who took 63 percent of the Wisconsin's vote in the national election by comparison. In that same election, Wisconsin voters approved the implementation of the direct primary.[11]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert M. La Follette (incumbent) | 227,253 | 50.55% | −2.34% | |
| Democratic | George W. Peck | 176,301 | 39.22% | −0.66% | |
| Social Democratic | William A. Arnold | 24,857 | 5.53% | +1.16% | |
| National Republican | Edward Scofield | 12,136 | 2.70% | ||
| Prohibition | William H. Clark | 8,764 | 1.95% | −0.69% | |
| Socialist Labor | Charles M. Minkley | 249 | 0.06% | −0.16% | |
| Scattering | 10 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 50,952 | 11.33% | |||
| Total votes | 449,570 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | -1.68% | |||
Results by county
[edit]This is one of only four gubernatorial elections in which Door County has voted for the Democratic candidate and the only one in the 20th century; Door County had last voted Democratic in 1859 and would not do so again until 2006. Florence County voted Democratic for the first time ever and would not do so again until 1954.
| County[12][13] | Robert M. La Follette Republican |
George W. Peck Democratic |
William A. Arnold Social Democratic |
Edward Scofield National Republican |
William H. Clark Prohibition |
Charles M. Minkley Socialist Labor |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,317 | 74.36% | 360 | 20.33% | 24 | 1.36% | 30 | 1.69% | 40 | 2.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 957 | 54.04% | 1,771 |
| Ashland | 2,928 | 60.95% | 1,561 | 32.49% | 139 | 2.89% | 88 | 1.83% | 86 | 1.79% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,367 | 28.46% | 4,804 |
| Barron | 3,112 | 67.76% | 1,124 | 24.47% | 68 | 1.48% | 81 | 1.76% | 200 | 4.35% | 8 | 0.17% | 1,988 | 43.28% | 4,593 |
| Bayfield | 2,512 | 79.34% | 499 | 15.76% | 27 | 0.85% | 50 | 1.58% | 74 | 2.34% | 4 | 0.13% | 2,013 | 63.58% | 3,166 |
| Brown | 5,027 | 54.46% | 3,692 | 40.00% | 211 | 2.29% | 190 | 2.06% | 107 | 1.16% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,335 | 14.46% | 9,230 |
| Buffalo | 1,933 | 61.21% | 1,127 | 35.69% | 6 | 0.19% | 41 | 1.30% | 51 | 1.61% | 0 | 0.00% | 806 | 25.52% | 3,158 |
| Burnett | 1,256 | 88.02% | 93 | 6.52% | 17 | 1.19% | 19 | 1.33% | 41 | 2.87% | 1 | 0.07% | 1,163 | 81.50% | 1,427 |
| Calumet | 1,438 | 45.12% | 1,571 | 49.29% | 78 | 2.45% | 70 | 2.20% | 30 | 0.94% | 0 | 0.00% | -133 | -4.17% | 3,187 |
| Chippewa | 3,362 | 59.17% | 2,061 | 36.27% | 37 | 0.65% | 101 | 1.78% | 115 | 2.02% | 6 | 0.11% | 1,301 | 22.90% | 5,682 |
| Clark | 2,851 | 51.88% | 2,315 | 42.13% | 40 | 0.73% | 120 | 2.18% | 167 | 3.04% | 2 | 0.04% | 536 | 9.75% | 5,495 |
| Columbia | 3,580 | 50.81% | 3,011 | 42.73% | 111 | 1.58% | 169 | 2.40% | 175 | 2.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 569 | 8.08% | 7,046 |
| Crawford | 1,638 | 43.71% | 1,996 | 53.27% | 12 | 0.32% | 55 | 1.47% | 44 | 1.17% | 2 | 0.05% | -358 | -9.55% | 3,747 |
| Dane | 9,388 | 53.87% | 7,268 | 41.71% | 154 | 0.88% | 277 | 1.59% | 338 | 1.94% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,120 | 12.17% | 17,426[b] |
| Dodge | 3,035 | 31.50% | 6,167 | 64.00% | 53 | 0.55% | 248 | 2.57% | 132 | 1.37% | 1 | 0.01% | -3,132 | -32.50% | 9,636 |
| Door | 1,383 | 41.73% | 1,716 | 51.78% | 24 | 0.72% | 96 | 2.90% | 95 | 2.87% | 0 | 0.00% | -333 | -10.05% | 3,314 |
| Douglas | 4,221 | 66.98% | 1,428 | 22.66% | 386 | 6.13% | 114 | 1.81% | 123 | 1.95% | 30 | 0.48% | 2,793 | 44.32% | 6,302 |
| Dunn | 2,886 | 70.56% | 925 | 22.62% | 57 | 1.39% | 111 | 2.71% | 111 | 2.71% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,961 | 47.95% | 4,090 |
| Eau Claire | 3,230 | 54.55% | 2,337 | 39.47% | 144 | 2.43% | 70 | 1.18% | 137 | 2.31% | 3 | 0.05% | 893 | 15.08% | 5,921 |
| Florence | 302 | 45.35% | 343 | 51.50% | 3 | 0.45% | 13 | 1.95% | 5 | 0.75% | 0 | 0.00% | -41 | -6.16% | 666 |
| Fond du Lac | 5,271 | 44.06% | 6,115 | 51.12% | 82 | 0.69% | 333 | 2.78% | 161 | 1.35% | 1 | 0.01% | -844 | -7.06% | 11,963 |
| Forest | 906 | 73.06% | 251 | 20.24% | 19 | 1.53% | 48 | 3.87% | 15 | 1.21% | 1 | 0.08% | 655 | 52.82% | 1,240 |
| Gates | 1,208 | 69.35% | 436 | 25.03% | 19 | 1.09% | 36 | 2.07% | 43 | 2.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 772 | 44.32% | 1,742 |
| Grant | 4,440 | 49.27% | 4,170 | 46.28% | 46 | 0.51% | 193 | 2.14% | 161 | 1.79% | 1 | 0.01% | 270 | 3.00% | 9,011 |
| Green | 2,346 | 48.07% | 2,170 | 44.47% | 97 | 1.99% | 80 | 1.64% | 187 | 3.83% | 0 | 0.00% | 176 | 3.61% | 4,880 |
| Green Lake | 1,610 | 44.95% | 1,778 | 49.64% | 25 | 0.70% | 96 | 2.68% | 73 | 2.04% | 0 | 0.00% | -168 | -4.69% | 3,582 |
| Iowa | 2,931 | 56.52% | 2,066 | 39.84% | 13 | 0.25% | 55 | 1.06% | 121 | 2.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 865 | 16.68% | 5,186 |
| Iron | 899 | 57.63% | 605 | 38.78% | 10 | 0.64% | 23 | 1.47% | 23 | 1.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 294 | 18.85% | 1,560 |
| Jackson | 2,228 | 66.23% | 960 | 28.54% | 24 | 0.71% | 72 | 2.14% | 80 | 2.38% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,268 | 37.69% | 3,364 |
| Jefferson | 2,982 | 38.01% | 4,477 | 57.07% | 78 | 0.99% | 171 | 2.18% | 136 | 1.73% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,495 | -19.06% | 7,845[b] |
| Juneau | 2,642 | 56.89% | 1,806 | 38.89% | 28 | 0.60% | 102 | 2.20% | 66 | 1.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 836 | 18.00% | 4,644 |
| Kenosha | 2,608 | 47.74% | 2,277 | 41.68% | 378 | 6.92% | 126 | 2.31% | 60 | 1.10% | 13 | 0.24% | 331 | 6.06% | 5,463[b] |
| Kewaunee | 1,475 | 45.67% | 1,586 | 49.10% | 99 | 3.07% | 35 | 1.08% | 35 | 1.08% | 0 | 0.00% | -111 | -3.44% | 3,230 |
| La Crosse | 4,287 | 48.07% | 4,239 | 47.53% | 83 | 0.93% | 120 | 1.35% | 186 | 2.09% | 3 | 0.03% | 48 | 0.54% | 8,919[b] |
| Lafayette | 2,522 | 50.86% | 2,310 | 46.58% | 9 | 0.18% | 56 | 1.13% | 61 | 1.23% | 1 | 0.02% | 212 | 4.28% | 4,959 |
| Langlade | 1,713 | 53.13% | 1,410 | 43.73% | 16 | 0.50% | 51 | 1.58% | 33 | 1.02% | 1 | 0.03% | 303 | 9.40% | 3,224 |
| Lincoln | 2,175 | 53.56% | 1,675 | 41.25% | 89 | 2.19% | 75 | 1.85% | 46 | 1.13% | 1 | 0.02% | 500 | 12.31% | 4,061 |
| Manitowoc | 3,898 | 44.57% | 3,977 | 45.48% | 557 | 6.37% | 213 | 2.44% | 100 | 1.14% | 0 | 0.00% | -79 | -0.90% | 8,745 |
| Marathon | 4,782 | 48.98% | 4,556 | 46.66% | 131 | 1.34% | 160 | 1.64% | 131 | 1.34% | 4 | 0.04% | 226 | 2.31% | 9,764 |
| Marinette | 3,125 | 60.27% | 1,519 | 29.30% | 186 | 3.59% | 209 | 4.03% | 143 | 2.76% | 3 | 0.06% | 1,606 | 30.97% | 5,185 |
| Marquette | 1,160 | 46.53% | 1,192 | 47.81% | 7 | 0.28% | 58 | 2.33% | 75 | 3.01% | 1 | 0.04% | -32 | -1.28% | 2,493 |
| Milwaukee | 28,185 | 38.63% | 23,143 | 31.72% | 17,394 | 23.84% | 3,228 | 4.42% | 918 | 1.26% | 91 | 0.12% | 5,042 | 6.91% | 72,959 |
| Monroe | 3,146 | 53.22% | 2,483 | 42.01% | 26 | 0.44% | 108 | 1.83% | 148 | 2.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 663 | 11.22% | 5,911 |
| Oconto | 2,563 | 56.92% | 1,703 | 37.82% | 43 | 0.95% | 138 | 3.06% | 54 | 1.20% | 2 | 0.04% | 860 | 19.10% | 4,503 |
| Oneida | 1,424 | 61.62% | 689 | 29.81% | 119 | 5.15% | 39 | 1.69% | 36 | 1.56% | 4 | 0.17% | 735 | 31.80% | 2,311 |
| Outagamie | 5,042 | 53.44% | 3,996 | 42.36% | 74 | 0.78% | 216 | 2.29% | 105 | 1.11% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,046 | 11.09% | 9,434 |
| Ozaukee | 1,258 | 39.80% | 1,746 | 55.24% | 93 | 2.94% | 37 | 1.17% | 26 | 0.82% | 1 | 0.03% | -488 | -15.44% | 3,161 |
| Pepin | 848 | 60.01% | 496 | 35.10% | 1 | 0.07% | 43 | 3.04% | 24 | 1.70% | 1 | 0.07% | 352 | 24.91% | 1,413 |
| Pierce | 2,906 | 67.57% | 1,124 | 26.13% | 21 | 0.49% | 130 | 3.02% | 120 | 2.79% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,782 | 41.43% | 4,301 |
| Polk | 2,832 | 80.45% | 443 | 12.59% | 68 | 1.93% | 79 | 2.24% | 93 | 2.64% | 3 | 0.09% | 2,389 | 67.87% | 3,520[c] |
| Portage | 2,933 | 48.84% | 2,825 | 47.04% | 30 | 0.50% | 131 | 2.18% | 86 | 1.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 108 | 1.80% | 6,005 |
| Price | 1,817 | 65.57% | 802 | 28.94% | 52 | 1.88% | 32 | 1.15% | 64 | 2.31% | 1 | 0.04% | 1,015 | 36.63% | 2,771[d] |
| Racine | 4,635 | 45.30% | 3,639 | 35.56% | 1,232 | 12.04% | 464 | 4.53% | 249 | 2.43% | 13 | 0.13% | 996 | 9.73% | 10,232 |
| Richland | 2,075 | 47.34% | 1,923 | 43.87% | 24 | 0.55% | 99 | 2.26% | 262 | 5.98% | 0 | 0.00% | 152 | 3.47% | 4,383 |
| Rock | 5,242 | 45.65% | 4,940 | 43.02% | 326 | 2.84% | 635 | 5.53% | 340 | 2.96% | 1 | 0.01% | 302 | 2.63% | 11,484 |
| Sauk | 3,297 | 46.08% | 3,280 | 45.84% | 31 | 0.43% | 228 | 3.19% | 319 | 4.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 17 | 0.24% | 7,155 |
| Sawyer | 739 | 69.72% | 264 | 24.91% | 10 | 0.94% | 21 | 1.98% | 25 | 2.36% | 1 | 0.09% | 475 | 44.81% | 1,060 |
| Shawano | 3,033 | 59.54% | 1,836 | 36.04% | 22 | 0.43% | 95 | 1.86% | 106 | 2.08% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,197 | 23.50% | 5,094 |
| Sheboygan | 4,936 | 45.13% | 4,598 | 42.04% | 794 | 7.26% | 423 | 3.87% | 167 | 1.53% | 18 | 0.16% | 338 | 3.09% | 10,937[b] |
| St. Croix | 3,226[e] | 55.48% | 2,389 | 41.08% | 61 | 1.05% | 47 | 0.81% | 91 | 1.56% | 1 | 0.02% | 837 | 14.39% | 5,815 |
| Taylor | 1,456 | 57.37% | 966 | 38.06% | 31 | 1.22% | 49 | 1.93% | 35 | 1.38% | 1 | 0.04% | 490 | 19.31% | 2,538 |
| Trempealeau | 3,202 | 67.60% | 1,297 | 27.38% | 6 | 0.13% | 85 | 1.79% | 147 | 3.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,905 | 40.22% | 4,737 |
| Vernon | 4,378 | 75.73% | 1,126 | 19.48% | 20 | 0.35% | 78 | 1.35% | 178 | 3.08% | 1 | 0.02% | 3,252 | 56.25% | 5,781 |
| Vilas | 1,217 | 65.18% | 566 | 30.32% | 30 | 1.61% | 35 | 1.87% | 18 | 0.96% | 1 | 0.05% | 651 | 34.87% | 1,867 |
| Walworth | 3,246 | 48.00% | 2,948 | 43.60% | 104 | 1.54% | 219 | 3.24% | 245 | 3.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 298 | 4.41% | 6,762 |
| Washburn | 812 | 62.65% | 392 | 30.25% | 31 | 2.39% | 37 | 2.85% | 24 | 1.85% | 0 | 0.00% | 420 | 32.41% | 1,296 |
| Washington | 1,999 | 40.42% | 2,717 | 54.94% | 50 | 1.01% | 136 | 2.75% | 41 | 0.83% | 2 | 0.04% | -718 | -14.52% | 4,945 |
| Waukesha | 4,179 | 49.36% | 3,767 | 44.49% | 193 | 2.28% | 147 | 1.74% | 180 | 2.13% | 1 | 0.01% | 412 | 4.87% | 8,467 |
| Waupaca | 4,690 | 68.90% | 1,643 | 24.14% | 50 | 0.73% | 182 | 2.67% | 240 | 3.53% | 2 | 0.03% | 3,047 | 44.76% | 6,807 |
| Waushara | 2,663 | 73.14% | 751 | 20.63% | 18 | 0.49% | 128 | 3.52% | 79 | 2.17% | 2 | 0.05% | 1,912 | 52.51% | 3,641 |
| Winnebago | 5,422 | 43.28% | 6,134 | 48.96% | 195 | 1.56% | 503 | 4.01% | 269 | 2.15% | 6 | 0.05% | -712 | -5.68% | 12,529 |
| Wood | 3,245 | 53.81% | 2,506 | 41.56% | 121 | 2.01% | 89 | 1.48% | 68 | 1.13% | 1 | 0.02% | 739 | 12.26% | 6,030 |
| Total | 227,253 | 50.55% | 176,301 | 39.22% | 24,857 | 5.53% | 12,136 | 2.70% | 8,764 | 1.95% | 249 | 0.06% | 50,952 | 11.33% | 449,570 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
[edit]Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[edit]Aftermath
[edit]During the 1904 campaign, La Follette pledged that he would not resign as governor during his term, but after winning re-election he directed state representative Irvine Lenroot, a close political ally, to secure his election to the United States Senate.[14] Shortly after La Follette delivered the inaugural message of his third term as governor, Lenroot began meeting with other legislators to assure that La Follette would be able to win election to the Senate; at that time, the state legislature elected senators.[15] La Follette was formally nominated by the Republican caucus on January 23, 1905, and the state legislature chose him the following day.[16] La Follette delayed accepting the nomination and continued to serve as governor until December 1905, when he announced his resignation.[17][18] Throughout 1905, La Follette continued to push his progressive policies, including the state regulation of railroad rates. The state legislature passed a relatively weak regulation bill that La Follette considered vetoing, but he ultimately signed the law.[19] Lieutenant Governor James O. Davidson succeeded La Follette as governor and went on to win re-election in 1906.[20]
Notes
[edit]- ^ One must exercise caution using the Blue Book as a source for Wisconsin election data for the period of 1890-1920 as it was unreliable during this period. However, the Blue Book's data for 1904 does match up with the Board of Canvassers reports.
- ^ a b c d e Includes 1 Scattering vote
- ^ Includes 2 Scattering votes
- ^ Includes 3 Scattering votes
- ^ The 1905 Blue Book mistakenly gives this figure as 3,326
References
[edit]- ^ * Thelen, David P. (1976). Robert M. La Follette and the Insurgent Spirit. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-83927-3. OL 5198113M., pp. 29, 39.
- ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 39–40.
- ^ Thelen (1976), p. 47.
- ^ La Follette and the Negro; A Consistent Record of 35 Years, From 1889 to 1924
- ^ Thelen (1976), p. 41.
- ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 43–44.
- ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 42–44.
- ^ "A Stunner". Wausau pilot. Wausau, Wis. October 11, 1904. p. 4. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ "Doings in Wisconsin". The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. Edgerton, Wis. October 28, 1904. p. 6. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ "Arnold heads ticket". The Manitowoc pilot. Manitowoc, Wis. September 8, 1904. p. 2. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 44–45.
- ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Canvass for State Officers, 1904
- ^ a b Erickson, Halford, ed. (1905). "Population, 1900, Vote And Pluralities For Governor, 1904". The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin. Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Co., State Printer. p. 336.
- ^ Margulies, Herbert F. (1976). "Robert M. La Follette Goes to the Senate, 1905". The Wisconsin Magazine of History. 59 (3): 214–225. JSTOR 4635046., pp. 214–217.
- ^ Margulies (1976), pp. 218–219.
- ^ Margulies (1976), pp. 220–221.
- ^ Margulies (1976), pp. 221–225.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica (1922)
- ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 45–46.
- ^ Margulies (1976), pp. 223–225.
Bibliography
[edit]- Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
- Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
- Erickson, Halford, ed. (1905). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin. Madison: Democrat Printing Co.
- Margulies, Herbert F. (1976). "Robert M. La Follette Goes to the Senate, 1905". The Wisconsin Magazine of History. 59 (3): 214–225. JSTOR 4635046.
- Thelen, David P. (1976). Robert M. La Follette and the Insurgent Spirit. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-83927-3. OL 5198113M.