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1904 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

The 1904 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1904.

1904 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
← 1902 November 8, 1904 1906 →
 
Nominee Robert M. La Follette George Wilbur Peck William A. Arnold
Party Republican Democratic Socialist
Popular vote 227,253 176,301 24,857
Percentage 50.55% 39.22% 5.53%
County results
La Follette :      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Peck :      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Robert M. La Follette
Republican

Elected Governor

Robert M. La Follette
Republican

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

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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

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Candidates

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Major party candidates

Other candidates

Results

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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]

1904 Wisconsin gubernatorial election[12][13][a]
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

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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

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Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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Aftermath

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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

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b c d e Includes 1 Scattering vote
  3. ^ Includes 2 Scattering votes
  4. ^ Includes 3 Scattering votes
  5. ^ The 1905 Blue Book mistakenly gives this figure as 3,326

References

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  1. ^ * 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.
  2. ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 39–40.
  3. ^ Thelen (1976), p. 47.
  4. ^ La Follette and the Negro; A Consistent Record of 35 Years, From 1889 to 1924
  5. ^ Thelen (1976), p. 41.
  6. ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 43–44.
  7. ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 42–44.
  8. ^ "A Stunner". Wausau pilot. Wausau, Wis. October 11, 1904. p. 4. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  9. ^ "Doings in Wisconsin". The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. Edgerton, Wis. October 28, 1904. p. 6. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  10. ^ "Arnold heads ticket". The Manitowoc pilot. Manitowoc, Wis. September 8, 1904. p. 2. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 44–45.
  12. ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Canvass for State Officers, 1904
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Margulies (1976), pp. 218–219.
  16. ^ Margulies (1976), pp. 220–221.
  17. ^ Margulies (1976), pp. 221–225.
  18. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica (1922)
  19. ^ Thelen (1976), pp. 45–46.
  20. ^ Margulies (1976), pp. 223–225.

Bibliography

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  • 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.
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