1932 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

The 1932 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 8, 1932 as part of the 1932 United States presidential election. State voters chose twelve electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1932 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

November 8, 1932
 
Nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt Herbert Hoover
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New York California
Running mate John Nance Garner Charles Curtis
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 707,410 347,741
Percentage 63.46% 31.19%

County Results

President before election

Herbert Hoover
Republican

Elected President

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic

Background

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 Wisconsin there were never more than three Democrats in the state legislature (and none in the State Senate) between 1921 and 1929.

The Great Depression, apart from providing a revitalized Socialist Party and small Democratic gains – did not affect the state's politics, which continued to be dominated by the La Follette family, substantially. Nonetheless, given that that family had never endorsed incumbent GOP President Herbert Hoover, the national Republican Party was pleased when a conservative, Walter J. Kohler Sr., won the gubernatorial nomination.[7]

Vote

Interviews at the beginning of October said that with the aid of La Follette forces Roosevelt would carry the state,[8] and a poll a week into that month had Democratic nominee and New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt ahead of incumbent President Hoover by more than two-to-one.[9] When the Progressive leader Robert M. La Follette, Jr. announced his support for Roosevelt and the state Democratic ticket,[10] and said Hoover was a "reactionary" and "wrong on every issue".[11] Later polls in October only served to increase Roosevelt's advantage,[12] and in the end he carried Wisconsin by more than two-to-one despite a strong vote for Socialist Party candidate Norman Thomas, who won over twelve percent in Milwaukee County. Wisconsin would prove Thomas' strongest state,[13] although he did not receive half the percentage gained by Eugene V. Debs in 1920.

Roosevelt won every county except the two Yankee strongholds of Rock and Walworth,[14] which had been Calvin Coolidge's best counties when Robert M. La Follette, Sr. carried his home state in 1924.

With his win in Wisconsin, Roosevelt became the first Democratic presidential candidate since Woodrow Wilson in 1912 to carry the state and the first since Franklin Pierce in 1852 to win the state with a majority of the popular vote (Wilson's win and Grover Cleveland's in 1892 were only pluralities).

Results

1932 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[15]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt 707,410 63.46% 12
Republican Herbert Hoover 347,741 31.19% 0
Socialist Norman Thomas 53,379 4.79% 0
Independent Communist William Z. Foster 3,112 0.28% 0
Prohibition William D. Upshaw 2,672 0.24% 0
Independent Socialist Labor Verne L. Reynolds 494 0.04% 0
Totals 1,111,642 100.0% 12

Results by county

County Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Democratic
Herbert Clark Hoover
Republican
Norman Mattoon Thomas
Socialist
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast[16]
# % # % # % # % # %
Adams 2,120 71.89% 777 26.35% 33 1.12% 19 0.64% 1,343 45.54% 2,949
Ashland 5,405 64.90% 2,646 31.77% 170 2.04% 107 1.28% 2,759 33.13% 8,328
Barron 7,413 63.35% 3,852 32.92% 323 2.76% 113 0.97% 3,561 30.43% 11,701
Bayfield 2,981 55.88% 2,035 38.14% 189 3.54% 130 2.44% 946 17.73% 5,335
Brown 19,990 72.34% 7,150 25.87% 453 1.64% 41 0.15% 12,840 46.46% 27,634
Buffalo 3,252 64.68% 1,711 34.03% 43 0.86% 22 0.44% 1,541 30.65% 5,028
Burnett 2,437 63.58% 1,281 33.42% 90 2.35% 25 0.65% 1,156 30.16% 3,833
Calumet 5,485 80.84% 1,213 17.88% 68 1.00% 19 0.28% 4,272 62.96% 6,785
Chippewa 8,445 62.92% 4,792 35.71% 141 1.05% 43 0.32% 3,653 27.22% 13,421
Clark 8,372 69.77% 3,132 26.10% 362 3.02% 133 1.11% 5,240 43.67% 11,999
Columbia 8,455 61.98% 4,970 36.43% 158 1.16% 58 0.43% 3,485 25.55% 13,641
Crawford 4,754 70.24% 1,943 28.71% 36 0.53% 35 0.52% 2,811 41.53% 6,768
Dane 26,841 56.13% 19,083 39.90% 1,725 3.61% 174 0.36% 7,758 16.22% 47,823
Dodge 15,874 75.06% 4,936 23.34% 298 1.41% 40 0.19% 10,938 51.72% 21,148
Door 4,149 61.61% 2,488 36.95% 76 1.13% 21 0.31% 1,661 24.67% 6,734
Douglas 9,715 51.27% 7,888 41.63% 1,113 5.87% 233 1.23% 1,827 9.64% 18,949
Dunn 4,936 54.19% 3,898 42.80% 225 2.47% 49 0.54% 1,038 11.40% 9,108
Eau Claire 7,565 49.31% 7,487 48.80% 254 1.66% 37 0.24% 78 0.51% 15,343
Florence 965 55.33% 714 40.94% 41 2.35% 24 1.38% 251 14.39% 1,744
Fond du Lac 16,143 64.56% 8,436 33.74% 336 1.34% 89 0.36% 7,707 30.82% 25,004
Forest 2,595 76.03% 768 22.50% 38 1.11% 12 0.35% 1,827 53.53% 3,413
Grant 9,701 60.94% 5,986 37.60% 153 0.96% 79 0.50% 3,715 23.34% 15,919
Green 5,406 61.73% 3,190 36.42% 97 1.11% 65 0.74% 2,216 25.30% 8,758
Green Lake 4,446 66.53% 2,179 32.61% 32 0.48% 26 0.39% 2,267 33.92% 6,683
Iowa 4,621 58.82% 3,113 39.63% 65 0.83% 57 0.73% 1,508 19.20% 7,856
Iron 2,338 66.36% 891 25.29% 115 3.26% 179 5.08% 1,447 41.07% 3,523
Jackson 3,813 64.42% 1,983 33.50% 100 1.69% 23 0.39% 1,830 30.92% 5,919
Jefferson 11,230 68.28% 5,062 30.78% 117 0.71% 39 0.24% 6,168 37.50% 16,448
Juneau 4,723 68.75% 2,018 29.37% 92 1.34% 37 0.54% 2,705 39.37% 6,870
Kenosha 14,373 60.13% 7,307 30.57% 1,972 8.25% 251 1.05% 7,066 29.56% 23,903
Kewaunee 5,200 84.94% 879 14.36% 24 0.39% 19 0.31% 4,321 70.58% 6,122
La Crosse 12,919 62.10% 7,686 36.94% 144 0.69% 56 0.27% 5,233 25.15% 20,805
Lafayette 4,886 59.49% 3,246 39.52% 59 0.72% 22 0.27% 1,640 19.97% 8,213
Langlade 6,332 71.56% 2,340 26.44% 132 1.49% 45 0.51% 3,992 45.11% 8,849
Lincoln 5,093 61.57% 2,958 35.76% 145 1.75% 76 0.92% 2,135 25.81% 8,272
Manitowoc 15,696 75.44% 4,573 21.98% 480 2.31% 56 0.27% 11,123 53.46% 20,805
Marathon 17,744 72.13% 6,210 25.24% 583 2.37% 64 0.26% 11,534 46.88% 24,601
Marinette 6,508 53.41% 5,249 43.08% 380 3.12% 48 0.39% 1,259 10.33% 12,185
Marquette 2,504 63.81% 1,365 34.79% 33 0.84% 22 0.56% 1,139 29.03% 3,924
Milwaukee 170,202 65.62% 54,693 21.09% 32,874 12.67% 1,619 0.62% 115,509 44.53% 259,388
Monroe 6,757 67.88% 3,022 30.36% 94 0.94% 81 0.81% 3,735 37.52% 9,954
Oconto 6,440 68.04% 2,915 30.80% 73 0.77% 37 0.39% 3,525 37.24% 9,465
Oneida 4,542 65.70% 1,992 28.82% 350 5.06% 29 0.42% 2,550 36.89% 6,913
Outagamie 16,186 64.44% 8,517 33.91% 368 1.47% 47 0.19% 7,669 30.53% 25,118
Ozaukee 5,770 80.59% 1,182 16.51% 191 2.67% 17 0.24% 4,588 64.08% 7,160
Pepin 1,931 61.79% 1,152 36.86% 28 0.90% 14 0.45% 779 24.93% 3,125
Pierce 4,115 51.57% 3,537 44.32% 284 3.56% 44 0.55% 578 7.24% 7,980
Polk 5,421 58.72% 3,425 37.10% 320 3.47% 66 0.71% 1,996 21.62% 9,232
Portage 9,195 71.72% 3,434 26.79% 159 1.24% 32 0.25% 5,761 44.94% 12,820
Price 4,114 63.69% 2,023 31.32% 183 2.83% 139 2.15% 2,091 32.37% 6,459
Racine 19,960 60.31% 10,754 32.49% 2,110 6.38% 273 0.82% 9,206 27.82% 33,097
Richland 4,027 54.16% 3,256 43.79% 71 0.95% 81 1.09% 771 10.37% 7,435
Rock 12,612 42.03% 16,825 56.07% 472 1.57% 99 0.33% -4,213 -14.04% 30,008
Rusk 3,194 59.04% 1,942 35.90% 223 4.12% 51 0.94% 1,252 23.14% 5,410
Sauk 7,638 59.36% 5,063 39.35% 101 0.78% 65 0.51% 2,575 20.01% 12,867
Sawyer 2,381 64.35% 1,179 31.86% 110 2.97% 30 0.81% 1,202 32.49% 3,700
Shawano 7,593 73.24% 2,450 23.63% 285 2.75% 39 0.38% 5,143 49.61% 10,367
Sheboygan 18,029 67.62% 7,454 27.96% 1,029 3.86% 149 0.56% 10,575 39.66% 26,661
St. Croix 6,374 59.58% 4,059 37.94% 218 2.04% 47 0.44% 2,315 21.64% 10,698
Taylor 4,219 70.94% 1,107 18.61% 581 9.77% 40 0.67% 3,112 52.33% 5,947
Trempealeau 5,786 66.06% 2,874 32.81% 62 0.71% 37 0.42% 2,912 33.25% 8,759
Vernon 5,939 65.57% 2,979 32.89% 67 0.74% 72 0.79% 2,960 32.68% 9,057
Vilas 2,036 61.34% 1,138 34.29% 57 1.72% 88 2.65% 898 27.06% 3,319
Walworth 6,790 45.72% 7,858 52.91% 154 1.04% 50 0.34% -1,068 -7.19% 14,852
Washburn 2,619 60.51% 1,501 34.68% 181 4.18% 27 0.62% 1,118 25.83% 4,328
Washington 8,570 78.02% 2,209 20.11% 186 1.69% 20 0.18% 6,361 57.91% 10,985
Waukesha 13,487 59.65% 8,538 37.76% 516 2.28% 68 0.30% 4,949 21.89% 22,609
Waupaca 8,179 60.42% 5,082 37.54% 237 1.75% 38 0.28% 3,097 22.88% 13,536
Waushara 3,073 53.56% 2,541 44.28% 78 1.36% 46 0.80% 532 9.27% 5,738
Winnebago 15,591 55.98% 11,505 41.31% 594 2.13% 162 0.58% 4,086 14.67% 27,852
Wood 9,215 67.65% 4,100 30.10% 228 1.67% 78 0.57% 5,115 37.55% 13,621
Totals707,41063.46%347,74131.19%53,3794.79%6,2710.56%359,66932.26%1,114,801

References

  1. Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179 ISBN 0313213798
  2. Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526 ISBN 0815719094
  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 ISBN 978-1-107-09509-0
  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 ISBN 0275970302
  7. 'Republicans Hail La Follette Defeat as Trend to Hoover: See Swing to Conservatism as Capital Diagnoses Progressives' Upset in Wisconsin'; Special to The New York Times , September 22, 1932, p. 1
  8. 'Roosevelt Outlook Bright in Wisconsin: Trend Is Strong Among the Progressives and Leaders Are Unlikely to Interfere'; The New York Times, October 2, 1932, p. 30
  9. 'Gov. Roosevelt Adds to Digest Poll Lead: Runs Ahead in 14 Out of 20 States, With 798,000 Ballots Counted'; Daily Boston Globe, October 7, 1932, p. 30
  10. 'La Follette Out for Roosevelt: Senator Also to Support Wisconsin Democrats Declares President Has Been Wrong on Progressive Issues'; Daily Boston Globe, October 20, 1932, p. 17
  11. 'Roosevelt Back by R.M. La Follette: Hoover Criticized as Reactionary in Appeal to His Faction by Wisconsin Senator'; Special to The New York Times', October 20, 1932, p. 15
  12. 'Roosevelt Leading in Digest Poll, 3—2: Hoover Ahead in All New England And in New Jersey – Others Are For Democratic Ticket'; Boston Daily Globe, October 21, 1932, p. 32
  13. "1932 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
  14. See Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 427-429 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  15. "1932 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  16. "WI US President Race, November 08, 1932". Our Campaigns.
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