1942 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

1942 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
	County results; Loomis: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%; Heil: 40–50% 50–60%
Governor before election; Julius P. Heil; Republican	Elected Governor ; Walter Samuel Goodland; Republican

The 1942 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1942.

Incumbent Republican Governor Julius P. Heil was defeated by Progressive nominee Orland S. Loomis in a rematch of the 1940 election with 49.65% of the vote. As of 2023, this is the last time Waupaca and Dodge counties did not vote for the Republican candidate for governor. Primary elections were held on September 15, 1942.

Loomis died of a heart attack on December 7, 1942, a month before he was to take office. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Lieutenant Governor Walter Samuel Goodland would serve Orland Loomis's term as governor, overriding the view of Governor Julius Heil that he should continue in office.^[1]^[2]

Republican primary

Governor

Candidates

Julius P. Heil, incumbent governor
Milton T. Murray, state senator
James K. Robinson, dentist,^[3] unsuccessful candidate for Progressive nomination for lieutenant governor in 1936 and unsuccessful candidate for Republican nomination for governor in 1940

Results

Republican primary results^[4]^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Julius P. Heil (incumbent)	136,980	51.57
	Republican	Milton T. Murray	95,908	36.11
	Republican	James K. Robinson	32,740	12.33
Total votes			265,628	100.00

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

Walter Samuel Goodland, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
Charles I. Wesley, industrialist^[6]

Results

Republican primary results^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Walter Samuel Goodland (incumbent)	154,695	66.34
	Republican	Charles I. Wesley	78,474	33.66
Total votes			233,169	100.00

Democratic primary

Governor

Candidates

Raymond J. Cannon, former U.S. Representative
Joseph H. Conlin, concert singer^[6]
Stanley Z. Fajkowski, former tavern keeper^[8]
Gustav J. Keller, Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin in 1940
William C. Sullivan, dentist,^[9] former mayor of Kaukauna^[3]
Albert J. Wilde, real estate broker^[6]

Results

Democratic primary results^[4]^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William C. Sullivan	15,684	24.31
	Democratic	Gustav J. Keller	15,482	23.99
	Democratic	Raymond J. Cannon	11,075	17.16
	Democratic	Stanley Z. Fajkowski	10,333	16.01
	Democratic	Albert J. Wilde	7,227	11.20
	Democratic	Joseph H. Conlin	4,725	7.32
Total votes			64,526	100.00

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

John M. Brophy, unsuccessful candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly in 1940^[11]

Results

Democratic primary results^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John M. Brophy	52,952	100.00
Total votes			52,952	100.00

Progressive primary

Governor

Candidates

Orland S. Loomis, former Attorney General of Wisconsin and nominee for governor in 1940

Results

Progressive primary results^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive	Orland S. Loomis	54,508	100.00
Total votes			54,508	100.00

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

Henry J. Berquist, Wisconsin State Assembly member^[6]
Philip E. Nelson, State Senator^[6]

Results

Progressive primary results^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive	Philip E. Nelson	36,584	71.98
	Progressive	Henry J. Berquist	13,240	28.02
Total votes			50,824	100.00

In the September Primary, Nelson won with a commanding 71% of the vote. Nelson, however, had already been appointed to the federal War Production Board and, on the eve of the Progressive Party state convention, declined the nomination.^[12] On October 5, the Progressives formally nominated Henry Berquist in place of Nelson.^[13]

Socialist primary

Governor

Candidates

Frank P. Zeidler, former county surveyor,^[6] member of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors

Results

Socialist primary results^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	Frank P. Zeidler	5,666	100.00
Total votes			5,666	100.00

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

Arthur C. Ochsner, farmer^[6]

Results

Socialist primary results^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	Arthur C. Ochsner	5,233	100.00
Total votes			5,233	100.00

General election

Governor

Major party candidates

William C. Sullivan, Democratic
Julius P. Heil, Republican
Orland S. Loomis, Progressive

Other candidates

Fred B. Blair, Independent Communist, Communist nominee for governor in 1932 and 1940
Georgia Cozzini, Independent Socialist Labor
Frank P. Zeidler, Socialist, member of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors

Results

1942 Wisconsin gubernatorial election^[14]^[15]^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive	Orland S. Loomis	397,664	49.65%
	Republican	Julius P. Heil (incumbent)	291,945	36.45%
	Democratic	William C. Sullivan	98,153	12.25%
	Socialist	Frank P. Zeidler	11,295	1.41%
	Independent Communist	Fred B. Blair	1,092	0.14%
	Independent Socialist Labor	Georgia Cozzini	490	0.06%
	Scattering		346	0.04%
Majority			105,719	13.20%
Turnout			800,985	100.00%
	Progressive gain from Republican		Swing

Lieutenant governor

Major party candidates

John M. Brophy, Democratic
Walter Samuel Goodland, Republican
Henry J. Berquist, Progressive

Other candidates

Adolf Wiggert, Independent Socialist Labor, perennial candidate
Arthur C. Ochsner, Socialist

Results

1942 Wisconsin lieutenant gubernatorial election^[17]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Walter Samuel Goodland (incumbent)	349,230	47.34%
	Progressive	Henry J. Berquist	256,851	34.82%
	Democratic	John M. Brophy	119,926	16.26%
	Socialist	Arthur C. Ochsner	10,372	1.41%
	Independent Socialist Labor	Adolf Wiggert	1,336	0.18%
Majority			92,379	12.52%
Turnout			737,715	100.00%
	Republican hold		Swing

Notes

^ Orland S. Loomis was elected in the 1942 election, but died before taking office. Per a ruling of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Goodland, who had been re-elected lieutenant governor in the same election, served as governor for the entire term.

References

^ "Goodland Governor By Wisconsin Ruling; Court Holds Lieutenant Governor Must Fill Death Vacancy". New York Times. December 30, 1942. p. E10.
^ Richardson, Darcy G. (November 10, 2012). "Time Capsule: Wisconsin's Progressive Party Cheated by the Grim Reaper". Darcy Richardson’s Uncovered Politics. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Primary". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Green Bay, Wisconsin. September 9, 1942. p. 2. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Wisconsin Blue Book 1944, p. 504.
^ "WI Governor, 1942 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "These Men Seek State Nominations". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. September 13, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Wisconsin Blue Book 1944, p. 505.
^ "LaFollette, Once Progressive Chief Seeks GOP Nod". Dixon Evening Telegraph. Dixon, Illinois. August 12, 1946. p. 2. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
^ "GOP Nominates Heil". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. September 16, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
^ "WI Governor, 1942 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
^ Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G. L., eds. (1942). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1942. State of Wisconsin. p. 670.
^ "Nelson Declines Candidacy on Progressive Ticket". Rhinelander Daily News. September 28, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Progressives Pick Henry J. Berquist". Wisconsin State Journal. October 5, 1942. p. 2. Retrieved December 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Glashan 1979, pp. 342–343.
^ Wisconsin Blue Book 1944, p. 572.
^ "WI Governor, 1942". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
^ Wisconsin Blue Book 1944, p. 573.
^ "WI Lt. Governor, 1942". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

Bibliography

Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1944). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1944. State of Wisconsin.

[1] Orland S. Loomis was elected in the 1942 election, but died before taking office. Per a ruling of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Goodland, who had been re-elected lieutenant governor in the same election, served as governor for the entire term.

[2] "Goodland Governor By Wisconsin Ruling; Court Holds Lieutenant Governor Must Fill Death Vacancy". New York Times. December 30, 1942. p. E10.

[3] Richardson, Darcy G. (November 10, 2012). "Time Capsule: Wisconsin's Progressive Party Cheated by the Grim Reaper". Darcy Richardson’s Uncovered Politics. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

[Green_Bay_Press-Gazette-4] "Primary". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Green Bay, Wisconsin. September 9, 1942. p. 2. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

[FOOTNOTEWisconsin_Blue_Book1944504-5] Wisconsin Blue Book 1944, p. 504.

[6] "WI Governor, 1942 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

[Wisconsin_State_Journal-7] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "These Men Seek State Nominations". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. September 13, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

[FOOTNOTEWisconsin_Blue_Book1944505-8] Wisconsin Blue Book 1944, p. 505.

[Dixon_Evening_Telegraph-9] "LaFollette, Once Progressive Chief Seeks GOP Nod". Dixon Evening Telegraph. Dixon, Illinois. August 12, 1946. p. 2. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

[10] "GOP Nominates Heil". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. September 16, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

[11] "WI Governor, 1942 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

[12] Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G. L., eds. (1942). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1942. State of Wisconsin. p. 670.

[13] "Nelson Declines Candidacy on Progressive Ticket". Rhinelander Daily News. September 28, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

[14] "Progressives Pick Henry J. Berquist". Wisconsin State Journal. October 5, 1942. p. 2. Retrieved December 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

[FOOTNOTEGlashan1979342–343-15] Glashan 1979, pp. 342–343.

[FOOTNOTEWisconsin_Blue_Book1944572-16] Wisconsin Blue Book 1944, p. 572.

[17] "WI Governor, 1942". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

[FOOTNOTEWisconsin_Blue_Book1944573-18] Wisconsin Blue Book 1944, p. 573.

[19] "WI Lt. Governor, 1942". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

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