# 1950 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 1950 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1950.
Incumbent Republican Governor Oscar Rennebohm did not seek a third term.
Republican nominee Walter J. Kohler Jr. defeated Democratic nominee Carl W. Thompson with 53.21% of the vote.

## Primary election

Primary elections were held on September 19, 1950.

### Democratic party
#### Candidates

* Charles P. Greene, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
* Carl W. Thompson, Democratic candidate for Governor in 1948

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Carl W. Thompson | 130,745 | 78.05% |
| | Democratic | Charles P. Greene | 36,777 | 21.95% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 167,522 | 100.00% |

### Republican party
#### Candidates

* Walter J. Kohler Jr., businessman
* Leonard Schmitt, lawyer

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Walter J. Kohler Jr. | 272,139 | 64.42% |
| | Republican | Leonard Schmitt | 150,315 | 35.58% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 422,454 | 100.00% |

### Socialist party
#### Candidates

* William O. Hart, candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1948

#### Results

Socialist primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Socialist | William O. Hart | 2,130 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,130 | 100.00% |

### People's Progressive party
#### Candidates

* M. Michael Essin, candidate for Attorney General in 1948

#### Results

People's Progressive primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressive | M. Michael Essin | 1,105 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,105 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Candidates

Major party candidates
* Carl W. Thompson, Democratic
* Walter J. Kohler Jr., Republican
Other candidates
* M. Michael Essin, People's Progressive
* William O. Hart, Socialist

### Results

1950 Wisconsin gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Walter J. Kohler Jr. | 605,649 | 53.21% | −0.88% |
| | Democratic | Carl W. Thompson | 525,319 | 46.16% | +2.05% |
| | Progressive | M. Michael Essin | 3,735 | 0.33% | −0.69% |
| | Socialist | William O. Hart | 3,384 | 0.30% | −0.43% |
| | | Scattering | 61 | 0.01% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 80,330 | 7.06% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,138,148 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | -2.92% | |

### Results by county

Thompson was the first Democrat since George W. Peck in 1890 to win Eau Claire County.
| County | Walter J. Kohler Jr. Republican | Walter J. Kohler Jr. Republican | Carl W. Thompson Democratic | Carl W. Thompson Democratic | M. Michael Essin Progressive | M. Michael Essin Progressive | William O. Hart Socialist | William O. Hart Socialist | Scattering Write-in | Scattering Write-in | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 1,498 | 54.37% | 1,249 | 45.34% | 5 | 0.18% | 3 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 249 | 9.04% | 2,755 |
| Ashland | 3,334 | 50.65% | 3,163 | 48.06% | 78 | 1.19% | 7 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 171 | 2.60% | 6,582 |
| Barron | 5,104 | 54.79% | 4,151 | 44.56% | 37 | 0.40% | 22 | 0.24% | 1 | 0.01% | 953 | 10.23% | 9,315 |
| Bayfield | 2,346 | 52.80% | 2,023 | 45.53% | 57 | 1.28% | 17 | 0.38% | 0 | 0.00% | 323 | 7.27% | 4,443 |
| Brown | 18,364 | 56.09% | 14,346 | 43.81% | 20 | 0.06% | 12 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.00% | 4,018 | 12.27% | 32,743 |
| Buffalo | 2,238 | 51.88% | 2,068 | 47.94% | 5 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 170 | 3.94% | 4,314 |
| Burnett | 1,546 | 48.45% | 1,633 | 51.18% | 11 | 0.34% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | -87 | -2.73% | 3,191 |
| Calumet | 4,404 | 67.84% | 2,077 | 31.99% | 4 | 0.06% | 7 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,327 | 35.84% | 6,492 |
| Chippewa | 6,601 | 52.90% | 5,849 | 46.87% | 25 | 0.20% | 3 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 752 | 6.03% | 12,478 |
| Clark | 6,223 | 60.71% | 3,949 | 38.53% | 68 | 0.66% | 10 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,274 | 22.19% | 10,250 |
| Columbia | 6,483 | 55.11% | 5,266 | 44.76% | 9 | 0.08% | 5 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,217 | 10.35% | 11,764 |
| Crawford | 3,858 | 54.00% | 3,283 | 45.95% | 2 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 575 | 8.05% | 7,144 |
| Dane | 22,637 | 39.60% | 34,237 | 59.89% | 210 | 0.37% | 80 | 0.14% | 2 | 0.00% | -11,600 | -20.29% | 57,166 |
| Dodge | 11,736 | 63.27% | 6,774 | 36.52% | 27 | 0.15% | 12 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,962 | 26.75% | 18,549 |
| Door | 4,442 | 69.02% | 1,986 | 30.86% | 5 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,456 | 38.16% | 6,436 |
| Douglas | 6,579 | 41.00% | 9,368 | 58.38% | 69 | 0.43% | 30 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,789 | -17.38% | 16,046 |
| Dunn | 4,116 | 55.01% | 3,354 | 44.83% | 5 | 0.07% | 7 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 762 | 10.18% | 7,482 |
| Eau Claire | 7,569 | 48.26% | 8,034 | 51.22% | 64 | 0.41% | 16 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.01% | -465 | -2.96% | 15,685 |
| Florence | 643 | 53.27% | 554 | 45.90% | 9 | 0.75% | 1 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 89 | 7.37% | 1,207 |
| Fond du Lac | 14,939 | 68.67% | 6,716 | 30.87% | 83 | 0.38% | 17 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.00% | 8,223 | 37.80% | 21,756 |
| Forest | 1,374 | 43.23% | 1,787 | 56.23% | 12 | 0.38% | 5 | 0.16% | 0 | 0.00% | -413 | -13.00% | 3,178 |
| Grant | 8,165 | 63.15% | 4,746 | 36.71% | 12 | 0.09% | 7 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,419 | 26.44% | 12,930 |
| Green | 4,850 | 61.71% | 3,002 | 38.20% | 7 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,848 | 23.51% | 7,859 |
| Green Lake | 4,158 | 70.05% | 1,766 | 29.75% | 9 | 0.15% | 3 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,392 | 40.30% | 5,936 |
| Iowa | 3,756 | 55.17% | 3,044 | 44.71% | 7 | 0.10% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 712 | 10.46% | 6,808 |
| Iron | 1,514 | 40.97% | 2,125 | 57.51% | 47 | 1.27% | 9 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | -611 | -16.54% | 3,695 |
| Jackson | 2,474 | 46.77% | 2,802 | 52.97% | 7 | 0.13% | 7 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | -328 | -6.20% | 5,290 |
| Jefferson | 8,541 | 59.16% | 5,876 | 40.70% | 15 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,665 | 18.46% | 14,437 |
| Juneau | 3,522 | 59.57% | 2,383 | 40.31% | 6 | 0.10% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,139 | 19.27% | 5,912 |
| Kenosha | 13,021 | 44.06% | 16,376 | 55.41% | 76 | 0.26% | 80 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | -3,355 | -11.35% | 29,553 |
| Kewaunee | 3,743 | 62.08% | 2,280 | 37.82% | 3 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,463 | 24.27% | 6,029 |
| La Crosse | 9,887 | 48.94% | 10,168 | 50.33% | 126 | 0.62% | 22 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | -281 | -1.39% | 20,203 |
| Lafayette | 3,417 | 50.10% | 3,399 | 49.84% | 3 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 18 | 0.26% | 6,820 |
| Langlade | 3,605 | 56.07% | 2,783 | 43.28% | 34 | 0.53% | 8 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 822 | 12.78% | 6,430 |
| Lincoln | 4,259 | 59.78% | 2,827 | 39.68% | 21 | 0.29% | 13 | 0.18% | 5 | 0.07% | 1,432 | 20.10% | 7,125 |
| Manitowoc | 11,977 | 51.65% | 11,159 | 48.12% | 23 | 0.10% | 27 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.01% | 818 | 3.53% | 23,189 |
| Marathon | 11,936 | 51.34% | 11,220 | 48.26% | 39 | 0.17% | 50 | 0.22% | 3 | 0.01% | 716 | 3.08% | 23,248 |
| Marinette | 6,047 | 51.32% | 5,706 | 48.43% | 17 | 0.14% | 12 | 0.10% | 1 | 0.01% | 341 | 2.89% | 11,783 |
| Marquette | 2,078 | 68.36% | 955 | 31.41% | 4 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,123 | 36.94% | 3,040 |
| Milwaukee | 132,224 | 45.34% | 155,804 | 53.42% | 1,338 | 0.46% | 2,257 | 0.77% | 20 | 0.01% | -23,580 | -8.09% | 291,643 |
| Monroe | 4,789 | 57.28% | 3,550 | 42.46% | 11 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,239 | 14.82% | 8,360 |
| Oconto | 5,357 | 59.51% | 3,614 | 40.15% | 22 | 0.24% | 7 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.02% | 1,743 | 19.36% | 9,002 |
| Oneida | 3,652 | 53.94% | 3,090 | 45.64% | 12 | 0.18% | 16 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 562 | 8.30% | 6,770 |
| Outagamie | 17,103 | 67.44% | 8,194 | 32.31% | 43 | 0.17% | 19 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 8,909 | 35.13% | 25,359 |
| Ozaukee | 5,576 | 60.68% | 3,585 | 39.01% | 17 | 0.19% | 11 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,991 | 21.67% | 9,189 |
| Pepin | 1,269 | 57.19% | 941 | 42.41% | 7 | 0.32% | 2 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 328 | 14.78% | 2,219 |
| Pierce | 4,050 | 62.66% | 2,402 | 37.17% | 4 | 0.06% | 5 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,648 | 25.50% | 6,463 |
| Polk | 3,575 | 51.15% | 3,385 | 48.43% | 14 | 0.20% | 15 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 190 | 2.72% | 6,989 |
| Portage | 5,619 | 44.97% | 6,837 | 54.72% | 20 | 0.16% | 16 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.02% | -1,218 | -9.75% | 12,494 |
| Price | 3,030 | 55.10% | 2,390 | 43.46% | 59 | 1.07% | 20 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 640 | 11.64% | 5,499 |
| Racine | 21,256 | 52.06% | 19,441 | 47.61% | 93 | 0.23% | 41 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,815 | 4.45% | 40,831 |
| Richland | 4,273 | 65.73% | 2,222 | 34.18% | 5 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,051 | 31.55% | 6,501 |
| Rock | 17,706 | 58.38% | 12,565 | 41.43% | 39 | 0.13% | 18 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 5,141 | 16.95% | 30,328 |
| Rusk | 2,705 | 52.42% | 2,416 | 46.82% | 24 | 0.47% | 14 | 0.27% | 1 | 0.02% | 289 | 5.60% | 5,160 |
| Sauk | 7,267 | 57.00% | 5,395 | 42.31% | 17 | 0.13% | 68 | 0.53% | 3 | 0.02% | 1,872 | 14.68% | 12,750 |
| Sawyer | 2,209 | 61.36% | 1,379 | 38.31% | 4 | 0.11% | 8 | 0.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 830 | 23.06% | 3,600 |
| Shawano | 6,598 | 70.18% | 2,780 | 29.57% | 15 | 0.16% | 8 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,818 | 40.61% | 9,402 |
| Sheboygan | 16,552 | 60.13% | 10,628 | 38.61% | 223 | 0.81% | 124 | 0.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 5,924 | 21.52% | 27,527 |
| St. Croix | 4,172 | 51.23% | 3,941 | 48.40% | 9 | 0.11% | 16 | 0.20% | 5 | 0.06% | 231 | 2.84% | 8,143 |
| Taylor | 3,407 | 55.48% | 2,681 | 43.66% | 27 | 0.44% | 26 | 0.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 726 | 11.82% | 6,141 |
| Trempealeau | 3,337 | 50.75% | 3,231 | 49.14% | 7 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 106 | 1.61% | 6,575 |
| Vernon | 4,053 | 51.72% | 3,778 | 48.21% | 4 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | 275 | 3.51% | 7,837 |
| Vilas | 2,792 | 64.33% | 1,503 | 34.63% | 31 | 0.71% | 14 | 0.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,289 | 29.70% | 4,340 |
| Walworth | 12,733 | 70.92% | 5,189 | 28.90% | 18 | 0.10% | 14 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 7,544 | 42.02% | 17,954 |
| Washburn | 1,968 | 47.26% | 2,181 | 52.38% | 12 | 0.29% | 3 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | -213 | -5.12% | 4,164 |
| Washington | 7,514 | 65.78% | 3,878 | 33.95% | 20 | 0.18% | 11 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,636 | 31.83% | 11,423 |
| Waukesha | 18,762 | 61.80% | 11,493 | 37.85% | 48 | 0.16% | 58 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 7,269 | 23.94% | 30,361 |
| Waupaca | 8,732 | 74.43% | 2,977 | 25.38% | 10 | 0.09% | 10 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.03% | 5,755 | 49.05% | 11,732 |
| Waushara | 3,260 | 74.04% | 1,126 | 25.57% | 14 | 0.32% | 3 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,134 | 48.47% | 4,403 |
| Winnebago | 18,226 | 62.13% | 10,804 | 36.83% | 257 | 0.88% | 46 | 0.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 7,422 | 25.30% | 29,333 |
| Wood | 8,899 | 54.29% | 7,435 | 45.35% | 50 | 0.31% | 8 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,464 | 8.93% | 16,393 |
| Total | 605,649 | 53.21% | 525,319 | 46.16% | 3,735 | 0.33% | 3,384 | 0.30% | 61 | 0.01% | 80,330 | 7.06% | 1,138,148 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Sheboygan

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Burnett
* Eau Claire
* Jackson
* La Crosse
* Washburn