1906 Wisconsin gubernatorial election explained

The 1906 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1906. Primary elections were held on September 4, 1906.

Incumbent Republican Governor James O. Davidson won re-election, defeating Democratic nominee John A. Aylward and Socialist nominee Winfield R. Gaylord, with 57.39% of the vote.

Primary election

Wisconsin voters passed a constitutional amendment in the 1904 general election to implement primary elections for nominations. The first direct primary took place on September 4, 1906.

Republican party

Candidates

• James O. Davidson, acting governor Governor
• Irvine Lenroot, incumbent Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Results

Democratic party

Candidates

• John A. Aylward, Democratic nominee for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district in 1900
• Ernst Merton, incumbent State Senator

Results

Social Democratic party

Candidates

• Winfield R. Gaylord, Socialist nominee for Wisconsin's 4th congressional district in 1904

Results

Prohibition party

Candidates

• Ephraim Llewellyn Eaton, Prohibition nominee for Wisconsin's 4th congressional district in 1892

Results

General election

Results by county

County	James O. Davidson Republican		John A. Aylward Democratic		Winfield R. Gaylord Social Democratic		Ephraim L. Eaton Prohibition		Ole T. Rosaas Socialist Labor		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		699		74.52%		212		22.60%		9		0.96%		16		1.71%		0		0.00%		487		51.92%		938
	Ashland		1,796		62.38%		768		26.68%		229		7.95%		82		2.85%		3		0.10%		1,028		35.71%		2,879
	Barron		1,797		75.35%		303		12.70%		123		5.16%		153		6.42%		7		0.29%		1,494		62.64%		2,385
	Bayfield		1,356		81.54%		159		9.56%		92		5.53%		52		3.13%		4		0.24%		1,197		71.98%		1,663
	Brown		3,314		60.38%		1,854		33.78%		224		4.08%		91		1.66%		6		0.11%		1,460		26.60%		5,489
	Buffalo		1,449		67.84%		637		29.82%		9		0.42%		39		1.83%		2		0.09%		812		38.01%		2,136
	Burnett		1,040		87.03%		59		4.94%		38		3.18%		48		4.02%		10		0.84%		981		82.09%		1,195
	Calumet		1,143		44.91%		1,268		49.82%		99		3.89%		35		1.38%		0		0.00%		-125		-4.91%		2,545
	Chippewa		2,343		60.08%		1,406		36.05%		49		1.26%		99		2.54%		3		0.08%		937		24.03%		3,900
	Clark		2,462		75.54%		672		20.62%		34		1.04%		87		2.67%		4		0.12%		1,790		54.92%		3,259
	Columbia		3,200		66.57%		1,371		28.52%		102		2.12%		131		2.73%		3		0.06%		1,829		38.05%		4,807
	Crawford		1,710		57.69%		1,177		39.71%		42		1.42%		35		1.18%		0		0.00%		533		17.98%		2,964
	Dane		6,843		54.66%		5,120		40.89%		172		1.37%		380		3.04%		5		0.04%		1,723		13.76%		12,520
	Dodge		2,749		35.94%		4,734		61.90%		47		0.61%		116		1.52%		2		0.03%		-1,985		-25.95%		7,648
	Door		1,699		82.64%		277		13.47%		41		1.99%		37		1.80%		2		0.10%		1,422		69.16%		2,056
	Douglas		2,391		62.14%		987		25.65%		333		8.65%		111		2.88%		26		0.68%		1,404		36.49%		3,848
	Dunn		1,874		83.47%		258		11.49%		56		2.49%		56		2.49%		1		0.04%		1,616		71.98%		2,245
	Eau Claire		2,837		68.39%		1,066		25.70%		123		2.97%		116		2.80%		4		0.10%		1,771		42.70%		4,148
	Florence		335		84.81%		55		13.92%		2		0.51%		3		0.76%		0		0.00%		280		70.89%		395
	Fond du Lac		4,073		49.76%		3,779		46.16%		124		1.51%		205		2.50%		5		0.06%		294		3.59%		8,186
	Forest		884		83.79%		113		10.71%		26		2.46%		26		2.46%		6		0.57%		771		73.08%		1.055
	Grant		4,249		62.39%		2,294		33.69%		40		0.59%		222		3.26%		3		0.04%		1,955		28.71%		6,810
	Green		1,905		58.31%		1,112		34.04%		113		3.46%		135		4.13%		1		0.03%		793		24.27%		3,267
	Green Lake		1,716		55.11%		1,302		41.81%		31		1.00%		65		2.09%		0		0.00%		414		13.29%		3,114
	Iowa		2,635		61.78%		1,472		34.51%		13		0.30%		145		3.40%		0		0.00%		1,163		27.27%		4,265
	Iron		1,025		77.36%		221		16.68%		50		3.77%		26		1.96%		3		0.23%		804		60.68%		1,325
	Jackson		1,871		83.16%		323		14.36%		13		0.58%		43		1.91%		0		0.00%		1,548		68.80%		2,250
	Jefferson		2,622		43.37%		3,217		53.21%		85		1.41%		120		1.98%		2		0.03%		-595		-9.84%		6,046
	Juneau		2,406		67.08%		1,100		30.67%		27		0.75%		51		1.42%		2		0.06%		1,306		36.41%		3,587
	Kenosha		2,090		49.69%		1,635		38.87%		284		6.75%		187		4.45%		10		0.24%		455		10.82%		4,206
	Kewaunee		1,362		51.26%		1,194		44.94%		69		2.60%		29		1.09%		3		0.11%		168		6.32%		2,657
	La Crosse		4,259		59.39%		2,584		36.03%		129		1.80%		196		2.73%		3		0.04%		1,675		23.36%		7,171
	Lafayette		2,238		58.19%		1,526		39.68%		18		0.47%		63		1.64%		1		0.03%		712		18.51%		3,846
	Langlade		1,365		51.10%		1,235		46.24%		26		0.97%		43		1.61%		2		0.07%		130		4.87%		2,671
	Lincoln		1,652		58.62%		1,047		37.15%		68		2.41%		51		1.81%		0		0.00%		605		21.47%		2,818
	Manitowoc		3,486		48.38%		2,974		41.28%		668		9.27%		75		1.04%		2		0.03%		512		7.11%		7,205
	Marathon		3,695		49.70%		3,435		46.20%		150		2.02%		138		1.86%		17		0.23%		260		3.50%		7,435
	Marinette		2,658		67.58%		1,006		25.58%		107		2.72%		161		4.09%		1		0.03%		1,652		42.00%		3,933
	Marquette		1,359		60.48%		812		36.14%		13		0.58%		63		2.80%		0		0.00%		547		24.34%		2,247
	Milwaukee		24,521		44.13%		12,856		23.13%		17,031		30.65%		1,039		1.87%		124		0.22%		7,490		13.48%		55,571
	Monroe		2,334		64.48%		1,156		31.93%		40		1.10%		87		2.40%		2		0.06%		1,178		32.54%		3,620
	Oconto		1,967		66.03%		870		29.20%		80		2.69%		61		2.05%		1		0.03%		1,097		36.82%		2,979
	Oneida		1,197		59.73%		613		30.59%		146		7.29%		48		2.40%		0		0.00%		584		29.14%		2,004
	Outagamie		3,794		53.83%		3,026		42.93%		76		1.08%		147		2.09%		5		0.07%		768		10.90%		7,048
	Ozaukee		1,012		36.21%		1,664		59.53%		90		3.22%		29		1.04%		0		0.00%		-652		-23.33%		2,795
	Pepin		657		68.94%		261		27.39%		4		0.42%		31		3.25%		0		0.00%		396		41.55%		953
	Pierce		1,880		79.73%		342		14.50%		44		1.87%		89		3.77%		3		0.13%		1,538		65.22%		2,358
	Polk		1,566		78.93%		182		9.17%		166		8.37%		61		3.07%		7		0.35%		1,384		69.76%		1,984
	Portage		2,265		55.58%		1,675		41.10%		36		0.88%		98		2.40%		1		0.02%		590		14.48%		4,075
	Price		1,512		67.56%		527		23.55%		105		4.69%		87		3.89%		5		0.22%		985		44.01%		2,238
	Racine		3,547		51.89%		2,065		30.21%		891		13.03%		242		3.54%		90		1.32%		1,482		21.68%		6,836
	Richland		2,070		61.59%		1,035		30.79%		45		1.34%		208		6.19%		3		0.09%		1,035		30.79%		3,361
	Rock		3,917		68.67%		1,321		23.16%		153		2.68%		299		5.24%		13		0.23%		2,596		45.51%		5,704
	Rusk		1,049		82.47%		151		11.87%		31		2.44%		36		2.83%		5		0.39%		898		70.60%		1,272
	Sauk		3,102		62.83%		1,509		30.57%		22		0.45%		302		6.12%		1		0.02%		1,593		32.27%		4,937
	Sawyer		735		74.62%		229		23.25%		10		1.02%		11		1.12%		0		0.00%		506		51.37%		985
	Shawano		1,850		69.21%		738		27.61%		38		1.42%		45		1.68%		2		0.07%		1,112		41.60%		2,673
	Sheboygan		4,151		50.45%		3,366		40.91%		502		6.10%		203		2.47%		6		0.07%		785		9.54%		8,228
	St. Croix		2,354		61.62%		1,287		33.69%		90		2.36%		86		2.25%		3		0.08%		1,067		27.93%		3,820
	Taylor		1,237		60.55%		707		34.61%		60		2.94%		36		1.76%		3		0.15%		530		25.94%		2,043
	Trempealeau		1,901		77.09%		476		19.30%		9		0.36%		75		3.04%		2		0.08%		1,425		57.79%		2,466
	Vernon		3,118		79.91%		638		16.35%		19		0.49%		126		3.23%		0		0.00%		2,480		63.56%		3,902
	Vilas		682		75.11%		187		20.59%		25		2.75%		12		1.32%		2		0.22%		495		54.52%		908
	Walworth		2,858		69.72%		986		24.05%		61		1.49%		191		4.66%		3		0.07%		1,872		45.67%		4,099
	Washburn		900		78.13%		184		15.97%		45		3.91%		21		1.82%		2		0.17%		716		62.15%		1,152
	Washington		1,972		43.84%		2,346		52.16%		130		2.89%		48		1.07%		1		0.02%		-374		-8.31%		4,498
	Waukesha		3,912		58.69%		2,431		36.47%		130		1.95%		192		2.88%		1		0.02%		1,481		22.22%		6,666
	Waupaca		2,683		76.14%		607		17.22%		90		2.55%		137		3.89%		2		0.06%		2,076		58.91%		3,524
	Waushara		2,074		87.00%		212		8.89%		17		0.71%		78		3.27%		1		0.04%		1,862		78.10%		2,384
	Winnebago		5,471		57.91%		3,469		36.72%		218		2.31%		271		2.87%		19		0.20%		2,002		21.19%		9,448
	Wood		2,683		61.56%		1,431		32.84%		155		3.56%		84		1.93%		5		0.11%		1,252		28.73%		4,358
Total	183,558	57.36%	103,311	39.28%	24,437	7.64%	8,211	2.57%	455	0.14%	80,247	25.08%	320,003

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Crawford
• Door
• Florence
• Fond du Lac
• Green Lake
• Kewaunee
• Manitowoc
• Marquette
• Winnebago

Bibliography

• Book: Glashan, Roy R. . American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978 . Meckler Books . 1979 . 0-930466-17-9 .
• Book: Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 . Washington, D.C. . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . 1998 . 1-56802-396-0 . .
• Book: Beck . J. D. . 1907 . The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin . Democrat Printing Co., State Printer . Madison, Wisconsin . .