1918 Wisconsin gubernatorial election explained

The 1918 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1918. Primary elections were held on September 3, 1918.

Incumbent Republican Governor Emanuel L. Philipp won the election with 46.99% of the vote, winning his third and last term as governor. Philipp defeated Democratic Party candidate Henry A. Moehlenpah and Socialist candidate Emil Seidel.

Primary election

Republican party

Candidates

• Emanuel L. Philipp, incumbent Governor
• James N. Tittemore, president of the Wisconsin Society of Equity^[1]
• Roy P. Wilcox, incumbent State Senator

Results

Democratic party

Candidates

• Henry A. Moehlenpah, Democratic nominee for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district in 1908

Results

Socialist party

Candidates

• Emil Seidel, former Mayor of Milwaukee

Results

Prohibition party

Candidates

• Anthony J. Benjamin, Prohibition nominee for U.S. Senate in 1918 special election
• William C. Dean, Prohibition nominee for Secretary of State of Wisconsin in 1910, Socialist candidate for the Wisconsin State Senate in 1916

Results

General election

Results by county

Philipp was the first Republican to ever win Ozaukee County. Simultaneously, Moehlenpah was the first Democrat since 1857 to win Polk County, the first since 1886 to win Bayfield County, and the first since 1892 to win Ashland County.

County	Emanuel L. Philipp Republican		Henry A. Moehlenpah Democratic		Emil Seidel Socialist		William C. Dean Prohibition		Scattering Write-in		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		554		53.07%		417		39.94%		43		4.12%		30		2.87%		0		0.00%		137		13.12%		1,044
	Ashland		945		38.99%		1,255		51.77%		174		7.18%		46		1.90%		4		0.17%		-310		-12.79%		2,424
	Barron		1,672		54.27%		1,143		37.10%		124		4.02%		130		4.22%		12		0.39%		529		17.17%		3,081
	Bayfield		601		42.62%		666		47.23%		105		7.45%		38		2.70%		0		0.00%		-65		-4.61%		1,410
	Brown		2,750		39.86%		3,791		54.95%		270		3.91%		88		1.28%		0		0.00%		-1,041		-15.09%		6,899
	Buffalo		1,044		64.72%		380		23.56%		162		10.04%		23		1.43%		4		0.25%		664		41.17%		1,613
	Burnett		671		57.65%		341		29.30%		119		10.22%		29		2.49%		4		0.34%		330		28.35%		1,164
	Calumet		974		35.82%		592		21.77%		1,132		41.63%		17		0.63%		4		0.15%		-158		-5.81%		2,719
	Chippewa		2,022		51.13%		1,741		44.02%		100		2.53%		73		1.85%		19		0.48%		281		7.10%		3,955
	Clark		1,841		51.68%		1,040		29.20%		593		16.65%		82		2.30%		6		0.17%		801		22.49%		3,562
	Columbia		2,319		51.38%		1,858		41.17%		255		5.65%		79		1.75%		2		0.04%		461		10.21%		4,513
	Crawford		1,402		54.68%		1,035		40.37%		62		2.42%		63		2.46%		2		0.08%		367		14.31%		2,564
	Dane		6,083		53.54%		4,604		40.52%		423		3.72%		230		2.02%		22		0.19%		1,479		13.02%		11,362
	Dodge		4,741		53.50%		2,716		30.65%		1,315		14.84%		89		1.00%		0		0.00%		2,025		22.85%		8,861
	Door		1,278		66.36%		486		25.23%		116		6.02%		43		2.23%		3		0.16%		792		41.12%		1,926
	Douglas		2,233		48.92%		1,460		31.98%		603		13.21%		262		5.74%		7		0.15%		773		16.93%		4,565
	Dunn		1,551		67.94%		576		25.23%		83		3.64%		55		2.41%		18		0.79%		975		42.71%		2,283
	Eau Claire		2,082		53.28%		1,467		37.54%		246		6.29%		108		2.76%		5		0.13%		615		15.74%		3,908
	Florence		319		73.84%		87		20.14%		17		3.94%		9		2.08%		0		0.00%		232		53.70%		432
	Fond du Lac		3,940		48.21%		3,362		41.14%		760		9.30%		110		1.35%		0		0.00%		578		7.07%		8,172
	Forest		419		54.06%		307		39.61%		30		3.87%		19		2.45%		0		0.00%		112		14.45%		775
	Grant		3,115		59.41%		1,917		36.56%		54		1.03%		148		2.82%		9		0.17%		1,198		22.85%		5,243
	Green		1,578		55.25%		1,092		38.24%		74		2.59%		110		3.85%		2		0.07%		486		17.02%		2,856
	Green Lake		1,365		52.95%		928		36.00%		255		9.89%		30		1.16%		0		0.00%		437		16.95%		2,578
	Iowa		1,749		55.88%		1,203		38.43%		32		1.02%		141		4.50%		5		0.16%		546		17.44%		3,130
	Iron		706		73.24%		185		19.19%		50		5.19%		23		2.39%		0		0.00%		521		54.05%		964
	Jackson		1,204		66.23%		501		27.56%		61		3.36%		48		2.64%		4		0.22%		703		38.67%		1,818
	Jefferson		3,152		57.48%		1,840		33.55%		422		7.70%		70		1.28%		0		0.00%		1,312		23.92%		5,484
	Juneau		1,539		58.94%		964		36.92%		65		2.49%		42		1.61%		1		0.04%		575		22.02%		2,611
	Kenosha		2,919		55.01%		1,839		34.66%		490		9.23%		55		1.04%		3		0.06%		1,080		20.35%		5,306
	Kewaunee		1,247		50.14%		1,132		45.52%		86		3.46%		17		0.68%		5		0.20%		115		4.62%		2,487
	La Crosse		3,214		58.71%		1,909		34.87%		260		4.75%		90		1.64%		1		0.02%		1,305		23.84%		5,474
	Lafayette		1,693		49.40%		1,637		47.77%		19		0.55%		76		2.22%		2		0.06%		56		1.63%		3,427
	Langlade		1,307		48.86%		1,243		46.47%		86		3.21%		38		1.42%		1		0.04%		64		2.39%		2,675
	Lincoln		1,124		45.30%		733		29.54%		587		23.66%		37		1.49%		0		0.00%		391		15.76%		2,481
	Manitowoc		2,312		30.79%		2,229		29.68%		2,924		38.94%		40		0.53%		4		0.05%		-612		-8.15%		7,509
	Marathon		2,827		33.71%		1,949		23.24%		3,544		42.26%		66		0.79%		0		0.00%		-717		-8.55%		8,386
	Marinette		1,796		50.99%		1,354		38.44%		288		8.18%		84		2.39%		0		0.00%		442		12.55%		3,522
	Marquette		848		47.99%		692		39.16%		206		11.66%		21		1.19%		0		0.00%		156		8.83%		1,767
	Milwaukee		26,182		35.60%		20,107		27.34%		26,943		36.64%		307		0.42%		2		0.00%		-761		-1.03%		73,541
	Monroe		1,690		56.90%		1,038		34.95%		171		5.76%		67		2.26%		4		0.13%		652		21.95%		2,970
	Oconto		1,665		50.14%		1,339		40.32%		275		8.28%		38		1.14%		4		0.12%		326		9.82%		3,321
	Oneida		880		50.06%		723		41.13%		141		8.02%		13		0.74%		1		0.06%		157		8.93%		1,758
	Outagamie		3,674		54.77%		2,250		33.54%		608		9.06%		104		1.55%		72		1.07%		1,424		21.23%		6,708
	Ozaukee		1,311		45.94%		775		27.15%		753		26.38%		15		0.53%		0		0.00%		536		18.78%		2,854
	Pepin		476		55.54%		338		39.44%		23		2.68%		19		2.22%		1		0.12%		138		16.10%		857
	Pierce		1,148		56.03%		745		36.36%		71		3.47%		67		3.27%		18		0.88%		403		19.67%		2,049
	Polk		1,145		41.10%		1,447		51.94%		132		4.74%		61		2.19%		1		0.04%		-302		-10.84%		2,786
	Portage		1,845		44.16%		2,149		51.44%		116		2.78%		63		1.51%		5		0.12%		-304		-7.28%		4,178
	Price		845		49.74%		631		37.14%		175		10.30%		44		2.59%		4		0.24%		214		12.60%		1,699
	Racine		4,061		48.83%		3,216		38.67%		816		9.81%		217		2.61%		7		0.08%		845		10.16%		8,317
	Richland		1,239		48.70%		1,092		42.92%		41		1.61%		169		6.64%		3		0.12%		147		5.78%		2,544
	Rock		3,747		52.73%		3,079		43.33%		125		1.76%		154		2.17%		1		0.01%		668		9.40%		7,106
	Rusk		664		57.49%		388		33.59%		71		6.15%		26		2.25%		6		0.52%		276		23.90%		1,155
	Sauk		2,685		58.14%		1,556		33.69%		202		4.37%		166		3.59%		9		0.19%		1,129		24.45%		4,618
	Sawyer		503		63.83%		222		28.17%		37		4.70%		26		3.30%		0		0.00%		281		35.66%		788
	Shawano		1,645		45.57%		705		19.53%		1,187		32.88%		54		1.50%		19		0.53%		458		12.69%		3,610
	Sheboygan		2,791		31.36%		2,181		24.50%		3,867		43.44%		53		0.60%		9		0.10%		-1,076		-12.09%		8,901
	St. Croix		1,618		49.72%		1,469		45.14%		90		2.77%		70		2.15%		7		0.22%		149		4.58%		3,254
	Taylor		772		39.94%		528		27.32%		592		30.63%		36		1.86%		5		0.26%		180		9.31%		1,933
	Trempealeau		1,487		63.68%		766		32.81%		36		1.54%		46		1.97%		0		0.00%		721		30.88%		2,335
	Vernon		1,478		60.50%		794		32.50%		64		2.62%		98		4.01%		9		0.37%		684		28.00%		2,443
	Vilas		343		47.97%		309		43.22%		52		7.27%		11		1.54%		0		0.00%		34		4.76%		715
	Walworth		2,526		55.54%		1,829		40.22%		86		1.89%		97		2.13%		10		0.22%		697		15.33%		4,548
	Washburn		600		60.85%		318		32.25%		37		3.75%		28		2.84%		3		0.30%		282		28.60%		986
	Washington		2,308		48.13%		1,085		22.63%		1,374		28.65%		28		0.58%		0		0.00%		934		19.48%		4,795
	Waukesha		3,014		45.66%		2,937		44.49%		556		8.42%		94		1.42%		0		0.00%		77		1.17%		6,601
	Waupaca		2,955		59.93%		1,284		26.04%		596		12.09%		88		1.78%		8		0.16%		1,671		33.89%		4,931
	Waushara		1,420		62.09%		643		28.12%		155		6.78%		59		2.58%		10		0.44%		777		33.97%		2,287
	Winnebago		4,209		50.46%		2,932		35.15%		1,049		12.57%		142		1.70%		10		0.12%		1,277		15.31%		8,342
	Wood		1,737		46.92%		1,030		27.82%		847		22.88%		77		2.08%		11		0.30%		707		19.10%		3,702
Total	155,799	46.99%	112,576	33.95%	57,523	17.35%	5,296	1.60%	388	0.12%	43,223	13.04%	331,582

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Dane
• Iowa
• Kewaunee
• La Crosse
• Ozaukee

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Ashland
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Polk

Counties that flipped from Republican to Socialist

• Calumet
• Manitowoc
• Marathon
• Milwaukee
• Sheboygan

Bibliography

• Book: Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 . Washington, D.C. . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . 1998 . 1-56802-396-0 . .
• Book: Glashan, Roy R. . American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978 . Meckler Books . 1979 . 0-930466-17-9 .
• Book: Hunter . Paul F. . 1919 . The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1919 . Democrat Printing Co., State Printer . Madison, Wisconsin . .

Notes and References

1. News: . May 8, 1918 . Its all settled now . 14 August 2021 . Vernon County censor . Viroqua, Wis. . 4.