1928 Wisconsin gubernatorial election explained

The 1928 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1928. Primary elections were held on September 4, 1928. Incumbent Republican Governor Fred R. Zimmerman was defeated in the Republican primary. Republican nominee Walter J. Kohler Sr. defeated Democratic nominee Albert G. Schmedeman with 55.38% of the vote.

Primary election

Republican party

Candidates

• Joseph D. Beck, U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district
• John E. Ferris, Independent Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1924
• Walter J. Kohler Sr., industrialist
• Fred R. Zimmerman, incumbent Governor

Results

Democratic party

Candidates

• Albert G. Schmedeman, mayor of Madison

Results

Socialist party

Candidates

• Oscar Ameringer (withdrew), newspaper editor
• Otto R. Hauser, realtor^[1]

Results

Prohibition primary

Candidates

• Adolph R. Bucknam, Prohibition nominee for U.S. Senate in 1922 and for Governor in 1924
• Jane H. Robinson^[2]

Results

Other party nominations

• Joseph Ehrhardt, Socialist Labor
• Alvar J. Hayes, Workers

General election

Results by county

County	Walter J. Kohler Sr. Republican		Albert G. Schmedeman Democratic		Otto R. Hauser Socialist		Adolph R. Bucknam Prohibition		All Others Various		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		1,418		59.43%		903		37.85%		22		0.92%		32		1.34%		11		0.46%		515		21.58%		2,386
	Ashland		3,811		53.88%		3,045		43.05%		106		1.50%		56		0.79%		55		0.78%		766		10.83%		7,073
	Barron		7,343		67.71%		3,132		28.88%		91		0.84%		176		1.62%		102		0.94%		4,211		38.83%		10,844
	Bayfield		3,411		69.74%		1,233		25.21%		73		1.49%		47		0.96%		127		2.60%		2,178		44.53%		4,891
	Brown		10,965		44.10%		13,532		54.42%		225		0.90%		112		0.45%		30		0.12%		-2,567		-10.32%		24,864
	Buffalo		2,923		63.96%		1,559		34.11%		25		0.55%		41		0.90%		22		0.48%		1,364		29.85%		4,570
	Burnett		2,735		78.52%		641		18.40%		47		1.35%		26		0.75%		34		0.98%		2,094		60.12%		3,483
	Calumet		2,087		33.76%		3,987		64.50%		54		0.87%		45		0.73%		8		0.13%		-1,900		-30.74%		6,181
	Chippewa		7,690		59.23%		5,060		38.97%		57		0.44%		101		0.78%		76		0.59%		2,630		20.26%		12,984
	Clark		6,903		65.37%		3,288		31.14%		176		1.67%		108		1.02%		85		0.80%		3,615		34.23%		10,560
	Columbia		7,021		56.94%		5,144		41.72%		65		0.53%		80		0.65%		20		0.16%		1,877		15.22%		12,330
	Crawford		3,288		51.17%		3,072		47.81%		12		0.19%		42		0.65%		12		0.19%		216		3.36%		6,426
	Dane		19,477		45.18%		23,376		54.23%		89		0.21%		137		0.32%		28		0.06%		-3,899		-9.04%		43,107
	Dodge		8,762		46.90%		9,496		50.83%		269		1.44%		106		0.57%		48		0.26%		-734		-3.93%		18,681
	Door		3,774		65.88%		1,784		31.14%		32		0.56%		84		1.47%		55		0.96%		1,990		34.74%		5,729
	Douglas		11,745		70.23%		4,435		26.52%		139		0.83%		89		0.53%		315		1.88%		7,310		43.71%		16,723
	Dunn		6,770		77.95%		1,655		19.06%		48		0.55%		123		1.42%		89		1.02%		5,115		58.89%		8,685
	Eau Claire		9,617		70.13%		3,824		27.88%		57		0.42%		101		0.74%		115		0.84%		5,793		42.24%		13,714
	Florence		1,139		81.42%		223		15.94%		3		0.21%		8		0.57%		26		1.86%		916		65.48%		1,399
	Fond du Lac		12,083		49.40%		11,944		48.83%		157		0.64%		223		0.91%		53		0.22%		139		0.57%		24,460
	Forest		2,224		67.68%		974		29.64%		22		0.67%		33		1.00%		33		1.00%		1,250		38.04%		3,286
	Grant		9,829		60.65%		6,185		38.16%		42		0.26%		113		0.70%		38		0.23%		3,644		22.48%		16,207
	Green		4,791		60.28%		2,997		37.71%		27		0.34%		117		1.47%		16		0.20%		1,794		22.57%		7,948
	Green Lake		2,895		51.20%		2,661		47.06%		36		0.64%		45		0.80%		17		0.30%		234		4.14%		5,654
	Iowa		4,683		55.33%		3,654		43.17%		17		0.20%		102		1.21%		8		0.09%		1,029		12.16%		8,464
	Iron		1,746		64.81%		790		29.32%		20		0.74%		19		0.71%		119		4.42%		956		35.49%		2,694
	Jackson		3,880		71.72%		1,406		25.99%		28		0.52%		65		1.20%		31		0.57%		2,474		45.73%		5,410
	Jefferson		7,335		49.41%		7,340		49.44%		77		0.52%		73		0.49%		21		0.14%		-5		-0.03%		14,846
	Juneau		3,620		58.93%		2,433		39.61%		40		0.65%		39		0.63%		11		0.18%		1,187		19.32%		6,143
	Kenosha		12,049		54.44%		9,474		42.80%		443		2.00%		71		0.32%		96		0.43%		2,575		11.63%		22,133
	Kewaunee		1,906		36.19%		3,292		62.50%		20		0.38%		32		0.61%		17		0.32%		-1,386		-26.31%		5,267
	La Crosse		11,471		58.27%		8,101		41.15%		37		0.19%		63		0.32%		13		0.07%		3,370		17.12%		19,685
	Lafayette		4,631		53.97%		3,867		45.07%		11		0.13%		54		0.63%		17		0.20%		764		8.90%		8,580
	Langlade		4,048		52.98%		3,470		45.41%		41		0.54%		74		0.97%		8		0.10%		578		7.56%		7,641
	Lincoln		4,044		56.86%		2,929		41.18%		50		0.70%		62		0.87%		27		0.38%		1,115		15.68%		7,112
	Manitowoc		6,746		37.32%		10,900		60.30%		279		1.54%		106		0.59%		45		0.25%		-4,154		-22.98%		18,076
	Marathon		10,279		49.60%		10,052		48.51%		223		1.08%		133		0.64%		36		0.17%		227		1.10%		20,723
	Marinette		7,134		64.06%		3,739		33.58%		186		1.67%		61		0.55%		16		0.14%		3,395		30.49%		11,136
	Marquette		2,168		58.90%		1,439		39.09%		20		0.54%		53		1.44%		1		0.03%		729		19.80%		3,681
	Milwaukee		91,381		44.48%		82,833		40.32%		30,064		14.63%		666		0.32%		511		0.25%		8,548		4.16%		205,455
	Monroe		5,488		60.02%		3,458		37.82%		54		0.59%		137		1.50%		7		0.08%		2,030		22.20%		9,144
	Oconto		4,944		56.69%		3,647		41.82%		45		0.52%		67		0.77%		18		0.21%		1,297		14.87%		8,721
	Oneida		3,348		62.54%		1,846		34.49%		91		1.70%		45		0.84%		23		0.43%		1,502		28.06%		5,353
	Outagamie		12,763		52.10%		11,491		46.91%		115		0.47%		98		0.40%		28		0.11%		1,272		5.19%		24,495
	Ozaukee		2,224		36.60%		3,736		61.49%		88		1.45%		24		0.39%		4		0.07%		-1,512		-24.88%		6,076
	Pepin		2,020		68.24%		875		29.56%		21		0.71%		24		0.81%		20		0.68%		1,145		38.68%		2,960
	Pierce		6,471		74.61%		1,986		22.90%		56		0.65%		89		1.03%		71		0.82%		4,485		51.71%		8,673
	Polk		6,621		77.22%		1,709		19.93%		70		0.82%		104		1.21%		70		0.82%		4,912		57.29%		8,574
	Portage		5,176		44.21%		6,422		54.85%		49		0.42%		44		0.38%		18		0.15%		-1,246		-10.64%		11,709
	Price		3,421		64.72%		1,689		31.95%		51		0.96%		53		1.00%		72		1.36%		1,732		32.77%		5,286
	Racine		20,111		68.96%		8,356		28.65%		363		1.24%		174		0.60%		158		0.54%		11,755		40.31%		29,162
	Richland		5,248		68.40%		2,298		29.95%		21		0.27%		86		1.12%		19		0.25%		2,950		38.45%		7,672
	Rock		20,536		69.14%		8,822		29.70%		86		0.29%		232		0.78%		24		0.08%		11,714		39.44%		29,700
	Rusk		3,436		70.14%		1,191		24.31%		95		1.94%		100		2.04%		77		1.57%		2,245		45.83%		4,899
	Sauk		6,834		54.96%		5,407		43.48%		36		0.29%		130		1.05%		28		0.23%		1,427		11.48%		12,435
	Sawyer		2,068		72.18%		734		25.62%		28		0.98%		27		0.94%		8		0.28%		1,334		46.56%		2,865
	Shawano		5,283		59.75%		3,343		37.81%		76		0.86%		95		1.07%		45		0.51%		1,940		21.94%		8,842
	Sheboygan		14,586		58.43%		9,492		38.02%		702		2.81%		135		0.54%		49		0.20%		5,094		20.41%		24,964
	St. Croix		6,578		62.48%		3,789		35.99%		59		0.56%		82		0.78%		20		0.19%		2,789		26.49%		10,528
	Taylor		2,847		60.81%		1,614		34.47%		123		2.63%		61		1.30%		37		0.79%		1,233		26.33%		4,682
	Trempealeau		5,079		62.54%		2,950		36.33%		17		0.21%		49		0.60%		26		0.32%		2,129		26.22%		8,121
	Vernon		6,042		67.09%		2,847		31.61%		13		0.14%		92		1.02%		12		0.13%		3,195		35.48%		9,006
	Vilas		1,836		73.32%		551		22.00%		52		2.08%		16		0.64%		49		1.96%		1,285		51.32%		2,504
	Walworth		9,996		72.10%		3,666		26.44%		44		0.32%		135		0.97%		23		0.17%		6,330		45.66%		13,864
	Washburn		2,746		71.47%		897		23.35%		105		2.73%		54		1.41%		40		1.04%		1,849		48.13%		3,842
	Washington		4,437		45.16%		5,158		52.50%		182		1.85%		32		0.33%		16		0.16%		-721		-7.34%		9,825
	Waukesha		12,767		64.06%		6,649		33.36%		382		1.92%		107		0.54%		25		0.13%		6,118		30.70%		19,930
	Waupaca		8,069		68.17%		3,394		28.68%		124		1.05%		126		1.06%		123		1.04%		4,675		39.50%		11,836
	Waushara		3,553		69.07%		1,488		28.93%		30		0.58%		38		0.74%		35		0.68%		2,065		40.14%		5,144
	Winnebago		16,351		61.80%		9,736		36.80%		170		0.64%		179		0.68%		21		0.08%		6,615		25.00%		26,457
	Wood		7,037		55.66%		5,258		41.59%		146		1.15%		124		0.98%		78		0.62%		1,779		14.07%		12,643
Total	547,738	55.38%	394,368	39.87%	36,924	3.73%	6,477	0.65%	3,636	0.37%	153,370	15.51%	989,143

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Brown
• Calumet
• Dane
• Dodge
• Jefferson
• Kewaunee
• Manitowoc
• Portage
• Washington

Bibliography

• Book: Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 . Washington, D.C. . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . 1998 . 1-56802-396-0 . .
• Book: Anderson . William J. . Anderson . William A. . 1929 . The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1929 . Democrat Printing Company, State Printer . Madison, Wisconsin . .

Notes and References

1. News: . Politics . The Capital Times . Madison, Wisconsin . June 27, 1928 . 11 . 23 April 2021.
2. News: . County Clerk's List of Candidates . Chippewa Herald-Telegram . Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin . August 13, 1928 . 6 . 23 April 2021.