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 County results Smith: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Gawronski: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1948 Wisconsin lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1948, in order to elect thelieutenant governor of Wisconsin.Republican nomineeGeorge M. Smith defeatedDemocratic nominee and former member of theWisconsin State SenateAnthony P. Gawronski,Progressive nominee Alex Y. Wallace andSocialist nominee William O. Hart.[1]
The Republicanprimary election was held on September 21, 1948. SalesmanGeorge M. Smith received a plurality of the votes (29.75%), and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election. His victory came as a surprise as Smith had only spend $53 on his campaign, and was facing well-known Wisconsin Republicans such as formerWisconsin Senate member James L. Callan, William Trinke andincumbentPresident pro tempore of the Wisconsin Senate Frank E. Panzer for the nomination. Newspapers at the time theorized that his primaryupset victory was the result of Smith sharing the same last name as the lateState Treasurer of WisconsinJohn M. Smith.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George M. Smith | 124,000 | 29.75% | |
| Republican | James L. Callan | 113,211 | 27.16% | |
| Republican | William Trinke | 70,402 | 16.89% | |
| Republican | Frank E. Panzer | 66,801 | 16.02% | |
| Republican | Francis L. McElligott | 42,443 | 10.18% | |
| Total votes | 416,857 | 100.00% | ||
The Democraticprimary election was held on September 21, 1948. Former member of theWisconsin State SenateAnthony P. Gawronski ran unopposed and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Anthony P. Gawronski | 98,764 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 98,764 | 100.00% | ||
The Progressiveprimary election was held on September 21, 1948. Candidate Alex Y. Wallace ran unopposed and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | Alex Y. Wallace | 6,503 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 6,503 | 100.00% | ||
The Socialistprimary election was held on September 21, 1948. Candidate William O. Hart ran unopposed and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socialist | William O. Hart | 3,661 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 3,661 | 100.00% | ||
On election day, November 2, 1948,Republican nomineeGeorge M. Smith won the election by a margin of 10,781 votes against his foremost opponentDemocratic nomineeAnthony P. Gawronski, thereby retaining Republican control over the office of lieutenant governor. Smith was sworn in as the 31stlieutenant governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 1949.[4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George M. Smith | 602,513 | 49.35 | |
| Democratic | Anthony P. Gawronski | 591,732 | 48.47 | |
| Progressive | Alex Y. Wallace | 14,213 | 1.16 | |
| Socialist | William O. Hart | 12,343 | 1.02 | |
| Total votes | 1,220,801 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
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