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 County Results
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The1948 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 2, 1948, as part of the1948 United States presidential election. State voters chose 12 electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Politics in Wisconsin since thePopulist movement had been dominated by the Republican Party.[1] The Democratic Party became uncompetitive outside certain eastern German areas as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, fled fromWilliam Jennings Bryan’s agrarian andfree silver sympathies.[2] Although the state did develop a strongSocialist Party to provide opposition to the GOP, Wisconsin developed the direct Republican primary in 1903 and this ultimately created competition between the “League” underRobert M. La Follette, and the conservative “Regular” faction.[3] This ultimately would develop into theWisconsin Progressive Party in the late 1930s, which was opposed to the conservative German Democrats and to the national Republican Party, and allied withFranklin D. Roosevelt at the federal level.
During the two wartime elections, the formerly Democratic German counties in the east of the state – which had been powerfully opposed tothe Civil War because they saw it as a “Yankee” war and opposed the military draft instituted during it[4] – viewedCommunism as a much greater threat to America thanNazism and consequently opposed President Roosevelt's war effort.[5] Consequently, these historically Democratic counties became virtually the most Republican in the entire state, and the two wartime elections were very close after Roosevelt had in1932 and1936, aided by the support ofRobert M. La Follette Jr., carried Wisconsin by more than two-to-one.
As the Progressive Party disintegrated and its members returned to the GOP, that party regained its hegemony in the state legislature and Congressional representation, so that by 1946 Wisconsin had an entirely Republican Congressional delegation for the first time sincethe 71st Congress, and the Democrats’ representation in the state legislature fell as low as it had been since that same point.
Although the state'sRepublican presidential primary went toHarold E. Stassen of neighboring Minnesota, the earliest polls had second-time nomineeThomas E. Dewey well ahead of incumbentHarry S. Truman.[6] A final poll on the first day of November had Dewey leading by 56 percent to 41 percent, with “People’s Progressive” nominee and former Vice-presidentHenry A. Wallace on three percent.[7]
Nonetheless, as he achieved elsewhere in the Midwest, Truman made a major comeback to claim Wisconsin by a larger margin than Roosevelt had done in1940. His victory was attributed to the fact that Dewey, compared to1944, soft-pedalled the issue of communism,[8] to the fact that a large number of isolationist voters who had been responsible for the dramatic Republican presidential gains earlier in the decade stayed home, and to fear of loss ofNew Deal farm programs if Dewey were elected.[9] Henry Wallace's candidacy, of which much had been expected due to the state's isolationism, disappointed, receiving only 1.98 percent of the vote mostly from historically progressiveScandinavian-Americans,[10] further helping Truman.
| 1948 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[11][12] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Harry S. Truman (incumbent) | 647,310 | 50.70% | 12 | |
| Republican | Thomas E. Dewey | 590,959 | 46.28% | 0 | |
| People's Progressive | Henry A. Wallace | 25,282 | 1.98% | 0 | |
| Socialist | Norman Thomas | 12,547 | 0.98% | 0 | |
| Independent Socialist Labor | Edward A. Teichert | 399 | 0.03% | 0 | |
| Independent Socialist Workers | Farrell Dobbs | 303 | 0.02% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,276,800 | 100.00% | 12 | ||
| County[11][12] | Harry S. Truman Democratic | Thomas E. Dewey Republican | Henry A. Wallace Progressive | Norman Thomas Socialist | All Others Various | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,419 | 51.39% | 1,259 | 45.60% | 70 | 2.54% | 10 | 0.36% | 3 | 0.11% | 160 | 5.80% | 2,761 |
| Ashland | 4,110 | 54.73% | 3,135 | 41.75% | 234 | 3.12% | 28 | 0.37% | 2 | 0.03% | 975 | 12.98% | 7,509 |
| Barron | 6,148 | 51.17% | 5,516 | 45.91% | 286 | 2.38% | 66 | 0.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 632 | 5.26% | 12,016 |
| Bayfield | 3,081 | 52.80% | 2,338 | 40.07% | 392 | 6.72% | 24 | 0.41% | 0 | 0.00% | 743 | 12.73% | 5,835 |
| Brown | 18,449 | 50.47% | 17,729 | 48.50% | 243 | 0.66% | 121 | 0.33% | 16 | 0.04% | 720 | 1.97% | 36,558 |
| Buffalo | 2,563 | 51.33% | 2,350 | 47.07% | 48 | 0.96% | 31 | 0.62% | 1 | 0.02% | 213 | 4.27% | 4,993 |
| Burnett | 2,177 | 55.83% | 1,590 | 40.78% | 120 | 3.08% | 8 | 0.21% | 4 | 0.10% | 587 | 15.06% | 3,899 |
| Calumet | 2,662 | 38.53% | 4,185 | 60.57% | 32 | 0.46% | 27 | 0.39% | 3 | 0.04% | -1,523 | -22.04% | 6,909 |
| Chippewa | 7,702 | 54.62% | 6,146 | 43.58% | 210 | 1.49% | 41 | 0.29% | 3 | 0.02% | 1,556 | 11.03% | 14,102 |
| Clark | 4,840 | 43.31% | 5,885 | 52.66% | 382 | 3.42% | 64 | 0.57% | 4 | 0.04% | -1,045 | -9.35% | 11,175 |
| Columbia | 5,615 | 46.14% | 6,406 | 52.64% | 104 | 0.85% | 42 | 0.35% | 2 | 0.02% | -791 | -6.50% | 12,169 |
| Crawford | 3,639 | 50.65% | 3,465 | 48.23% | 55 | 0.77% | 18 | 0.25% | 8 | 0.11% | 174 | 2.42% | 7,185 |
| Dane | 35,486 | 58.50% | 22,934 | 37.80% | 1,341 | 2.21% | 870 | 1.43% | 33 | 0.05% | 12,552 | 20.69% | 60,664 |
| Dodge | 8,212 | 43.59% | 10,381 | 55.11% | 160 | 0.85% | 78 | 0.41% | 7 | 0.04% | -2,169 | -11.51% | 18,838 |
| Door | 2,440 | 32.71% | 4,911 | 65.84% | 90 | 1.21% | 18 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,471 | -33.13% | 7,459 |
| Douglas | 12,278 | 63.79% | 6,252 | 32.48% | 620 | 3.22% | 94 | 0.49% | 4 | 0.02% | 6,026 | 31.31% | 19,248 |
| Dunn | 4,894 | 52.16% | 4,319 | 46.03% | 131 | 1.40% | 33 | 0.35% | 5 | 0.05% | 575 | 6.13% | 9,382 |
| Eau Claire | 9,971 | 55.27% | 7,825 | 43.37% | 178 | 0.99% | 67 | 0.37% | 1 | 0.01% | 2,146 | 11.89% | 18,042 |
| Florence | 885 | 50.34% | 756 | 43.00% | 107 | 6.09% | 9 | 0.51% | 1 | 0.06% | 129 | 7.34% | 1,758 |
| Fond du Lac | 8,904 | 38.57% | 13,760 | 59.61% | 283 | 1.23% | 126 | 0.55% | 10 | 0.04% | -4,856 | -21.04% | 23,083 |
| Forest | 2,208 | 61.97% | 1,251 | 35.11% | 89 | 2.50% | 10 | 0.28% | 5 | 0.14% | 957 | 26.86% | 3,563 |
| Grant | 6,575 | 43.57% | 8,299 | 55.00% | 125 | 0.83% | 87 | 0.58% | 3 | 0.02% | -1,724 | -11.43% | 15,089 |
| Green | 3,881 | 46.21% | 4,403 | 52.43% | 68 | 0.81% | 45 | 0.54% | 1 | 0.01% | -522 | -6.22% | 8,398 |
| Green Lake | 1,722 | 30.06% | 3,939 | 68.76% | 50 | 0.87% | 17 | 0.30% | 1 | 0.02% | -2,217 | -38.70% | 5,729 |
| Iowa | 3,917 | 50.26% | 3,745 | 48.05% | 100 | 1.28% | 31 | 0.40% | 1 | 0.01% | 172 | 2.21% | 7,794 |
| Iron | 2,665 | 63.32% | 1,281 | 30.43% | 240 | 5.70% | 21 | 0.50% | 2 | 0.05% | 1,384 | 32.88% | 4,209 |
| Jackson | 2,921 | 52.51% | 2,553 | 45.89% | 63 | 1.13% | 25 | 0.45% | 1 | 0.02% | 368 | 6.62% | 5,563 |
| Jefferson | 7,256 | 46.13% | 8,244 | 52.42% | 151 | 0.96% | 75 | 0.48% | 2 | 0.01% | -988 | -6.28% | 15,728 |
| Juneau | 2,889 | 42.43% | 3,793 | 55.71% | 99 | 1.45% | 28 | 0.41% | 0 | 0.00% | -904 | -13.28% | 6,809 |
| Kenosha | 17,987 | 56.02% | 12,780 | 39.80% | 1,046 | 3.26% | 281 | 0.88% | 15 | 0.05% | 5,207 | 16.22% | 32,109 |
| Kewaunee | 2,746 | 42.39% | 3,646 | 56.28% | 64 | 0.99% | 15 | 0.23% | 7 | 0.11% | -900 | -13.89% | 6,478 |
| La Crosse | 12,345 | 53.07% | 10,525 | 45.25% | 299 | 1.29% | 86 | 0.37% | 5 | 0.02% | 1,820 | 7.82% | 23,260 |
| Lafayette | 3,740 | 52.65% | 3,288 | 46.28% | 55 | 0.77% | 19 | 0.27% | 2 | 0.03% | 452 | 6.36% | 7,104 |
| Langlade | 4,346 | 53.78% | 3,441 | 42.58% | 275 | 3.40% | 18 | 0.22% | 1 | 0.01% | 905 | 11.20% | 8,081 |
| Lincoln | 3,368 | 42.67% | 4,339 | 54.97% | 140 | 1.77% | 37 | 0.47% | 10 | 0.13% | -971 | -12.30% | 7,894 |
| Manitowoc | 13,401 | 53.90% | 10,947 | 44.03% | 355 | 1.43% | 150 | 0.60% | 10 | 0.04% | 2,454 | 9.87% | 24,863 |
| Marathon | 15,898 | 56.62% | 11,494 | 40.93% | 368 | 1.31% | 310 | 1.10% | 9 | 0.03% | 4,404 | 15.68% | 28,079 |
| Marinette | 6,468 | 51.48% | 5,869 | 46.71% | 169 | 1.35% | 56 | 0.45% | 3 | 0.02% | 599 | 4.77% | 12,565 |
| Marquette | 1,095 | 34.59% | 2,033 | 64.21% | 24 | 0.76% | 14 | 0.44% | 0 | 0.00% | -938 | -29.63% | 3,166 |
| Milwaukee | 187,637 | 54.72% | 138,672 | 40.44% | 9,718 | 2.83% | 6,521 | 1.90% | 362 | 0.11% | 48,965 | 14.28% | 342,910 |
| Monroe | 4,970 | 47.38% | 5,347 | 50.97% | 113 | 1.08% | 59 | 0.56% | 1 | 0.01% | -377 | -3.59% | 10,490 |
| Oconto | 4,269 | 46.17% | 4,865 | 52.61% | 68 | 0.74% | 44 | 0.48% | 1 | 0.01% | -596 | -6.45% | 9,247 |
| Oneida | 4,081 | 50.92% | 3,729 | 46.53% | 151 | 1.88% | 46 | 0.57% | 8 | 0.10% | 352 | 4.39% | 8,015 |
| Outagamie | 11,233 | 40.59% | 16,161 | 58.40% | 151 | 0.55% | 119 | 0.43% | 8 | 0.03% | -4,928 | -17.81% | 27,672 |
| Ozaukee | 4,159 | 45.17% | 4,866 | 52.85% | 123 | 1.34% | 59 | 0.64% | 1 | 0.01% | -707 | -7.68% | 9,208 |
| Pepin | 1,381 | 49.96% | 1,333 | 48.23% | 36 | 1.30% | 14 | 0.51% | 0 | 0.00% | 48 | 1.74% | 2,764 |
| Pierce | 4,395 | 52.91% | 3,753 | 45.18% | 121 | 1.46% | 36 | 0.43% | 1 | 0.01% | 642 | 7.73% | 8,306 |
| Polk | 5,330 | 55.68% | 3,974 | 41.52% | 216 | 2.26% | 50 | 0.52% | 2 | 0.02% | 1,356 | 14.17% | 9,572 |
| Portage | 8,154 | 59.13% | 5,424 | 39.33% | 134 | 0.97% | 71 | 0.51% | 8 | 0.06% | 2,730 | 19.80% | 13,791 |
| Price | 3,373 | 49.71% | 2,952 | 43.51% | 415 | 6.12% | 41 | 0.60% | 4 | 0.06% | 421 | 6.20% | 6,785 |
| Racine | 23,266 | 53.12% | 19,029 | 43.45% | 1,165 | 2.66% | 329 | 0.75% | 8 | 0.02% | 4,237 | 9.67% | 43,797 |
| Richland | 2,990 | 43.30% | 3,836 | 55.55% | 60 | 0.87% | 17 | 0.25% | 3 | 0.04% | -846 | -12.25% | 6,906 |
| Rock | 16,150 | 47.93% | 17,068 | 50.66% | 297 | 0.88% | 167 | 0.50% | 10 | 0.03% | -918 | -2.72% | 33,692 |
| Rusk | 3,401 | 54.51% | 2,623 | 42.04% | 187 | 3.00% | 26 | 0.42% | 2 | 0.03% | 778 | 12.47% | 6,239 |
| Sauk | 5,831 | 43.82% | 7,140 | 53.66% | 130 | 0.98% | 197 | 1.48% | 9 | 0.07% | -1,309 | -9.84% | 13,307 |
| Sawyer | 2,177 | 47.75% | 2,257 | 49.51% | 100 | 2.19% | 25 | 0.55% | 0 | 0.00% | -80 | -1.75% | 4,559 |
| Shawano | 4,192 | 39.33% | 6,286 | 58.97% | 136 | 1.28% | 45 | 0.42% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,094 | -19.65% | 10,659 |
| Sheboygan | 15,339 | 53.00% | 12,459 | 43.05% | 692 | 2.39% | 431 | 1.49% | 21 | 0.07% | 2,880 | 9.95% | 28,942 |
| St. Croix | 6,173 | 57.69% | 4,326 | 40.43% | 154 | 1.44% | 48 | 0.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,847 | 17.26% | 10,701 |
| Taylor | 3,184 | 51.99% | 2,579 | 42.11% | 200 | 3.27% | 159 | 2.60% | 2 | 0.03% | 605 | 9.88% | 6,124 |
| Trempealeau | 4,711 | 55.67% | 3,650 | 43.13% | 74 | 0.87% | 23 | 0.27% | 5 | 0.06% | 1,061 | 12.54% | 8,463 |
| Vernon | 5,226 | 55.18% | 4,139 | 43.71% | 75 | 0.79% | 24 | 0.25% | 6 | 0.06% | 1,087 | 11.48% | 9,470 |
| Vilas | 1,688 | 36.93% | 2,665 | 58.30% | 169 | 3.70% | 39 | 0.85% | 10 | 0.22% | -977 | -21.37% | 4,571 |
| Walworth | 5,377 | 33.29% | 10,509 | 65.07% | 170 | 1.05% | 94 | 0.58% | 1 | 0.01% | -5,132 | -31.78% | 16,151 |
| Washburn | 2,708 | 54.98% | 2,059 | 41.81% | 131 | 2.66% | 23 | 0.47% | 4 | 0.08% | 649 | 13.18% | 4,925 |
| Washington | 4,495 | 38.87% | 6,876 | 59.46% | 127 | 1.10% | 64 | 0.55% | 3 | 0.03% | -2,381 | -20.59% | 11,565 |
| Waukesha | 13,952 | 43.67% | 17,324 | 54.22% | 400 | 1.25% | 260 | 0.81% | 14 | 0.04% | -3,372 | -10.55% | 31,950 |
| Waupaca | 4,020 | 30.97% | 8,764 | 67.51% | 132 | 1.02% | 64 | 0.49% | 2 | 0.02% | -4,744 | -36.54% | 12,982 |
| Waushara | 1,430 | 27.69% | 3,594 | 69.60% | 110 | 2.13% | 28 | 0.54% | 2 | 0.04% | -2,164 | -41.91% | 5,164 |
| Winnebago | 13,116 | 42.16% | 17,165 | 55.18% | 536 | 1.72% | 278 | 0.89% | 15 | 0.05% | -4,049 | -13.02% | 31,110 |
| Wood | 7,999 | 49.23% | 8,073 | 49.69% | 125 | 0.77% | 46 | 0.28% | 4 | 0.02% | -74 | -0.46% | 16,247 |
| Totals | 647,310 | 50.70% | 590,959 | 46.28% | 25,282 | 1.98% | 12,547 | 0.98% | 702 | 0.05% | 56,351 | 4.41% | 1,276,800 |
These were the names of the electors on each ticket.[11]
| Harry S. Truman &Alben W. Barkley Democratic Party | Thomas E. Dewey &Earl Warren Republican Party | Henry A. Wallace &Glen H. Taylor Progressive Party | Norman Thomas &Tucker P. Smith Socialist Party | Edward A. Teichert &Stephen Emery Socialist Labor Party | Farrell Dobbs &Grace Carlson Socialist Workers Party |
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State and district results of the1948 United States presidential election | ||
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