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1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

←  1934 November 5, 1940 1946 →
 
Nominee Robert La Follette Jr. Fred H. Clausen James E. Finnegan
Party Progressive Republican Democratic
Popular vote 605,609 553,692 176,688
Percentage 45.26% 41.38% 13.20%

County results
La Follete Jr.:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Clausen:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Robert La Follette Jr.
Progressive

Elected U.S. Senator

Robert La Follette Jr.
Progressive

The 1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 5, 1940.

Incumbent Progressive U.S. Senator Robert La Follette Jr. was elected to a third term in office over Republican Fred H. Clausen and Democrat James E. Finnegan.

Progressive primary

Candidates

Results

1940 Progressive U.S. Senate primary [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Robert M. La Follette Jr. (incumbent) 144,692 100.00%
Total votes 144,692 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

Frank died two days before the primary, on September 15, but remained on the ballot.

Results

1940 Republican U.S. Senate primary [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Fred H. Clausen 109,293 31.23%
Republican John P. Koehler 64,774 18.51%
Republican Glenn Frank (deceased) 47,885 13.68%
Republican Michael G. Eberlein 43,784 12.51%
Republican William C. Maas 29,940 8.56%
Republican Reuben W. Peterson 29,331 8.38%
Republican Walter B. Chilsen 24,928 7.12%
Total votes 349,935 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

  • William D. Carroll, former State Senator (1933–37)
  • John Cudahy, former U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Irish Free State (write-in)
  • James E. Finnegan, former Wisconsin Attorney General (1933–37)
  • James J. Kerwin

Results

1940 Democratic U.S. Senate primary [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James E. Finnegan 55.145 42.79%
Democratic William D. Carroll 36,306 28.17%
Democratic James J. Kerwin 22,642 17.57%
Democratic John Cudahy (write-in) 14,773 11.46%
Total votes 128,866 100.00%

General election

Candidates

  • Fred H. Clausen, farming equipment manufacturer (Republican)
  • James E. Finnegan, former Wisconsin Attorney General (Democratic)
  • Ted Furman (Communist)
  • Robert M. La Follette Jr., incumbent Senator since 1925 (Progressive)
  • Adolf Wiggert (Socialist Labor)

Results

1940 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin [3] [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Robert M. La Follette Jr. (incumbent) 805,609 45.26% Decrease2.52
Republican Fred H. Clausen 553,692 41.38% Increase18.54
Democratic James E. Finnegan 176,688 13.20% Decrease11.04
Communist Ted Furman 1,308 0.10% N/A
Socialist Labor Adolf Wiggert 838 0.06% N/A
Total votes 1,538,135 100.00%
Progressive hold

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954" (PDF). p. 517. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  2. ^ "Clausen, Frederick Harold 1875 - 1944". Wisconsin Historical Society. August 8, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1940" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  4. ^ "The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954" (PDF). Our Campaigns. p. 599. Retrieved June 17, 2021.