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The Wisconsin Progressive Party (1934–1946) was a political party that briefly held a dominant role in Wisconsin politics.

History

The Party was the brainchild of Philip La Follette and Robert M. La Follette, Jr., the sons of the famous Wisconsin Governor and Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr. The party was established in 1934 as an alliance between the longstanding "Progressive" faction of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, led by the La Follette family and their political allies, and certain radical farm and labor groups active in Wisconsin at the time. Buoying off of popular discontent with both major parties, the La Follette brothers were both successful in their bids, and the party saw a number of other victories as well in the 1934 and 1936 elections, notably winning several U.S. House seats and a majority of the Wisconsin State Senate and Wisconsin State Assembly in 1936. In 1936 it was informally allied with the New Deal coalition and supported the reelection of President Franklin Roosevelt.

Their grip on power proved short-lived: they succumbed to a united Democratic and Republican front in 1938 which swept most of them out of office, including Philip La Follette. The party effectively collapsed when Philip went off to serve in the Pacific War during World War II. During La Follette's absence, the party failed to formulate a coherent party platform and instead opted to criticize the governor at the time, Julius P. Heil.

Orland Steen Loomis was the last Progressive to be elected Governor of Wisconsin, in the 1942 election. He died, however, before his inauguration as governor. Robert La Follette Jr. held on to his Senate seat until 1946, when the party decided to disband itself. Robert La Follette ran for re-election that year as a Republican rather than a Progressive, but was defeated in the Republican primary by Joe McCarthy.

Cooperation with the Socialists

During its heyday, the Progressive Party usually did not run candidates in the Socialists (known as the "sewer socialists") stronghold of Milwaukee. There were strong ideological differences between the two movements as the two aligned with differing national parties. (Socialist State Representative George L. Tews said during a 1932 debate on unemployment compensation and how to fund it argued for the Socialist bill and against the Progressive substitute, stating that a Progressive was "a Socialist with the brains knocked out"), when both faced opposition from the conservative major parties. During the period from 1939 on, the Progressives and the Socialists of Milwaukee sometimes made common cause, with Socialist legislators caucusing with the minority Progressives. In 1942, Socialist Frank P. Zeidler, later to be elected mayor of Milwaukee, was the nominee on the Progressive party line for State Treasurer of Wisconsin.

The last politician to hold office from the Wisconsin Progressive Party nationally was Merlin Hull, a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin, elected as a Progressive in 1944. (Hull continued to be re-elected on the Republican ticket, and served until his death in 1953.)

Officeholders from the Wisconsin Progressive Party

Federal office

U.S. Senators

• Robert M. La Follette, Jr., Senator, 1935–1946 (served as a Republican 1925–1935)

U.S. Representatives

• Thomas Ryum Amlie, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district (1935–1939)
• Gerald J. Boileau, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 7th congressional district (1933–1939)
• Bernard J. Gehrmann, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 10th congressional district (1935–1943)
• Merlin Hull, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 9th congressional district (1935–1946)
• Harry Sauthoff, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district (1935–1939, 1941–1945)
• George J. Schneider, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 8th congressional district (1935–1939)
• Gardner R. Withrow, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district (1931–1939)

State office

Executive branch officials

• Theodore Dammann, Secretary of State of Wisconsin, (1935–1938) (served as a Republican 1927–1935)
• Herman Ekern, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, (1937–1938)
• Henry Gunderson, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, (1936–1937)
• Philip La Follette, Governor of Wisconsin, (1934–1938)
• Solomon Levitan, State Treasurer of Wisconsin, 1937–1938 (served as a Republican 1923–1932)
• Orland Steen Loomis, Attorney General of Wisconsin, 1937–1938; elected Governor in 1942 but died before taking office

County officials

• Herbert J. Steffes, Milwaukee County District Attorney (1936–1940)

State Senators

• George Engebretson, state senator from the 2nd district (1937–1939)
• Harold Groves, state senator from the 26th district (1935–1937)
• George Hampel, state senator from the 6th district (1937–1945)
• Michael F. Kresky, Jr., state senator from the 2nd district (1937–1939)
• Joseph E. McDermid, Wisconsin State Senate, 1935–1941
• Oscar S. Paulson, Wisconsin State Senate, 1937–1940
• Elmer Peterson, Wisconsin State Senate, 1943–1947
• Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands, Wisconsin State Senate, 1935–1937
• Herman J. Severson 1934–1938 (also served as a Republican
• Fred W. Zantow, Wisconsin State Senate, reelected on the Progressive ticket, 1934; died before he took office (served as a Republican 1931–1934

State Assemblymen

• William H. Barnes, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1940
• Lyall T. Beggs, Wisconsin State Assembly 1941–1947
• Bernard E. Brandt, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1936
• Laurie E. Carlson, Wisconsin State Assembly 1937–1942
• John F. Dittbrender, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1939–1940
• George Engebretson, Wisconsin State Senate, 1938 (served as a Republican 1933–1937)
• William R. Foley, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1943–1944
• Oliver H. Fritz, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1937–1939
• John R. Fronek, 1934–1933 (served as a Republican
• William P. Groves, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1937
• Hjalmer S. Halvorsen, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1934–1937
• James C. Hanson, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1934–1940 (served as a Republican 1917–1934)
• Peter A. Hemmy, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1940
• Martin H. Herzog, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1939–1940
• Arthur A. Hitt, 1934–1939
• Ernst J. Hoesly, 1934–1939
• John E. Johnson, Wisconsin State Assembly
• Arthur D. Kelly, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1934–1939 (served as a Republican 1933–1934)
• Dougald D. Kennedy, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1937–1941
• Edward H. Kiefer, Wisconsin State Assembly 1937–1940 (served as a Socialist 1911–1914, 1931–1936)
• Felix A. Kremer, (Wisconsin State Assembly) 1937–1938
• Chester A. Krohn, Wisconsin State Assembly 1941–1942
• Claud H. Larsen, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1939–1940
• Tom Lomsdahl, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1937
• James S. Mace, Wisconsin State Assembly 1939–1940
• Robert McCutchin, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1943–1944 (served as a Republican 1947–1951)
• Earl Mullen, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1943–1946 (served as a Republican 1947 –1949)
• Carl J. Peik, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1939–1940
• Adam F. Poltl, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1936
• Ben Rubin, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1937–1942 (served as a Socialist 1931–1932)
• Herbert C. Schenck, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1940
• Harry W. Schilling, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1937 (served as a Republican 1947–1951)
• Frank D. Sheahan, Wisconsin State Assembly 1941–1942, 1945–1946
• Reno W. Trego, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1937–1940
• Harry P. Van Guilder, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1937–1942
• Otto A. Vogel, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1935–1936 1939–1940 1943–1948
• Casper D. Waller, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1943–1946
• Frank Weinheimer, Wisconsin State Assembly 1941–1942
• Herman B. Wegner, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1934–1944 (served as a Socialist 1933–1934)
• George J. Woerth, Wisconsin State Assembly 1935–1939

Electoral history

Wisconsin state offices

Wisconsin Senate								Wisconsin Assembly
Election	Leader	Votes		Seats		Position	Control	Election	Leader	Votes		Seats		Position	Control
		No.	Share	No.	±					No.	Share	No.	±
1934	N/A	137,544	32.10%	11 / 33	11	2nd	Democratic–Republican	1934	Jorge W. Carow	304,804	34.09%	45 / 100	45	1st	Progressive minority
1936	Walter J. Rush	242,631	42.00%	16 / 33	5	1st	Progressive minority	1936	Jorge W. Carow	437,916	38.73%	46 / 100	1	1st	Progressive minority
1938		154,891	35.00%	11 / 33	5	2nd	Republican minority	1938	Paul Alfonsi			32 / 100	12	2nd	Republican
1940		212,631	32.09%	6 / 33	5	2nd	Republican	1940	N/A			25 / 100	7	2nd	Republican
1942		85,806	25.18%	6 / 33		2nd	Republican	1942	N/A			13 / 100	12	3rd	Republican
1944		47,895	8.81%	5 / 33	1	3rd	Republican	1944	N/A			6 / 100	7	3rd	Republican

Wisconsin federal offices

U.S. Senate						U.S. House of Representatives
Year	Nominee	# votes	% votes	Place	Notes	Election	Leader	Votes		Seats		Position	Control
1934	Robert M. La Follette Jr.	440,513	47.78 / 100	Re-elected		1934	George J. Schneider	334,345	37.76%	7 / 10	7	1st	Progressive
1936	No seat up					1936	George J. Schneider	479,263	42.69%	7 / 10		1st	Progressive
1938	Herman Ekern	249,209	26.58 / 100	2nd of 6		1938	George J. Schneider	330,823	36.26%	2 / 10	5	2nd	Republican
1940	Robert M. La Follette Jr.	605,609	45.26 / 100	Re-elected		1940	N/A	469,063	36.96%	3 / 10	1	2nd	Republican
1942	No seat up					1942	N/A	185,114	24.72%	2 / 10	1	3rd	Republican
1944	Harry Sauthoff	73,089	5.82 / 100	3rd of 5		1944	N/A	104,377	9.01%	1 / 10	1	3rd	Republican

See also

• Political party strength in Wisconsin
• La Follette family
• Progressive Era
• Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party
• Third party (United States)

Notes

1. Served as a Republican (1931–1933)
2. Served as a Republican (1931–1933)
3. Served as a Republican (1931–1933) in Wisconsin's 8th congressional district
4. Served as a Republican (1929–1931) in Wisconsin's 7th congressional district, Wisconsin's 9th congressional district (1946–1953)
5. Served as a Republican (1923–1933) in Wisconsin's 9th congressional district
6. Served as a Republican (1931–1933) in Wisconsin's 7th congressional district, Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district (1949–1961)
7. Served as a Republican (1940–1944)
8. served as a Republican (1933–1937)
9. served as a Republican in the State Assembly (1933–1935)
10. served as a Socialist in the State Assembly (1931–1933)

References

1. On This Day in Wisconsin History; On This Day: May 19 Wisconsin Historical Society
2. Wisconsin Progressive Party The Historical Marker Database
3. William E. Leuchtenburg, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940 (1963) p. 190.
4. Kaveny, Edward T. "$10,000,000 Tax: Assembly Passes Compromise Bill by 73 to 15 Vote" Milwaukee Sentinel January 6, 1932; p. 1, cols. 7-8

Further reading

• Beck, Elmer A. The Sewer Socialists: A History of the Socialist Party of Wisconsin, 1897–1940. Fennimore, WI: Westburg Associates, 1982.
• Brye, David L. "Wisconsin Scandinavians and Progressivism, 1900-1950." Norwegian-American Studies 27 (1977): 163–193. online
• Glad, Paul W. The History of Wisconsin, Volume V: War, A New Era, and Depression, 1914–1940. (Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1990).
• Gosnell, Harold F., and Morris H. Cohen. “Progressive Politics: Wisconsin an Example.” American Political Science Review 34#5, (1940), pp. 920–35. online
• Johnson, Roger T. Robert M. LaFollette, Jr. and the Decline of the Progressive Party in Wisconsin (The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1964).
• Kasparek, Jonathan. Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip F. La Follette. pp. 125–249.
• McCoy, Donald R. "The Formation of the Wisconsin Progressive Party in 1934." The Historian 14.1 (1951): 70–90. online
• "Progressive Party, Wisconsin." Encyclopedia of American History. Answers Corporation, 2006. Answers.com 26 February 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/progressive-party-wisconsin

v t e Wisconsin political parties
Major	Democratic Republican
Minor	Green Libertarian Socialist Progressive Dane
Inactive	Labor–Farm Progressive People's Reform Social-Democratic
Political party strength in Wisconsin

• Defunct progressive parties in the United States
• Political history of Wisconsin
• Political parties disestablished in 1946
• Political parties established in 1934
• Political parties in Wisconsin
• 1934 establishments in Wisconsin
• 1946 disestablishments in Wisconsin