Richard Elsner (May 29, 1859 – January 18, 1938) was an American attorney and judge from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who served one term as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Background Elsner was born May 29, 1859, in Silesia. He attended public school, gymnasium and technical college in Germany. He came to Milwaukee in 1880 and became a leader of the Brewery Workers Union by 1886. Later he attended Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin Law School where he graduated in 1894, becoming a self-described "practicing lawyer by profession."
Politics and public office By 1898, he was the Socialist nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin, coming in fifth in a six-way race.Froehlich, Wm. H., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin Madison: 1899; p. 376 In 1900, he was again the nominee, placing fourth in a five-way race; by 1902, he had moved up to third in another five-way race,Erickson, Halford, ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin Madison: 1903; p. 602 repeating the performance in 1906.Beck, J. D., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin Madison: Democrat Printing Co., State Printer, 1907; p. 1121
He was a county judge of Milwaukee County from 1910 to 1916. In 1916 he was the Socialist nominee for the United States Senate, coming in third in a four-way race in which incumbent Republican Robert M. La Follette, Sr. was re-elected. In 1919 Elsner was elected register of deeds of Milwaukee County for the first of two terms. He was elected a member of the assembly in November, 1922 in a fierce contest (Victor Berger was reported to have said, "Mr. Leander Pierson belongs in the legislature of Pennsylvania, or New York, or Hell-- but not in Wisconsin!"),"Berger Leads The Way", Eau Claire Leader August 2, 1922; p. 6, col. 2 via Newspapers.com receiving 1,679 votes to incumbent Republican Leander J. Pierson's 1663 votes. He was appointed to the standing committees on the judiciary and on insurance and banking.The Wisconsin blue book, 1923 Madison: 1923; pp. 580, 589, 631
In 1924 he was not a candidate for re-election, and was succeeded by Republican Ernst F. Pahl. he died in 1938.Holmes, Fred L., ed. The Wisconsin blue book, 1925 Madison: Democrat Printing Company, State Printer, 1925; p. 672
After legislative service His papers are in the Special Collections of the Golda Meir Library of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.Richard Elsner Papers, 1854-1967
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