The 1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Primary elections were held on September 17, 1940.
Incumbent Republican Governor Julius P. Heil defeated Progressive nominee Orland Steen Loomis and Democratic nominee Francis E. McGovern with 40.67% of the vote. This election is very similar to the 1855 Ohio gubernatorial election in that the three major candidates had served as Governor in the past, present, and future, although Loomis died before taking office after winning the next gubernatorial election; Heil and McGovern both served as governors for the state.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee Julius P. Heil, incumbent Governor
Eliminated in primary James K. Robinson, dentist, unsuccessful candidate for Progressive nomination for Lieutenant Governor in 1936
Results
Progressive primary
Candidates
Nominee
Orland S. Loomis, former Attorney General of Wisconsin
Eliminated in primary Paul Alfonsi, former Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly Henry Gunderson, former Lieutenant Governor Philip E. Nelson, incumbent State Senator Harold E. Stafford, attorney
Declined
Merlin Hull, U.S. Representative
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Francis E. McGovern, former Governor
Eliminated in primary William R. Callahan, Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Wisconsin in 1938 Raymond J. Cannon, former U.S. Representative Gerhard A. Hagedorn, electrical salesman
Withdrawn William B. Rubin
Results
Other party nominations Fred Basset Blair, Communist, candidate for Governor in 1932 Louis Fisher, Socialist Labor
General election Results
Results by county Barron County, Buffalo County, Grant County, Monroe County, Sauk County, Trempealeau County, and Vernon County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1892, while Juneau County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1890. County Julius P. HeilRepublican Orland S. LoomisProgressive Francis E. McGovernDemocratic All OthersVarious Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # %Adams1,23134.54%2,11259.26%2115.92%100.28%-881-24.72%3,564Ashland3,12034.46%4,34047.93%1,53716.98%570.63%-1,220-13.47%9,054Barron5,42239.47%7,21652.53%1,0717.80%290.21%-1,794-13.06%13,738Bayfield2,19831.51%3,83354.95%90612.99%380.54%-1,635-23.44%6,975Brown13,53640.08%8,91026.38%11,30533.47%250.07%2,2316.61%33,776Buffalo2,80344.65%3,07749.01%3936.26%50.08%-274-4.36%6,278Burnett1,75636.46%2,45150.89%58712.19%220.46%-695-14.43%4,816Calumet4,15654.94%2,05127.12%1,35017.85%70.09%2,10527.83%7,564Chippewa6,97944.88%6,88944.31%1,65910.67%220.14%900.58%15,549Clark6,97749.93%5,73541.04%1,2038.61%590.42%1,2428.89%13,974Columbia5,90738.93%7,70950.80%1,54810.20%110.07%-1,802-11.87%15,175Crawford3,71246.64%2,43130.55%1,81322.78%20.03%1,28116.10%7,958Dane15,86325.14%42,13666.78%5,0127.94%840.13%-26,273-41.64%63,095Dodge10,71245.75%8,07934.50%4,59919.64%250.11%2,63311.24%23,415Door4,38455.66%2,59632.96%85310.83%430.55%1,78822.70%7,876Douglas6,35929.70%10,41848.66%4,49020.97%1410.66%-4,059-18.96%21,408Dunn5,04745.35%5,18546.59%8827.93%140.13%-138-1.24%11,128Eau Claire8,09542.03%9,22447.90%1,9229.98%170.09%-1,129-5.86%19,258Florence74940.46%67736.57%41122.20%140.76%723.89%1,851Fond du Lac13,21248.48%8,53531.32%5,43519.94%730.27%4,67717.16%27,255Forest1,26729.72%1,36632.04%1,61737.93%130.30%-251-5.89%4,263Grant7,66442.50%8,04644.62%2,29812.74%260.14%-382-2.12%18,034Green4,78647.37%4,26442.20%1,04410.33%100.10%5225.17%10,104Green Lake4,07156.86%1,59122.22%1,48720.77%110.15%2,48034.64%7,160Iowa3,83442.82%4,09245.70%1,01911.38%90.10%-258-2.88%8,954Iron1,51230.91%2,67154.60%68714.04%220.45%-1,159-23.69%4,892Jackson2,67535.92%4,29457.66%4746.36%40.05%-1,619-21.74%7,447Jefferson8,10546.00%5,57631.65%3,92322.26%160.09%2,52914.35%17,620Juneau2,61530.11%5,63264.85%4345.00%40.05%-3,017-34.74%8,685Kenosha10,35535.63%10,63136.58%8,01327.57%600.21%-276-0.95%29,059Kewaunee3,33148.95%1,56022.92%1,88627.71%280.41%1,44521.23%6,805La Crosse11,50443.95%10,27739.26%4,37516.72%180.07%1,2274.69%26,174Lafayette4,06544.29%3,33036.28%1,77819.37%50.05%7358.01%9,178Langlade3,62738.76%2,71028.96%2,99632.02%250.27%6316.74%9,358Lincoln4,35244.01%4,44144.91%1,06010.72%360.36%-89-0.90%9,889Manitowoc10,26640.11%9,83238.41%5,47721.40%220.09%4341.70%25,597Marathon12,76944.22%9,87234.19%6,16421.35%710.25%2,89710.03%28,876Marinette7,43349.91%2,92119.61%4,50830.27%320.21%2,92519.64%14,894Marquette2,54160.72%1,12826.95%51012.19%60.14%1,41333.76%4,185Milwaukee115,73233.35%147,82642.59%82,03623.64%1,4620.42%-32,094-9.25%347,056Monroe4,53936.08%7,13456.71%8897.07%170.14%-2,595-20.63%12,579Oconto5,10445.48%2,73924.41%3,36429.98%150.13%1,74015.51%11,222Oneida2,93833.45%3,65841.65%2,15724.56%290.33%-720-8.20%8,782Outagamie15,63752.96%7,42125.13%6,40621.70%610.21%8,21627.83%29,525Ozaukee3,64143.33%2,90834.61%1,83821.88%150.18%7338.72%8,402Pepin1,78754.02%1,13734.37%37611.37%80.24%65019.65%3,308Pierce4,35546.64%4,16044.55%8118.69%110.12%1952.09%9,337Polk4,04437.29%5,80553.53%9758.99%210.19%-1,761-16.24%10,845Portage4,73630.84%5,44535.46%5,16133.61%130.08%-709-4.62%15,355Price3,55846.25%2,61634.00%1,39218.09%1271.65%94212.24%7,693Racine16,75439.65%15,58336.88%9,79523.18%1260.30%1,1712.77%42,258Richland4,72053.24%3,04134.30%1,08912.28%150.17%1,67918.94%8,865Rock18,48250.39%11,66131.79%6,45117.59%840.23%6,82118.60%36,678Rusk3,22146.89%2,33333.96%1,28818.75%270.39%88812.93%6,869Sauk6,53542.36%7,38547.87%1,4929.67%150.10%-850-5.51%15,427Sawyer2,21845.71%1,54031.74%1,08522.36%90.19%67813.97%4,852Shawano6,74549.92%4,75735.21%1,98714.71%220.16%1,98814.71%13,511Sheboygan14,14144.24%6,95521.76%10,73233.58%1350.42%3,40910.67%31,963St. Croix4,87143.77%4,48440.29%1,75615.78%170.15%3873.48%11,128Taylor3,06841.03%2,71236.27%1,66822.31%300.40%3564.76%7,478Trempealeau3,85239.52%4,61147.31%1,27713.10%60.06%-759-7.79%9,746Vernon5,35244.15%5,83348.12%9267.64%120.10%-481-3.97%12,123Vilas1,87041.12%1,21326.67%1,42731.38%380.84%4439.74%4,548Walworth10,98064.88%3,24519.18%2,68815.88%100.06%7,73545.71%16,923Washburn1,90334.77%3,03355.42%5259.59%120.22%-1,130-20.65%5,473Washington6,76751.37%3,95129.99%2,44518.56%110.08%2,81621.38%13,174Waukesha15,34451.88%9,66832.69%4,53215.32%330.11%5,67619.19%29,577Waupaca8,37153.53%5,81337.17%1,4239.10%310.20%2,55816.36%15,638Waushara4,17963.44%1,75926.70%6289.53%210.32%2,42036.74%6,587Winnebago17,01349.67%9,75128.47%7,41321.64%730.21%7,26221.20%34,250Wood7,23140.85%8,42147.57%2,01611.39%330.19%-1,190-6.72%17,701Total558,67840.67%546,43639.78%264,98519.29%3,6550.27%12,2420.89%1,373,754
Counties that flipped from Progressive to Republican Florence Taylor
Counties that flipped from Republican to Progressive Barron Buffalo Columbia Dunn Eau Claire Grant Iowa Juneau Kenosha Lincoln Milwaukee Monroe Oneida Portage Sauk Trempealeau Vernon Wood
Counties that flipped from Progressive to Democratic Forest
Notes
References
Bibliography