The 1912 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1912. Primary elections were held on September 3, 1912.

Incumbent Republican Governor Francis E. McGovern defeated Democratic nominee John C. Karel and Socialist nominee Carl D. Thompson, with 45.54% of the vote. This was the closest gubernatorial election in Wisconsin during the Fourth Party System and one of only two decided by single digits during that era.

This was the tenth consecutive Republican victory in Wisconsin, breaking the previous record of nine consecutive wins that ran from 1855 through 1871. This streak would eventually reach 19 consecutive Republican wins before being broken in 1932.

Primary election Republican party

Candidates Francis E. McGovern, incumbent Governor

Results

Democratic party

Candidates John C. Karel, Milwaukee County Court judge Adolph J. Schmitz, lawyer, Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1894, Democratic nominee for Governor in 1910

Results

Socialist party

Candidates Carl D. Thompson, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Results

Prohibition party Candidates Charles L. Hill, Prohibition nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1910

Results

General election Results

Results by county Karel was the first Democrat since George W. Peck in 1890 to carry Racine County. Additionally, Forest County, Portage County, Sheboygan County, and Waukesha County voted Democratic for the first time since 1892. After this election, Forest County, Marathon County, and Milwaukee County would not vote Democratic again until 1932.

Portage County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1873. Additionally, Waukesha County, Forest County, and Sheboygan County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1884, 1886, and 1888, respectively. County Francis E. McGovernRepublican John C. KarelDemocratic Carl D. ThompsonSocial Democratic Charles L. HillProhibition William H. CurtisSocialist Labor Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # %Adams99170.43%32623.17%533.77%342.42%30.21%66547.26%1,407Ashland1,79752.96%1,23536.40%2437.16%1073.15%110.32%56216.56%3,393Barron2,36062.30%92024.29%2265.97%2576.78%240.63%1,44038.01%3,788Bayfield1,23957.49%53925.01%27512.76%793.67%231.07%70032.48%2,155Brown3,93648.84%3,44442.73%5106.33%1461.81%230.29%4926.10%8,059Buffalo1,52562.99%80433.21%281.16%471.94%170.70%72129.78%2,421Burnett98368.17%21414.84%15810.96%543.74%332.29%76853.33%1,442Calumet1,31746.90%1,39349.61%652.31%250.89%80.28%-76-2.71%2,808Chippewa2,47150.45%2,23245.57%831.69%992.02%120.24%2394.88%4,898Clark2,65061.06%1,43333.02%1152.65%1142.63%280.65%1,21728.04%4,340Columbia3,04553.60%2,39542.16%981.73%1322.32%110.19%65011.44%5,681Crawford1,57147.29%1,63449.19%491.48%641.93%40.12%-63-1.90%3,322Dane8,35851.81%7,10244.03%2321.44%3982.47%410.25%1,2567.79%16,131Dodge2,69731.42%5,65665.89%981.14%1291.50%40.05%-2,959-34.47%8,584Door1,35850.04%1,15642.59%672.47%1254.61%80.29%2027.44%2,714Douglas2,45047.31%1,58430.59%93518.05%1482.86%621.20%86616.72%5,179Dunn2,57173.25%62117.69%2055.84%912.59%220.63%1,95055.56%3,510Eau Claire2,94761.40%1,49731.19%2284.75%1082.25%170.35%1,45030.21%4,800Florence38669.42%14626.26%122.16%111.98%10.18%24043.17%556Fond du Lac3,95542.11%4,82451.37%2893.08%3143.34%90.10%-869-9.25%9,391Forest56942.49%69351.76%453.36%292.17%30.22%-124-9.26%1,339Grant3,86850.35%3,49645.51%931.21%2142.79%110.14%3724.84%7,682Green2,04450.73%1,70742.37%852.11%1724.27%200.50%3378.36%4,029Green Lake1,29944.17%1,52651.89%391.33%762.58%10.03%-227-7.72%2,941Iowa2,34351.55%2,00944.20%320.70%1603.52%10.02%3347.35%4,545Iron62852.38%45037.53%655.42%312.59%252.09%17814.85%1,199Jackson1,83072.16%55021.69%682.68%813.19%70.28%1,28050.47%2,536Jefferson2,07530.15%4,54666.06%1011.47%1502.18%80.12%-2,471-35.91%6,882Juneau1,67554.33%1,17938.24%1534.96%622.01%140.45%49616.09%3,083Kenosha2,65043.82%2,72245.01%4627.64%1752.89%380.63%-72-1.19%6,047Kewaunee1,41545.72%1,63552.83%190.61%260.84%00.00%-220-7.11%3,095La Crosse3,68847.09%3,62846.32%3464.42%1531.95%170.22%600.77%7,832Lafayette2,41454.00%1,97144.09%190.43%621.39%40.09%4439.91%4,470Langlade1,34146.40%1,44650.03%541.87%451.56%40.14%-105-3.63%2,890Lincoln1,66150.17%1,42142.92%1885.68%290.88%120.36%2407.25%3,311Manitowoc2,95138.59%3,81849.93%80810.57%620.81%80.10%-867-11.34%7,647Marathon3,86543.17%4,37448.86%5055.64%1761.97%320.36%-509-5.69%8,952Marinette2,61255.72%1,76437.63%2104.48%901.92%120.26%84818.09%4,688Marquette1,16154.03%92543.04%150.70%442.05%40.19%23610.98%2,149Milwaukee17,77124.15%31,74643.14%21,30128.94%9911.35%1,7852.43%-10,445-14.19%73,594Monroe2,44152.68%1,86940.33%1172.52%1853.99%220.47%57212.34%4,634Oconto2,37355.69%1,71040.13%1202.82%461.08%120.28%66315.56%4,261Oneida1,10755.13%70034.86%1698.42%221.10%100.50%40720.27%2,008Outagamie4,07649.10%3,83146.15%1792.16%1571.89%590.71%2452.95%8,302Ozaukee71424.87%2,07472.24%551.92%220.77%60.21%-1,360-47.37%2,871Pepin74859.70%45336.15%211.68%272.15%40.32%29523.54%1,253Pierce2,29571.10%69421.50%812.51%1003.10%581.80%1,60149.60%3,228Polk2,09570.47%46515.64%2668.95%1063.57%411.38%1,63054.83%2,973Portage2,36645.36%2,65250.84%991.90%891.71%100.19%-286-5.48%5,216Price1,22553.68%68229.89%27311.96%672.94%351.53%54323.79%2,282Racine3,72543.05%3,91845.28%5506.36%3283.79%1201.39%-193-2.23%8,652Richland1,93050.43%1,44437.73%1072.80%3318.65%150.39%48612.70%3,827Rock4,71749.14%4,26344.41%2272.36%3193.32%740.77%4544.73%9,600Rusk97659.26%42725.93%18110.99%503.04%130.79%54933.33%1,647Sauk2,77450.61%2,34842.84%581.06%2905.29%110.20%4267.77%5,481Sawyer48556.07%35440.92%101.16%151.73%10.12%13115.14%865Shawano2,75362.94%1,38631.69%1072.45%1142.61%140.32%1,36731.25%4,374Sheboygan4,19743.61%4,22743.92%1,04710.88%1381.43%160.17%-30-0.31%9,625St. Croix2,44254.98%1,72038.72%1523.42%1212.72%70.16%72216.25%4,442Taylor1,19553.71%75734.02%24611.06%210.94%60.27%43819.69%2,225Trempealeau2,47464.82%1,20631.60%391.02%932.44%50.13%1,26833.22%3,817Vernon2,88064.75%1,31029.45%701.57%1743.91%140.31%1,57035.30%4,448Vilas41647.22%38343.47%616.92%121.36%91.02%333.75%881Walworth2,83551.03%2,28741.16%881.58%3255.85%210.38%5489.86%5,556Washburn82153.49%47631.01%19312.57%402.61%50.33%34522.48%1,535Washington1,80338.39%2,73558.24%1382.94%200.43%00.00%-932-19.85%4,696Waukesha3,23544.64%3,52148.59%1832.53%2954.07%130.18%-286-3.95%7,247Waupaca3,74168.12%1,33924.38%1412.57%1993.62%721.31%2,40243.74%5,492Waushara2,14273.18%58620.02%752.56%933.18%311.06%1,55653.16%2,927Winnebago5,49051.05%4,39840.90%4984.63%2021.88%1661.54%1,09210.15%10,754Wood2,42246.22%2,34044.66%3406.49%1222.33%160.31%821.56%5,240Total179,36045.54%167,31642.48%34,4688.75%9,4332.40%3,2530.83%12,0443.06%393,849

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Crawford Fond du Lac Forest Green Lake Langlade Portage Racine Sheboygan Waukesha

Counties that flipped from Social Democratic to Democratic Milwaukee

Notes

References

Bibliography