1948 Wisconsin lieutenant gubernatorial election
November 2, 1948
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County results Smith: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Gawronski: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Wisconsin |
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The 1948 Wisconsin lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1948, in order to elect the lieutenant governor of Wisconsin. Republican nominee George M. Smith defeated Democratic nominee and former member of the Wisconsin State Senate Anthony P. Gawronski, Progressive nominee Alex Y. Wallace and Socialist nominee William O. Hart.[1]
Republican primary
The Republican primary election was held on September 21, 1948. Salesman George M. Smith received a plurality of the votes (29.75%), and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election. His victory came as a surprise as Smith had only spend $53 on his campaign, and was facing well-known Wisconsin Republicans such as former Wisconsin Senate member James L. Callan, William Trinke and incumbent President pro tempore of the Wisconsin Senate Frank E. Panzer for the nomination. Newspapers at the time theorized that his primary upset victory was the result of Smith sharing the same last name as the late State Treasurer of Wisconsin John M. Smith.[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George M. Smith | 124,000 | 29.75% | |
| Republican | James L. Callan | 113,211 | 27.16% | |
| Republican | William Trinke | 70,402 | 16.89% | |
| Republican | Frank E. Panzer | 66,801 | 16.02% | |
| Republican | Francis L. McElligott | 42,443 | 10.18% | |
| Total votes | 416,857 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary election was held on September 21, 1948. Former member of the Wisconsin State Senate Anthony P. Gawronski ran unopposed and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election.[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Anthony P. Gawronski | 98,764 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 98,764 | 100.00% | ||
Progressive primary
The Progressive primary election was held on September 21, 1948. Candidate Alex Y. Wallace ran unopposed and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election.[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | Alex Y. Wallace | 6,503 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 6,503 | 100.00% | ||
Socialist primary
The Socialist primary election was held on September 21, 1948. Candidate William O. Hart ran unopposed and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election.[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socialist | William O. Hart | 3,661 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 3,661 | 100.00% | ||
General election
On election day, November 2, 1948, Republican nominee George M. Smith won the election by a margin of 10,781 votes against his foremost opponent Democratic nominee Anthony P. Gawronski, thereby retaining Republican control over the office of lieutenant governor. Smith was sworn in as the 31st lieutenant governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 1949.[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George M. Smith | 602,513 | 49.35 | |
| Democratic | Anthony P. Gawronski | 591,732 | 48.47 | |
| Progressive | Alex Y. Wallace | 14,213 | 1.16 | |
| Socialist | William O. Hart | 12,343 | 1.02 | |
| Total votes | 1,220,801 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
References
- ^ "The Wisconsin Blue Book 1950". search.library.wisc.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ "Smith nominated LtGov". newspapers.com. September 24, 1948. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ a b c "primary election". newspapers.com. October 29, 1948. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ "1948 Lt. Gubernatorial General Election Results - Wisconsin". uselectionatlas.org. May 30, 2024. Retrieved 2025-10-17.