Wisconsin Progressive Party

Political party in the United States

Wisconsin Progressive Party

Leader| Philip La Follette
Robert M. La Follette, Jr.
Founded| May 19, 1934; 91 years ago (1934-05-19)
Dissolved| March 17, 1946; 79 years ago (1946-03-17)
Split from| Republican Party (in part)
Democratic Party (in part)
Merged into| Republican party
Ideology|

* Wisconsin Idea[1]
* Progressivism[2]
* Left-wing populism[3]
* Agrarianism
* Co-operative economics

Political position| Left-wing[4]
National affiliation| National Progressives of America
Colors|   Green (Customary)

* Politics of the United States
* Political parties
* Elections

The Wisconsin Progressive Party (1934–1946) was a political third party that briefly held a major role in Wisconsin politics under the two sons of the late Robert M. La Follette.[5] It was on the political left wing, and it sometimes cooperated with the New Deal.[6][7]

## History

[edit]

### Background and Formation

[edit]

The Party was the brainchild of Philip La Follette and Robert M. La Follette, Jr., the sons of 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.[8] Journalist John Nichols argues that the 1924 platform that Robert La Follette, Senior, ran on:

> "taxing the rich, cracking down on Wall Street abuses, empowering workers to organize unions, defending small farmers, breaking up corporate trusts, strengthening public utilities — fueled a resurgence of left-wing populist movements across the upper Midwest: the Non-Partisan League of North Dakota, the Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota and the Progressive Party of Wisconsin."

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.[9]

### Progressive Governance

[edit]

This section needs expansion with: Needs General information about Progressive governance of Wisconsin, This should also include information about the "Wisconsin Works Bill" and the "Wisconsin Reorganization Orders". You can help by adding to it. (April 2025)

|

Following the re-election of Philip, he took a far different tone for his second term than he had for his first. In his second inaugural address he stressed the need for reform in more concrete terms, advocating for an increase in executive power and calling for increased spending towards schools and wages despite a projected $9 million dollar shortfall in the budget.[10]: 178

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.

#### Cooperation with the Socialists

[edit]

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"),[11] 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.)[a]

### 1938

[edit]

Governor Philip La Follette announces formation of the National Progressives of America, April 28, 1938. |

This section needs expansion with: This section doesn't have any content. You can help by adding to it. (May 2025)

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### 1939-1946

[edit]

As one of the Senate's leading isolationists, Robert helped found the America First Committee in 1940 to oppose Roosevelt's foreign policy and denounce risk of U.S. entry into World War II.[12] Soon Philip found himself working alongside figures such as Charles Lindbergh, which led some to assume he had shifted towards more conservative politics.[13][14][15][16]

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.

#### Dissolution

[edit]

By 1946, the Wisconsin Progressive Party had all but collapsed, barely qualifying for major party status after the 1944 elections. While Philip La Follette had desired for the party to continue on, after being advised to stay out of the 1946 convention, the Party voted to dissolve itself, voting 284 to 131 to rejoin the Republican Party.[17][18][10]: 247

## Officeholders from the Wisconsin Progressive Party

[edit]

### Federal office

[edit]

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)[b]
* Gerald J. Boileau, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 7th congressional district (1933–1939)[c]
* 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)[d]
* 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)[e]
* Gardner R. Withrow, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district (1931–1939)[f]

### State office

[edit]

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)
* Ralph Immell, Adjutant General of Wisconsin (1923–1946)
* 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)[g]

State Senators

* George Engebretson, state senator from the 2nd district (1937–1939)[h]
* Harold Groves, state senator from the 26th district (1935–1937)[i]
* George Hampel, state senator from the 6th district (1937–1945)[j]
* 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

* Paul Alfonsi, Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly 1937–1939, Wisconsin State Assembly 1933–1941, 1959–1971
* 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
* Jorge W. Carow, Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly 1935–1936, Wisconsin State Assembly 1929–1936
* 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

[edit]

### Wisconsin state offices

[edit]

Governor  | Lieutenant governor  | Attorney general

|
|

Year  | Nominee  | # votes  | % votes  | Place  | Notes  | Year  | Nominee  | # votes  | % votes  | Place  | Notes  | Year  | Nominee  | # votes  | % votes  | Place  | Notes
1934 | Philip La Follette | 373,093  |

39.12 / 100

| Elected |  | 1934 | Henry Gunderson | 313,682  |

35.25 / 100

| 2nd of 7  |  | 1934 | Fred M. Wylie  | 303,387  |

35.06 / 100

| 2nd of 7  |
1936 | 573,724  |

46.38 / 100

| Re-elected |  | 1936 | 465,918  |

41.69 / 100

| Elected |  | 1936 | Orland Steen Loomis | 394,252  |

36.10 / 100

| Elected |
1938 | 353,381  |

36.00 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |  | 1938 | George A. Nelson | 313,066  |

34.36 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |  | 1938 | 316,657  |

35.24 / 100

| 2nd of 4  |
1940 | Orland Steen Loomis | 546,436  |

39.78 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |  | 1940 | Anton M. Miller | 411,055  |

32.53 / 100

| 2nd of 4  |  | 1940 | Otto F. Christenson  | 367,009  |

29.76 / 100

| 2nd of 4  |
1942 | 397,664  |

49.65 / 100

| Elected |  | 1942 | Henry J. Berquist | 256,851  |

34.82 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |  | 1942 | William H. Dieterich | 205,730  |

21.41 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |
1944 | Alexander Otto Benz | 76,028  |

5.76 / 100

| 3rd of 5  |  | 1944 | Clough Gates  | 79,068  |

6.38 / 100

| 3rd of 4  |  | 1944 | 84,989  |

7.00 / 100

| 3rd of 4  |
Secretary of state  | Treasurer
Year  | Nominee  | # votes  | % votes  | Place  | Notes  | Year  | Nominee  | # votes  | % votes  | Place  | Notes
1934 | Theodore Dammann | 419,249  |

46.66 / 100

| Re-elected |  | 1934 | Albert C. Johnson  | 302,639  |

34.41 / 100

| 2nd of 6  |
1936 | 601,638  |

52.12 / 100

| Re-elected |  | 1936 | Solomon Levitan | 457,942  |

40.03 / 100

| Elected |
1938 | 391,150  |

41.61 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |  | 1938 | 368,707  |

40.28 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |
1940 | Adolph W. Larsen  | 332,505  |

26.03 / 100

| 2nd of 4  |  | 1940 | Frank Zeidler | 382,237  |

30.65 / 100

| 2nd of 4  |
1942 | John H. Kaiser  | 196,287  |

26.19 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |  | 1942 | Albert C. Johnson  | 215,995  |

29.63 / 100

| 2nd of 5  |
1944 | Adelaide Woelfel  | 12,681  |

1.04 / 100

| 4th of 4  |  | 1944 | 73,451  |

5.98 / 100

| 3rd of 4  |
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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

## Notes

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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

[edit]

1. ^ Dreier, Peter (2011-04-11). "La Follette's Wisconsin Idea". Dissent. University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
2. ^ Dreier, Peter (2011-04-11). "La Follette's Wisconsin Idea". Dissent. University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved 2025-04-16. "Though he died of a heart attack less than a year after the election, La Follette's success inspired other progressive movements and campaigns around the country, including farmer-labor parties in Minnesota and North Dakota, the Progressive Party in Wisconsin, and the American Labor Party in New York City."
3. ^ John Nichols, "La Follette lost 100 years ago, but his progressivism lives on". The Cap Times. 2024-11-05. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 2025-01-14. "In fact, the program that La Follette ran on — taxing the rich, cracking down on Wall Street abuses, empowering workers to organize unions, defending small farmers, breaking up corporate trusts, strengthening public utilities — fueled a resurgence of left-wing populist movements across the upper Midwest: the Non-Partisan League of North Dakota, the Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota and the Progressive Party of Wisconsin."
4. ^ Haala, Cory (2020). The Progressive Center: Midwestern Liberalism in the Age of Reagan, 1978-1992 (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis). Wisconsin: Marquette University. Retrieved 2025-04-16. "In the majority of these states, during either the 1890s or interwar years, left-wing third-party movements—the Populist Party, Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party, North Dakota Nonpartisan League, and Wisconsin Progressive Party"
5. ^ Paul W. Glad, The History of Wisconsin, Volume V: War, a New Era, and Depression, 1914-1940. Vol. 5 (Wisconsin Historical Society, 1990) pp.398-565.
6. ^ Donald R. McCoy,  Angry voices; left-of-center politics in the New Deal era (1971) pp.47–53.
7. ^ Jonathan Kasparek, Fighting son: a biography of Philip F. La Follette (Wisconsin State Historical Society, 2006) chapter 5.
8. ^ McCoy, Donald R. (1951). "The Formation of the Wisconsin Progressive Party in 1934". The Historian. 14 (1): 70–90\. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6563.1951.tb00127.x. ISSN 0018-2370. JSTOR 24436133.
9. ^ William E. Leuchtenburg, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940 (1963) p. 190.
10. ^ a b Kasparek, Jonathan (2006). Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip F. La Follette. Wisconsin Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-87020-353-4.
11. ^ 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
12. ^ "America First Committee". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
13. ^ "An Arsenal of Progressivism: How Familial Bonds Built and Broke the La Follette Dynasty of Wisconsin (1924–1953)" (PDF). Retrieved January 14, 2025.
14. ^ "Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids: Summary Information". digicoll.library.wisc.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
15. ^ "America First Committee". Wisconsin State Journal. 1941-12-05. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
16. ^ "America First Committee". Wisconsin State Journal. 1941-09-29. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
17. ^ "WI State Journal 18 Mar 1946 p2". Wisconsin State Journal. 1946-03-18. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
18. ^ "La Crosse Tribune 14 Nov 1945 p6". The La Crosse Tribune. 1945-11-14. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-04-30.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Backstrom, Charles Herbert. "The Progressive Party of Wisconsin, 1934-1946" (PhD. Dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 1956. 0018371).
* 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. (State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1990). pp. 398–565.
* 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
* Miller, John Edward. "Governor Philip F Lafollette, the Wisconsin Progressives, and the New Deal, 1930–1939," (PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin - Madison; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 1973. 7321167).
* Rosenof, Theodore. "The Political Education of an American Radical: Thomas R. Amlie in the 1930's." Wisconsin Magazine of History (1974) 56#1: 19–30 online
* Schmidt, Lester Frederick. "The Farmer-Labor Progressive Federation: The Study of a 'United Front' Movement Among Wisconsin Liberals, 1934-1941" (PhD Dissertation, University of Wisconsin—Madison; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 1955. 0201215.)
* "Progressive Party, Wisconsin." Encyclopedia of American History. Answers Corporation, 2006. Answers.com 26 February 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/progressive-party-wisconsin

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Wisconsin political parties

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* Democratic
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Minor|

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Inactive|

* Labor–Farm
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Political party strength in Wisconsin
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