1952 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

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1952 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

← 1946 November 4, 1952 1957 (special) →
  Joseph McCarthy adjusted.jpg Thomas E. Fairchild (WI).png
Nominee Joseph McCarthy Thomas E. Fairchild
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 870,444 731,402
Percentage 54.23% 45.57%

U.S. senator before election

Joseph McCarthy
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Joseph McCarthy
Republican

The 1952 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 4, 1952.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy was elected to a second term in office over Democrat Thomas E. Fairchild. McCarthy did not complete his term; he died on May 2, 1957 and was succeeded by William Proxmire in a special election.

As of 2022, this is the last time the Republicans won the Class 1 senate seat in Wisconsin.

Republican primary[]

Candidates[]

  • Edward J. Finan
  • Andrew G. Jacobson
  • Edmund Kerwer
  • Joseph McCarthy, incumbent Senator since 1947
  • Leonard Schmitt, attorney and candidate for Governor in 1950
  • Perry J. Stearns, candidate for Senate in 1944 and 1946

Results[]

1952 Republican U.S. Senate primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joseph McCarthy (incumbent) 515,481 67.89%
Republican Leonard Schmitt 213,701 28.15%
Republican Andrew G. Jacobson 11,639 1.53%
Republican Perry J. Stearns 10,353 1.36%
Republican Edmund Kerwer 4,078 0.54%
Republican Edward J. Finan 4,021 0.53%
Total votes 759,273 100.00%

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

  • Thomas E. Fairchild, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, former Wisconsin Attorney General, and nominee for Governor in 1950
  • Henry S. Reuss, Milwaukee County prosecutor and former anti-McCarthy Republican

Results[]

1952 Democratic U.S. Senate primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas E. Fairchild 97,321 50.77%
Democratic Henry S. Reuss 94,379 49.23%
Total votes 191,700 100.00%

General election[]

Candidates[]

  • James E. Boulton (Socialist Labor)
  • Alfred L. Easterday (Honest Government)
  • Thomas E. Fairchild, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin (Democratic)
  • Joseph McCarthy, incumbent Senator since 1957 (Republican)

Results[]

1952 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Joseph McCarthy (incumbent) 870,444 54.23% Decrease7.05
Democratic Thomas E. Fairchild 731,402 45.57% Increase8.16
Independent Alfred L. Easterday 1,879 0.12% N/A
Socialist Workers James E. Boulton 1,442 0.09% N/A
Total votes 1,605,167 100.00%
Republican hold

The 1952 race was much closer than McCarthy's 1946 victory, and he trailed Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower by around 100,000 votes in the state.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954" (PDF). p. 656. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1952" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  3. ^ "The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954" (PDF). Our Campaigns. p. 671. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
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