1908 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
County results
Davidson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
Aylward: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
The 1908 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1908. Primary elections were held on September 1, 1908.
Incumbent Republican Governor James O. Davidson won re-election, defeating Democratic nominee John A. Aylward and Social Democratic nominee Harvey Dee Brown, with 54.03% of the vote.
Primary election
Republican party
Candidates
Results
Democratic party
Candidates
Results
Socialist party
Candidates
Harvey Dee Brown, preacher[ 3] [ 4]
Results
Prohibition party
Candidates
Results
General election
Results
Results by county
County[ 5] [ 6]
James O. Davidson Republican
John A. Aylward Democratic
Harvey Dee Brown Social Democratic
Winfred D. Cox Prohibition
Herman Bottema Socialist Labor
Margin
Total votes cast
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
Adams
1,186
71.23%
402
24.14%
21
1.26%
55
3.30%
1
0.06%
784
47.09%
1,665
Ashland
2,211
54.15%
1,563
38.28%
204
5.00%
104
2.55%
1
0.02%
648
15.87%
4,083
Barron
3,434
71.33%
992
20.61%
118
2.45%
263
5.46%
7
0.15%
2,442
50.73%
4,814
Bayfield
1,985
72.95%
500
18.38%
162
5.95%
70
2.57%
4
0.15%
1,485
54.58%
2,721
Brown
4,944
56.01%
3,249
36.81%
485
5.49%
139
1.57%
10
0.11%
1,695
19.20%
8,827
Buffalo
1,933
64.56%
982
32.80%
20
0.67%
59
1.97%
0
0.00%
951
31.76%
2,994
Burnett
1,268
78.86%
201
12.50%
54
3.36%
82
5.10%
3
0.19%
1,067
66.36%
1,608
Calumet
1,567
46.78%
1,676
50.03%
71
2.12%
35
1.04%
1
0.03%
-109
-3.25%
3,350
Chippewa
3,491
59.54%
2,160
36.84%
79
1.35%
133
2.27%
0
0.00%
1,331
22.70%
5,863
Clark
3,477
66.56%
1,503
28.77%
78
1.49%
162
3.10%
4
0.08%
1,974
37.79%
5,224
Columbia
4,046
60.41%
2,341
34.95%
129
1.93%
182
2.72%
0
0.00%
1,705
25.46%
6,698
Crawford
2,014
53.86%
1,602
42.85%
43
1.15%
78
2.09%
2
0.05%
412
11.02%
3,739
Dane
9,341
52.30%
7,815
43.76%
248
1.39%
453
2.54%
3
0.02%
1,526
8.54%
17,860
Dodge
3,762
37.51%
6,033
60.16%
60
0.60%
174
1.73%
0
0.00%
-2,271
-22.64%
10,029
Door
2,481
76.39%
648
19.95%
56
1.72%
56
1.72%
7
0.22%
1,833
56.43%
3,248
Douglas
3,612
57.61%
1,616
25.77%
627
10.00%
280
4.47%
135
2.15%
1,996
31.83%
6,270
Dunn
3,369
78.42%
713
16.60%
105
2.44%
109
2.54%
0
0.00%
2,656
61.82%
4,296
Eau Claire
3,903
64.00%
1,842
30.21%
157
2.57%
194
3.18%
2
0.03%
2,061
33.80%
6,098
Florence
541
81.60%
105
15.84%
4
0.60%
13
1.96%
0
0.00%
436
65.76%
663
Fond du Lac
5,676
50.11%
5,231
46.18%
173
1.53%
245
2.16%
3
0.03%
445
3.93%
11,328
Forest
1,030
73.89%
283
20.30%
42
3.01%
38
2.73%
1
0.07%
747
53.59%
1,394
Grant
4,883
54.60%
3,666
40.99%
88
0.98%
306
3.42%
0
0.00%
1,217
13.61%
8,943
Green
2,429
51.91%
1,915
40.93%
115
2.46%
220
4.70%
0
0.00%
514
10.99%
4,649
Green Lake
2,018
53.86%
1,637
43.69%
29
0.77%
63
1.68%
0
0.00%
381
10.17%
3,747
Iowa
2,933
55.68%
2,076
39.41%
16
0.30%
243
4.61%
0
0.00%
857
16.27%
5,268
Iron
1,118
74.63%
292
19.49%
42
2.80%
45
3.00%
1
0.07%
826
55.14%
1,498
Jackson
2,660
81.22%
520
15.88%
36
1.10%
58
1.77%
1
0.03%
2,140
65.34%
3,275
Jefferson
3,058
38.83%
4,580
58.15%
61
0.77%
176
2.23%
1
0.01%
-1,522
-19.32%
7,876
Juneau
2,498
58.98%
1,625
38.37%
36
0.85%
73
1.72%
3
0.07%
873
20.61%
4,235
Kenosha
3,349
53.69%
2,029
32.53%
630
10.10%
230
3.69%
0
0.00%
1,320
21.16%
6,238
Kewaunee
1,603
47.26%
1,714
50.53%
48
1.42%
27
0.80%
0
0.00%
-111
-3.27%
3,392
La Crosse
4,399
50.73%
3,970
45.78%
103
1.19%
197
2.27%
3
0.03%
429
4.95%
8,672
Lafayette
2,844
56.37%
2,079
41.21%
22
0.44%
99
1.96%
0
0.00%
765
15.16%
5,045[ b]
Langlade
1,807
55.24%
1,367
41.79%
27
0.83%
70
2.14%
0
0.00%
440
13.45%
3,271
Lincoln
2,276
53.12%
1,849
43.15%
94
2.19%
66
1.54%
0
0.00%
427
9.96%
4,285
Manitowoc
4,098
45.12%
3,993
43.96%
926
10.19%
63
0.69%
3
0.03%
105
1.16%
9,083
Marathon
5,089
49.42%
4,804
46.65%
255
2.48%
149
1.45%
0
0.00%
285
2.77%
10,297
Marinette
3,477
65.62%
1,451
27.38%
124
2.34%
245
4.62%
2
0.04%
2,026
38.23%
5,299
Marquette
1,521
62.90%
831
34.37%
19
0.79%
46
1.90%
1
0.04%
690
28.54%
2,418
Milwaukee
26,243
35.91%
26,917
36.83%
18,423
25.21%
1,396
1.91%
107
0.15%
-674
-0.92%
73,086
Monroe
3,304
58.75%
2,117
37.64%
95
1.69%
107
1.90%
1
0.02%
1,187
21.11%
5,624
Oconto
2,944
63.24%
1,508
32.40%
101
2.17%
100
2.15%
2
0.04%
1,436
30.85%
4,655
Oneida
1,453
57.57%
684
27.10%
351
13.91%
36
1.43%
0
0.00%
769
30.47%
2,524
Outagamie
4,971
51.46%
4,366
45.20%
110
1.14%
203
2.10%
9
0.09%
605
6.26%
9,659
Ozaukee
1,117
35.87%
1,913
61.43%
58
1.86%
24
0.77%
2
0.06%
-796
-25.56%
3,114
Pepin
995
67.14%
444
29.96%
4
0.27%
39
2.63%
0
0.00%
551
37.18%
1,482
Pierce
2,984
74.60%
837
20.93%
43
1.08%
136
3.40%
0
0.00%
2,147
53.68%
4,000
Polk
3,024
78.34%
570
14.77%
121
3.13%
143
3.70%
2
0.05%
2,454
63.58%
3,860
Portage
3,266
56.33%
2,386
41.15%
46
0.79%
97
1.67%
3
0.05%
880
15.18%
5,798
Price
1,707
65.70%
546
21.02%
260
10.01%
82
3.16%
1
0.04%
1,161
44.69%
2,598[ c]
Racine
5,029
48.66%
4,035
39.05%
781
7.56%
485
4.69%
3
0.03%
994
9.62%
10,334[ b]
Richland
2,343
53.24%
1,724
39.17%
51
1.16%
280
6.36%
3
0.07%
619
14.06%
4,401
Rock
7,781
67.12%
3,130
27.00%
262
2.26%
402
3.47%
17
0.15%
4,651
40.12%
11,592
Rusk
1,439
71.45%
442
21.95%
84
4.17%
46
2.28%
3
0.15%
997
49.50%
2,014
Sauk
3,788
56.62%
2,536
37.91%
31
0.46%
334
4.99%
1
0.01%
1,252
18.71%
6,690
Sawyer
849
74.28%
260
22.75%
14
1.22%
20
1.75%
0
0.00%
589
51.53%
1,143
Shawano
3,344
64.62%
1,709
33.02%
28
0.54%
94
1.82%
0
0.00%
1,635
31.59%
5,175
Sheboygan
5,833
51.82%
4,486
39.85%
683
6.07%
244
2.17%
10
0.09%
1,347
11.97%
11,256
St. Croix
3,325
64.70%
1,650
32.11%
71
1.38%
92
1.79%
1
0.02%
1,675
32.59%
5,139
Taylor
1,601
61.11%
896
34.20%
86
3.28%
37
1.41%
0
0.00%
705
26.91%
2,620
Trempealeau
3,616
73.81%
1,122
22.90%
28
0.57%
131
2.67%
2
0.04%
2,494
50.91%
4,899
Vernon
4,122
69.82%
1,539
26.07%
42
0.71%
199
3.37%
2
0.03%
2,583
43.75%
5,904
Vilas
794
72.38%
262
23.88%
22
2.01%
19
1.73%
0
0.00%
532
48.50%
1,097
Walworth
4,263
64.51%
1,846
27.94%
70
1.06%
426
6.45%
3
0.05%
2,417
36.58%
6,608
Washburn
1,134
73.54%
318
20.62%
52
3.37%
37
2.40%
1
0.06%
816
52.92%
1,542
Washington
2,491
47.21%
2,667
50.55%
75
1.42%
40
0.76%
0
0.00%
-176
-3.34%
5,276[ d]
Waukesha
4,546
54.40%
3,282
39.28%
214
2.56%
312
3.73%
2
0.02%
1,264
15.13%
8,356
Waupaca
4,728
71.55%
1,505
22.78%
142
2.15%
232
3.51%
1
0.02%
3,223
48.77%
6,608
Waushara
2,749
78.79%
515
14.76%
83
2.38%
128
3.67%
14
0.40%
2,234
64.03%
3,489
Winnebago
6,814
52.79%
5,387
41.74%
289
2.24%
414
3.21%
2
0.02%
1,427
11.06%
12,907[ b]
Wood
3,007
50.85%
2,523
42.67%
256
4.33%
125
2.11%
2
0.03%
484
8.19%
5,913
Total
242,935
54.03%
165,977
36.91%
28,583
6.36%
11,760
2.62%
393
0.09%
76,958
17.11%
449,656
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Notes
^ One must exercise caution using the Blue Book as a source for Wisconsin election data for the period of 1890-1920 as it was unreliable during this period. In this case, the Blue Book's totals for Davidson, Cox, Bottema, and Scattering are incorrect and it also contains numerous mistakes in the county figures.
^ a b c Includes 1 Scattering vote
^ Includes 2 Scattering votes
^ Includes 3 Scattering votes
References
^ a b c d "For State Officers" . Weekly Watertown leader . Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis. September 25, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved August 7, 2021 .
^ Bruce, William George; Currey, Josiah Seymour (1922). History of Milwaukee City and County . Vol. II. Milwaukee: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 404–407.
^ "The Journal Times from Racine, Wisconsin on January 21, 1908 · 5" . The Journal Times . Racine, Wisconsin. January 21, 1908. p. 5. Retrieved August 7, 2021 .
^ "Death Claims Health Chief" . Democrat and Chronicle . Rochester, New York. August 23, 1937. p. 16. Retrieved August 7, 2021 .
^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of Canvassers of the State of Wisconsin for General Election held November 3, 1908
^ a b Beck, J. D., ed. (1909). "Population, 1905, Vote And Pluralities For Governor, 1908". The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin . Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Company, State Printer. p. 469.
Bibliography