The 1902 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1902.

Incumbent Republican Governor Robert M. La Follette defeated Democratic nominee David Stuart Rose with 52.89% of the vote.

Conservative Republican party leaders attempted to deny La Follette renomination in 1902, but La Follette's energized supporters overcame the conservatives and took control of the state convention, implementing a progressive party platform. In the 1902 general election, La Follette decisively defeated the conservative Democratic nominee, Mayor David Stuart Rose of Milwaukee., pp. 37–39.

In the aftermath of the 1902 election, the state legislature enacted the direct primary (subject to a statewide referendum) and La Follette's tax reform bill. The new tax law, which required railroads to pay taxes based on property owned rather than profits, resulted in railroads paying nearly double the amount of taxes they had paid before the enactment of the law.Thelen (1976), pp. 29, 39. Having accomplished his first two major goals, La Follette next focused on regulating railroad rates, but the railroads prevented passage of his bill in 1903.Thelen (1976), pp. 39–40.

General election Candidates Major party candidates David Stuart Rose, Democratic, incumbent Mayor of Milwaukee Robert M. La Follette, Republican, incumbent Governor

Other candidates Emil Seidel, Social Democratic Edwin W. Drake, Prohibition, candidate for Wisconsin State Senate in 1886 Henry E. D. Puck, Socialist Labor, architect

Results

Results by county This was the first election that Gates (Rusk) County participated in; it would vote for the winning candidate in every gubernatorial election from its establishment in 1901 until 1954. County Robert M. La FolletteRepublican David S. RoseDemocratic Emil SeidelSocial Democratic Edwin W. DrakeProhibition Henry E. D. PuckSocialist Labor Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # %Adams1,23676.20%33820.84%40.25%442.71%00.00%89855.36%1,622Ashland2,28054.11%1,75241.58%681.61%1092.59%50.12%52812.53%4,214Barron2,17472.93%62020.80%341.14%1404.70%110.37%1,55452.13%2,981Bayfield1,89279.03%42617.79%170.71%532.21%60.25%1,46661.24%2,394Brown3,65450.40%3,28345.28%1742.40%1261.74%130.18%3715.12%7,250Buffalo1,26759.23%82638.62%10.05%432.01%20.09%44120.62%2,139Burnett86583.01%908.64%181.73%575.47%121.15%77574.38%1,042Calumet1,23845.50%1,32548.70%1234.52%301.10%20.07%-87-3.20%2,721Chippewa2,96763.32%1,61134.38%240.51%841.79%00.00%1,35628.94%4,686Clark2,57756.96%1,72938.22%150.33%1914.22%120.27%84818.74%4,524Columbia3,47958.05%2,24037.38%430.72%2293.82%20.03%1,23920.67%5,993Crawford1,74651.37%1,57246.25%80.24%732.15%00.00%1745.12%3,399Dane7,56151.77%6,46344.25%1180.81%4493.07%80.05%1,0987.52%14,604Dodge2,81033.54%5,34363.78%360.43%1862.22%10.01%-2,533-30.24%8,377Door1,88870.90%70726.55%110.41%531.99%20.08%1,18144.35%2,663Douglas2,93358.62%1,76235.22%1092.18%1412.82%581.16%1,17123.41%5,003Dunn1,73664.66%81730.43%130.48%1114.13%70.26%91934.23%2,685Eau Claire2,76260.36%1,59734.90%681.49%1362.97%130.28%1,16525.46%4,576Florence26758.55%16937.06%40.88%153.29%10.22%9821.49%456Fond du Lac4,44345.94%4,90350.70%950.98%2272.35%20.02%-460-4.76%9,671Forest48462.37%27235.05%60.77%141.80%00.00%21227.32%776Gates57369.04%22226.75%50.60%293.49%10.12%35142.29%830Grant4,41159.80%2,64235.82%320.43%2833.84%80.11%1,76923.98%7,376Green2,23154.74%1,60239.30%701.72%1724.22%10.02%62915.43%4,076Green Lake1,46046.59%1,53248.88%371.18%963.06%90.29%-72-2.30%3,134Iowa2,65957.16%1,79438.56%90.19%1884.04%20.04%86518.59%4,652Iron1,16575.45%34822.54%60.39%221.42%30.19%81752.91%1,544Jackson1,73572.11%59324.65%130.54%642.66%10.04%1,14247.46%2,406Jefferson2,49238.06%3,84358.69%200.31%1832.79%100.15%-1,351-20.63%6,548Juneau2,39860.94%1,43536.47%240.61%751.91%30.08%96324.47%3,935Kenosha1,95945.24%1,89543.76%3989.19%681.57%80.18%641.48%4,330Kewaunee1,30242.41%1,71855.96%190.62%290.94%20.07%-416-13.55%3,070La Crosse3,80651.34%3,30044.51%650.88%2263.05%160.22%5066.82%7,414Lafayette2,37651.36%2,14446.35%280.61%781.69%00.00%2325.02%4,626Langlade1,16746.92%1,24650.10%150.60%572.29%20.08%-79-3.18%2,487Lincoln1,99256.38%1,41239.97%371.05%892.52%30.08%58016.42%3,533Manitowoc3,58448.01%3,37645.22%4205.63%781.04%70.09%2082.79%7,465Marathon3,74549.02%3,65747.87%861.13%1291.69%220.29%881.15%7,639Marinette2,88059.20%1,76936.36%220.45%1813.72%130.27%1,11122.84%4,865Marquette1,26652.75%1,04543.54%60.25%823.42%00.00%2219.21%2,400Milwaukee26,78743.80%22,40336.63%10,88117.79%7661.25%3270.53%4,3847.17%61,164Monroe2,69356.29%1,91239.97%90.19%1693.53%10.02%78116.33%4,784Oconto2,09754.74%1,61942.26%180.47%922.40%50.13%47812.48%3,831Oneida1,15460.93%67035.37%211.11%492.59%00.00%48425.55%1,894Outagamie3,80651.41%3,28744.40%1161.57%1922.59%20.03%5197.01%7,403Ozaukee97735.89%1,67761.61%441.62%210.77%30.11%-700-25.72%2,722Pepin61162.67%34134.97%20.21%202.05%10.10%27027.69%975Pierce1,31558.29%76533.91%220.98%1526.74%20.09%55024.38%2,256Polk1,38678.97%21512.25%744.22%603.42%201.14%1,17166.72%1,755Portage2,60150.02%2,45947.29%230.44%1172.25%00.00%1422.73%5,200Price1,08754.43%77338.71%331.65%964.81%80.40%31415.72%1,997Racine4,45250.41%3,82443.30%2492.82%2632.98%440.50%6287.11%8,832Richland2,08054.59%1,41937.24%130.34%2967.77%20.05%66117.35%3,810Rock5,07858.23%3,14636.08%1201.38%3614.14%100.11%1,93222.16%8,720Sauk2,77554.07%2,08540.63%190.37%2484.83%30.06%69013.45%5,132Sawyer57853.87%46743.52%131.21%151.40%00.00%11110.34%1,073Shawano2,29860.63%1,39336.75%180.47%772.03%40.11%90523.88%3,790Sheboygan4,46045.87%3,73138.37%1,35813.97%1421.46%320.33%7297.50%9,723St. Croix2,40852.95%1,88641.47%861.89%1593.50%90.20%52211.48%4,548Taylor1,02647.72%1,05048.84%170.79%512.37%40.19%-24-1.12%2,150Trempealeau2,14176.93%51918.65%40.14%1164.17%30.11%16,2258.28%2,783Vernon3,43978.21%75917.26%230.52%1764.00%00.00%2,68060.95%4,397Vilas76058.06%51639.42%70.53%251.91%10.08%24418.64%1,309Walworth2,83860.98%1,48831.97%531.14%2725.84%20.04%1,35029.01%4,654Washburn64469.32%25227.13%80.86%222.37%30.32%39242.20%929Washington2,14046.94%2,32751.04%300.66%591.29%30.07%-187-4.10%4,559Waukesha3,79952.55%3,09142.76%1031.42%2303.18%60.08%7089.79%7,229Waupaca3,48972.57%1,03021.42%400.83%2475.14%10.02%2,45951.14%4,808Waushara2,10774.77%56520.05%130.46%1264.47%50.18%1,54254.72%2,818Winnebago6,19153.88%4,81141.87%1841.60%2892.52%150.13%1,38012.01%11,490Wood2,74056.67%1,92039.71%681.41%992.05%70.14%82016.96%4,835Total193,41752.89%145,81839.88%15,9704.37%9,6472.64%7910.22%47,59913.02%365,676

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Fond du Lac Green Lake Langlade Taylor Washington

Notes

References

Bibliography