Social-Democratic Party of Wisconsin

The SDP reached its electoral zenith in 1918, during [[World War I]]; in a [[1918 United States Senate special election in Wisconsin|special election to the United States Senate]] held in April, Congressman Victor Berger polled over 26% of the vote and won eleven counties. [[1918 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|That November]], Emil Seidel polled over 17% of the vote for [[Governor of Wisconsin]], and for the first time the Socialists became the second-largest party in the [[Wisconsin Legislature]],{{cite news |title=Progressives will control Legislature |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/520391683/?match=1&terms=legislature%20socialists |access-date=6 May 2025 |work=[[The Capital Times]] |date=13 November 1918 |location=Madison}} with 4 State Senators and 16 State Assemblymen.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/HJ36XSBOIV4J28N |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1919 |publisher= Wisconsin State Printing Board |editor-last= Hunter |editor-first= Paul F. |year= 1919 |chapter= Biographical Sketches |pages= 451–508 |access-date= June 23, 2023 }} [[1920 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|Two years later]], this number dropped sharply to 4 State Senators and 6 State Assemblymen.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/QEHAMYTSP3ADT86 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1921 |publisher= Wisconsin State Printing Board |year= 1921 |chapter= Biographical Sketches |pages= 237–295 |access-date= June 25, 2023 }} [[1922 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1922]] saw the return of Victor Berger to Congress, while 3 party members were elected to the State Senate and 10 were sent to the Assembly.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/43Y7WQ2GBFEUO8S |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1923 |publisher= Wisconsin State Printing Board |year= 1923 |chapter= Biographical |pages= 602–640 |access-date= June 27, 2023 }} The party did not run a candidate for U.S. Senate [[1922 United States Senate election in Wisconsin|that year]], avoiding a race which was handily won by popular progressive Republican [[Robert M. La Follette, Sr.]] over his Democratic challenger by a margin of nearly 5-to-1.{{cite journal |title=Vote for U.S. Senator and State Offices |journal=Milwaukee Leader |date=November 8, 1922 |volume=11 |issue=285 |page=3 |publisher=Milwaukee Social-Democratic Pub. Co. |oclc=2251739}}

The SDP reached its electoral zenith in 1918, during [[World War I]]; in a [[1918 United States Senate special election in Wisconsin|special election to the United States Senate]] held in April, Congressman Victor Berger polled over 26% of the vote and won eleven counties. [[1918 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|That November]], Emil Seidel polled over 17% of the vote for [[Governor of Wisconsin]], and for the first time the Socialists became the second-largest party in the [[Wisconsin Legislature]],{{cite news |title=Progressives will control Legislature |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/520391683/?match=1&terms=legislature%20socialists |access-date=6 May 2025 |work=[[The Capital Times]] |date=13 November 1918 |location=Madison}} with 4 State Senators and 16 State Assemblymen.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/HJ36XSBOIV4J28N |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1919 |publisher= Wisconsin State Printing Board |editor-last= Hunter |editor-first= Paul F. |year= 1919 |chapter= Biographical Sketches |pages= 451–508 |access-date= June 23, 2023 }} [[1920 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|Two years later]], this number dropped sharply to 4 State Senators and 6 State Assemblymen.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/QEHAMYTSP3ADT86 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1921 |publisher= Wisconsin State Printing Board |year= 1921 |chapter= Biographical Sketches |pages= 237–295 |access-date= June 25, 2023 }} [[1922 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1922]] saw the return of Victor Berger to Congress, while 3 party members were elected to the State Senate and 10 were sent to the Assembly.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/43Y7WQ2GBFEUO8S |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1923 |publisher= Wisconsin State Printing Board |year= 1923 |chapter= Biographical |pages= 602–640 |access-date= June 27, 2023 }} The party did not run a candidate for U.S. Senate [[1922 United States Senate election in Wisconsin|that year]], avoiding a race which was handily won by popular progressive Republican [[Robert M. La Follette, Sr.]] over his Democratic challenger by a margin of nearly 5-to-1.{{cite journal |title=Vote for U.S. Senator and State Offices |journal=Milwaukee Leader |date=November 8, 1922 |volume=11 |issue=285 |page=3 |publisher=Milwaukee Social-Democratic Pub. Co. |oclc=2251739}}

== Progressive fusion ==

=== Progressive fusion ===

After the death of Congressman Victor Berger in 1929, State Senator [[Thomas Duncan (American politician)|Thomas Duncan]] was considered his successor as leader of the Wisconsin socialists.Winter, Everett. "Berger's Passing To Alter Wisconsin Socialist Party: Duncan, New Leader, Differs In Political Philosophy, Action." ''[[Wisconsin State Journal]]'', August 11, 1929. In a controversial move, Republican Governor [[Philip La Follette]] appointed Duncan his [[executive secretary]] in 1931,{{cite book |last=Kasparek |first=Jon |author-link= |date=2006 |title=Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip La Follette |url=https://archive.org/details/fightingsonbiogr0000kasp/page/115/mode/1up |location=Madison |publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society Press |pages=115, 188–189, 218 |isbn=978-0-87020-353-4}} and he quickly became a member of La Follette's inner circle.{{cite book |last=Miller |first=John E. |author-link= |date=1982 |title=Governor Philip F. La Follette, the Wisconsin Progressives, and the New Deal |url=https://archive.org/details/governorphilipfl00mill/page/19/mode/1up |location=Columbia |publisher=University of Missouri Press |pages=19, 84–86 |isbn=978-0-8262-0371-7}} Duncan was seen as less doctrinaire than Berger, and in 1932 was asserted to have (unsuccessfully) led efforts to lure the Socialists into the La Follette camp.Everett, Winter. "Blaming Each Other" ''[[Wisconsin State Journal]]'' n.d., reprinted in the ''[[Rhinelander Daily News]]'' September 28, 1932; p. 4, col. 2 Three years later however, Duncan orchestrated the formation of the Wisconsin [[Farmer-Labor Progressive Federation]], a coalition made up of the Progressive Party, the Socialist Party, the [[Farmer–Labor Party#National Farmer–Labor Party|Farmer-Labor Progressive League]], the [[Wisconsin State Federation of Labor]], and several other labor and farmers' groups. Duncan was able to convince the socialists to give up their ballot access in exchange for reserving certain seats for socialists running under the Progressive ticket.

After the death of Congressman Victor Berger in 1929, State Senator [[Thomas Duncan (American politician)|Thomas Duncan]] was considered his successor as leader of the Wisconsin socialists.Winter, Everett. "Berger's Passing To Alter Wisconsin Socialist Party: Duncan, New Leader, Differs In Political Philosophy, Action." ''[[Wisconsin State Journal]]'', August 11, 1929. In a controversial move, Republican Governor [[Philip La Follette]] appointed Duncan his [[executive secretary]] in 1931,{{cite book |last=Kasparek |first=Jon |author-link= |date=2006 |title=Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip La Follette |url=https://archive.org/details/fightingsonbiogr0000kasp/page/115/mode/1up |location=Madison |publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society Press |pages=115, 188–189, 218 |isbn=978-0-87020-353-4}} and he quickly became a member of La Follette's inner circle.{{cite book |last=Miller |first=John E. |author-link= |date=1982 |title=Governor Philip F. La Follette, the Wisconsin Progressives, and the New Deal |url=https://archive.org/details/governorphilipfl00mill/page/19/mode/1up |location=Columbia |publisher=University of Missouri Press |pages=19, 84–86 |isbn=978-0-8262-0371-7}} Duncan was seen as less doctrinaire than Berger, and in 1932 was asserted to have (unsuccessfully) led efforts to lure the Socialists into the La Follette camp.Everett, Winter. "Blaming Each Other" ''[[Wisconsin State Journal]]'' n.d., reprinted in the ''[[Rhinelander Daily News]]'' September 28, 1932; p. 4, col. 2 Three years later however, Duncan orchestrated the formation of the Wisconsin [[Farmer-Labor Progressive Federation]], a coalition made up of the Progressive Party, the Socialist Party, the [[Farmer–Labor Party#National Farmer–Labor Party|Farmer-Labor Progressive League]], the [[Wisconsin State Federation of Labor]], and several other labor and farmers' groups. Duncan was able to convince the socialists to give up their ballot access in exchange for reserving certain seats for socialists running under the Progressive ticket.