1956 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
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The 1956 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on Tuesday, April 3, 1956 to elect a justice to a full ten-year seat the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Thomas E. Fairchild (son of incumbent justice Edward T. Fairchild – who was not seeking reelection) won the election. He handily defeated William H. Dieterich (a perennial candidate for state office, who later won a surprise victory in the 1958 election to the court).[1]
Prior to the general election, a nonpartisan primary was held in which both Fairchild and Dieterich advanced against former state legislator Clair Finch.
- Thomas E. Fairchild: former United States Attorney, former Wisconsin attorney general, and son of the outgoing incumbent justice
- William H. Dieterich: Milwaukee County-based lawyer; perennial candidate[a] for state office;[1][6] former special assistant attorney general of Wisconsin (1937–1938); former Wisconsin commander of the Disabled American Veterans[7]
- Clair Finch: former state legislator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary election (March 6, 1956) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Thomas E. Fairchild | 250,442 | 71.77 | ||
| Nonpartisan | William H. Dieterich | 68,288 | 19.57 | ||
| Nonpartisan | Clair Finch | 30,244 | 8.67 | ||
| Total votes | 348,974 | 100 | |||
| General Election (April 3, 1956) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Thomas E. Fairchild | 574,429 | 77.59 | ||
| Nonpartisan | William H. Dieterich | 165,953 | 22.41 | ||
| Total votes | 740,382 | 100 | |||
Notes
References
- 1 2 Wyngaard, John (April 2, 1958). "Wingert Defeat Stirs Thoughts on Tradition". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved March 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Wisconsin Blue Book 1944". State of Wisconsin. 1944. p. 576. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via search.library.wisc.edu (UWDC - UW-Madison Libraries).
- ↑ "The Wisconsin Blue Book 1946". State of Wisconsin. 1946. p. 668. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via search.library.wisc.edu (UWDC - UW-Madison Libraries).
- ↑ "The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948". State of Wisconsin. 1948. p. 603. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via search.library.wisc.edu (UWDC - UW-Madison Libraries).
- ↑ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1956). "Parties and Elections: The Judicial and Nonpartisan Elections" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1956 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 757. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ↑ Wyngaard, John (April 2, 1958). "Vote Startles State Politicians". Newspapers.com. La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ↑ Multiple sources:
- "Steinle and Dieterich Win; Stearns Left Far Behind in Court Bid". Wisconsin State Journal. The Associated Press. March 10, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved April 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- Bystrom, Arthur (April 3, 1954). "Expect a Light Vote in State Election Tuesday". The Waukesha County Freeman. The Associated Press. p. 2. Retrieved April 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Toepel, M.G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Parties and elections: the judicial and nonpartisan elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1958 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 780–781. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
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