Edmund V. Bobrowicz
American politician (1919–2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edmund Victor Bobrowicz (May 1, 1919 – March 16, 2003) was an American trade union activist and politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1946, launching a successful primary challenge against incumbent Democratic representative Thaddeus Wasielewski, but after the primary he was accused of being a secret Communist, and lost the general election to Republican John C. Brophy.
May 1, 1919
Progressive (1948)
Edmund V. Bobrowicz | |
|---|---|
Bobrowicz c. 1946 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edmund Victor Bobrowicz May 1, 1919 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 2003 (aged 83) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Adalbert's Cemetery, Milwaukee |
| Party | Democratic Progressive (1948) |
| Spouse |
Dorothy A. Douglas
(m. 1942; died 2014) |
| Children |
|
| Profession | Union organizer, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Battles/wars | |
Biography
Bobrowicz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Polish immigrants. He served in the Army during the Second World War, in the South Pacific. In 1946, Bobrowicz (then working as a union organizer) ran successfully for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, ousting incumbent Representative Thaddeus Wasielewski, who was accused of voting for anti-labor legislation).
Before the general election, however, Bobrowicz was accused by the Milwaukee Journal of secretly being a Communist[1] and was subsequently expelled from the Democratic Party.[2] Wasielewski, hoping to regain his seat, re-entered the race as an independent, but the two split the Democratic vote, allowing Republican John C. Brophy to win, with 49,144 votes to Bobrowicz' 44,398, Wasielewski's 38.502, and Socialist George Helberg's 2,470.
Bobrowicz subsequently left politics and became a union official, working for 35 years as a representative of the International Fur & Leather Workers Union and the Amalgamated Meat Cutters until his retirement in 1977. In 1987, he and his wife moved to Green Bay to be closer to family. He died at his home in Green Bay in 2003.[3]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Primary, August 13, 1946 | |||||
| Democratic | Edmund V. Bobrowicz | 11,998 | 52.83% | ||
| Democratic | Thaddeus Wasielewski (incumbent) | 10,713 | 47.17% | ||
| Plurality | 1,285 | 5.66% | |||
| Total votes | 22,711 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, November 5, 1946 | |||||
| Republican | John C. Brophy | 49,144 | 36.53% | +2.59% | |
| Democratic | Edmund V. Bobrowicz | 44,398 | 33.01% | −30.49% | |
| Independent Democrat | Thaddeus Wasielewski (incumbent) | 38,502 | 28.62% | ||
| Socialist | George E. Helberg | 2,470 | 1.84% | −0.72% | |
| Plurality | 4,746 | 3.53% | -26.02% | ||
| Total votes | 134,514 | 100.0% | -17.54% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | 33.08% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 2, 1948 | |||||
| Democratic | Clement J. Zablocki | 89,391 | 55.89% | +22.89% | |
| Republican | John C. Brophy (incumbent) | 63,161 | 39.49% | +2.96% | |
| Progressive | Edmund V. Bobrowicz | 5,051 | 3.16% | ||
| Socialist | Clement Stachowiak | 2,326 | 1.45% | −0.38% | |
| Plurality | 26,230 | 16.40% | +12.87% | ||
| Total votes | 159,929 | 100.0% | +18.89% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | 19.93% | |||