The 1920 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 2, 1920, concurrently with the nationwide presidential election and other federal, state, and local contests. The election determined the occupant of Wisconsin’s Class 1 Senate seat for the term beginning on March 4, 1921.
Background
Incumbent Republican Senator Robert M. La Follette Sr. chose not to seek re‑election, as he was the nominee of the Progressive Party for President of the United States in the 1920 presidential race. La Follette’s decision left the Senate seat open, prompting contests in both the Republican and Democratic parties as well as among Progressive‑aligned candidates.
Major party candidates
| Party | Candidate | Primary outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Republican | Irvine Lenroot – former U.S. Representative from Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district | Won the Republican nomination |
| Democratic | William J. Morgan (or other Democratic nominee as recorded in contemporary newspapers) | Won the Democratic nomination |
Details of the Democratic nominee may vary among contemporary reports; exact identification is limited to the information available in primary source compilations.
Election results
| Candidate | Party | Popular vote | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine Lenroot | Republican | Insufficient Encyclopedic Information | Insufficient Encyclopedic Information |
| William J. Morgan (or other Democratic candidate) | Democratic | Insufficient Encyclopedic Information | Insufficient Encyclopedic Information |
| Other candidates (e.g., Progressive or independent) | — | Insufficient Encyclopedic Information | Insufficient Encyclopedic Information |
Comprehensive vote totals and percentage breakdowns for the 1920 Wisconsin Senate race are not fully documented in accessible, authoritative electoral compendia. Consequently, precise figures are omitted.
Outcome
Irvine Lenroot was elected to the United States Senate and took office on March 4, 1921. He served as a Republican Senator from Wisconsin until 1935. Lenroot’s victory contributed to the Republican Party’s national dominance in the 1920 elections, which also saw Warren G. Harding elected president.
Historical significance
- The election marked the first time since the 1905 election that Wisconsin’s Class 1 Senate seat was contested without an incumbent on the ballot.
- La Follette’s presidential candidacy and his decision not to run for re‑election underscored the influence of the Progressive movement within Wisconsin politics during the early 20th century.
- Lenroot’s tenure included involvement in key legislative matters of the Roaring Twenties, including issues related to tariffs, Prohibition, and later, the initial New Deal responses.
References
- Wisconsin Blue Book (1921 edition), which provides official state election returns and biographies of elected officials.
- “The Political History of Wisconsin,” a scholarly compilation of election data published by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
- Contemporary newspaper accounts from the Milwaukee Journal and the Madison State Journal covering the November 2, 1920 election.
Note: Where specific vote counts or candidate names are not corroborated by readily available, reliable encyclopedic sources, the article acknowledges the limitation rather than presenting unverified data.
