1954 Wisconsin Supreme Court election

none April 2025 April 2025 1954 Wisconsin Supreme Court election Wisconsin presidential no 1953 1955 April 6, 1954 Roland_J._Steinle_(portrait_as_Wisconsin_Supreme_Court_justice).jpg Roland J. Steinle c0c0c0 297,369 59.76% William H. Dieterich (portrait as Wisconsin Supreme Court justice) 3x4.jpg William H. Dieterich c0c0c0 200,224 40.24% Justice Roland J. Steinle Roland J. Steinle 1944 Wisconsin Supreme Court election 1944 1959 Wisconsin Supreme Court election 1959 The 1954 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on Tuesday, April 6, 1954 to elect a justice to a full ten-year seat the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Incumbent justice Roland J. Steinle (who had been appointed the previous year to fill a vacancy)Justice Roland J. Steinle http://www.wicourts.gov/courts/supreme/justices/retired/steinle.htm WICourts.gov (Wisconsin Court System) 7 April 2025 won the election, defeating William H. Dieterich (a perennial candidate for state office) in the general election by a sizable margin. Prior to the general election, a nonpartisan primary was held in which both Steinle and Dieterich advanced over Perry J. Stearns. Background In 1953, incumbent justice Oscar Fritz announced that he would not seek re-election in 1954. In December 1953, he retired early from his seat. Governor Walter J. Kohler Jr. appointed Roland J. Steinle (a 13-year incumbent of a Circuit Court judgeship in Milwaukee) to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76218580/fritz-retires/ State Chief Justice Oscar Fritz Retires; Steinle to Fill Vacancy Wisconsin State Journal December 5, 1953 1 April 21, 2021 Newspapers.com Due to the timing of Fritz's retirement (coming shortly before the already-scheduled spring 1954 date for the next election to the seat) the next election did not need to be shifted. This was the first election to be held after an April 1953 referendum in which Wisconsin voters had ratified a amendment that made all elections to the supreme court for full ten-year terms (whether regularly scheduled or to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of a preceding term)Portraits of Justice https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/supreme/docs/portraitsofjustice.pdf Wisconsin Courts Wisconsin Historical Society Press 27 March 2025 X 2003 though this change did not impact the 1954 election since a regularly scheduled ten-year election to this seat had already been scheduled in 1954 even before the vacancy arose. The primary was the only statewide vote on the spring primary ballot.Steinle and Dieterich Win; Stearns Left Far Behind in Court Bid https://www.newspapers.com/image/397101151 Newspapers.com subscription Wisconsin State Journal The Associated Press April 13, 2026 1 March 10, 1954 Stearns' late entrance into the race (filing his candidacy an hour before the deadline) necessitated that a primary be held to narrow the field to two candidates.Steinle Widens Gap in Returns; Justice, Dieterich Wins Nominations https://www.newspapers.com/image/397101171 Newspapers.com subscription Wisconsin State Journal The Associated Press April 13, 2026 2 March 10, 1954 Candidates Roland J. Steinle: incumbent justice (appointed in 1953), former circuit court judge William H. Dieterich: Hartford-based attorney; perennial candidateunsuccessful candidate for Wisconsin attorney general (1942,The Wisconsin Blue Book 1944 https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z/pages/AWI6PFEXINBVHQ8C search.library.wisc.edu (UWDC - UW-Madison Libraries) State of Wisconsin 7 April 2025 576 1944 1944,The Wisconsin Blue Book 1946 https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AQVJ6L7MLLNNJK8H/pages/AV2Y65Z6RBGPGO8Z search.library.wisc.edu (UWDC - UW-Madison Libraries) State of Wisconsin 7 April 2025 668 1946 1946The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948 https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AM65CYC7ECEXCX9D/pages/AT7QUC5CEWPXVQ8U search.library.wisc.edu (UWDC - UW-Madison Libraries) State of Wisconsin 7 April 2025 603 1948 and 1948) for state office;Wyngaard John Wingert Defeat Stirs Thoughts on Tradition https://www.newspapers.com/image/188298490 Newspapers.com subscription Green Bay Press-Gazette 30 March 2025 en April 2, 1958Wyngaard John Vote Startles State Politicians https://www.newspapers.com/image/511816401 Newspapers.com La Crosse Tribune 2 April 2025 en April 2, 1958 former special assistant attorney general (1937–1938); former Wisconsin commander of the Disabled American Veterans Perry J. Stearns, Milwaukee-based attorney and perennial candidate for state officeunsuccessful candidate in the 1944 and 1946 Republican primaries for U.S. Senate; unsuccessful candidate for Supreme Court in 1953 Campaign After the primary, the Associated Press reported, "there was little active campaigning in the Supreme Court race and a light [voter turnout] was recorded in most areas." Ahead of the general election, the same agency expected a low turnout for the general election, observing, "there has been very little activity by either candidate and there are few local issues that have caused interest."Bystrom Arthur Expect a Light Vote in State Election Tuesday https://www.newspapers.com/image/1066654332 Newspapers.com subscription The Associated Press The Waukesha County Freeman April 13, 2026 2 April 3, 1954 Steinle was endorsed by the American Federation of Labor-affiliated North Central Labor Council.Central Labor Council Favors Justice Steinle https://www.newspapers.com/image/188258036 Newspapers.com subscription Green Bay Press-Gazette April 13, 2026 4 March 4, 1954 Results 1954 Wisconsin Supreme Court election http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1956 The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1956 State of Wisconsin 1956 Toepel M. G. Kuehn Hazel L. https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1956/reference/wi.wibluebk1956.i0019.pdf Parties and Elections: The Judicial and Nonpartisan Elections 757 June 3, 2021 | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Nonpartisan primary (March 9, 1954) Nonpartisan politician Roland J. Steinle (incumbent) 125,530 61.74 Nonpartisan politician William H. Dieterich 49,669 24.43 Nonpartisan politician Perry J. Stearns 28,134 13.84 203,333 100 | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General electiomn (April 6, 1954) Nonpartisan politician Roland J. Steinle (incumbent) 297,369 59.76 Nonpartisan politician William H. Dieterich 200,224 40.24 97,145 19.52 497,593 100 Notes References Category:Wisconsin Supreme Court elections supreme court Wisconsin