1954 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
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April 6, 1954
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| Elections in Wisconsin |
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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)[1] 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.[2] 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.[2][3]
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)[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]
Candidates
- Roland J. Steinle: incumbent justice (appointed in 1953), former circuit court judge[1]
- William H. Dieterich: Hartford-based attorney;[3] perennial candidate[a] for state office;[10][11] former special assistant attorney general (1937–1938);[3] former Wisconsin commander of the Disabled American Veterans[3][5]
- Perry J. Stearns, Milwaukee-based attorney[3] and perennial candidate for state office[b]
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."[6] 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."[3]
Steinle was endorsed by the American Federation of Labor-affiliated North Central Labor Council.[12]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan primary (March 9, 1954) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Roland J. Steinle (incumbent) | 125,530 | 61.74 | ||
| Nonpartisan | William H. Dieterich | 49,669 | 24.43 | ||
| Nonpartisan | Perry J. Stearns | 28,134 | 13.84 | ||
| Total votes | 203,333 | 100 | |||
| General electiomn (April 6, 1954) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Roland J. Steinle (incumbent) | 297,369 | 59.76 | ||
| Nonpartisan | William H. Dieterich | 200,224 | 40.24 | ||
| Majority | 97,145 | 19.52 | |||
| Total votes | 497,593 | 100 | |||
Notes
References
- 1 2 "Justice Roland J. Steinle". WICourts.gov (Wisconsin Court System). Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- 1 2 "State Chief Justice Oscar Fritz Retires; Steinle to Fill Vacancy". Wisconsin State Journal. December 5, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 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.
- ↑ "Portraits of Justice" (PDF). Wisconsin Courts. Wisconsin Historical Society Press. 2003. p. X. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- 1 2 "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.
- 1 2 "Steinle Widens Gap in Returns; Justice, Dieterich Wins Nominations". Wisconsin State Journal. The Associated Press. March 10, 1954. p. 2. Retrieved April 13, 2026 – 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).
- ↑ Wyngaard, John (April 2, 1958). "Wingert Defeat Stirs Thoughts on Tradition". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved March 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Wyngaard, John (April 2, 1958). "Vote Startles State Politicians". Newspapers.com. La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ↑ "Central Labor Council Favors Justice Steinle". Green Bay Press-Gazette. March 4, 1954. p. 4. Retrieved April 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 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.