1954 Wisconsin lieutenant gubernatorial election

The 1954 Wisconsin lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954, in order to elect the lieutenant governor of Wisconsin. Republican nominee and incumbent member of the Wisconsin Senate Warren P. Knowles defeated Democratic nominee and attorney Edwin Larkin.^[1]

The Republican primary election was held on September 14, 1954. Incumbent lieutenant governor George M. Smith ran for a fourth term, but was criticized by his party colleagues at the Republican Party state convention for not being an active campaigner. They desired a candidate that would pull his weight for the ticket and thus endorsed the state senate leader Warren P. Knowles instead.^[2] In the end, Knowles defeated Smith, receiving a majority of the votes (53.04%), and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election.^[3]

The Democratic primary election was held on September 14, 1954. Attorney Edwin Larkin received a majority of the votes (69.80%) over the Democratic nominee in the previous election Sverre Roang, and was thus elected as the nominee for the general election.^[4]

On election day, November 2, 1954, Republican nominee Warren P. Knowles won the election by a margin of 58,495 votes against his opponent Democratic nominee Edwin Larkin, thereby retaining Republican control over the office of lieutenant governor. Knowles was sworn in as the 32nd Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 1955.^[5]