1956 Wisconsin Supreme Court election

The 1956 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on Tuesday, April 3, 1956 to elect a justice to a full ten-year seat the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Thomas E. Fairchild (son of incumbent justice Edward T. Fairchild – who was not seeking reelection) won the election. He handily defeated William H. Dieterich (a perennial candidate for state office, who later won a surprise victory in the 1958 election to the court).

Prior to the general election, a nonpartisan primary was held in which both Fairchild and Dieterich advanced against former state legislator Clair Finch.

Candidates

• Thomas E. Fairchild: former United States Attorney, former Wisconsin attorney general, and son of the outgoing incumbent justice
• William H. Dieterich: Milwaukee County-based lawyer and perennial candidate; unsuccessful candidate for Wisconsin attorney general (1942, 1944, 1946, and 1948) and Supreme Court in 1954
• Clair Finch: former state legislator

Results

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Primary election (March 6, 1956)

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election (April 3, 1956)

References