Merrill Emmet Stalbaum (April 24, 1911 – August 30, 1999) was an American farmer, surveyor, and Republican politician from Racine County, Wisconsin. He served six terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Racine County from 1961 to 1973. His younger brother, Lynn E. Stalbaum, was a Wisconsin state senator and served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Biography
Merrill E. Stalbaum was born on his family's farm in the town of Norway, Wisconsin, in Racine County. He lived nearly his entire life in the town of Norway, attending the Hill Crest primary school, the Rochester Agricultural School, and then graduating from Waterford High School. He worked on his family farm and also trained as a land surveyor.[1]
In 1937, he was elected clerk of the town of Norway, and was retained in that office for the next 30 years. He was also appointed to the County School Committee by the County Board, and served on that body from 1948 to 1960, during a significant reorganization of the Racine County school districts.[1] During these years he was also active in a number of community organizations, including a local farm insurance company and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committee.[2]
In 1960, Stalbaum was a candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly in Racine County's 3rd Assembly district. The district then comprised all of the county outside of the city of Racine.[3] He ran on the Republican Party ticket, challenging Democratic incumbent John R. Hansen. In the November 1960 general election, Stalbaum narrowly prevailed over Hansen, receiving 51.5% of the vote.[4] Stalbaum would go on to win re-election five times, serving continuously until 1973.
The 1972 redistricting was the first to liberate districts from the county boundaries, and Stalbaum's Racine County district was divided between three new districts.[5] Rather than running for election in the new district which contained his home, the 43rd Assembly district, he instead chose to enter the race for United States House of Representatives, challenging first term incumbent Democrat Les Aspin.[6] Stalbaum faced a crowded Republican primary field, but managed to prevail with 43% over his three opponents. Aspin easily prevailed in the general election, however, with Stalbaum earning just 35% of the vote.[7]
Stalbaum largely retired from politics after the 1972 election, but remained active in the community and the Norway Lutheran Church.[1]
Personal life and family
Merrill Stalbaum was the eldest of three children born to John Martin and Amanda (née Ebert) Stalbaum. Both parents were natives of Wisconsin, and the Stalbaum farm had belonged to the family since 1854.[6] Merrill's younger brother, Lynn E. Stalbaum, also served in the Wisconsin Legislature as a member of the Wisconsin Senate and overlapped with Merrill Stalbaum's service during the 1961 and 1963 legislative sessions, making them the only siblings to serve together in the Wisconsin Legislature until Scott and Jeff Fitzgerald in 2001–2013. Unlike the Fitzgerald brothers, Merrill and Lynn Stalbaum had opposing political beliefs and often clashed. Lynn Stalbaum also went on to serve one term in the United States House of Representatives in the 1965–1966 term.[8][1]
Merrill Stalbaum married Lucille Anna Hanson on July 15, 1944. They had one son, John, and were married for 44 years before her death in 1998.[1]
Merrill Stalbaum died at Burlington Memorial Hospital in Burlington, Wisconsin, on August 30, 1999, after a short illness.[1]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (1960–1970)
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | General[4] | Nov. 8 | Merrill E. Stalbaum | Republican | 10,130 | 51.52% | John R. Hansen (inc) | Dem. | 9,532 | 48.48% | 19,662 | 598 |
| 1962 | General[9] | Nov. 6 | Merrill E. Stalbaum (inc) | Republican | 8,486 | 55.62% | Ray S. Kamper | Dem. | 6,770 | 44.38% | 15,256 | 1,716 |
| 1964 | General[10] | Nov. 3 | Merrill E. Stalbaum (inc) | Republican | 8,444 | 54.41% | Ray S. Kamper | Dem. | 7,075 | 45.59% | 15,519 | 1,369 |
| 1966 | General[11] | Nov. 8 | Merrill E. Stalbaum (inc) | Republican | 7,053 | 63.53% | Ray S. Kamper | Dem. | 4,049 | 36.47% | 11,102 | 3,004 |
| 1968 | General[12] | Nov. 5 | Merrill E. Stalbaum (inc) | Republican | 12,105 | 100.0% | 12,105 | 12,105 | ||||
| 1970 | General[13] | Nov. 3 | Merrill E. Stalbaum (inc) | Republican | 8,025 | 57.21% | George H. Iverson | Dem. | 6,003 | 42.79% | 14,028 | 2,022 |
U.S. House (1972)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Primary, September 12, 1972 | |||||
| Republican | Merrill E. Stalbaum | 12,451 | 43.26% | ||
| Republican | Charles Coleman | 7,129 | 24.77% | ||
| Republican | David B. Grimm | 6,273 | 21.79% | ||
| Republican | Garth Seehawer | 2,930 | 10.18% | ||
| Plurality | 5,322 | 18.49% | |||
| Total votes | 28,783 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, November 7, 1972 | |||||
| Democratic | Les Aspin (incumbent) | 122,973 | 64.41% | +3.48pp | |
| Republican | Merrill E. Stalbaum | 66,665 | 34.91% | -4.16pp | |
| American | Charles J. Fortner | 1,299 | 0.68% | ||
| Plurality | 56,308 | 29.49% | +7.64pp | ||
| Total votes | 190,937 | 100.0% | +33.06% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Merrill E. Stalbaum". Racine Journal Times. September 1, 1999. p. 18. Retrieved September 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pick ASC Community Committeemen; Plan County Convention on Aug. 25". Racine Journal Times. August 15, 1960. p. 9. Retrieved September 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1962). "Biographies". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1962 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. p. 59. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1962). "Wisconsin Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1962 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 798, 868. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ An Act ... relating to districting the senate and assembly based on the number of inhabitants shown by the certified results of the 1970 census of population (PDF) (Act 304). Wisconsin Legislature. 1971. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "Merrill Stalbaum Seeks 1st District House Seat". Racine Journal Times. January 20, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved September 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1973). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1973 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 799, 818. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ "Politician Stalbaum dies at 79". Racine Journal Times. July 2, 1999. p. 21. Retrieved September 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1964). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1964 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 724, 766. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1966). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1966 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 745, 758. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1968). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1968 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 716, 727. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1970). "Parties and Elections". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1970 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 806, 820. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ "Parties and Elections". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1971 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 1971. pp. 304, 321. Retrieved September 29, 2023.