Stanley Wilmer Slagg (July 6, 1903 – December 22, 1978) was an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and politician from Edgerton,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, who served two terms as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, and afterwards repeatedly ran for various elective offices, either as a

Progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

or as a Republican.

Background

Slagg was born in the Town of Albion in

Dane County, Wisconsin Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

on July 6, 1903, the son of Wilmer A. Slagg (1867–1936) and Mary (née Silverwood) Slagg (1872–1954). He was educated in the public schools of Dane County, and graduated from Edgerton High School. He graduated from the

University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional graduate law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the school was founded in 1868. The University of Wisconsin Law School is guided by a "law in ...

in 1924, and went into law practice with George Washington Blanchard in Edgerton, Wisconsin. He was appointed an

assistant district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

in Dane County in 1926 by

Philip La Follette Philip Fox La Follette (May 8, 1897August 18, 1965) was an American politician. He was the List of Governors of Wisconsin, 27th and List of Governors of Wisconsin, 29th Governor of Wisconsin, as well as one of the founders of the Wisconsin Progre ...

Elective office

Slagg won the Republican

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

for the first Rock County Assembly district (Blanchard's former seat) in 1928, receiving 3,683 votes to 2,836 for Thomas S. Nolan. In the

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

of November, 1928, he was elected, with 10,747 votes to 3,482 for

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Edward Schmidley. He defeated a challenger in the 1930 primary, and faced no opposition in the general election. In 1932, having run unsuccessfully as a

delegate to the

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

, he was unseated in the Republican primary by

Edward Grassman Edward Grassman (November 16, 1882 – September 20, 1952) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Grassman was born on November 16, 1882, in Richland County, Wisconsin. He graduated from high school in Sextonville, Wisconsin be ...

, who won the subsequent general election and would hold the seat until 1953. In 1934, he came in fourth in a four-way race for the Progressive nomination for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

; in 1938, he came in third in a three-way race for the Progressive nomination for

Wisconsin's 1st congressional district Wisconsin's 1st congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in southeastern Wisconsin, covering Kenosha County, Racine County, and most of Walworth County, as well as portions of Rock County ...

(another office which Blanchard had once held); in 1940, he received the nomination, and came in second (ahead of the Democrat) to incumbent Republican

Stephen Bolles Stephen Bolles (June 25, 1866July 8, 1941) was an American politician, a newspaper editor, and a congressman from Wisconsin. Early life Born in Springboro, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Bolles attended the public schools; was graduated from th ...

. By 1942, he had returned to the Republican Party, and sought (unsuccessfully) nomination to the State Senate; in 1948 and 1950, to the Assembly (in both cases losing again to Grassman); and in 1952 for the Assembly, losing to eventual victor Clyde Jewett (Grassman was not a candidate). At the 1952 Republican Party 1st Congressional District convention, he was one of the few delegates arguing for one man one vote

reapportionment Apportionment is the process by which seats in a legislative body are distributed among administrative divisions, such as states or parties, entitled to representation. This page presents the general principles and issues related to apportionme ...

of the State Senate. Slagg also served as city attorney and mayor of Edgerton, Wisconsin and

Rock County, Wisconsin Rock County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 163,687. Its county seat is Janesville. Rock County comprises the Janesville- Beloit, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Ma ...

family court commissioner. Slagg died on December 22, 1978.'1979 Wisconsin Session Laws,' volume 1, Val Phillips-Wisconsin Secretary of State, Madison: Madison, Wisconsin, 1979 Wisconsin Joint Resolution-Stanley W. Slagg, pg. 648

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slagg, Stanley Mayors of places in Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly People from Albion, Dane County, Wisconsin People from Edgerton, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin Law School alumni Wisconsin lawyers Wisconsin Progressives (1924) 1903 births 1978 deaths 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century Wisconsin politicians