John Carey (Wisconsin politician)

John Carey (April 1, 1839 – June 20, 1888) was an American farmer from Osman, Wisconsin who served as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate.[1]

Background

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Carey was born in Ireland on April 1, 1839. His family emigrated to America in 1844, and settled in Albany, New York, where he received a public school education. They lived there until 1852, when they came to Wisconsin and settled in Manitowoc County. Carey became a farmer.

Public office

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Carey was a member of the Manitowoc County board of supervisors in 1862-1865; and was a candidate for sheriff in 1864.

In 1870 he ran for state senator from Manitowoc County as a Republican, losing with 1411 votes to 2141 for Democratic State Representative Carl Schmidt and 1011 for William Bach, running on the "People's Party" ticket.[2]

He served as town clerk in 1871-72; was chairman of his town board for six years, and chairman of the county board in 1881, 1884 and 1885.

Legislature

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He was elected to the Assembly's First Manitowoc County district in 1878 as a Democrat (Democratic incumbent Thomas Thornton was not a candidate for re-election), with 1240 votes to 399 for Republican William Cary.[3]

He was reelected in 1879, with 991 votes to 632 for Republican S. E. Johnson.[4] and was elected state senator for the Fifteenth District (Manitowoc County) in 1882. He was re-elected in 1886, receiving 3,222 votes, against 2,853 votes for Republican Fred Schutte.[5] In 1888, the 15th District had been modified to include Kewaunee County; Carey was not a candidate for re-election and was succeeded by fellow Democrat William F. Nash.[6]

Carey died at his home in Meeme, Wisconsin at the age of 49.[7]

References

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