Francis E. McGovern

Francis Edward McGovern (January 21, 1866May 16, 1946) was an American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin. He served as the 22nd governor of Wisconsin from 1911 to 1915. In 1911 especially he sponsored a major series of progressive achievements through the legislature.

Through most of his life, he was a member of the Republican Party; he was originally a close ally of Wisconsin U.S. senator Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette—the two progressive leaders held an uneasy truce for McGovern's reelection in 1912 but became bitter rivals afterward. La Follette helped defeat McGovern in his bid for U.S. Senate in 1914, and McGovern then lost the 1916 Republican gubernatorial primary. After those losses, he largely retired from politics. Later in life, McGovern left the Republican Party and became a Democrat. Provided by Wikipedia