While in Congress, William earned a reputation as a progressivepopulist and supporter of the New Deal, championing the causes of family farmers and co-sponsoring legislation to protect farmers against foreclosures during the Great Depression.
In 1936 William Lemke accepted the nomination of the Union Party, a short-lived third party, as their candidate for President of the United States. He received 892,267 votes, or just under 2% nationwide, and no electoral votes (see also: U.S. presidential election, 1936). Simultaneously, he was re-elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican. Many believe Lemke's acceptance of the Union Party nomination in 1936 was out of bitterness toward Roosevelt over this issue.
In 1940, after having already received the Republican nomination for a fifth House term, he withdrew from that race to launch an unsuccessful run as an independent for the U.S. Senate. He ran again for Congress in 1942 as a Republican and served four more terms, until his death in 1950.
Lemke died in Fargo, North Dakota and is buried in Riverside Cemetary.
WilliamLemke, the son of a prosperous farmer, was born in Albany, Minnesota, on 13th August, 1878.
Lemke polled 13 per cent of the vote in North Dakota but less than 6.5 per cent in other areas such as Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where he was expected to do well.
Lemke was elected to Congress in 1942 and served from January 1943 until his death on 30th May 1950.
Lemke is currently completing a specialist degree in Educational Leadership at Winona State University.
In 1989 and 1992 Lemke played for the University of Wisconsin-Rock County men’s soccer team and was twice selected as an all conference and an all region player.
Lemke is currently the Co-Technical director of the La Crescent Youth Soccer Club and his a member of the Minnesota ODP coaching staff for District 103.
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