Charles H Phillips

Background

Phillips was born in Milwaukee. He attended parochial and public schools and Markham Academy, and went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From 1891-1895 he worked in the office of the Wisconsin Secretary of State. During this time he attended the University of Wisconsin Law School, graduating in 1893. For a time he worked with his father, Milwaukee Mayor Joseph Phillips (b. 1825, Alsace, France), and with a Milwaukee leather company, before going into the practice of law. He served as chairman of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party County Committee, and was a delegate to the 1932 Democratic National Convention.

Elective office

In 1932 Phillips challenged Socialist Assemblyman George Hampel who nominated to succeed the incumbent, fellow Socialist Thomas Duncan (who was not seeking re-election). After winning his party primary, Phillips, running on the Democratic ticket with Franklin D. Roosevelt narrowly defeated Hampel in a four-way race, with 14,485 votes for Phillips, 13,951 for Hampel, 8,433 for Republican George Becker, and 267 votes for former Republican Assemblyman Martin M. Higgins, who was running as an independent. He was assigned to the standing committee on state and local government, and became chairman of the committee in charge of Wisconsin's exhibit at the 1933-34 Chicago Centennial of Progress (world's fair). After the 1934 elections, he became chairman of the standing committee on the judiciary, and a member of the committee on legislative procedure.

In 1936, Phillips sought re-election, but was defeated in turn by George Hampel, who was running as a nominal Progressive under the Socialist/Progressive cooperation agreement then under effect, with 22,093 votes for Hampel, 14,136 for Phillips, and 4982 for Republican Salendon Bennett.