hiː hæd nˈɛvɚ ɹˈʌn fɔːɹ ᵻlˈɛktᵻd ˈɑːfɪs bᵻfˌoːɹ ænd wʌz sᵻlˈɛktᵻd lˈɑːɹdʒli bɪkˈʌz ʌv hɪz bˈɪznəs ænd sˈɪvɪk pɹˈɑːmɪnəns—ɪspˈɛʃəli ɐmˌʌŋ wɪskˈɑːnsɪnz dʒˈɜːmən pɹˈɑːɾɪstənt pˌɑːpjʊlˈeɪʃən.
He had never run for elected office before and was selected largely because of his business and civic prominence—especially among Wisconsin's German protestant population.