Ed Warren (politician)

Ed Warren, born Ed Warren Leisenring, (c. 1886/1887 – April 15, 1963) was an American actor and politician who served as the 35th and 41st Mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Ed Warren
Member of the Wyoming Senate
In office January 25, 1952 – January 1, 1953
Preceded by	George E. Lindell
35th and 41st Mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming
In office January 1, 1940[1] – January 1, 1944
Preceded by	Archie Allison
Succeeded by	Ira L. Hanna
In office June 21, 1951 – January 7, 1952[2]
Preceded by	Edward Gowdy
Succeeded by	R. E. Cheever
Member of the Cheyenne, Wyoming city council
In office 1934 – January 1, 1940
Personal details
Born	Ed Warren Leisenring c.1886–1887
Died	April 15, 1963
Political party	Democratic

Early life

Ed Warren Leisenring was born around 1886 or 1887.[3] He became an actor as a child with his two sisters after being introduced by Fred Stone. He later adopted the stage name of Ed Warren as he felt that his last name "Leisenring" was too complicated. His career as an actor ended shortly after 1915 as by that time both of his sisters had left due to getting married. During his career he played on Broadway and would later become the third mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming to have done so.[4]

Career

City council

In 1933, he placed fourth out of sixteen candidates, behind Arthur B. Henderson, Arthur W. Trout, and E. J. Smalley, in the Cheyenne city council primary.[5] In the general election he and Trout defeated Henderson and Smalley.[6] Warren and Trout were reelected in 1935 and 1937.[7][8]

On June 18, 1938, he offered a $25 reward for information leading to the arrest of vandals who attempted to blow up a wooden building in Kiwanis Beach park using a powder keg with a fifty-foot fuse.[9]

Mayor

In 1939, he ran in the Cheyenne mayoral primary and placed in the top two alongside John J. McInerney ahead of nine other candidates.[10] In the general election he easily defeated McInerney.[1] In 1941, he won reelection against McInerney.[11] On August 12, 1943, he announced that he would seek reelection, but placed last in the mayoral primary.[12][13]

On March 1, 1951, Mayor Benjamin Nelson resigned from office after he was called to active duty in the air force.[14] Edward Gowdy took over as acting mayor and he and A. W. Trout selected Warren to serve out the remainder of Nelson's term. On June 21, Warren was sworn in as mayor.[15]

Warren announced that he would seek election to a term in his own right and placed first out of ten candidates in the mayoral primary.[16][17] However, in the general election he was defeated by R. E. Cheever.[18]

Later life

In 1952, state Senator George E. Lindell resigned to become an instructor at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. Warren, Art Buck, and Raymond Morris were nominated by the Laramie County Democratic Central Committee. Warren was selected on January 25, and served until the term expired on January 1, 1953.[19][20]

On September 15, 1953, he announced that he would run in Cheyenne's mayoral primary.[21] However, he came behind incumbent Mayor Cheever and Val S. Christensen.[22]

In October 1955, he announced that he would run in Cheyenne's mayoral primary against incumbent Mayor Christensen and former Mayor Cheever.[23] In the primary he placed third and endorsed Cheever for the general election.[24][25] In the general election Christensen defeated Cheever.[26]

On April 14, 1963, Warren asked Ed Piva to dig a hole in his yard so that a tree could be planted. On April 15, he committed suicide with his dog by inhaling carbon monoxide from his car exhaust. He left a letter asking for his dog to be buried in the hole dug by Piva.[3]

Electoral history

Ed Warren electoral history

1939 Cheyenne, Wyoming mayoral election[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Ed Warren	5,272	64.57%
	Nonpartisan	John J. McInerney	2,893	35.43%
Total votes			8,165	100.00%

1943 Cheyenne, Wyoming mayoral primary[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	John J. McInerney	1,593	31.73%
	Nonpartisan	Ira L. Hanna	1,310	26.09%
	Nonpartisan	John W. Howard	1,125	22.41%
	Nonpartisan	Ed Warren (incumbent)	993	19.78%
Total votes			5,021	100.00%

1951 Cheyenne, Wyoming mayoral primary[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Ed Warren (incumbent)	2,938	36.36%
	Nonpartisan	R. E. Cheever	2,059	25.48%
	Nonpartisan	Lou Mankus	986	12.20%
	Nonpartisan	D. N. Packwood	546	6.76%
	Nonpartisan	Walter Schoenberg	429	5.31%
	Nonpartisan	Harvey Roach	356	4.41%
	Nonpartisan	Fred Kaysbier Jr.	297	3.68%
	Nonpartisan	M. J. Andrews	247	3.06%
	Nonpartisan	Don J. Elliott	137	1.70%
	Nonpartisan	Kenneth Franson	85	1.05%
Total votes			8,080	100.00%

1951 Cheyenne, Wyoming mayoral election[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	R. E. Cheever	4,419	52.29%
	Nonpartisan	Ed Warren (incumbent)	4,032	47.71%
Total votes			8,451	100.00%

1955 Cheyenne, Wyoming mayoral primary[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Val S. Christensen (incumbent)	4,375	45.87%
	Nonpartisan	R. E. Cheever	4,027	42.23%
	Nonpartisan	Ed Warren	1,135	11.90%
Total votes			9,537	100.00%

References

1. "Warren Named Cheyenne Mayor; Orr Reelected to Sheridan Post". Casper Star-Tribune. November 8, 1939. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "New Mayor Takes Office at Cheyenne". Casper Star-Tribune. January 7, 1952. p. 10. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Ex-Mayor of Cheyenne Is Victim of Suicide". Casper Star-Tribune. April 15, 1963. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Cheyenne Mayor Once Actor on Broadway". Casper Tribune-Herald. November 14, 1939. p. 8. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
5. "City council primary". Casper Star-Tribune. October 25, 1933. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Cheyenne Names Allison; Sheridan Re-Elects Loucks". Casper Star-Tribune. November 8, 1933. p. 5. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Cheyenne Mayor Re-elected, Craig Is Victor At Sheridan". Casper Star-Tribune. November 6, 1935. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Allison Majority Is 645 Votes". Casper Star-Tribune. November 3, 1937. p. 7. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Attempt Made To Blow Up Building". Casper Star-Tribune. June 19, 1938. p. 9. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Cheyenne and Sheridan Cast Primary Ballots". Casper Star-Tribune. October 25, 1939. p. 9. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Cheyenne Again Elects Warren". Casper Star-Tribune. November 5, 1941. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Cheyenne Mayor Loses Primary". Casper Star-Tribune. October 20, 1943. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Cheyenne Mayor Seeks Reelection". Casper Star-Tribune. August 13, 1943. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Nelson Called Up, To Quit as Mayor". Casper Star-Tribune. February 28, 1951. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Ed Warren Sworn in As Mayor of Cheyenne". Casper Star-Tribune. June 21, 1951. p. 17. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Two Cities Will Hold Primaries". Casper Star-Tribune. October 21, 1951. p. 10. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Warren, Cheever Are Nominated". Casper Star-Tribune. October 24, 1951. p. 6. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Voters Turn Out Former Officeholders in Cities". Casper Star-Tribune. November 7, 1951. p. 5. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "Three Nominated for State Senate Vacancy". Casper Star-Tribune. January 17, 1952. p. 19. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Ed Warren Appointed To the State Senate". Casper Star-Tribune. January 25, 1952. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Warren to Be Candidate For Mayor". Casper Star-Tribune. September 16, 1953. p. 12. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
22. "Christensen and Cheever In Cheyenne Vote Finals". Casper Star-Tribune. October 21, 1953. p. 13. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
23. "Warren Candidate for Cheyenne Mayor Post". Casper Star-Tribune. October 5, 1955. p. 5. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
24. "Christensen and Cheever to Vie for Cheyenne Mayor". Casper Star-Tribune. October 26, 1955. p. 7. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
25. "Five Wyoming Cities to Pick Mayors Tuesday". Casper Star-Tribune. November 6, 1955. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
26. "Christensen Easily Wins Over Cheever in Cheyenne". Casper Morning Star. November 9, 1955. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Ed Warren at Find a Grave