View source for Clement Zablocki

{{Short description|US Congressman from Wisconsin, 1949–1983}}
{{Infobox officeholder 
|honorific-prefix  =
|name              = Clement Zablocki
|image name        = ClementZablockiPortrait.jpg
|caption           = 1979 portrait
|honorific-suffix  =
|office            = Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs|House Foreign Affairs Committee]]
| term_start       = January 3, 1977
| term_end         = December 3, 1983
| predecessor      = [[Thomas E. Morgan]]
| successor        = [[Dante Fascell]]
|state1            = [[Wisconsin]]
|district1         = {{ushr|wi|4|4th}}
| term_start1      = January 3, 1949
| term_end1        = December 3, 1983
| predecessor1     = [[John C. Brophy]]
| successor1       = [[Jerry Kleczka]]
|state2            = Wisconsin
|state_senate2     = Wisconsin
|district2         = [[Wisconsin's 3rd Senate district|3rd]]
| term_start2      = January 1, 1943
| term_end2        = January 1, 1949
| predecessor2     = [[Arthur L. Zimny]]
| successor2       = [[Casimir Kendziorski]]
|birth_date        = {{birth date|1912|11|18|mf=y}}
|birth_place       = [[Milwaukee]], Wisconsin, U.S.
|death_date        = {{death date and age|1983|12|3|1912|11|18|mf=y}}
|death_place       = Washington, D.C., U.S.
|restingplace      = Saint Adalbert Cemetery, Milwaukee
|party             = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse            = {{marriage|Blanche M. Janic|1937|1977|end=died}}
|children          = 2
|relations         =
|alma_mater        = [[Marquette University]] ([[Bachelor of Philosophy|Ph.B.]])
|occupation        =
|signature         =
}}
'''Clement John Zablocki''' (November 18, 1912{{spaced ndash}}December 3, 1983) was a [[Polish Americans|Polish American]] politician from [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]].  He was one of Wisconsin's longest-serving members of the [[U.S. House of Representatives]], representing [[Wisconsin's 4th congressional district]] for 18 terms, from 1949 until his death in 1983.<ref name="wihist">{{cite web|url= https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS14700 |title= Zablocki, Clement J. 1912 |website= [[Wisconsin Historical Society]] |date= 20 December 2016 |access-date= July 31, 2020 }}</ref>

A liberal [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], he built his reputation in foreign policy by taking strong [[anti-communist]] positions and supporting the [[Vietnam War]].  He was a sponsor of the original [[Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]] which launched the American intervention, but near the end of the war he was a driving force for the [[War Powers Resolution]], which sought to put restraints on the war-making powers of future presidents.  He rose to become chair of the [[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs|House Foreign Affairs Committee]] for the last seven years of his career.<ref>{{cite book|title= Profiles of an Era, the Nixon/Ford Years | editor-last= Schoenebaum |editor-first= Eleanor W. |year= 1979 |isbn =  9780156746625 |publisher= Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |page= 688 }}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Clement Zablocki was born, raised, and lived most of his life in [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]].  The son of Polish immigrants, he grew up speaking both Polish and English in Milwaukee's flourishing Polish American community.<ref name="human">{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WrP8xRB7DxYC |journal= The Human Tradition in America Since 1945 |editor-first= David L. |editor-last= Anderson |number= 15 |year= 2003 |publisher= Scholarly Resources Inc. |title= Clement J. Zablocki - The Politics of Personality and Presidential Power |first= Stephen M. |last= Leahy |pages= 113–128 |isbn= 978-0-8420-2943-8 |access-date= August 5, 2024 }}</ref>  He attended St. Vincent's Catholic Parochial School and then graduated from [[Marquette University High School]].  He took lessons as an organist from age 10, and earned money for college by performing at church services and directing the church choir.  He also worked as a department store clerk.<ref name="human"/>  He went on to attend Milwaukee's [[Marquette University]], where he earned his [[Bachelor of Philosophy|Ph.B.]] in 1936.  After graduating, he continued his work as a musician, and supplemented his income by teaching English and [[citizenship test]] preparation courses for Polish immigrants.<ref name="1944bio">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1944 |year= 1944 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau|Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library]]  |editor-last1= Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Members of the Legislature |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z/full/AQYGHDA5QN4WGV9C 27] |access-date= August 5, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="human"/>

==Early political career==
According to Milwaukee legend, Zablocki often emphasized with his Polish immigrant students the importance of participating in American politics.  At one point, a student in his class, Mrs. Geniusz, responded to him saying that if he knew so much about politics, he should run for office.  Zablocki responded by immediately declaring his candidacy for [[Wisconsin Senate]].  Whether or not that story is true, Zablocki had a strong base to begin a life in politics.  His aunt, Leone Wozinski, was a leading figure in Milwaukee's Polish American community and was highly active with civic organizations which crossed over into other communities in the city.  She introduced Zablocki to those organizations, and he quickly became "the life of the party".<ref name="human"/>

Zablocki's run for Wisconsin Senate in 1938 was his first campaign for public office.  He was only 26 and was launching a primary challenge against incumbent [[Arthur L. Zimny]] of [[Wisconsin's 3rd Senate district]].  Zimny had run afoul of local Democrats and the Polish community by accepting a number of personal benefits from the [[Wisconsin Progressive Party]] in exchange for his support in organizing the legislature.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-politics/152694292/  |title= State Politics |first= Aldric |last= Revell |newspaper= [[The Capital Times]] |date= September 11, 1938 |page= 9 |access-date= August 5, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  As it does today, the 3rd Senate district spanned a swath of the south side of the city of Milwaukee, from [[Walker's Point Historic District|Walker's Point]] to the [[Neighborhoods of Milwaukee#Jackson Park|Jackson Park]] neighborhood, comprising many of the Polish American neighborhoods of the city.  In addition to Zablocki, however, six other Democrats also sought to challenge Zimny in 1938, significantly diluting the vote.  Zimni won renomination, but Zablocki posted a surprisingly strong second-place finish in the primary, falling only 411 votes short.<ref name="1940elex">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/5YLAAJEI53TTB8Q |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1940 |year= 1940 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau|Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library]]  |editor-last1= Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Bryham |editor-first2= Leone G. |chapter= Parties and Elections |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5YLAAJEI53TTB8Q/full/ABXVJKP5Z3OIYV8T 545] |access-date= August 5, 2024 }}</ref>

Zimny did not run again in 1942, and Zablocki was immediately seen as a frontrunner to replace him.  Nevertheless, he did still face a competitive Democratic primary against Richard&nbsp;F. Maruszewski.  Zablocki prevailed with 53.6% of the vote.<ref name="1944elex">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1944 |year= 1944 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau|Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library]]  |editor-last1= Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z/full/AH4V5TKTL3VROJ82 512], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z/full/AJ7SNGML5AV4WG8F 580] |access-date= August 5, 2024 }}</ref>

In the state Senate, Zablocki championed common Democratic issues of the time, supporting [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]] policies, labor unions, and veterans benefits, but was deep in the minority and held little influence in the crafting of legislation.<ref name="human"/>  He defeated a primary challenge from former state representative [[Martin Franzkowiak]] in 1946, and won a landslide in the general election.<ref name="1948elex">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/M65CYC7ECEXCX9D |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948 |year= 1948 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau|Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library]]  |editor-last1= Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AM65CYC7ECEXCX9D/full/APPET3SVQKDODU8A 608], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AM65CYC7ECEXCX9D/full/AHC4CFV3SOW5GN8N 679] |access-date= August 5, 2024 }}</ref>  In the Spring 1948 election, Zablocki sought election as Milwaukee city comptroller, but lost.

==Congress==
[[File:1931_WI_Cong_04.svg|thumb|right|Wisconsin's 4th congressional district 1931&ndash;1963]]
In 1946, Milwaukee's then-incumbent congressman [[Thaddeus Wasielewski]] lost the Democratic primary when seeking re-election, and then ran as an independent in the general election, splitting the Democratic vote and allowing Republican [[John&nbsp;C. Brophy]] to eke out a victory with 36% of the vote.  When Wasielewski indicated he would not run again in 1948, Zablocki jumped into the race and quickly cleared the primary field.  In the general election, however, Zablocki faced the danger of a split Democratic vote again, as the 1946 Democratic nominee [[Edmund&nbsp;V. Bobrowicz]] entered the race on the [[Progressive Party (United States, 1948–1955)|Progressive Party]] ticket.  Zablocki and other prominent Milwaukee Democrats sought to head off this problem by denouncing Bobrowicz over past communist affiliations.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-bobrowicz/152723224/ |title= Bobrowicz Runs on Wallace Ticket |newspaper= [[The Capital Times]] |date= July 19, 1948 |page= 6 |access-date= August 5, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-congressional/152776135/  |title= Dems See Hope for Six Badger Congress Seats |newspaper= [[The Capital Times]] |date= October 10, 1948 |page= 8 |access-date= August 6, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  The incumbent, Brophy, had only served on the Milwaukee City Council before his election to Congress and was regarded by the Wisconsin press as a weak campaigner relative to the gregarious Zablocki.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-politics/152776316/  |title= Government and Politics |first= John |last= Wyngaard |newspaper= [[Green Bay Press-Gazette]] |date= October 6, 1948 |page= 6 |access-date= August 6, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  At the general election, Zablocki won by a wide margin, taking nearly 56% of the vote.<ref name="1950elex">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/CKSBXV5IMWXXJ8I |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1950 |year= 1950 |editor1-last= Ohm |editor1-first= Howard F. |editor2-last= Kuehn |editor2-first= Hazel L. |publisher= [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau|Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library]]  |chapter= Parties and elections  |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ACKSBXV5IMWXXJ8I/full/ASMI5LZ3EET5OC8P 652], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ACKSBXV5IMWXXJ8I/full/APGYIT4P4Y5K3S8K 754] |access-date= August 6, 2024 }}</ref>

He represented [[Wisconsin's 4th congressional district]], which at that time comprised all of the southern half of [[Milwaukee County]], including the south side of the city of Milwaukee, and also included the city and town of Wauwatosa.  He was sworn in at the start of the [[81st Congress]] and was reelected 17 times, serving from January&nbsp;3, 1949, until his death on December&nbsp;3, 1983.<ref name="nyt-obit">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/04/obituaries/clement-jzablocki-of-foreign-affairs-panel-dies.html |title=Clement J. Zablocki of Foreign Affairs Panel Dies |newspaper= [[The New York Times]] |first= Steven V. |last= Roberts |date= December 4, 1983 |access-date= July 31, 2020 }}</ref>  Zablocki faced several primary challenges during his career and nearly always faced a Republican opponent in the general election, but he never received less than 60% in another election after the 1948 general.

===Early years in Congress===
Zablocki was assigned to the [[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs|House Foreign Affairs Committee]] from his first term in Congress.  He immediately struck a strong [[anti-communist]] line, insisting that the United&nbsp;States should not recognize the newly established People's Republic of China, and asserting that the people of China&mdash;and those of Eastern Europe&mdash;would eventually overthrow Communism.  Controversially, he also then said that the U.S. should sooner recognize the [[Francoist Spain|Franco regime]] than Communist China.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-la-crosse-tribune-zablocki/152910332/  |title= Zablocki Sees Hope for China |newspaper= [[La Crosse Tribune]] |date= January 18, 1950 |first= Richard P. |last= Powers |access-date= August 8, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  During his first term, he also hailed the establishment of the state of Israel on the first anniversary of its founding, praising it as a haven for refugees and displaced persons after the devastation of {{nowrap|World War II}}.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wisconsin-jewish-chronicle-israel/152910702/ |title= Local Congressmen Laud Israel on Anniversary |newspaper= [[Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle]] |date= May 13, 1949 |page= 3 |access-date= August 8, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  Zablocki's continued support for rapprochement with Francoist Spain also led him into a public dispute with then-U.S. President [[Harry S. Truman]] in 1952.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-la-crosse-tribune-washington/153024679/ |title= HST Speaks Frankly on Franco |newspaper= [[La Crosse Tribune]] |date= February 29, 1952 |page= 4 |access-date= August 10, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  Zablocki also supported the Republican plan to invite General [[Douglas MacArthur]] to testify before Congress after his [[Relief of Douglas MacArthur|dismissal]] by President Truman.

Politically, Zablocki also clashed in these early years with the state Democratic Party leadership, particularly over patronage opportunities.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-politics/153025169/ |title= Under the Dome |first= Sanford |last= Goltz |newspaper= [[Wisconsin State Journal]] |date= March 14, 1951 |page=6  |access-date= August 10, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>

===U.S. Senate special election (1957)===
Zablocki made only one attempt to run for higher office after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.  That attempt occurred in the [[1957 United States Senate elections#Wisconsin|1957 special election]] for U.S. Senate following the death of senator [[Joseph McCarthy]].  In the Democratic primary election, Zablocki was opposed by former state representative [[William Proxmire]], who had been the Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in the previous three general elections.  Proxmire was an enthusiastic campaigner, and was&mdash;by then&mdash;well known throughout the state.  At the primary, Zablocki put up a large majority in Milwaukee County, but Proxmire won nearly every other county and took the nomination easily.<ref name="1958elex">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/2BH4FP76N6HMK8V  |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1958 |year= 1958 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau|Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library]] |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= 666–667 |access-date= August 10, 2024 }}</ref>  After losing the primary, however, Zablocki campaigned in Catholic communities around the state for Proxmire, sometimes accompanied by Massachusetts U.S. Senator [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref name="jfk-lib">{{cite web|url= https://static.jfklibrary.org/phv261g2r3cl81ybqpbe12j03g517d03.pdf?odc=20231115175711-0500  |title= Clement J. Zablocki Oral History Interview – JFK #1 10/29/1965 |work= [[John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum]] |date= October 29, 1965 |access-date= August 11, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  Their combined efforts led to Proxmire winning a surprise upset in the election, and was then emulated by future Democratic statewide campaigns.<ref name="human"/>

===Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations===
[[File:John_F._Kennedy_and_Clement_J._Zablocki.jpg|thumb|right|Zablocki with President Kennedy in the [[Oval Office]], 1962.]]
During the presidency of [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], Zablocki was appointed as one of the United&nbsp;States delegates to the [[thirteenth session of the United Nations General Assembly]].

Zablocki was an early supporter of Senator [[John F. Kennedy]]'s presidential ambitions, endorsing his [[John F. Kennedy 1960 presidential campaign|presidential campaign]] in early 1959 and volunteering to run as a Kennedy delegate in the 1960 primary.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/portage-daily-register-kennedy-zablocki/153076127/ |title= Zablocki Will Back Kennedy for President |newspaper= Portage Daily Register |date= February 17, 1959 |page= 8 |access-date= August 11, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  Later that year, Kennedy attended a series of events in Wisconsin culminating in a [[General Pulaski Memorial Day|Pulaski Day]] dinner which included a celebration of Zablocki's decade of service in Congress.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-zablocki-kennedy/153076728/ |title= Labor Backs Him, Kennedy Tells Group |newspaper= [[Wisconsin State Journal]] |date= October 19, 1959 |page= 15 |access-date= August 11, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  Zablocki later took credit for introducing Kennedy to the Polish-American community, which became part of Kennedy's base in the 1960 election.  Zablocki was ultimately elected as a delegate to the [[1960 Democratic National Convention]].  Kennedy would, in 1962, refer to Zablocki as his campaign manager in Wisconsin.<ref name="jfk-lib"/>

Zablocki shepherded many of Kennedy's foreign policy initiatives through Congress, including the [[Peace Corps]], the [[Arms Control and Disarmament Agency]], and his foreign aid program.<ref name="human"/>

===Civil rights===
Zablocki voted in favor of the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] and the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], but saw significant backlash from his Polish American constituency.  After segregationist candidate [[George Wallace]] was warmly received by his constituents in 1964, Zablocki began to waver on civil rights issues, opposing a fair housing law and taking other symbolic steps&mdash;distancing himself from activist Catholic priest [[James Groppi]] and maintaining his membership in the [[Fraternal Order of Eagles]], which then excluded African Americans.<ref name="human"/>

===Vietnam War===
[[File:Clement J. Zablocki.jpg|thumb|right|Zablocki's official portrait in the [[90th United States Congress|90th Congress]], 1967.]] 
Zablocki was assigned to the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Far East and Pacific, and began taking a particular interest in checking Communist expansion in southeast Asia in the early 1950s.  In response to increased activity by the [[Pathet Lao]], he suggested that a United Nations mission might be needed for [[Laos]], not unlike the U.S.-led UN mission that had just fought the [[Korean War]].

Zablocki traveled to South Vietnam to assess the government of president [[Ngo Dinh Diem]] just weeks before his assassination in 1963.  Zablocki expressed that he believed criticism of Diem was overblown, and accusations of corruption were unfounded.  Further, he expressed that there was no viable replacement for Diem, and that the Diem regime would remain stable so long as the United&nbsp;States support remained steadfast.<ref name="jfk-lib"/>

After the assassinations of Diem and Kennedy, Zablocki opposed increased American troop presence in Vietnam.  He remained reticent about utilizing American troops after the [[Gulf of Tonkin incident]], but co-sponsored the enabling [[Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]] in August 1964.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/janesville-daily-gazette-tonkin-resoluti/153079401/  |title= Kastenmeier Okays Resolution, but Questions it |newspaper= Janesville Daily Gazette |date= August 7, 1964 |page= 18 |access-date= August 11, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  In the year after Tonkin, Zablocki warmed to the idea of direct American involvement in the war, and suggested that he would be comfortable with maintaining an American presence in South Vietnam for more than 15 years.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-waukesha-county-freeman-zablocki-vie/153079683/ |title= 'Permanent Truce is Possible' |newspaper= Waukesha County Freeman |date= December 24, 1965 |page= 7 |access-date= August 11, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>

Although Zablocki's position on Vietnam became more politically unpopular within his party as the war dragged on, he easily survived several primary challenges.  He served as chair of President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]'s doomed re-election effort in Wisconsin in 1968.<ref name="human"/>

Following the election of [[Richard Nixon]] as president, Zablocki continued to support the administration's Vietnam policy.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-nixon-zablocki/153080252/ |title= Says Nixon Missed in Telling New Viet Policy to Congress |newspaper= [[Racine Journal Times]] |date= May 10, 1972 |page= 17 |access-date= August 11, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  Behind the scenes, however, Zablocki was souring on the war.  In 1970, he began work on an early version of the [[War Powers Resolution]].  By 1971, Zablocki publicly supported a resolution from the House Foreign Affairs Committee calling for Nixon to set a date for a final American withdrawal from Vietnam as part of a broader effort to return American prisoners of war.<ref>{{cite news|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-zablocki-vietnam/153080506/ |title= House 'Hawk' Zablocki Plans Pullout Request |newspaper= [[Racine Journal Times]] |date= May 12, 1971 |page= 24 |access-date= August 11, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>  And in 1972, Zablocki was a co-author of the [[Case-Zablocki Act]], which required that executive agreements by the president be reported to Congress in 60 days.  He ultimately helped push through the final version of the War Powers Resolution in 1973, over Nixon's veto.<ref>Eleanor W  Schoenebaum, ed., ''Political Profiles: The Nixon/Ford Years (1979) p 688</ref>

Zablocki remained an advocate for the interests of Vietnam War [[National League of POW/MIA Families|prisoners of war and missing in action]].  During May 1973 hearings, Zablocki observed that returning prisoners uniformly had expressed their belief that there were no U.S. servicemen still alive in Vietnam.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Allen|first=Michael J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/489150940|title=Until the last man comes home : POWs, MIAs, and the unending Vietnam War|date=2009|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|isbn=978-0-8078-9531-3|location=Chapel Hill|pages=98–99|oclc=489150940}}</ref>

===Chair of House Foreign Affairs===
With the retirement of House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman [[Thomas E. Morgan]] in 1977, Zablocki&mdash;with 28 years of seniority in the House&mdash;was a strong candidate to succeed him in the [[95th&nbsp;Congress]].  But Zablocki faced intense opposition, led by veteran New&nbsp;York congressman [[Benjamin Rosenthal]].  Rosenthal circulated a memo criticizing Zablocki's temperament, reputation, and policy positions, accusing him of being more like a conservative Republican on foreign policy issues.  Among Rosenthal's policy charges, he faulted Zablocki for frequently siding with nationalist parties, such as the South Korean military dictatorship and the [[Kuomintang]] of [[Taiwan]].  He accused Zablocki of blocking human rights proposals and attempts to cut off or limit support to regimes that were committing human rights violations.  He said Zablocki's stance on the middle east isolated him from all sides&mdash;where Zablocki had suggested withdrawing support from both Israel and Egypt.  And he assailed Zablocki's continued vocal support for the war in Vietnam long after most of the party had turned against the conflict.<ref name="rosenthal">{{Cite news|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-zablocki-chair/152780976/ |title= Zablocki unfit, Dem colleague charges |newspaper= [[The Capital Times]] |date= January 11, 1977 |first1= Jack |last1= Anderson |first2=Les |last2= Whitten |page= 38 |access-date= August 6, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>

Zablocki reacted angrily and compared the memo to [[McCarthyism]].  He charged that Rosenthal's criticism was mostly motivated by his opinion that Zablocki was not sufficiently supportive of Israel.  He further responded to some of Rosenthal's specific points, saying that cutting off aid to allies would not improve human rights, and that withdrawing from Vietnam harmed the United&nbsp;States reputation in Asia.<ref name="rosenthal"/>  But Zablocki did acknowledge that his support of South Vietnam and other nationalist governments in Asia may have "gone overboard" at times.<ref name="goals">{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-zablocki-chairman/152782480/ |title= Zablocki outlines his goals on foreign policy committee |newspaper= [[The Capital Times]] |date= February 9, 1977 |first= Don |last= Shannon |page= 45 |access-date= August 6, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>

Ultimately, 72 Democrats voted against Zablocki becoming chair of the committee, but 182 voted in favor, giving him more than enough support to secure the seat.<ref name="goals"/>  After taking the chair, Zablocki indicated strong support for the policies of the incoming [[Jimmy Carter]] administration, including reopening negotiations over the status of the [[Panama Canal Zone]] and holding the Soviet Union to their commitments on the [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks]] and the [[Helsinki Accords]].  Zablocki also sought to mend fences with Rosenthal, saying the first bill he would issue from his committee would be an amendment to the Export Control Act which would prohibit U.S. traders from joining boycotts against Israel.<ref name="goals"/>

At the start of the [[96th Congress]], President Carter [[Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations|formally recognized]] the government of the People's Republic of China.  Zablocki then introduced the [[Taiwan Relations Act]], which clarified and formalized the position of the United&nbsp;States toward Taiwan in the wake of that recognition.  The Taiwan Relations Act remains the foundation of U.S.&ndash;Taiwan relations, and restricts an American president from making unilateral changes to that policy.

In the presidency of [[Ronald Reagan]], Zablocki sought common ground and consensus with the Republican administration.  Reagan strongly disputed the constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution, which Zablocki had championed.  Zablocki&mdash;intent on preserving congressional oversight of war powers&mdash;negotiated a compromise with Reagan in which his deployment of armed forces to Lebanon would be authorized by Congress, and in exchange Reagan would sign legislation tacitly acknowledging the limits imposed by the war powers resolution.<ref name="nyt-obit"/>

===Later years and death===
Zablocki was wrapping up his seventh year as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and was at the height of his power and influence when he suffered a heart attack in his office on November 30, 1983, just before a planned meeting with Israeli prime minister [[Yitzhak Shamir]].  Zablocki was hospitalized in critical condition for three days, but did not recover.  He died December&nbsp;3, 1983, at Capitol Hill Hospital (now {{nowrap|700 Constitution Apartments}}).<ref name="nyt-obit"/>

Zablocki's funeral mass was held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Milwaukee, and was attended by roughly 1,000 people.  Distinguished guests included House speaker [[Tip O'Neill]], several dozen members of Congress, diplomats, and congressional staffers, as well as Wisconsin's governor, [[Tony Earl]], both of Wisconsin's U.S. senators, and Milwaukee mayor [[Henry Maier]].  In his eulogy, Reverend Lesniewski described Zablocki as one who was equally at home with "those who ate caviar and those who ate kielbasa".  Zablocki was buried at Saint Adalbert Catholic Cemetery in Milwaukee.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-zablocki-funeral/152783305/ |title= Tears, memories mark Zablocki mass |newspaper= [[The Capital Times]] |date= December 9, 1983  |first= John Patrick |last= Hunter |page= 27 |access-date= August 6, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>

== Personal life and family==
Clement Zablocki was the fifth of nine children born to Mathias Zablocki and his wife Mary (''née'' Jankowski).  Both of Zablocki's parents were immigrants from the [[Poznań]] region, part of Poland that was controlled by the [[German Empire]] during their lifetime.  The Zablockis were [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] and were members of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Milwaukee.

Clement Zablocki married his childhood sweetheart, Blanche Janic, in 1937.  They had no biological children, but adopted a son and daughter.  Zablocki's mother and wife died within days of each other in July 1977.

==Legacy==

The Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center at {{nowrap|5000 West National Avenue}} in Milwaukee is named for him,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?id=89 |title=VA government web site |access-date=2008-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070803212640/http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=89 |archive-date=2007-08-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as is the Zablocki Library and the Clement J. Zablocki Elementary School in Milwaukee.

==Electoral history==

===Wisconsin Senate (1938, 1942, 1946)===

{| class=wikitable
|-
! Year 
! Election
! Date
!! colspan="4"| Elected
!! colspan="4"| Defeated
! Total
! Plurality
|-
! rowspan="7" valign="top" | 1938<ref name="1940elex"/>
| rowspan="7" valign="top" | Primary
| rowspan="7" valign="top" | {{nowrap|Sep. 20}}
| rowspan="7" valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[Arthur L. Zimny]] (inc)}}
| rowspan="7" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="7" valign="top" align="right" | 3,071
| rowspan="7" valign="top" align="right" | 37.02%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki'''}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,660
| valign="top" align="right" | 32.06%
| rowspan="7" valign="top" align="right" | 8,296
| rowspan="7" valign="top" align="right" | 411
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Andrew Wesolowski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 789
| valign="top" align="right" | 9.51%
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Henry J. Dettlaff}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 494
| valign="top" align="right" | 5.95%
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|E. D. Wesolowski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 417
| valign="top" align="right" | 5.03%
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Ben M. Potter}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 291
| valign="top" align="right" | 3.51%
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Stanley Fajkowski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 288
| valign="top" align="right" | 3.47%
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|W. M. Langen}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 286
| valign="top" align="right" |3.45%
|-
! rowspan="4" valign="top" | 1942<ref name="1944elex"/>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Sep. 15}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki'''}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 3,015
| valign="top" align="right" | 53.62%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Richard F. Maruszewski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,608
| valign="top" align="right" | 46.38%
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,623
| valign="top" align="right" | 407
|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | General
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | {{nowrap|Nov. 3}}
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki'''}}
| rowspan="3" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 10,253
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 48.81%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Alfred J. Melms}}
| {{Party shading/Progressive (Wisconsin)}} | [[Wisconsin Progressive Party|Prog.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 6,299
| valign="top" align="right" | 29.99%
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 21,006
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 3,954
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Harry E. Chelminiak}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 3,810
| valign="top" align="right" | 18.14%
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Edward Schultheis}}
| {{Party shading/Socialist}} | [[Socialist Party of America|Soc.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 644
| valign="top" align="right" | 3.07%
|-
! rowspan="3" valign="top" | 1946<ref name="1948elex"/>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Aug. 13}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 4,271
| valign="top" align="right" | 67.63%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[Martin Franzkowiak]]}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,044
| valign="top" align="right" | 32.37%
| valign="top" align="right" | 6,315
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,227
|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | General
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | {{nowrap|Nov. 5}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc)}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 17,414
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 66.81%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Leonard W. Galbrecht}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 7,736
| valign="top" align="right" | 29.68%
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 26,066
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 9,678
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Edward Schultheis}}
| {{Party shading/Socialist}} | [[Socialist Party of America|Soc.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 916
| valign="top" align="right" | 3.51%
|}

===U.S. House of Representatives (1948&ndash;1982)===

{| class=wikitable
|-
! Year 
! Election
! Date
!! colspan="4"| Elected
!! colspan="4"| Defeated
! Total
! Plurality
|-
! rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1948 United States House of Representatives elections|1948]]<ref name="1950elex"/>
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | General
| rowspan="3" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 2}}
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki'''}}
| rowspan="3" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 89,391
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 55.89%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[John C. Brophy]] (inc.)}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 63,161
| valign="top" align="right" | 39.49%
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 159,929
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 26,230
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[Edmund V. Bobrowicz]]}}
| {{Party shading/Progressive (1948)}} | [[Progressive Party (United States, 1948)|Prog.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,051
| valign="top" align="right" | 3.16%
|- 
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[Clement Stachowiak]]}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Socialist}} | [[Socialist Party of America|Soc.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,326
| valign="top" align="right" | 1.45%
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1950 United States House of Representatives elections|1950]]<ref name="bb1952">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1952 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1952 |year= 1952 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Toepel |editor1-first= M. G. |editor2-last= Kuehn |editor2-first= Hazel L.  |chapter= Parties and elections |pages= 675, 745 |access-date= July 31, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 19}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 27,717
| valign="top" align="right" | 72.16%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[Thaddeus Wasielewski]]}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 10,692
| valign="top" align="right" | 27.84%
| valign="top" align="right" | 38,409
| valign="top" align="right" | 17,025
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 2}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 83,564
| valign="top" align="right" | 60.88%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|John C. Brophy}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 53,702
| valign="top" align="right" | 39.12%
| valign="top" align="right" | 137,266
| valign="top" align="right" | 29,862
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1952 United States House of Representatives elections|1952]]<ref name="bb1954">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1954 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954 |year= 1954 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Toepel |editor1-first= M. G. |editor2-last= Kuehn |editor2-first= Hazel L.  |chapter= Parties and elections |pages= 657, 745 |access-date= July 31, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 9}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 43,710
| valign="top" align="right" | 77.84%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Edwin L. Nowak}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 12,445
| valign="top" align="right" | 22.16%
| valign="top" align="right" | 56,155
| valign="top" align="right" | 31,265
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 4}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 131,098
| valign="top" align="right" | 64.27%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|John C. Schafer}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 72,869
| valign="top" align="right" | 35.73%
| valign="top" align="right" | 203,967
| valign="top" align="right" | 58,229
|-
!  valign="top" | [[1954 United States House of Representatives elections|1954]]<ref name="bb1956">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1956 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1956 |year= 1956 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Toepel |editor1-first= M. G. |editor2-last= Kuehn |editor2-first= Hazel L.  |chapter= Parties and elections |page= 747 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 2}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 100,120
| valign="top" align="right" | 71.09%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|John C. Schafer}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 40,723
| valign="top" align="right" | 28.91%
| valign="top" align="right" | 140,843
| valign="top" align="right" | 59,397
|-
! valign="top" | [[1956 United States House of Representatives elections|1956]]<ref name="bb1958">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1958 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1958 |year= 1958 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Toepel |editor1-first= M. G. |editor2-last= Kuehn |editor2-first= Hazel L.  |chapter= Parties and elections |page= 774 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 6}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 128,213
| valign="top" align="right" | 65.66%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|William J. Burke}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 67,063
| valign="top" align="right" | 34.34%
| valign="top" align="right" | 195,276
| valign="top" align="right" | 61,150
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1958 United States House of Representatives elections|1958]]<ref name="bb1960">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1960 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1960 |year= 1960 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Toepel |editor1-first= M. G. |editor2-last= Kuehn |editor2-first= Hazel L.  |chapter= Wisconsin state party platforms and elections |pages= 654, 695 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 9}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 36,857
| valign="top" align="right" | 85.38%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[Roman R. Blenski]]}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 6,311
| valign="top" align="right" | 14.62%
| valign="top" align="right" | 43,168
| valign="top" align="right" | 30,546
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 4}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 112,226
| valign="top" align="right" | 74.13%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|James J. Arnold}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 39,167
| valign="top" align="right" | 25.87%
| valign="top" align="right" | 151,393
| valign="top" align="right" | 73,059
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1960 United States House of Representatives elections|1960]]<ref name="bb1962">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1962 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1962 |year= 1962 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Toepel |editor1-first= M. G. |editor2-last= Theobald|editor2-first= H. Rupert  |chapter= Wisconsin elections |pages= 789, 865  |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 13}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 47,718
| valign="top" align="right" | 88.00%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Roman R. Blenski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 6,505
| valign="top" align="right" | 12.00%
| valign="top" align="right" | 54,223
| valign="top" align="right" | 41,213
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 8}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 155,789
| valign="top" align="right" | 71.71%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Samuel P. Murray}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 61,468
| valign="top" align="right" | 28.29%
| valign="top" align="right" | 217,257
| valign="top" align="right" | 94,321
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1962 United States House of Representatives elections|1962]]<ref name="bb1964">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1964 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1964 |year= 1964 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 714, 761  |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 11}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 41,408
| valign="top" align="right" | 87.91%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Roman R. Blenski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,694
| valign="top" align="right" | 12.09%
| valign="top" align="right" | 47,102
| valign="top" align="right" | 35,714
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 6}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 117,029
| valign="top" align="right" | 72.51%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|David F. Tillotson}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 44,368
| valign="top" align="right" | 27.49%
| valign="top" align="right" | 161,397
| valign="top" align="right" | 72,661
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1964 United States House of Representatives elections|1964]]<ref name="bb1966">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1966 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1966 |year= 1966 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 735, 752 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 8}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 48,887
| valign="top" align="right" | 89.28%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Roman R. Blenski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,870
| valign="top" align="right" | 10.72%
| valign="top" align="right" | 54,757
| valign="top" align="right" | 43,017
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 3}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 125,683
| valign="top" align="right" | 74.17%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Edward E. Estkowski}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 43,773
| valign="top" align="right" | 25.83%
| valign="top" align="right" | 169,456
| valign="top" align="right" | 81,910
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1966 United States House of Representatives elections|1966]]<ref name="bb1968">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1968 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1968 |year= 1968 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |editor2-last= Robbins |editor2-first= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 707, 721|access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 13}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 37,588
| valign="top" align="right" | 90.10%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Roman R. Blenski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 4,129
| valign="top" align="right" | 9.90%
| valign="top" align="right" | 41,717
| valign="top" align="right" | 33,459
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 8}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 77,690
| valign="top" align="right" | 74.31%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|James E. Laessig}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 26,863
| valign="top" align="right" | 25.69%
| valign="top" align="right" | 104,553
| valign="top" align="right" | 50,827
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1968 United States House of Representatives elections|1968]]<ref name="bb1970">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1970 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1970 |year= 1970 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |editor2-last= Robbins |editor2-first= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 797, 813 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 10}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 32,121
| valign="top" align="right" | 86.04%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Roman R. Blenski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,212
| valign="top" align="right" | 13.96%
| valign="top" align="right" | 37,333
| valign="top" align="right" | 26,909
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 5}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 118,203
| valign="top" align="right" | 72.62%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Walter McCullough}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 44,558
| valign="top" align="right" | 27.38%
| valign="top" align="right" | 162,761
| valign="top" align="right" | 73,645
|-
! rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1970 United States House of Representatives elections|1970]]<ref name="bb1971">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1971 |title= The state of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1971 |year= 1971 |publisher= State of Wisconsin  |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 296, 312 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 8}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 32,201
| valign="top" align="right" | 85.35%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Donald P. Lass}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,529
| valign="top" align="right" | 14.65%
| valign="top" align="right" | 37,730
| valign="top" align="right" | 26,672
|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | General
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 3}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 102,464
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 80.35%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Phillip D. Mrozinski}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 23,081
| valign="top" align="right" | 18.10%
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 127,530
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 79,383
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|John A. Zierhut}}
| {{Party shading/American}} | [[American Party (1969)|Amer.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 1,985
| valign="top" align="right" | 1.56%
|-
! rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1972 United States House of Representatives elections|1972]]<ref name="bb1973">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1973 |title= The state of Wisconsin 1973 Blue Book |year= 1973 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |editor2-last= Robbins |editor2-first= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 799, 819 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | Primary
| rowspan="3" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 12}}
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| rowspan="3" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 32,087
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 75.78%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Therese M. Heimann }}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 4,337
| valign="top" align="right" | 10.24%
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 42,340
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 27,750
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Grant D. Waldo}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 3,890
| valign="top" align="right" | 9.19%
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Roman R. Blenski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,026
| valign="top" align="right" | 4.79%
|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | General
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 7}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 149,078
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 75.66%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Phillip D. Mrozinski}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 45,008
| valign="top" align="right" | 22.84%
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 197,032
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 104,070
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Eugene Annell}}
| {{Party shading/American}} | [[American Party (1969)|Amer.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,946
| valign="top" align="right" | 1.50%
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1974 United States House of Representatives elections|1974]]<ref name="bb1975">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1975 |title= The state of Wisconsin 1975 Blue Book |year= 1975 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |editor2-last= Robbins |editor2-first= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |page= 821|access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | General
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 5}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 84,768
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 72.46%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Lewis D. Collison}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 27,818
| valign="top" align="right" | 23.78%
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 116,990
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 56,950
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Herbert O. Jahnke}}
| {{Party shading/American}} | [[American Party (1969)|Amer.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 4,404
| valign="top" align="right" | 3.76%
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1976 United States House of Representatives elections|1976]]<ref name="bb1977">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1977 |title= The state of Wisconsin 1977 Blue Book |year= 1977 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |editor2-last= Robbins |editor2-first= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 886, 908 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 14}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 29,540
| valign="top" align="right" | 83.50%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Roman R. Blenski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,838
| valign="top" align="right" | 16.50%
| valign="top" align="right" | 35,378
| valign="top" align="right" | 23,702
|-
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 2}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 172,166
| valign="top" align="right" | 100.0%
| colspan="4" valign="top"  align="center" | {{nowrap|''--Unopposed--''}}
| valign="top" align="right" | 172,166
| valign="top" align="right" align="center" | ''N/A''
|-
! valign="top" | [[1978 United States House of Representatives elections|1978]]<ref name="bb1979">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1979 |title= The state of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book |year= 1979 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |editor2-last= Robbins |editor2-first= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |page= 918 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | General
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 7}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 101,575
| valign="top" align="right" | 66.09%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Elroy C. Honadel}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 52,125
| valign="top" align="right" | 33.91%
| valign="top" align="right" | 153,700
| valign="top" align="right" | 49,450
|-
! rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1980 United States House of Representatives elections|1980]]<ref name="bb1981">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1981 |title= The state of Wisconsin 1981-1982 Blue Book |year= 1981 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |editor2-last= Robbins |editor2-first= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 888, 909 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 9}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 29,411
| valign="top" align="right" | 89.40%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Roman R. Blenski}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 3,489
| valign="top" align="right" | 10.60%
| valign="top" align="right" | 32,900
| valign="top" align="right" | 25,922
|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | General
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 4}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 146,437
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 70.02%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Elroy C. Honadel}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |  [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 61,027
| valign="top" align="right" | 29.18%
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 209,134
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 85,410
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Lynn Rashkind}}
| {{Party shading/Independent}} | [[Independent (United States)|Ind.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 1,670
| valign="top" align="right" | 0.80%
|-
! rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1982 United States House of Representatives elections|1982]]<ref name="bb1983">{{cite report|chapter-url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1983 |title= The state of Wisconsin 1983-1984 Blue Book |year= 1983 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor1-last= Theobald|editor1-first= H. Rupert |editor2-last= Robbins |editor2-first= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= 882, 904 |access-date= August 1, 2020 }}</ref>
| valign="top" | Primary
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 14}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 56,047
| valign="top" align="right" | 60.82%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[Lynn Adelman]]}}
| {{Party shading/Democratic }} |  [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 36,102
| valign="top" align="right" | 39.18%
| valign="top" align="right" | 92,149
| valign="top" align="right" | 19,945
|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | General
| rowspan="3" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 2}}
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | {{nowrap|'''Clement J. Zablocki''' (inc.)}}
| rowspan="3" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 129,557
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 94.58%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Nicholas P. Youngers}}
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} |  [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Lib.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 4,064
| valign="top" align="right" | 2.97%
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 136,988
| rowspan="3" valign="top" align="right" | 125,493
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|John F. Baumgartner}}
| {{Party shading/Independent}} | [[Independent (United States)|Ind.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,421
| valign="top" align="right" | 1.77%
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|John Gudenschwager}}
| {{Party shading/Constitution}} | [[Constitution Party (United States)|Cons.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 946
| valign="top" align="right" | 0.69%
|}

== Further reading==
* Barone, Michael et al. ''The Almanac of American Politics: 1976'' (1975)  pp 930–32
* Leahy, Stephen M.  ''The Life of Milwaukee's Most Popular Politician, Clement J. Zablocki: Milwaukee Politics and Congressional Foreign Policy.'' Lewiston, NY: The Edward Mellen Press, 2002.

== See also ==
* [[List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikisource|works=or}}
{{CongLinks| congbio= Z000001 |fec= H6WI04022 |congress= clement-zablocki/Z000001}}
* [http://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/Mss/CJZ/CJZ-main.shtml Clement J. Zablocki Papers] at Marquette University.
* [http://cdm16280.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15072coll1 Clement J. Zablocki, Photographs of Wisconsin’s “Mr. Democrat”] at Marquette University.
* {{C-SPAN|1001723}}

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{{s-par|us-wi-sen}}
{{s-bef|before= [[Arthur L. Zimny]] }}
{{s-ttl|title= Member of the [[Wisconsin State Senate|Wisconsin Senate]] {{nowrap|from the [[Wisconsin Senate, District 3|3rd]] district}}|years= January 1, 1943{{spaced ndash}}January 1, 1949 }}
{{s-aft|after= [[Casimir Kendziorski]] }}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{US House succession box |state= Wisconsin |district=4|before=[[John C. Brophy]]|after= [[Jerry Kleczka]]|years=January 3, 1949{{spaced ndash}}December 3, 1983}}
{{succession box
|title=Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs|House Foreign Affairs Committee]]
|before=[[Thomas E. Morgan]]<br/>{{small|(Pennsylvania)}}
|years=January 3, 1977{{spaced ndash}}December 3, 1983
|after=[[Dante Fascell]]<br/>{{small|(Florida)}}
}}
{{s-end}}

{{US House Foreign Affairs chairs}}
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{{United States representatives from Wisconsin}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Zablocki, Clement}}
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:1983 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Milwaukee]]
[[Category:Marquette University alumni]]
[[Category:American politicians of Polish descent]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Catholic politicians from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives]]