John Winans

John Winans
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 1st district
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885
Preceded by	Charles Grandison Williams
Succeeded by	Lucien B. Caswell
Personal details
Born	September 27, 1831 Vernon, New Jersey
Died	January 17, 1907(1907-01-17) (aged 75) Janesville, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic

John Winans (September 27, 1831 – January 17, 1907) was an American lawyer from Janesville, Wisconsin who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and as a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin, as well as holding down local offices such as mayor of Janesville.

Winans was born in Vernon, New Jersey, received a public and private school, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1855. He came to Wisconsin in 1857 and settled in Janesville, where he practiced his profession. He served as member of the board of aldermen of Janesville in 1861, and as city attorney several times. He served as delegate to the 1864 Democratic National Convention, and in 1868 was the Democratic nominee for Congress from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, against incumbent Republican Benjamin F. Hopkins.

Winans was first elected to the State Assembly from Rock County's 5th Assembly district (the City of Janesville) in 1873 as a member of the short-lived Reform Party, a coalition of Democrats, reform and Liberal Republicans, and Grangers formed in 1873, which secured the election for two years of William Robert Taylor as Governor of Wisconsin. He received 741 votes to 633 for Republican incumbent Henry A. Patterson, and was assigned to the standing committee on the judiciary, of which he was elected chairman. He ran for re-election in 1874 under the "Democratic Reform" label (the Reform coalition had begun to dissolve, and Taylor would lose his 1875 bid for re-election), but was unseated by Republican Hiram Merrill, who drew 799 votes to 694 for Winans. Winans served as a colonel on the staff of Governor Taylor in 1874 and 1875.

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