Justus S. Wardell

{{Short description|American politician}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Justus S. Wardell

|image = Justus S. Wardell LCCN2014710163 Crop.jpg

|caption = Wardell in 1916

|office1 = Chairman of the
California Democratic Party

|term_start1 = July 1931

|term_end1 = September 1932

|predecessor1 = Zachary T. Malaby

|successor1 = Maurice Harrison

|state_assembly2 = California

|district2 = 39th

|term_start2 = January 2, 1899

|term_end2 = January 1, 1901

|predecessor2 = Leon E. Jones

|successor2 = Frank D. MacBeth

|birth_name = Justus Struver Wardell

|birth_date = {{birth date|1872|06|30}}

|birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|1945|09|24|1872|06|30}}

|death_place = San Francisco, California, U.S.

|resting_place = Woodlawn Memorial Park

|nationality =

|party = Democratic

|spouse = {{marriage|Clara Louise Kellogg|July 9, 1895}}

| children = {{flatlist|

• Benjamin
• Virginia

}}

|occupation = Journalist, businessman, politician

}}

Justus Struver Wardell (June 30, 1872 – September 24, 1945) was an American journalist, businessman and politician who served one term in the California State Assembly from 1899 to 1901.{{cite web |url=https://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/6573 |title=Justus S. Wardell |author= |date= |website=JoinCalifornia |publisher= |access-date=1 October 2024 |quote=}} He also served as Surveyor of Customs for the Port of San Francisco from 1913 to 1917, Collector of Internal Revenue in San Francisco from 1917 to 1920, and Chairman of the California Democratic Party from 1931 to 1932.{{cite book |chapter-url=https://goldennuggetlibrary.sfgenealogy.org/sfbward2.htm |title=History of San Francisco 3 Vols |volume=2 |chapter=Justus S. Wardell |last=Byington |first=Lewis Francis |publisher=S. J. Clarke Publishing Company |place=Chicago |pages=173–175 |date=1931 |access-date=2024-12-31 |via=Golden Nugget's San Francisco Biographies}}

Wardell made several failed bids for higher office. He ran for Sheriff of San Francisco in 1901, losing to incumbent John Lackmann.{{cite news |author= |date=6 October 1901 |title=Ticket named by Democratic city convention |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19011006.2.26.1&srpos=3&e=------190-en--20--1--txt-txIN-Wardell+sheriff------- |work=San Francisco Call |location=San Francisco |access-date=1 October 2024 |via=California Digital Newspaper Collection}} He was the Democratic candidate for Governor of California in 1926, losing to Republican C. C. Young.{{cite news |author= |date=25 September 1945 |title=Justus Wardell Dies in S.F. |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=OT19450925.1.11&srpos=2&e=------194-en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22justus+s+wardell%22----1945--- |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |access-date=2024-12-31 |via=California Digital Newspaper Collection}} In 1932 he ran for U.S. Senate and in 1934 he again ran for Governor, losing both primaries.

He died at St. Luke's Hospital in San Francisco on September 24, 1945, and was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Colma.

File:Justus Wardell 1899.jpg]]