Eugene Wilder Chafin (November 1, 1852 – November 30, 1920) was an American politician and writer who served as the Prohibition Party's presidential candidate during the 1908 and 1912 presidential elections. He was active in local politics in Wisconsin, statewide elections in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Arizona, and campaigned throughout the United States and the world in favor of the prohibition of alcohol.

After serving as a delegate to multiple Prohibition national conventions he rose to serving on the national committee and then received the presidential nomination twice, but declined to seek the nomination again for the 1916 presidential election.

Eugene Wilder Chafin was born on November 1, 1852, to Samuel Evans Chafin and Betsy Almira Pollard on his family's farm in between East Troy and Mukwonago, Wisconsin.^[2] Chafin attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison and graduated on June 17, 1875, with a law degree and during his education shared a room with future Governor, Senator, and presidential candidate Robert M. La Follette.^[1] From 1875 to 1901 he practiced law in Waukesha, Wisconsin. On November 24, 1881, he married Carrie Arvila Hunkins and later had two children with her, one that died after birth on February 22, 1884 and Desdemona Eleanor on March 17, 1893.^[1]

On October 1, 1901, he moved to Chicago to become the superintendent of the city's Washingtonian home, which housed 1,500 alcoholics, and served in that position until 1904. From 1904 to 1908 he served as a lecturer as part of the Chautauqua movement.^[1][3] In 1909, he was admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States after being presented by Senator La Follette and with Carrie Nation in attendance.^[4]

In 1908, Chafin was appointed to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and in October 1909, he and his family moved to Tucson in the Arizona Territory.^[1] Following Arizona's admission into the United States as a state he ran in the House special election and received 0.41% in fourth place.^[17]

In January 1913, he started a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to fundraise $1,000,000 for the Prohibition party to use during the 1916 elections and later participated in a fundraising event in November across Ohio to raise $10,000 for the party.^[18][19]

On January 29, 1914, he announced that he would run in Arizona's Senate election and received 15.05% in the general election and from 1914 to 1915 gave lectures as part of the Flying Squadron of America.^[20][21] Chafin also campaigned in favor of a California ballot proposition to prohibit alcohol in 1914 and during it stated that women who voted against it deserved to be beaten by their husbands.^[22]

On January 6, 1919, Chafin and his family boarded the S.S. Sonoma to travel to Australia to help the Australian prohibition movement.^[23] The Eighteenth Amendment banning alcohol was ratified while he was traveling on January 16, 1919, and he was interviewed after disembarking in Australia.^[3]

On November 20, 1920, Chafin was lighting his gas heater at his home in Long Beach, California, in the Los Angeles area, and his clothing caught fire.^[3] He suffered burns and was initially saved by Henry Murray who wrapped him in quilts, but he died from his injuries on November 30.^[24][25] In 1921, his cremated remains were buried in Prairie Home Cemetery in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and the National Prohibition Committee had a memorial hour for Chafin at its November 1921 session.^[26][27]

• Voters' Handbook, (1876)
• Lives of the Presidents, (1896)
• Lincoln, the Man of Sorrow, (1908)
• Washington as a Statesman, (1909)
• The Master Method of the Great Reform, (1913)