Carl William Thompson (March 15, 1914 – September 19, 2002) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician.

[1] He graduated from high school in Stoughton, Wisconsin, before graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin Law School.

[1] During World War II, he served in the United States Army.

In 1947, he was a candidate in for the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district in the special election following the death of Robert Kirkland Henry.

Thompson was twice an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, losing to incumbent Oscar Rennebohm in 1948 and to Walter J. Kohler, Jr., in 1950, and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1952 and 1956.