Emil Baensch (June 12, 1857 – August 17, 1939) was an American lawyer, newspaper publisher, and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin.

Baensch was educated in public and private schools until age 15, when he went to work as a clerk and bookkeeper.

In 1881, he also founded the Lake Shore Times newspaper as a Republican partisan paper, in partnership with Fred Haukohl.

[2] In 1904, Baensch launched a primary challenge against incumbent governor Robert M. La Follette.

[2] The divide in the party led to a split and a separate Republican ticket in the 1904 general election, but La Follette still won re-election to a third term.