1978 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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1978 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
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←  1974 November 7, 1978 1982  →
  Lee Dreyfus (Wisconsin Governor) (3x4) a.jpg Martin Schreiber (3x4) a.png
Nominee Lee S. Dreyfus Martin J. Schreiber
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate Russell A. Olson Douglas J. La Follette
Popular vote816,056673,813
Percentage54.37%44.89%
1978 Wisconsin gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results

Dreyfus:     50–60%     60–70%

Schreiber:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Governor before election

Martin J. Schreiber
Democratic

Elected Governor

Lee S. Dreyfus
Republican

The 1978 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Republican Lee S. Dreyfus won the election with 54% of the vote, winning his first term as Governor of Wisconsin and defeating incumbent Democrat Martin J. Schreiber. [1] Bob Kasten unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination.

Contents

As of 2024, this is the most occasion that Florence County has voted Democratic in a gubernatorial election.

Primary election

The primary election was held on September 12, 1978. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were selected in separate primaries before running on a joint ticket in the general election.

Democratic party

Governor

Candidates
  • David Carley, nominee for lieutenant governor in 1962
  • Edmond Hou-Seye, American party nominee for United States Senate in 1970
  • Martin J. Schreiber, incumbent governor
Results
Democratic gubernatorial primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Martin J. Schreiber (incumbent) 217,572 60.44%
Democratic David Carley132,90136.92%
Democratic Edmond Hou-Seye9,4872.64%
Total votes359,960 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates
Results
Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Douglas J. La Follette 151,366 44.78%
Democratic Dale T. McKenna 47,25713.98%
Democratic Harout Sanasarian 40,26811.91%
Democratic Paul Offner 40,00811.84%
Democratic Robert A. Anderson21,2306.28%
Democratic Charles E. Smith19,5045.77%
Democratic Monroe Swan 18,3925.44%
Total votes338,025 100.00%

Republican party

Governor

Candidates
Results
Republican gubernatorial primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Lee S. Dreyfus 197,279 57.91%
Republican Robert W. Kasten 143,36142.09%
Total votes340,640 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates
Results
Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Russell A. Olson 185,332 100.00%
Republican La Verne Ausman 104,986100.00%
Total votes290,318 100.00%

Conservative party

Governor

Candidates
  • Eugene R. Zimmerman, American party nominee for Secretary of State in 1974
Results
Conservative gubernatorial primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
ConservativeEugene R. Zimmerman1,213100.00%
Total votes1,213 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates
  • George Reed, American party nominee for Secretary of State in 1970
Results
Conservative lieutenant gubernatorial primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
ConservativeGeorge Reed964100.00%
Total votes964 100.00%

Independent nominations

Candidates

  • John C. Doherty & Marion A. Doherty
  • Adrienne Kaplan & William Breihan
  • Henry A. Ochsner & Robert E. Nordlander

Results

Independent primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Doherty & Doherty 683 51.78%
Independent Kaplan & Breihan 383 29.04%
Independent Ochser & Nordlander 253 19.18%
Total votes1,319 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Results

1978 Wisconsin gubernatorial election [4] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Lee S. Dreyfus 816,056 54.37% +12.30%
Democratic Martin J. Schreiber (incumbent)673,81344.89%−8.29%
ConservativeEugene R. Zimmerman6,3550.42%
Independent John C. Doherty2,1830.15%
Independent Adrienne Kaplan1,5480.10%
Independent Henry A. Ochsner8490.06%
Scattering1920.01%
Majority142,2439.48%
Total votes1,500,996 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing +20.60%

Results by county

Dreyfus was the first Republican since Walter J. Kohler Jr. in 1952 to win Forest County, Portage County, and Rusk County. St. Croix County backed the losing candidate for the first time since 1892, breaking a bellwether streak of 40 consecutive gubernatorial elections. Barron County, Buffalo County, Pepin County, and Washburn County would not vote for the losing candidate again until 2018.

County [4] [5] Lee S. Dreyfus
Republican		Martin J. Schreiber
Democratic		All Others
Various		MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %
Adams 2,56756.50%1,94142.73%350.77%62613.78%4,543
Ashland 2,64145.60%3,10853.66%430.74%-467-8.06%5,792
Barron 4,86849.57%4,90149.91%510.52%-33-0.34%9,820
Bayfield 2,35444.42%2,88954.52%561.06%-535-10.10%5,299
Brown 31,61057.19%23,14641.88%5140.93%8,46415.31%55,270
Buffalo 1,98045.65%2,32953.70%280.65%-349-8.05%4,337
Burnett 1,93141.33%2,66457.02%771.65%-733-15.69%4,672
Calumet 5,59357.51%4,09142.07%410.42%1,50215.44%9,725
Chippewa 7,62455.97%5,88043.17%1180.87%1,74412.80%13,622
Clark 6,12356.80%4,58342.52%730.68%1,54014.29%10,779
Columbia 8,37762.09%5,06337.53%520.39%3,31424.56%13,492
Crawford 2,33252.63%2,07146.74%280.63%2615.89%4,431
Dane 56,63150.24%54,91648.72%1,1661.03%1,7151.52%112,713
Dodge 14,28061.89%8,65637.51%1380.60%5,62424.37%23,074
Door 5,22659.50%3,52040.08%370.42%1,70619.42%8,783
Douglas 5,50438.94%8,49460.10%1350.96%-2,990-21.16%14,133
Dunn 4,31746.40%4,82451.85%1631.75%-507-5.45%9,304
Eau Claire 12,06352.16%10,89847.13%1640.71%1,1655.04%23,125
Florence 69248.56%72250.67%110.77%-30-2.11%1,425
Fond du Lac 16,30557.31%11,84841.64%3001.05%4,45715.66%28,453
Forest 1,65352.08%1,49347.04%280.88%1605.04%3,174
Grant 8,96359.00%6,13440.38%940.62%2,82918.62%15,191
Green 5,21159.63%3,49339.97%350.40%1,71819.66%8,739
Green Lake 4,05669.69%1,73729.85%270.46%2,31939.85%5,820
Iowa 3,26956.13%2,51943.25%360.62%75012.88%5,824
Iron 1,29647.81%1,38451.05%311.14%-88-3.25%2,711
Jackson 3,11858.71%2,15740.61%360.68%96118.09%5,311
Jefferson 12,25558.59%8,51940.73%1410.67%3,73617.86%20,915
Juneau 4,35660.91%2,74338.36%520.73%1,61322.56%7,151
Kenosha 13,51841.36%18,97658.06%1880.58%-5,458-16.70%32,682
Kewaunee 3,44655.86%2,69043.61%330.53%75612.25%6,169
La Crosse 15,95456.52%12,05342.70%2180.77%3,90113.82%28,225
Lafayette 3,37056.19%2,59643.29%310.52%77412.91%5,997
Langlade 5,21366.01%2,62433.23%600.76%2,58932.78%7,897
Lincoln 5,83865.77%2,97533.52%630.71%2,86332.26%8,876
Manitowoc 13,13048.06%13,89850.87%2941.08%-768-2.81%27,322
Marathon 24,53664.67%12,97334.19%4331.14%11,56330.48%37,942
Marinette 7,37654.62%6,03044.65%980.73%1,3469.97%13,504
Marquette 2,42261.36%1,49537.88%300.76%92723.49%3,947
Menominee 20127.99%51571.73%20.28%-314-43.73%718
Milwaukee 145,36345.94%168,85453.36%2,2220.70%-23,491-7.42%316,439
Monroe 5,86865.35%3,06134.09%500.56%2,80731.26%8,979
Oconto 5,14959.12%3,49740.15%630.72%1,65218.97%8,709
Oneida 7,81867.98%3,63231.58%500.43%4,18636.40%11,500
Outagamie 23,54458.89%16,03040.09%4091.02%7,51418.79%39,983
Ozaukee 17,14567.50%8,16032.12%960.38%8,98535.37%25,401
Pepin 1,01637.81%1,64761.30%240.89%-631-23.48%2,687
Pierce 3,46044.25%4,29554.92%650.83%-835-10.68%7,820
Polk 3,95043.66%5,02755.57%700.77%-1,077-11.90%9,047
Portage 12,72260.18%8,27239.13%1460.69%4,45021.05%21,140
Price 3,74064.41%2,02734.91%400.69%1,71329.50%5,807
Racine 26,74451.62%24,73447.74%3340.64%2,0103.88%51,812
Richland 3,71260.97%2,34038.44%360.59%1,37222.54%6,088
Rock 18,83451.24%17,64748.01%2730.74%1,1873.23%36,754
Rusk 2,51752.13%2,26947.00%420.87%2485.14%4,828
Sauk 7,86760.46%5,06338.91%820.63%2,80421.55%13,012
Sawyer 2,44262.76%1,43436.85%150.39%1,00825.91%3,891
Shawano 7,14563.31%4,09736.30%440.39%3,04827.01%11,286
Sheboygan 18,93653.30%16,35546.04%2350.66%2,5817.27%35,526
St. Croix 4,60245.19%5,51554.16%660.65%-913-8.97%10,183
Taylor 3,39158.62%2,33840.41%560.97%1,05318.20%5,785
Trempealeau 4,10853.14%3,59546.51%270.35%5136.64%7,730
Vernon 4,53859.53%3,04839.98%370.49%1,49019.55%7,623
Vilas 4,61967.54%2,19032.02%300.44%2,42935.52%6,839
Walworth 12,80863.12%7,38636.40%980.48%5,42226.72%20,292
Washburn 2,30648.06%2,44751.00%450.94%-141-2.94%4,798
Washington 15,64560.82%9,95138.69%1270.49%5,69422.14%25,723
Waukesha 62,06265.53%32,13833.93%5090.54%29,92431.60%94,709
Waupaca 9,09667.75%4,27331.83%570.42%4,82335.92%13,426
Waushara 3,79168.39%1,72931.19%230.41%2,06237.20%5,543
Winnebago 24,87457.24%18,13741.74%4411.01%6,73715.50%43,452
Wood 14,04560.34%9,07739.00%1550.67%4,96821.34%23,277
Total816,05654.37%673,81344.89%11,1270.74%142,2439.48%1,500,996

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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References

  1. ↑ Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature (2015). Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Administration. pp. 699–701. ISBN   978-0-9752820-7-6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1979). "Vote For State Officers. By County". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1979-1980. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 893.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. 1 2 3 Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1979). "Vote For State Officers, By County". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1979-1980. Madison, Wisconsin. pp. 894–895.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. 1 2 Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1979). "Vote For State Officers By County". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1979-1980. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 914.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. 1 2 Richard M. Scammon; Alice V. McGillivray, eds. (1979). America Votes 13, A Handbook of Contemporary American Election Statistics. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly. p. 372.
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