1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Flag of Wisconsin.svg
  1994 November 3, 1998 2002  
  Tommy Thompson 1 (3x4) a.jpg Ed Garvey, NFL National Football League, Halloran House, NYC (3x4) a.jpg
Nominee Tommy Thompson Ed Garvey
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate Scott McCallum Barbara Lawton
Popular vote1,047,716679,553
Percentage59.66%38.70%

1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election by precinct.svg
Thompson:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Garvey:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Tie:     

Governor before election

Tommy Thompson
Republican

Elected Governor

Tommy Thompson
Republican

The 1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Governor Tommy Thompson won re-election for his fourth term with 59.66% of the vote. As of 2022, this is most recent gubernatorial election in which Milwaukee, Rock, Portage, and Iowa counties voted for the Republican candidate, and the most recent where the winner garnered a double digit margin of victory.

Contents

Primary election

The primary election was held on September 8, 1998. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were selected in separate primaries before running on a joint ticket in the general election.

Republican party

Governor

Candidates
Results
Republican gubernatorial primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Tommy G. Thompson (incumbent) 229,916 83.55%
Republican Jeffrey A. Hyslop45,26216.45%
Total votes275,168 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates
Results
Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Scott McCallum (incumbent) 217,059 100.00%
Total votes217,059 100.00%

Democratic party

Governor

Candidates
Results
Democratic gubernatorial primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ed Garvey 175,082 79.98%
Democratic Gary R. George 43,83020.02%
Total votes218,912 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates
Results
Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Barbara Lawton 178,022 100.00%
Total votes178,022 100.00%

Libertarian party

Governor

Candidates
  • Jim Mueller
Results
Libertarian gubernatorial primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Libertarian Jim Mueller 854 100.00%
Total votes854 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates
  • James Dean
Results
Libertarian lieutenant gubernatorial primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Libertarian James Dean 830 100.00%
Total votes830 100.00%

US Taxpayers' party

Governor

Candidates
  • Edward J. Frami
Results
US Taxpayers' gubernatorial primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
U.S. Taxpayers' Edward J. Frami1,252100.00%
Total votes1,252 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates
  • Thomas R. Rivers
Results
US Taxpayers' lieutenant gubernatorial primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
U.S. Taxpayers' Thomas R. Rivers1,232100.00%
Total votes1,232 100.00%

Green party

Governor

Candidates
  • Jeffrey Lane Smith
Results
Green gubernatorial primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Green Jeffrey Lane Smith (write-in) 15 100.00%
Total votes15 100.00%

Independent nominations

Governor

Candidates
  • Mike Mangan
  • A-Ja-mu Muhammad
Results
Independent gubernatorial primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Mike Mangan 374 69.13%
Independent A-Ja-mu Muhammad 167 30.87%
Total votes541 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates
  • Vida Harley Bridges
Results
Independent lieutenant gubernatorial primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Vida Harley Bridges 369 100.00%
Total votes369 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Tommy
Thompson (R)
Ed
Garvey (D)
Undecided
Market Shares Corporation [3] [A] October 21–24, 1998600 (LV)± 4.0%67%26%7%
St. Norbert College Survey Center [3] [B] October 8–20, 1998415 (LV)± 4.8%63%28%9%
Journal Sentinel Research
and Public Policy Forum [3]
October 2–9, 1998314 (LV)± 5.5%60%30%10%
WISC-TV/Wisconsin State Journal [3] August 7–26, 1998271 (LV)± 5.9%60%18%22%
Louis Harris & Associates [3] July 7–18, 19981,000 (A)± 3.0%58%27%15%
WISC-TV/Wisconsin State Journal [3] May, 1998403 (A)± 5.0%55%19%26%
St. Norbert College Survey Center [3] [C] February 17 – March 24, 1998400 (LV)± 5.0%60%26%14%
Journal Sentinel Research
and Public Policy Forum [3]
February, 1998497 (LV)± 4.5%60%23%17%
St. Norbert College Survey Center [3] [C] Fall, 1997417 (LV)± 5.0%64%26%10%

Results

1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election [4] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Tommy G. Thompson (incumbent) 1,047,716 59.66% −7.56%
Democratic Ed Garvey 679,55338.70%+7.82%
Libertarian Jim Mueller11,0710.63%−0.11%
U.S. Taxpayers' Edward J. Frami10,2690.58%−0.01%
Independent Mike Mangan4,9850.28%−0.24%
Independent A-Ja-mu Muhammad1,6040.09%
Green Jeffrey L. Smith (write-in)140.00%
Scattering8020.05%
Majority 368,16320.97%
Total votes1,756,014 100.00%
Republican hold Swing -15.39%

Results by county

County [4] [5] Tommy G. Thompson
Republican
Ed Garvey
Democratic
All Others
Various
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %
Adams 3,90760.55%2,45037.97%951.47%1,45722.58%6,452
Ashland 2,61148.90%2,69250.41%370.69%-81-1.52%5,340
Barron 7,44956.03%5,71643.00%1290.97%1,73313.04%13,294
Bayfield 2,81745.35%3,35253.96%430.69%-535-8.61%6,212
Brown 47,52962.84%27,30236.10%8031.06%20,22726.74%75,634
Buffalo 2,52358.61%1,73640.33%461.07%78718.28%4,305
Burnett 3,07650.19%3,01149.13%420.69%651.06%6,129
Calumet 9,15369.17%3,87329.27%2061.56%5,28039.90%13,232
Chippewa 10,36362.03%6,13236.70%2121.27%4,23125.32%16,707
Clark 6,95164.94%3,63333.94%1201.12%3,31831.00%10,704
Columbia 10,45660.41%6,50337.57%3492.02%3,95322.84%17,308
Crawford 3,64659.19%2,45739.89%570.93%1,18919.30%6,160
Dane 72,69344.78%86,23453.12%3,3962.09%-13,541-8.34%162,323
Dodge 16,24570.16%6,41727.72%4912.12%9,82842.45%23,153
Door 6,39263.07%3,59735.49%1461.44%2,79527.58%10,135
Douglas 5,90546.82%6,55051.93%1581.25%-645-5.11%12,613
Dunn 5,76453.24%4,92745.51%1351.25%8377.73%10,826
Eau Claire 17,16856.43%12,71541.79%5411.78%4,45314.64%30,424
Florence 1,10468.15%50631.23%100.62%59836.91%1,620
Fond du Lac 19,68270.75%7,68527.63%4521.62%11,99743.13%27,819
Forest 1,98857.94%1,42741.59%160.47%56116.35%3,431
Grant 8,37163.54%4,67335.47%1310.99%3,69828.07%13,175
Green 6,75663.82%3,61034.10%2202.08%3,14629.72%10,586
Green Lake 4,29771.52%1,64027.30%711.18%2,65744.22%6,008
Iowa 4,27058.05%2,99040.65%961.31%1,28017.40%7,356
Iron 1,59461.31%98737.96%190.73%60723.35%2,600
Jackson 3,44754.04%2,81344.10%1191.87%6349.94%6,379
Jefferson 15,36365.27%7,64732.49%5292.25%7,71632.78%23,539
Juneau 4,40267.02%2,06331.41%1031.57%2,33935.61%6,568
Kenosha 28,12861.34%17,01137.09%7201.57%11,11724.24%45,859
Kewaunee 4,57863.17%2,58235.63%871.20%1,99627.54%7,247
La Crosse 21,98458.63%14,89239.72%6191.65%7,09218.91%37,495
Lafayette 3,42365.84%1,74333.53%330.63%1,68032.31%5,199
Langlade 4,10762.80%2,37636.33%570.87%1,73126.47%6,540
Lincoln 5,30057.79%3,56738.89%3043.31%1,73318.90%9,171
Manitowoc 17,73362.63%10,29136.35%2891.02%7,44226.28%28,313
Marathon 25,96664.91%13,51133.77%5291.32%12,45531.13%40,006
Marinette 9,45766.25%4,71633.04%1020.71%4,74133.21%14,275
Marquette 3,11264.70%1,62433.76%741.54%1,48830.94%4,810
Menominee 30028.90%72569.85%131.25%-425-40.94%1,038
Milwaukee 145,01049.77%140,66648.28%5,6991.96%4,3441.49%291,375
Monroe 7,46563.45%4,14835.25%1531.30%3,31728.19%11,766
Oconto 7,65564.62%4,09734.59%940.79%3,55830.04%11,846
Oneida 7,81659.82%5,08838.94%1611.23%2,72820.88%13,065
Outagamie 32,76164.23%17,50034.31%7421.45%15,26129.92%51,003
Ozaukee 23,71675.34%7,28323.14%4801.52%16,43352.20%31,479
Pepin 1,17354.48%95844.50%221.02%2159.99%2,153
Pierce 5,85257.13%4,28541.83%1061.03%1,56715.30%10,243
Polk 6,82053.21%5,89646.00%1010.79%9247.21%12,817
Portage 12,03855.42%9,30942.86%3731.72%2,72912.56%21,720
Price 3,56860.44%2,29838.93%370.63%1,27021.51%5,903
Racine 34,33756.03%25,80342.11%1,1411.86%8,53413.93%61,281
Richland 3,50261.91%2,06136.43%941.66%1,44125.47%5,657
Rock 27,48555.86%21,10942.90%6131.25%6,37612.96%49,207
Rusk 3,10855.85%2,37542.68%821.47%73313.17%5,565
Sauk 10,20661.94%6,00836.47%2621.59%4,19825.48%16,476
Sawyer 3,43260.57%2,18538.56%490.86%1,24722.01%5,666
Shawano 9,10667.12%4,35332.09%1080.80%4,75335.03%13,567
Sheboygan 26,88067.97%12,16230.75%5041.27%14,71837.22%39,546
St. Croix 10,61262.25%6,22536.52%2101.23%4,38725.73%17,047
Taylor 4,48266.98%2,14732.08%630.94%2,33534.89%6,692
Trempealeau 5,08658.29%3,54340.60%971.11%1,54317.68%8,726
Vernon 5,32656.60%3,91841.64%1661.76%1,40814.96%9,410
Vilas 5,34263.98%2,83633.97%1712.05%2,50630.02%8,349
Walworth 17,31667.64%7,83930.62%4471.75%9,47737.02%25,602
Washburn 3,02253.25%2,60245.85%510.90%4207.40%5,675
Washington 29,10274.38%9,16423.42%8592.20%19,93850.96%39,125
Waukesha 98,55573.83%32,38424.26%2,5561.91%66,17149.57%133,495
Waupaca 10,77166.72%5,19132.15%1821.13%5,58034.56%16,144
Waushara 5,28968.52%2,29929.78%1311.70%2,99038.74%7,719
Winnebago 33,49665.81%16,43632.29%9661.90%17,06033.52%50,898
Wood 17,37764.81%9,00933.60%4261.59%8,36831.21%26,812
Total1,047,71659.66%679,55338.70%28,7451.64%368,16320.97%1,756,014

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Notes

  1. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
Partisan clients
  1. Poll sponsored by WTMJ-TV
  2. Poll sponsored by the Green Bay News-Chronicle & Wisconsin Public Radio
  3. 1 2 Poll sponsored by Wisconsin Public Radio

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1999). "County Vote for Governor September 8, 1998, Primary". The State of Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 885.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1999). "County Vote for Lieutenant Governor September 8, 1998, Primary". The State of Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 892.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Wisconsin 1998 Polls". CNN. Archived from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Wisconsin State Election Board Canvass - County Totals" (PDF). Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1999). "County Vote for Governor and Lieutenant Governor November 3, 1998". The State of Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 912.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)