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Elections in Wisconsin |
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The 2018 Wisconsin Fall General Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 6, 2018. All of Wisconsin's partisan executive and administrative offices were up for election as well as one of Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seats, Wisconsin's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives, seventeen seats in the Wisconsin State Senate, and all 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly. The 2018 Wisconsin Fall Partisan Primary was held August 14, 2018. There were also special elections held during 2018 for three State Assembly seats and two state senate seats.
The Democrats swept in all of the fall elections for statewide officials, unseating three incumbent Republicans, including two-term governor Scott Walker, and winning the open race for state treasurer. Republicans maintained control of both chambers in the Wisconsin Legislature however, as well as a majority of the state's U.S. House seats. [1]
The 2018 Wisconsin Spring Election was held April 3, 2018. This election featured a contested election for Wisconsin Supreme Court, as well as a referendum on an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin, and various other nonpartisan local and judicial races. The 2018 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held on February 20, 2018.
In the nonpartisan Supreme Court election, the Wisconsin Democrats also claimed victory, as their preferred candidate defeated the Republicans' preferred candidate, reducing the Republican majority on the court to 4–3.
Incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin, first elected in 2012, won re-election to a second term by an 11 percentage point margin against Republican challenger Leah Vukmir. This was the widest margin of victory won by a statewide candidate in Wisconsin's 2018 elections, and marked the widest margin won by a U.S. Senate candidate in Wisconsin since Herb Kohl's landslide victory in the 2006 election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Tammy Baldwin (incumbent) | 1,472,914 | 55.4 | |
Republican | Leah Vukmir | 1,184,885 | 44.5 | |
n/a | Write-ins | 2,964 | 0.1 | |
Total votes | 2,660,763 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
All 8 of Wisconsin's congressional districts were up for election in November. Seven incumbents ran for re-election, while the 1st district saw an open race after incumbent and then-Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced his retirement. [3] No seats flipped in the election, with Republicans continuing to hold 5 of the state's House seats to the Democrats' 3.
District | Democratic | Republican | Others | Total | Result | ||||
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Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
District 1 | 137,508 | 42.27% | 177,492 | 54.56% | 10,317 | 3.17% | 325,317 | 100.00% | Republican Hold |
District 2 | 309,116 | 97.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 8,179 | 2.58% | 317,295 | 100.00% | Democratic Hold |
District 3 | 187,888 | 59.65% | 126,980 | 40.31% | 121 | 0.04% | 314,989 | 100.00% | Democratic Hold |
District 4 | 206,487 | 75.61% | 59,091 | 21.64% | 7,509 | 2.75% | 273,087 | 100.00% | Democratic Hold |
District 5 | 138,385 | 37.99% | 225,619 | 61.93% | 284 | 0.08% | 364,288 | 100.00% | Republican Hold |
District 6 | 144,536 | 44.46% | 180,311 | 55.47% | 218 | 0.07% | 325,065 | 100.00% | Republican Hold |
District 7 | 124,307 | 38.50% | 194,061 | 60.11% | 4,472 | 1.39% | 322,840 | 100.00% | Republican Hold |
District 8 | 119,265 | 36.28% | 209,410 | 63.69% | 99 | 0.03% | 328,774 | 100.00% | Republican Hold |
Total | 1,367,492 | 53.18% | 1,172,964 | 45.61% | 31,199 | 1.21% | 2,571,655 | 100.00% |
All of Wisconsin's executive offices saw close election results, with the largest vote difference in any race being eight-term incumbent secretary of state Doug La Follette‘s 5.5 percent margin of victory. Every executive office was won by the Democratic candidate.
Incumbent Republican governor Scott Walker, first elected in 2010, sought re-election to a third term. Despite having won two prior elections and a recall by fairly comfortable margins, Walker faced rising unpopularity due to his policies regarding infrastructure and education, among other issues, resulting in a close race. [4] [5] Low approval in Wisconsin of incumbent Republican U.S. President Donald Trump also harmed Walker in the election. [6]
In the end, Walker was ultimately defeated by Democrat Tony Evers by a narrow one percent margin, ending 8 years of unified Republican control of the state.
Other candidates included Libertarian Phil Anderson and Independent Maggie Turnbull.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Tony Evers | 1,324,307 | 49.5 | |
Republican | Scott Walker (incumbent) | 1,295,080 | 48.4 | |
Libertarian | Phil Anderson | 20,255 | 0.8 | |
Independent | Maggie Turnbull | 18,884 | 0.7 | |
Green | Michael White | 11,087 | 0.4 | |
Independent | Arnie Enz | 2,745 | 0.1 | |
Write-in | 980 | 0.1 | ||
Total votes | 2,673,308 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Former state representative Mandela Barnes defeated incumbent Republican lieutenant governor Rebecca Kleefisch, who had served since 2010, and Libertarian Patrick Baird. [7] Barnes became Wisconsin's first African-American Lieutenant Governor, and the second African-American ever elected to state office in Wisconsin. [8]
Republican incumbent Brad Schimel, first elected in 2014, ran for re-election to a second term. [9] Voting rights attorney and former federal prosecutor Josh Kaul, the Democratic nominee, defeated Schimel in the general election. [10] Terry Larson, the Constitution Party nominee, also garnered around 2% of the vote, greater than the vote difference between Schimel and Kaul.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Josh Kaul | 1,305,902 | 49.4 | |
Republican | Brad Schimel (incumbent) | 1,288,712 | 48.8 | |
Constitution | Terry Larson | 47,038 | 1.8 | |
Write-in | 1,199 | 0.0 | ||
Total votes | 2,642,851 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Incumbent Democrat Doug La Follette, first elected in 1982 (and also serving from 1975 to 1979), won re-election to a tenth non-consecutive term. Madison Alderwoman Arvina Martin challenged La Follette in the Democratic primary.
Jay Schroeder was nominated in the Republican primary to run against La Follette, pledging to abolish the position if elected. [11]
Libertarian sports announcer Rich Reynolds declared his candidacy for the position as well, joining the "TeamGuv" bill with Phil Anderson and Patrick Baird.
Governing magazine projected the race as "safe Democratic". [12]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Doug La Follette (incumbent) | 1,380,752 | 52.7 | |
Republican | Jay Schroeder | 1,235,034 | 47.2 | |
Write-in | 2,162 | 0.1 | ||
Total votes | 2,617,948 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
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Godlewski: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Hartwig: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||
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Earlier in the year, a referendum had been held on whether or not to abolish the State Treasurer office, a move that Wisconsin voters rejected by a margin of more than 20 percent. [13]
Incumbent Republican Matt Adamczyk, first elected in 2014, chose not to run for reelection. Sarah Godlewski, the Democratic nominee, defeated Republican Travis Hartwig in the general.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Sarah Godlewski | 1,324,110 | 50.9 | |
Republican | Travis Hartwig | 1,216,811 | 46.8 | |
Constitution | Andrew Zuelke | 59,570 | 2.2 | |
Write-in | 1,471 | 0.1 | ||
Total votes | 2,601,962 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Two special elections had been held earlier in the year for the 1st and 10th districts. Both races were won by Democrats, despite the respective districts’ usual Republican leanings. [14] [15]
The 17 odd-numbered districts out of the 33 seats in the Wisconsin Senate were up for election in 2018, including the 1st district. In total, Republicans had 10 seats up for election, while Democrats had 7. André Jacque was able to win back the 1st district seat for Republicans from Democrat Caleb Frostman, who had defeated him in the June special election. [16]
At the start of 2018, the senate had a composition of 18 Republicans and 13 Democrats with 2 vacancies. The net result of all 2018 state senate elections was a gain of 1 seat for both parties. When compared to the 2016 general election, however, the Republican majority was reduced from 20 to 13 (60.6%) to 19-14 (57.6%).
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last election (2016) | 13 | 20 | 33 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before 2018 | 18 | 31 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After Jan. 16 Special | 14 | 32 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After June 12 Special | 15 | 33 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Up in 2018 General | 7 | 10 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Incumbent retiring | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After 2018 elections | 14 | 19 | 33 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Voting share | 42% | 58% |
All 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly were up for election in 2018. There were also two special elections for three Assembly vacancies during the course of 2018. Republicans lost one seat to the Democrats in the 2018 general election, resulting a 63-36 seat Republican majority going into the 2019-2020 session.
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last election (2016) | 35 | 64 | 99 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before 2018 | 34 | 62 | 96 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After Jan. 16 Special | 35 | 63 | 98 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After June 12 Special | 64 | 99 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Up in 2018 General | 35 | 64 | 99 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Incumbent retiring | 4 | 9 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Incumbent lost primary | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total without Incumbent | 6 | 9 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After 2018 elections | 36 | 63 | 99 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Voting share | 36% | 64% |
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County results Dallet: 50–60% 60–70% 70–90% Screnock: 50–60% 60–70% 70–90% | ||||||||||||||
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There was an election for Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2018 to replace the retiring justice Michael Gableman.
Primary election | ||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Nonpartisan | Michael Screnock | 247,582 | 46.28% | |
Nonpartisan | Rebecca Dallet | 191,268 | 35.75% | |
Nonpartisan | Tim Burns | 95,508 | 17.85% | |
Write-in | 662 | 0.12% | ||
Total votes | 534,980 | 100.0% | ||
General election | ||||
Nonpartisan | Rebecca Dallet | 555,848 | 55.72% | |
Nonpartisan | Michael Screnock | 440,808 | 44.19% | |
Write-in | 829 | 0.08% | ||
Total votes | 997,485 | 100.0% |
Two seats on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals were up for election in 2018, but both seats were uncontested.
Fifty three of the state's 249 circuit court seats were up for election in 2018. Eleven of those seats were contested. Only one incumbent was defeated seeking re-election, Shaughnessy Murphy—an appointee of Governor Scott Walker in the Eau Claire Circuit.
Circuit | Branch | Incumbent | Elected | Defeated | Defeated in Primary | ||||
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Name | Votes | % | Name | Votes | % | Name(s) | |||
Ashland | Robert E. Eaton | Kelly J. McKnight | 2,181 | 97.72% | |||||
Brown | 2 | Thomas J. Walsh | Thomas J. Walsh | 28,323 | 99.24% | ||||
6 | John P. Zakowski | John P. Zakowski | 30,141 | 99.26% | |||||
Buffalo–Pepin | James J. Duvall | Thomas W. Clark | 2,650 | 56.58% | Roger M. Hillestad | 2,030 | 43.34% | ||
Calumet | Jeffrey S. Froehlich | Jeffrey S. Froehlich | 5,531 | 99.41% | |||||
Chippewa | 1 | Steven H. Gibbs | Steven H. Gibbs | 8,170 | 100.00% | ||||
Clark | Jon M. Counsell | Lyndsey Boon Brunette | 4,028 | 76.40% | Roberta A. Heckes | 1,240 | 23.52% | ||
Columbia | 3 | Alan White | Troy D. Cross | 5,059 | 50.27% | Brenda L. Yaskal | 4,974 | 49.42% | Steven J. Sarbacker Clifford C . Burdon |
Dane | 1 | Timothy Samuelson | Susan M. Crawford | 59,048 | 51.40% | Marilyn Townsend | 55,234 | 49.08% | |
8 | Frank D. Remington | Frank D. Remington | 84,723 | 98.62% | |||||
11 | Ellen K. Berz | Ellen K. Berz | 84,711 | 98.74% | |||||
Door | 1 | D. Todd Ehlers | D. Todd Ehlers | 5,789 | 98.99% | ||||
Eau Claire | 3 | William M. Gabler Sr. | Emily M. Long | 13,036 | 98.89% | ||||
4 | Jon M. Theisen | Jon M. Theisen | 13,238 | 98.89% | |||||
5 | Shaughnessy Murphy | Sarah Harless | 10,530 | 61.28% | Shaughnessy Murphy | 6,635 | 38.61% | ||
Jefferson | 3 | Robert F. Dehring Jr. | Robert F. Dehring Jr. | 9,356 | 98.82% | ||||
Juneau | 1 | John Pier Roemer | Stacy A. Smith | 2,517 | 52.58% | Scott Harold Southworth | 2,268 | 47.38% | |
Kenosha | 2 | Jason A. Rossell | Jason A. Rossell | 13,831 | 98.68% | ||||
Manitowoc | 2 | Gary Bendix | Jerilyn M. Dietz | 10,199 | 62.84% | Ralph Sczygelski | 6,008 | 37.02% | Patricia Koppa Eric Pangburn John Bilka |
Menominee–Shawano | 2 | William F. Kussel Jr. | William F. Kussel Jr. | 4,586 | 100.00% | ||||
Milwaukee | 8 | William Sosnay | William Sosnay | 69,756 | 98.45% | ||||
17 | Carolina Maria Stark | Carolina Maria Stark | 70,087 | 98.65% | |||||
20 | Dennis P. Moroney | Joseph Wall | 68,878 | 98.65% | |||||
23 | Lindsey Grady | Lindsey Grady | 69,389 | 98.78% | |||||
28 | Mark A. Sanders | Mark A. Sanders | 68,935 | 98.77% | |||||
38 | Jeffrey A. Wagner | Jeffrey A. Wagner | 71,889 | 98.59% | |||||
39 | Jane V. Carroll | Jane V. Carroll | 68,981 | 98.82% | |||||
43 | Marshall B. Murray | Marshall B. Murray | 67,787 | 98.79% | |||||
Monroe | 3 | J. David Rice | Rick Radcliffe | 5,241 | 99.45% | ||||
Oneida | 2 | Michael H. Bloom | Michael H. Bloom | 5,896 | 99.44% | ||||
Outagamie | 4 | Gregory B. Gill Jr. | Gregory B. Gill Jr. | 18,226 | 100.00% | ||||
5 | Carrie Schneider | Carrie Schneider | 18,875 | 100.00% | |||||
7 | John A. Des Jardins | John A. Des Jardins | 18,841 | 100.00% | |||||
Portage | 1 | Thomas B. Eagon | Thomas B. Eagon | 8,620 | 99.52% | ||||
3 | Thomas T. Flugaur | Thomas T. Flugaur | 8,655 | 99.40% | |||||
Price | Douglas T. Fox | Kevin G. Klein | 2,599 | 65.68% | Mark T. Fuhr | 1,358 | 34.32% | ||
Racine | 1 | Wynne P. Laufenberg | Wynne P. Laufenberg | 19,216 | 98.96% | ||||
5 | Mike Piontek | Mike Piontek | 19,827 | 99.06% | |||||
9 | Robert S. Repischak | Robert S. Repischak | 19,183 | 99.01% | |||||
10 | Timothy D. Boyle | Timothy D. Boyle | 19,727 | 99.13% | |||||
Richland | Andrew Sharp | Andrew Sharp | 2,816 | 99.61% | |||||
Rock | 3 | Jeffrey S. Kuglitsch | Jeffrey S. Kuglitsch | 16,739 | 99.03% | ||||
7 | Barbara W. McCrory | Barbara W. McCrory | 17,282 | 99.13% | |||||
St. Croix | 3 | Scott R. Needham | Scott R. Needham | 9,687 | 99.08% | ||||
Sauk | 3 | Guy D. Reynolds | Pat Barrett | 5,701 | 50.11% | Sandra Cardo Gorsuch | 5,675 | 49.89% | |
Walworth | 1 | Phillip A. Koss | Phillip A. Koss | 12,763 | 98.92% | ||||
Washington | 4 | Andrew T. Gonring | Andrew T. Gonring | 21,026 | 100.00% | ||||
Waukesha | 2 | Jennifer R. Dorow | Jennifer R. Dorow | 55,483 | 98.97% | ||||
12 | Kathryn W. Foster | Laura Lau | 38,138 | 50.29% | Jack Melvin | 37,517 | 49.47% | ||
Waupaca | 3 | Raymond S. Huber | Raymond S. Huber | 5,979 | 99.52% | ||||
Winnebago | 1 | Thomas J. Gritton | Teresa S. Basiliere | 12,205 | 56.39% | Scott A. Ceman | 9,391 | 43.39% | |
4 | Karen L. Seifert | Karen L. Seifert | 16,960 | 99.18% | |||||
Wood | 2 | Nicholas J. Brazeau, Jr. | Nicholas J. Brazeau Jr. | 9,361 | 100.00% |
In the Spring election, Wisconsin voters strongly rejected an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin which would have abolished the office of State Treasurer of Wisconsin. [22]
Candidate | Votes | % | |
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No | 582,117 | 61 | |
Yes | 365,120 | 39 | |
Total votes | 947,237 | 100 |
Voters in eleven Wisconsin counties approved non-binding referendums expressing support for legalizing medical cannabis, and voters in six counties approved non-binding referendums expressing support for legalizing recreational cannabis. [23] [24] The support for medical cannabis ranged from 67.1% in Clark County to 88.5% in Kenosha County, while support for recreational cannabis ranged from 60.2% in Racine county to 76.4% in Dane County. [25] [26] The 16 counties that weighed in accounted for over half the state's population. [25]
County or city | Question | Yes | No |
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Brown County | “Should cannabis be legalized in Wisconsin for medicinal purposes, and regulated in the same manner as other prescription drugs?” | 76% | 24% |
Clark County | “Should the State of Wisconsin legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes and regulate its use in the same manner as other prescription drugs?” | 67% | 33% |
Dane County | “Should marijuana be legalized, taxed and regulated in the same manner as alcohol for adults 21 years of age or older?” | 76% | 24% |
Eau Claire County | "Should cannabis: Be legal for adult, 21 years of age and older, recreational or medical use, taxed and regulated like alcohol, with the proceeds from the taxes used for education, healthcare, and infrastructure in Wisconsin? | 54% | N/A |
"Should cannabis: Be legal for medical purposes only and available only by prescription through a medical dispensary?" | 31% | N/A | |
"Should cannabis: Remain a criminally illegal drug as provided under current law?" | 15% | N/A | |
Forest County | “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” | 79% | 21% |
Kenosha County | “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” | 88% | 12% |
La Crosse County | “Should the State of Wisconsin legalize the use of marijuana by adults 21 years or older, to be taxed and regulated in the same manner that alcohol is regulated in the State of Wisconsin, with proceeds from taxes used for education, healthcare, and infrastructure?” | 63% | 37% |
Langlade County | “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” | 77% | 23% |
Lincoln County | “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” | 81% | 19% |
Marathon County | “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” | 82% | 18% |
Marquette County | “Shall the County of Marquette, Wisconsin, adopt the following resolution? Resolved, that “We the People” of Marquette County, Wisconsin, support the right of its citizens to acquire, possess and use medical cannabis upon the recommendation of a licensed physician, and; Be It Further Resolved, that we strongly support a statewide referendum requesting Wisconsin to join with thirty-two (32) other states that have already approved the use of medical cannabis for the treatment of chronic pain, several debilitating diseases and disabling symptoms.” | 78% | 22% |
Milwaukee County | “Do you favor allowing adults 21 years of age and older to engage in the personal use of marijuana, while also regulating commercial marijuana-related activities, and imposing a tax on the sale of marijuana?” | 70% | 30% |
Portage County | “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical [treatment] purposes, if those individuals have a written [treatment] recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” | 83% | 17% |
Racine County | “Should marijuana be legalized for medicinal use?” | 85% | 15% |
“Should marijuana be legalized, taxed, and regulated in the same manner as alcohol for adults 21 years of age or older?” | 59% | 41% | |
“Should proceeds from marijuana taxes be used to fund education, health care, and infrastructure?” | 81% | 19% | |
Rock County | “Should cannabis be legalized for adult use, taxed and regulated like alcohol, with the proceeds from the Taxes used for education, healthcare, and infrastructure?” | 69% | 31% |
Sauk County | “Should the state of Wisconsin legalize medical marijuana so that people with debilitating medical conditions may access medical marijuana if they have a prescription from a licenses Wisconsin physician?” | 80% | 20% |
City of Racine | “Should cannabis be legalized for adult recreational use in Wisconsin?” | 66% | 34% |
“Should cannabis be legalized for medical use in Wisconsin?” | 88% | 12% | |
“Should cannabis sales be taxed and the revenue from such taxes be used for public education, health care, and infrastructure in Wisconsin?” | 83% | 17% | |
“Should cannabis be decriminalized in the State of Wisconsin?” | 72% | 28% | |
City of Waukesha | “Should cannabis be legalized in Wisconsin for medicinal purposes, and regulated in the same manner as other prescription drugs?” | 77% | 23% |
In the weeks following the election, Wisconsin's legislative districts came under wide scrutiny as an example of gerrymandering due to the fact that while Republicans won a fairly wide majority in the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Democrats garnered nearly 9 percent more of the overall statewide vote. [27] [28] In addition, Wisconsin was notable for being the only state in the 2018 elections where Republicans won a majority of the state's seats in the U.S. House while Democrats won a majority of the overall votes.
Early in December 2018, a special legislative session was called by outgoing Governor Scott Walker to pass a series of bills to limit the powers of Governor-elect Tony Evers, whom Walker had lost to in the election, as well as incoming State attorney general Josh Kaul. [29]
Other bills being considered included restrictions on early voting and the passage of Medicaid work requirements, which Walker had previously held off on due to the election. [30] A similar law restricting early voting that was passed several years prior had been ruled as unconstitutional. [31]
The bills were widely denounced by Democrats and others as a “power grab.” Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin's 4th district described the move as a “coup” that “hijacked the voters’ will.” [32] Lawsuits were filed by Evers and various labor unions almost immediately after Walker signed the bills into law. [33]
The Republican Party of Wisconsin is a conservative political party in Wisconsin and is the Wisconsin affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The state party chair is Brian Schimming. The state party is divided into 72 county parties for each of the state's counties, as well as organizations for the state's eight congressional districts. It currently controls the majority of Wisconsin's U.S. House seats, one of its U.S. Senate seats, and has majorites in both houses of the state legislature.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler.
Scott Lawrence Fitzgerald is an American politician and former newspaper publisher. A Republican, he represents Wisconsin's 5th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs, such as Waukesha, West Bend, Brookfield, and Mequon. He represented the 13th district in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1995 to 2021.
During the Civil War, Wisconsin was a Republican state; in fact, it is the state that gave birth to the Republican Party, although ethno-religious issues in the late 19th century caused a brief split in the coalition. The Bennett Law campaign of 1890 dealt with foreign language teaching in schools. Many Germans switched to the Democratic Party because of the Republican Party's support of the law.
The 2010 Wisconsin Fall General Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 2, 2010. All of Wisconsin's executive and administrative officers were up for election as well as one of Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seats, Wisconsin's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives, seventeen seats in the Wisconsin State Senate, and all 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly. The 2010 Wisconsin Fall Partisan Primary was held September 14, 2010.
The 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election was a special election to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Wisconsin. It resulted in voters re-electing incumbent Republican governor Scott Walker over the Democratic candidate Tom Barrett by a larger margin than in 2010 when Walker also faced Barrett. Recall organizers opposed Walker's agenda, particularly his limiting of collective bargaining rights for state employees and they collected over 900,000 signatures to initiate the recall election process. There was also a recall for Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. She won her race, defeating Democrat Mahlon Mitchell, making her the first lieutenant governor to run in and survive a recall.
The 2014 Wisconsin Fall General Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 4, 2014. Wisconsin's Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer were all up for election, as well as Wisconsin's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives. The November general election in 2014 also featured a statewide referendum on an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin. The 2014 Wisconsin Fall Primary Election was held on August 12, 2014.
Brad Schimel is an American lawyer, judge, and Republican politician. He was the 44th attorney general of Wisconsin, serving from 2015 to 2019. He was defeated seeking re-election in 2018, and was subsequently appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Waukesha County by Governor Scott Walker. Schimel is seeking election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the 2025 Spring election. He also previously served as district attorney of Waukesha County.
Matt Adamczyk is an American businessman and politician, who served as the 35th Wisconsin State Treasurer.
The 2018 Wisconsin gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018. It occurred concurrently with a Senate election in the state, elections to the state's U.S. House seats, and various other elections. Incumbent Republican governor Scott Walker sought re-election to a third term, and was challenged by Democratic candidate and then-Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, as well as Libertarian Phil Anderson and independent Maggie Turnbull. Evers, along with his running mate Mandela Barnes, managed to defeat Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch in a closely fought and widely watched race, ending the state's Republican trifecta.
The 2016 Wisconsin Fall General Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 8, 2016. One of Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seats and all eight seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election, as well as half of the Wisconsin Senate seats and all 99 Wisconsin State Assembly seats. Voters also chose ten electors to represent them in the Electoral College, which then participated in selecting the 45th president of the United States. The 2016 Fall Partisan Primary was held on August 9, 2016.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission is a bipartisan regulatory agency of the state of Wisconsin established to administer and enforce election laws in the state. The Wisconsin Elections Commission was established by a 2015 act of the Wisconsin Legislature which also established the Wisconsin Ethics Commission to administer campaign finance, ethics, and lobbying laws. The two commissions began operation on June 30, 2016, replacing the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB), which was abolished.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the eight U.S. representatives from the state of Wisconsin, one from each of the state's eight congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Primaries were held on August 11, 2020.
Sarah Ann Godlewski is an American businesswoman and politician serving as the 31st secretary of state of Wisconsin since March 2023. She was previously the 36th state treasurer of Wisconsin (2019–2023).
Joshua Lautenschlager Kaul is an American lawyer, politician and member of the Democratic Party who has served as the 45th Attorney General of Wisconsin since January 2019.
The 2020 Wisconsin Fall general election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 3, 2020. All of Wisconsin's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election, as well as sixteen seats in the Wisconsin State Senate and all 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Voters also chose ten electors to represent them in the Electoral College, which then participated in selecting the president of the United States. The 2020 Fall partisan primary was held on August 11, 2020.
The 2019 Wisconsin Spring Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on April 2, 2019. There was one seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on the ballot, as well as several other nonpartisan local and judicial elections. There were also a number of local referendums for school funding. The 2019 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 19, 2019.
The 2022 Wisconsin fall general election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 8, 2022. All of Wisconsin's partisan executive and administrative offices were up for election, as well as one of Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seats, and Wisconsin's eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The fall election also filled the seventeen odd-numbered seats in the Wisconsin Senate and all 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 106th Wisconsin Legislature. The 2022 Wisconsin fall primary was held on August 9, 2022.
The 2018 United States attorney general elections were held on November 6, 2018, in 30 states, 2 territories, and the District of Columbia. The previous attorney general elections for this group of states took place in 2014, except in Vermont where attorneys general serve only two-year terms and elected their current attorney general in 2016.
The 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Wisconsin. Incumbent Democratic Governor Tony Evers is eligible to run for re-election to a third term but has not announced if he will do so. This will be one of five Democratic-held governorships up for election in 2026 in a state won by Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election and the state with the closest presidential margin of victory at R+0.9.
Official Attorney General campaign websites
Official Secretary of State campaign websites
Official Treasurer campaign websites