The WOW counties are three counties in the southeast of the U.S. state of Wisconsin: Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington. They are to the west, north, and northwest of Milwaukee, respectively, and are part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. [1]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 66,135 | — | |
| 1870 | 67,757 | 2.5% | |
| 1880 | 67,860 | 0.2% | |
| 1890 | 70,964 | 4.6% | |
| 1900 | 75,181 | 5.9% | |
| 1910 | 78,007 | 3.8% | |
| 1920 | 84,660 | 8.5% | |
| 1930 | 96,303 | 13.8% | |
| 1940 | 110,159 | 14.4% | |
| 1950 | 143,164 | 30.0% | |
| 1960 | 242,809 | 69.6% | |
| 1970 | 349,625 | 44.0% | |
| 1980 | 432,155 | 23.6% | |
| 1990 | 472,874 | 9.4% | |
| 2000 | 560,577 | 18.5% | |
| 2010 | 608,173 | 8.5% | |
| 2020 | 635,242 | 4.5% |
Collectively, the three counties have a population of 641,131 as of July 2022. [2] Like the collar counties surrounding Chicago, these counties have a primarily white population, and unusually so considering the trend of suburbs around cities in the Rust Belt region becoming more racially diverse. [3] Racine County, to the south of Milwaukee County, has similar demographics outside the city of Racine (though some communities have lower average income), but is usually not included. As a consequence of racial demographics, the WOW suburbs of Milwaukee have remained solidly Republican for the time being, defying the national trend of the suburbs shifting to the left politically. [4]
Historically, the WOW counties were among the most Republican areas in the state, consistently voting for the party by bigger margins than most other major suburbs north of the Mason–Dixon line. [5] With the GOP's increasing trend toward right-wing populism under Donald Trump, however, several rural areas of Wisconsin have become significantly more Republican than the WOW counties in most races. While the WOW counties remain solidly Republican, the party's landslides have diminished somewhat in the Trump era, shrinking from 2 to 1 in 2012, to 3 to 2 in 2020. This has been attributed to moderate suburban Republicans, who have rejected right-wing populism and hardcore conservatism. [6]
All county offices are held by Republicans; indeed, there are almost no elected Democrats above the county level. None of the counties have supported a Democrat for president since Lyndon Johnson's national landslide of 1964. In 2008, while Barack Obama carried Wisconsin by 14 points and won 59 out of 72 counties, the three counties were his weakest and the only ones in the state where he won less than 40 percent of the county's vote. [7] No Democratic presidential candidate carried a single municipality in the counties between 1996 and 2020, when Joe Biden narrowly flipped the city of Cedarburg in Ozaukee County. [8] The vast majority of the state party's voter turnout efforts (along with those of outside organizations) were, for many years, focused on maximizing turnout from those three counties to counteract the turnout from Milwaukee and Dane counties (home to Milwaukee and Madison) and the cities of Racine and Kenosha, which generally lean Democratic. The counties also represented the heart of Scott Walker's electoral coalitions during his three wins for Governor, garnering over 70% of the vote among the three counties. [9] The electoral importance of these counties for Republicans, Waukesha in particular, has caused some political commentators to dub it "crucial Waukesha county". [10]
With the recent Republican trend in rural Wisconsin, however, GOP turnout efforts have become focused on maximizing rural turnout at the expense of turnout in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, and Kenosha, as well as the growing Democratic turnout in the WOW counties. This was a factor in Trump's 2016 upset win in Wisconsin, a feat he could not replicate in 2020 as the WOW counties shifted left. Local conservative talk radio stations such as WISN (1130) and the late morning and midday shows of WTMJ (620) have long targeted their programs' topics and talking points more to the WOW counties rather than their city of license, Milwaukee. [11] [12] [13] [14]
The WOW counties as a collective have voted for 20 of the 21 most recent Republican presidential campaigns, and in the most recent election that the Democratic Party took the region, Barry Goldwater lost by about 6.5% in an election where he lost Wisconsin by a margin of roughly 24.3%. [15]
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris won 38.69% of the vote in the WOW counties in 2024, the highest percentage since 1976, despite losing both Wisconsin and the 2024 United States presidential election. [15]
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 60.78%258,858 | 38.69% 164,838 |
| 2020 | 60.88%253,780 | 37.67% 157,029 |
| 2016 | 60.92%224,747 | 32.59% 120,246 |
| 2012 | 67.03%253,640 | 32.00% 121,104 |
| 2008 | 62.40%225,053 | 36.50% 131,637 |
| 2004 | 67.57%240,471 | 31.63% 112,574 |
| 2000 | 65.65% 205,422 | 31.15% 97,464 |
| 1996 | 55.15%139,636 | 34.67% 87,777 |
| 1992 | 50.34%137,005 | 27.74% 75,488 |
| 1988 | 61.13%137,694 | 38.25% 86,166 |
| 1984 | 66.13%141,603 | 33.18% 71,044 |
| 1980 | 58.81%125,643 | 32.92% 70,335 |
| 1976 | 58.34%109,033 | 39.15% 73,180 |
| 1972 | 60.29%90,496 | 35.65% 53,510 |
| 1968 | 55.48%72,151 | 36.37% 47,297 |
| 1964 | 46.59% 53,274 | 53.24%60,876 |
| 1960 | 57.73%61,233 | 42.16% 44,714 |
| 1956 | 69.86%57,187 | 29.42% 24,082 |
| 1952 | 67.67%51,529 | 32.33% 24,437 |
| 1948 | 55.13%29,066 | 44.87% 22,606 |
| 1944 | 60.88%32,571 | 39.12% 20,457 |
| 1940 | 57.91%30,140 | 42.09% 21,204 |
Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,761. Its county seat is West Bend. The county was created from Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1845. It was named after President George Washington. Washington County is part of the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Ozaukee County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,503. Its county seat is Port Washington. Ozaukee County is included in the Milwaukee–Waukesha–West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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The Milwaukee metropolitan area is a major metropolitan area located in Southeastern Wisconsin, consisting of the city of Milwaukee and some of the surrounding area. There are several definitions of the area, including the Milwaukee–Waukesha–West Allis metropolitan area and the Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha combined statistical area. It is the largest metropolitan area in Wisconsin, and the 39th largest metropolitan area in the United States.
Southeast Wisconsin Transit System is a marketing partnership of five public transit agencies covering the Greater Milwaukee Area in the United States. These operators provide local or intercounty commuter service in the counties of Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, and Waukesha. Washington County and Ozaukee County were formerly a part of the partnership until 2023 and 2024 when their county boards respectively elected to discontinue their transit service without replacement. The partnership is not exclusive, each agency or company maintains separate marketing departments and advertising programs. The partnership does not include joint or coordinated operations, interline fares or transfers, coordinated grant or funding, or coordinated expense sharing as that type of cooperation would be barred by state law. A Wisconsin state law passed in 2011 authored by Stephen Nass and signed by then governor Scott Walker prohibits regional transportation authorities effectively barring agencies from creating formal alliances and funding agreements. Repercussions from that 2011 law and the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in significant reductions of service particularly in the WOW Counties of suburban Milwaukee.
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The 1988 United States presidential election in Wisconsin took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. State voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
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Chuck Wichgers is an American businessman and Republican politician from Waukesha County, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 82nd Assembly district since January 2023. Prior to the 2022 redistricting, he represented the 83rd Assembly district for three terms (2017–2022).
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