| Election Name: | 1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Wisconsin |
| Flag Year: | 1913 |
| Type: | Presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1956 Wisconsin gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1956 |
| Next Election: | 1960 Wisconsin gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1960 |
| Election Date: | November 4, 1958 |
| Image1: | File:Gaylord Nelson (WI).png |
| Nominee1: | Gaylord A. Nelson |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 644,296 |
| Percentage1: | 53.59% |
| Nominee2: | Vernon W. Thomson |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 556,391 |
| Percentage2: | 46.28% |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Vernon W. Thomson |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Gaylord A. Nelson |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1958. The Democratic nominee, state senator Gaylord A. Nelson, defeated the Republican incumbent governor, Vernon W. Thomson, receiving 53.59% of the vote.
This was the first Democratic victory in a Wisconsin gubernatorial election since 1932, and only the second since 1892. Nelson's share of the vote was the highest for a Democrat since 1873., this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Vilas County has voted for the Democratic candidate.[1]
The primary election was held on September 9, 1958. Both major party candidates were unopposed in their respective primaries.
By backing Thomson, Oconto County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1875, breaking a streak of 40 consecutive elections of backing the eventual winner. Additionally, Clark County, Green County, and Waupaca County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1892.
| County | Gaylord A. Nelson Democratic | Vernon W. Thomson Republican | Wayne Leverenz Independent | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Adams | 1,540 | 56.37% | 1,190 | 43.56% | 0 | 0.00% | 350 | 12.81% | 2,732 | ||||||||||
| Ashland | 3,773 | 59.14% | 2,603 | 40.80% | 4 | 0.06% | 1,107 | 18.34% | 6,380 | ||||||||||
| Barron | 4,928 | 51.05% | 4,716 | 48.86% | 9 | 0.09% | 212 | 2.20% | 9,653 | ||||||||||
| Bayfield | 2,739 | 59.18% | 1,886 | 40.75% | 3 | 0.06% | 853 | 18.43% | 4,628 | ||||||||||
| Brown | 16,747 | 44.30% | 21,036 | 55.65% | 19 | 0.05% | -4,289 | -11.35% | 37,802 | ||||||||||
| Buffalo | 1,779 | 49.33% | 1,824 | 50.58% | 3 | 0.08% | -45 | -1.25% | 3,606 | ||||||||||
| Burnett | 1,931 | 53.06% | 1,703 | 46.80% | 5 | 0.14% | 228 | 6.27% | 3,639 | ||||||||||
| Calumet | 2,596 | 40.22% | 3,851 | 59.67% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,255 | -19.45% | 6,454 | ||||||||||
| Chippewa | 7,055 | 58.29% | 5,037 | 41.62% | 11 | 0.09% | 2,018 | 16.67% | 12,103 | ||||||||||
| Clark | 4,809 | 49.33% | 4,932 | 50.59% | 7 | 0.07% | -123 | -1.26% | 9,748 | ||||||||||
| Columbia | 5,576 | 48.50% | 5,918 | 51.47% | 3 | 0.03% | -342 | -2.97% | 11,497 | ||||||||||
| Crawford | 2,548 | 47.18% | 2,851 | 52.79% | 2 | 0.04% | -303 | -5.61% | 5,401 | ||||||||||
| Dane | 39,790 | 62.12% | 2,4251 | 37.86% | 6 | 0.01% | 15,539 | 24.26% | 64,050 | ||||||||||
| Dodge | 8,013 | 45.76% | 9,489 | 54.19% | 8 | 0.05% | -1,476 | -8.43% | 17,510 | ||||||||||
| Door | 2,639 | 37.92% | 4,316 | 62.01% | 5 | 0.07% | -1,677 | -24.09% | 6,960 | ||||||||||
| Douglas | 11,016 | 64.38% | 6,080 | 35.53% | 15 | 0.09% | 4,936 | 28.85% | 17,111 | ||||||||||
| Dunn | 3,550 | 45.45% | 4,258 | 54.51% | 3 | 0.04% | -708 | -9.06% | 7,811 | ||||||||||
| Eau Claire | 10,347 | 56.65% | 7,896 | 43.23% | 22 | 0.12% | 2,451 | 13.42% | 18,265 | ||||||||||
| Florence | 856 | 55.51% | 683 | 44.29% | 3 | 0.19% | 173 | 11.22% | 1,542 | ||||||||||
| Fond du Lac | 10,590 | 44.42% | 13,222 | 55.46% | 27 | 0.11% | -2,632 | -11.04% | 23,841 | ||||||||||
| Forest | 1,965 | 65.02% | 1,050 | 34.75% | 7 | 0.23% | 915 | 30.28% | 3,022 | ||||||||||
| Grant | 4,517 | 34.26% | 8,637 | 65.50% | 32 | 0.24% | -4,120 | -31.25% | 13,186 | ||||||||||
| Green | 2,838 | 38.63% | 4,506 | 61.34% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,668 | -22.71% | 7,346 | ||||||||||
| Green Lake | 2,016 | 31.89% | 4,291 | 67.87% | 15 | 0.24% | -2,275 | -35.99% | 6,322 | ||||||||||
| Iowa | 2,663 | 45.20% | 3,229 | 54.80% | 0 | 0.00% | -566 | -9.61% | 5,892 | ||||||||||
| Iron | 2,463 | 70.59% | 1,020 | 29.23% | 6 | 0.17% | 1,443 | 41.36% | 3,489 | ||||||||||
| Jackson | 2,643 | 55.64% | 2,104 | 44.29% | 2 | 0.04% | 539 | 11.35% | 4,750 | ||||||||||
| Jefferson | 8,463 | 50.50% | 8,285 | 49.43% | 12 | 0.07% | 178 | 1.06% | 16,760 | ||||||||||
| Juneau | 3,002 | 46.53% | 3,446 | 53.41% | 4 | 0.06% | -444 | -6.88% | 6,452 | ||||||||||
| Kenosha | 17,699 | 59.79% | 11,871 | 40.10% | 31 | 0.10% | 5,828 | 19.69% | 29,601 | ||||||||||
| Kewaunee | 2,833 | 47.48% | 3,132 | 52.49% | 2 | 0.03% | -299 | -5.01% | 5,967 | ||||||||||
| La Crosse | 11,789 | 51.45% | 11,035 | 48.16% | 89 | 0.39% | 754 | 3.29% | 22,913 | ||||||||||
| Lafayette | 2,500 | 46.05% | 2,929 | 53.95% | 0 | 0.00% | -429 | -7.90% | 5,429 | ||||||||||
| Langlade | 3,727 | 53.67% | 3,210 | 46.23% | 7 | 0.10% | 517 | 7.45% | 6,944 | ||||||||||
| Lincoln | 3,840 | 50.74% | 3,719 | 49.14% | 9 | 0.12% | 121 | 1.60% | 7,568 | ||||||||||
| Manitowoc | 12,281 | 53.92% | 10,417 | 45.73% | 79 | 0.35% | 1,864 | 8.18% | 22,777 | ||||||||||
| Marathon | 16,064 | 56.65% | 12,267 | 43.26% | 23 | 0.08% | 3,797 | 13.39% | 28,356 | ||||||||||
| Marinette | 5,369 | 48.84% | 5,618 | 51.11% | 5 | 0.05% | -249 | -2.27% | 10,992 | ||||||||||
| Marquette | 941 | 36.73% | 1,620 | 63.23% | 1 | 0.04% | -679 | -26.50% | 2,562 | ||||||||||
| Milwaukee | 190,647 | 61.58% | 118,310 | 38.22% | 612 | 0.20% | 72,337 | 23.37% | 309,576 | ||||||||||
| Monroe | 4,422 | 49.85% | 4,445 | 50.11% | 0 | 0.00% | -23 | -0.26% | 8,871 | ||||||||||
| Oconto | 4,029 | 48.81% | 4,222 | 51.14% | 4 | 0.05% | -193 | -2.34% | 8,255 | ||||||||||
| Oneida | 5,090 | 57.34% | 3,782 | 42.60% | 5 | 0.06% | 1,308 | 14.73% | 8,877 | ||||||||||
| Outagamie | 10,611 | 39.19% | 16,388 | 60.52% | 78 | 0.29% | -5,777 | -21.34% | 27,077 | ||||||||||
| Ozaukee | 5,448 | 47.76% | 5,956 | 52.21% | 4 | 0.04% | -508 | -4.45% | 11,408 | ||||||||||
| Pepin | 838 | 48.33% | 895 | 51.61% | 1 | 0.06% | -57 | -3.29% | 1,734 | ||||||||||
| Pierce | 2,656 | 46.31% | 3,079 | 53.69% | 0 | 0.00% | -423 | -7.38% | 5,735 | ||||||||||
| Polk | 4,598 | 56.96% | 3,470 | 42.98% | 5 | 0.06% | 1,128 | 13.97% | 8,073 | ||||||||||
| Portage | 7,698 | 62.97% | 4,510 | 36.89% | 17 | 0.14% | 3,188 | 26.08% | 12,225 | ||||||||||
| Price | 3,043 | 56.10% | 2,373 | 43.75% | 8 | 0.15% | 670 | 12.35% | 5,424 | ||||||||||
| Racine | 26,423 | 60.49% | 17,229 | 39.44% | 32 | 0.07% | 9,194 | 21.05% | 43,684 | ||||||||||
| Richland | 2,756 | 43.64% | 3,557 | 56.33% | 2 | 0.03% | -801 | -12.68% | 6,315 | ||||||||||
| Rock | 14,166 | 47.03% | 15,913 | 52.83% | 39 | 0.13% | -1,747 | -5.80% | 30,119 | ||||||||||
| Rusk | 2,813 | 57.02% | 2,114 | 42.85% | 6 | 0.12% | 699 | 14.17% | 4,933 | ||||||||||
| Sauk | 5,539 | 46.50% | 6,366 | 53.44% | 6 | 0.05% | -827 | -6.94% | 11,912 | ||||||||||
| Sawyer | 1,591 | 45.48% | 1,900 | 54.32% | 0 | 0.00% | -309 | -8.83% | 3,498 | ||||||||||
| Shawano | 3,884 | 43.17% | 5,109 | 56.78% | 5 | 0.06% | -1,225 | -13.61% | 8,998 | ||||||||||
| Sheboygan | 15,777 | 51.56% | 14,815 | 48.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 962 | 3.14% | 30,599 | ||||||||||
| St. Croix | 4,431 | 50.01% | 4,426 | 49.95% | 3 | 0.03% | 5 | 0.06% | 8,860 | ||||||||||
| Taylor | 3,362 | 59.30% | 2,303 | 40.62% | 4 | 0.07% | 1,059 | 18.68% | 5,669 | ||||||||||
| Trempealeau | 3,670 | 53.68% | 3,166 | 46.31% | 1 | 0.01% | 504 | 7.37% | 6,837 | ||||||||||
| Vernon | 4,885 | 56.10% | 3,819 | 43.86% | 4 | 0.05% | 1,066 | 12.24% | 8,708 | ||||||||||
| Vilas | 2,398 | 51.70% | 2,232 | 48.12% | 8 | 0.17% | 166 | 3.58% | 4,638 | ||||||||||
| Walworth | 5,753 | 38.67% | 9,116 | 61.27% | 9 | 0.06% | -3,363 | -22.60% | 14,878 | ||||||||||
| Washburn | 1,784 | 49.04% | 1,852 | 50.91% | 2 | 0.05% | -68 | -1.87% | 3,638 | ||||||||||
| Washington | 5,768 | 46.14% | 6,728 | 53.82% | 5 | 0.04% | -960 | -7.68% | 12,502 | ||||||||||
| Waukesha | 20,637 | 48.45% | 21,902 | 51.42% | 57 | 0.13% | -1,265 | -2.97% | 42,596 | ||||||||||
| Waupaca | 3,972 | 37.09% | 6,732 | 62.87% | 4 | 0.04% | -2,760 | -25.78% | 10,708 | ||||||||||
| Waushara | 1,446 | 36.00% | 2,569 | 63.95% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,123 | -27.96% | 4,017 | ||||||||||
| Winnebago | 15,494 | 46.21% | 17,979 | 53.62% | 59 | 0.18% | -2,485 | -7.41% | 33,532 | ||||||||||
| Wood | 8,232 | 47.69% | 9,006 | 52.17% | 24 | 0.14% | -774 | -4.48% | 17,262 | ||||||||||
| Total | 644,296 | 53.59% | 556,391 | 46.28% | 1,485 | 0.12% | 87,905 | 7.31% | 1,202,219 | ||||||||||