1968 Wisconsin gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	1968 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Country:	Wisconsin
Flag Year:	1913
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1966 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	1966
Next Election:	1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Next Year:	1970
Election Date:	November 5, 1968
Image1:	Warren P. Knowles (Wisconsin governor).jpg
Nominee1:	Warren P. Knowles
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	893,463
Percentage1:	52.88%
Nominee2:	Bronson C. La Follette
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	791,100
Percentage2:	46.82%
Map Size:	250px
Governor
Before Election:	Warren P. Knowles
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Warren P. Knowles
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The 1968 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1968. Republican Warren P. Knowles won the election with 53% of the vote, winning his third term as Governor of Wisconsin and defeating Democrat Bronson C. La Follette.^[1] This was the last gubernatorial election in Wisconsin where the governor was elected to a two year term separately from the Lieutenant Governor.

Primary election

The primary election was held on September 10, 1968.

Republican party

Candidates

• Warren P. Knowles, incumbent governor

Results

Democratic party

Candidates

• Bronson C. La Follette, Attorney General of Wisconsin
• Floyd L. Wille

Results

General election

Candidates

• Warren P. Knowles, Republican
• Bronson C. La Follete, Democrat
• Adolf Wiggert, Independent
• Robert Wilkinson, Independent

Results by county

Knowles was the first Republican to win without carrying Clark County since William E. Smith in 1877. Forest County, Marathon County, Rusk County, and Wood County would not vote for the losing candidate again until 2018.

County	Warren P. Knowles Republican		Bronson C. La Follette Democratic		All Others Various		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%
	Adams		1,613		44.63%		1,990		55.06%		11		0.30%		-377		-10.43%		3,614
	Ashland		2,835		40.96%		4,056		58.60%		30		0.43%		-1,221		-17.64%		6,921
	Barron		7,819		58.05%		5,637		41.85%		13		0.10%		2,182		16.20%		13,469
	Bayfield		2,439		43.57%		3,146		56.20%		13		0.23%		-707		-12.63%		5,598
	Brown		32,161		57.38%		23,608		42.12%		278		0.50%		8,553		15.26%		56,047
	Buffalo		3,062		57.63%		2,246		42.27%		5		0.09%		816		15.36%		5,313
	Burnett		2,380		55.16%		1,929		44.70%		6		0.14%		451		10.45%		4,315
	Calumet		5,075		50.53%		4,954		49.32%		15		0.15%		121		1.20%		10,044
	Chippewa		7,757		47.31%		8,625		52.60%		14		0.09%		-868		-5.29%		16,396
	Clark		6,003		49.26%		6,162		50.56%		22		0.18%		-159		-1.30%		12,187
	Columbia		9,065		56.32%		7,001		43.50%		30		0.19%		2,064		12.82%		16,096
	Crawford		3,744		61.74%		2,313		38.14%		7		0.12%		1,431		23.60%		6,064
	Dane		56,260		52.75%		49,758		46.65%		640		0.60%		6,502		6.10%		106,658
	Dodge		14,492		56.29%		11,234		43.64%		18		0.07%		3,258		12.66%		25,744
	Door		5,504		62.26%		3,321		37.57%		15		0.17%		2,183		24.69%		8,840
	Douglas		7,572		41.98%		10,414		57.73%		53		0.29%		-2,842		-15.75%		18,039
	Dunn		5,483		53.65%		4,722		46.21%		14		0.14%		761		7.45%		10,219
	Eau Claire		13,007		51.87%		12,020		47.93%		51		0.20%		987		3.94%		25,078
	Florence		852		51.45%		798		48.19%		6		0.36%		54		3.26%		1,656
	Fond du Lac		17,916		55.24%		14,432		44.50%		86		0.27%		3,484		10.74%		32,434
	Forest		1,292		42.71%		1,727		57.09%		6		0.20%		-435		-14.38%		3,025
	Grant		11,265		67.07%		5,515		32.83%		17		0.10%		5,750		34.23%		16,797
	Green		6,787		64.08%		3,799		35.87%		5		0.05%		2,988		28.21%		10,591
	Green Lake		4,661		61.20%		2,942		38.63%		13		0.17%		1,719		22.57%		7,616
	Iowa		3,920		55.73%		3,102		44.10%		12		0.17%		818		11.63%		7,034
	Iron		1,462		45.63%		1,735		54.15%		7		0.22%		-273		-8.52%		3,204
	Jackson		3,261		54.83%		2,672		44.93%		14		0.24%		589		9.90%		5,947
	Jefferson		12,749		56.64%		9,722		43.20%		36		0.16%		3,027		13.45%		22,507
	Juneau		3,957		56.39%		3,045		43.39%		15		0.21%		912		13.00%		7,017
	Kenosha		19,243		45.75%		22,701		53.97%		121		0.29%		-3,458		-8.22%		42,065
	Kewaunee		4,326		56.95%		3,262		42.94%		8		0.11%		1,064		14.01%		7,596
	La Crosse		20,416		64.62%		11,073		35.05%		106		0.34%		9,343		29.57%		31,595
	Lafayette		3,986		54.63%		3,305		45.30%		5		0.07%		681		9.33%		7,296
	Langlade		3,523		49.82%		3,535		49.99%		13		0.18%		-12		-0.17%		7,071
	Lincoln		4,603		49.83%		4,619		50.00%		16		0.17%		-16		-0.17%		9,238
	Manitowoc		13,611		43.78%		17,344		55.79%		133		0.43%		-3,733		-12.01%		31,088
	Marathon		16,430		43.41%		21,297		56.27%		118		0.31%		-4,867		-12.86%		37,845
	Marinette		7,477		50.96%		7,167		48.84%		29		0.20%		310		2.11%		14,673
	Marquette		2,290		60.39%		1,495		39.43%		7		0.18%		795		20.97%		3,792
	Menominee		239		34.44%		452		65.13%		3		0.43%		-213		-30.69%		694
	Milwaukee		195,502		47.35%		214,717		52.28%		1,518		0.37%		-20,515		-4.92%		410,737
	Monroe		7,237		62.53%		4,323		37.35%		13		0.11%		2,914		25.18%		11,573
	Oconto		5,469		52.41%		4,951		47.45%		15		0.14%		518		4.96%		10,435
	Oneida		5,247		50.69%		5,094		49.21%		10		0.10%		153		1.48%		10,351
	Outagamie		22,748		53.72%		19,469		45.97%		130		0.31%		3,279		7.74%		42,347
	Ozaukee		13,437		64.99%		7,185		34.75%		55		0.27%		6,252		30.24%		20,677
	Pepin		1,536		53.73%		1,321		46.20%		2		0.07%		215		7.52%		2,859
	Pierce		6,045		60.35%		3,955		39.48%		17		0.17%		2,090		20.86%		10,017
	Polk		6,467		57.58%		4,757		42.36%		7		0.06%		1,710		15.23%		11,231
	Portage		6,921		40.29%		10,194		59.34%		64		0.37%		-3,273		-19.05%		17,179
	Price		3,261		50.86%		3,139		48.96%		12		0.19%		122		1.90%		6,412
	Racine		32,348		51.38%		30,335		48.18%		279		0.44%		2,013		3.20%		62,962
	Richland		4,010		58.35%		2,856		41.56%		6		0.09%		1,154		16.79%		6,872
	Rock		28,190		57.06%		21,125		42.76%		89		0.18%		7,065		14.30%		49,404
	Rusk		2,731		46.76%		3,095		52.99%		15		0.26%		-364		-6.23%		5,841
	Sauk		8,657		54.29%		7,244		45.43%		44		0.28%		1,413		8.86%		15,945
	Sawyer		2,751		60.18%		1,815		39.71%		5		0.11%		936		20.48%		4,571
	Shawano		7,625		58.13%		5,479		41.77%		14		0.11%		2,146		16.36%		13,118
	Sheboygan		20,019		50.68%		19,260		48.76%		218		0.55%		759		1.92%		39,497
	St. Croix		7,752		55.77%		6,137		44.15%		11		0.08%		1,615		11.62%		13,900
	Taylor		2,642		39.15%		4,091		60.63%		15		0.22%		-1,449		-21.47%		6,748
	Trempealeau		4,862		52.62%		4,368		47.27%		10		0.11%		494		5.35%		9,240
	Vernon		6,136		60.23%		4,045		39.71%		6		0.06%		2,091		20.53%		10,187
	Vilas		3,410		59.92%		2,267		39.83%		14		0.25%		1,143		20.08%		5,691
	Walworth		15,941		66.06%		8,155		33.79%		35		0.15%		7,786		32.27%		24,131
	Washburn		2,606		52.35%		2,365		47.51%		7		0.14%		241		4.84%		4,978
	Washington		13,075		58.44%		9,249		41.34%		48		0.21%		3,826		17.10%		22,372
	Waukesha		55,219		63.53%		31,498		36.24%		195		0.22%		23,721		27.29%		86,912
	Waupaca		10,130		64.40%		5,577		35.45%		24		0.15%		4,553		28.94%		15,731
	Waushara		4,266		67.88%		2,019		32.12%		0		0.00%		2,247		35.75%		6,285
	Winnebago		25,713		56.25%		19,776		43.26%		224		0.49%		5,937		12.99%		45,713
	Wood		11,973		49.07%		12,364		50.67%		62		0.25%		-391		-1.60%		24,399
Total	893,463	52.88%	791,100	46.82%	5,175	0.31%	102,363	6.06%	1,689,738

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Marinette

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Bayfield
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Langlade
• Lincoln
• Marathon
• Wood

Notes and References

1. Book: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature . 2015 . Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016 . Madison, Wisconsin . Wisconsin Department of Administration . 699–701 . 978-0-9752820-7-6.