2004 United States Senate election in Wisconsin explained

Election Name:2004 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
Country:Wisconsin
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1998 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
Previous Year:1998
Next Election:2010 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
Next Year:2010
Election Date:November 2, 2004
Image1:Russ Feingold official photo 2.jpg
Nominee1:Russ Feingold
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:1,632,697
Percentage1:55.35%
Nominee2:Tim Michels
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:1,301,183
Percentage2:44.11%
U.S. Senator
Before Election:Russ Feingold
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Russ Feingold
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 2004 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Senator Russ Feingold won re-election to a third term., this is the last time Democrats won the Class 3 Senate seat from Wisconsin. Russ Feingold defeated Tim Michels in a landslide despite John Kerry narrowly winning Wisconsin over Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush in the concurrent presidential election.

Candidates

Democratic

Republican

Minor candidates

Libertarian

Independent

General election

Campaign

Michels insisted he had more real world experience than Feingold, someone he called an "extreme liberal" who was out of touch with Wisconsin voters.[5] Feingold attacked back by saying that any Republican would be a rubber stamp for President Bush. The incumbent had $2.2 million in the bank, while Michels had already spent $1 million in the primary and had only about $150,000 left.[6]

During both the primary and general election campaigns, Michel ran a series of ads attacking Feingold for his status as the sole senator to oppose the 2001 Patriot Act. One of his earliest ads during the primary accused Feingold of putting "his liberal ideology before our safety", while another primary spot featured footage of the September 11 Attacks and a voice-over saying that "our leaders passed new laws to keep us safe. But Russ Feingold voted against those laws."[7] After easily winning the Republican primary against three opponents, Michel released two more anti-Feingold spots focusing on the Patriot Act. One of the ads showed further footage of the September 11 attacks, while another depicted a Middle Eastern spy photographing a Wisconsin nuclear power plant before Michels appears on-screen and announces that "Unlike Russ Feingold, I will support renewing the PATRIOT Act, because we need to be able to track and stop terrorists before they strike again." Michels reported that one-fifth of his campaign's advertising budget was devoted to making and airing the spots.

In October, based on a belief that Feingold was vulnerable due in part to his vote on the Patriot Act, the NRSC pledged $600,000 in support of the Michel campaign. However, after the Michel commercials generated negative attention and Feingold continued to lead comfortably in most polls, the party rescinded their financial assistance.[8] On October 1, a poll showed Feingold leading 52% to 39%.[9] In mid October, another poll showed Feingold winning 48% to 43%. A poll at the end of the month showed him leading 51% to 36%.[10]

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size[12]
Margin
of error
Russ
Feingold (D)
Tim
Michels (R)
Arif
Khan (L)
Undecided
Zogby International[13] October 27–30, 2004601 (LV)± 4.1%57%37%6%
Tarrance Group (R)[14] October 29, 2004500 (LV)± 4.5%48%43%9%
Zogby International[15] October 26–29, 2004600 (LV)± 4.1%57%37%6%
Tarrance Group (R)October 28, 2004500 (LV)± 4.5%49%41%10%
Zogby International[16] October 25–28, 2004601 (LV)± 4.1%57%37%6%
Tarrance Group (R)October 27, 2004500 (LV)± 4.5%51%41%8%
Zogby International[17] October 24–27, 2004601 (LV)± 4.1%59%36%5%
University of Wisconsin[18] October 23–27, 2004545 (V)± 4%51%36%13%
Tarrance Group (R)October 26, 2004500 (LV)± 4.5%52%39%9%
Zogby International[19] October 23–26, 2004601 (LV)± 4.1%57%38%5%
Tarrance Group (R)October 25, 2004500 (LV)± 4.5%52%40%8%
Zogby International[20] October 22–25, 2004601 (LV)± 4.1%54%41%5%
Zogby International[21] October 21–24, 2004601 (LV)± 4.1%54%42%4%
Rasmussen Reports[22] October 14, 2004500 (LV)± 4.5%53%43%2%2%
St. Norbert College[23] October 4–13, 2004401 (LV)± 5%56%33%11%
Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV[24] October 200457%33%10%
Harris Interactive[25] September 22–26, 2004562 (V)± 4%52%39%9%
University of Wisconsin[26] September 15–21, 2004485 (LV)± 4.5%53%38%9%
ABC News[27] September 16–19, 2004775 (LV)± 3.5%51%45%4%
University of Wisconsin[28] June 15–23, 2004504 (V)± 4%36%12%52%

Results

Counties that flipped Republican to Democratic

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

See also

External links

Debates

Official campaign websites (archived)
Democrats

Republicans

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2004 SENATE RACES. CBS News. January 10, 2020.
  2. Web site: Our Campaigns - WI US Senate - R Primary Race - Sep 14, 2004 .
  3. Web site: In Wisconsin, a Muslim Libertarian for Senate. The Pluralism Project. July 6, 2004. January 10, 2020.
  4. Web site: Incumbent Feingold faces competition in Senate race. Marquette Wire. Thoreson. Bridget. October 27, 2004. January 11, 2020.
  5. Web site: MICHELS TOUTS RURAL ROOTS IN JOINING GOP SENATE RACE.(FRONT) - The Capital Times | HighBeam Research. November 4, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121104080030/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-112626866.html. 2012-11-04.
  6. Web site: 2004-09-16. Michels, Feingold already sparring. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160428143119/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_6caAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y0UEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6652,3445599&dq=tim+michels&hl=en. 2016-04-28. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. news.google.com.
  7. Web site: Weigel . David . David Weigel . When Patriots Dissent . Reason . November 13, 2021 . November 2005.
  8. Web site: Republican committee pulls ads for Michels. The Badger Herald. Masse. Ryan. October 15, 2004. January 11, 2020.
  9. Web site: Zielinski. Graeme. 1 October 2004. Feingold holds big lead over Michels, poll says. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110609093231/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1057665A96950BA6&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. 2011-06-09. nl.newsbank.com.
  10. Web site: Zielinski. Graeme. 30 October 2004. Feingold, Michels each say campaign is going his way. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160513071902/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PKgaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eEUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6021,4541874&dq=tim+michels+poll&hl=en. 2016-05-13. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. news.google.com/.
  11. Web site: The Final Predictions . Sabato's Crystal Ball . May 2, 2021.
  12. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  13. https://web.archive.org/web/20041205033905/http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=918 Zogby International
  14. https://web.archive.org/web/20041108180815/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/Polls/Memo-WI-Poll-10.29.04.pdf?ID=913 Tarrance Group (R)
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20041206223944/http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=916 Zogby International
  16. https://web.archive.org/web/20041208094601/http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=913 Zogby International
  17. https://web.archive.org/web/20041206222535/http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=910 Zogby International
  18. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109279155/the-capital-times/ University of Wisconsin
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/20041209102505/http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=908 Zogby International
  20. https://web.archive.org/web/20041205095805/http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=906 Zogby International
  21. https://web.archive.org/web/20041206215802/http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=904 Zogby International
  22. https://web.archive.org/web/20041019022507/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Wisconsin_Senate.htm Rasmussen Reports
  23. https://schneiderschool.snc.edu/researchandservices/sri/docs/2000/wisurvey-senate-fall04.pdf St. Norbert College
  24. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109278355/chicago-tribune/ Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV
  25. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109277921/wisconsin-state-journal/ Harris Interactive
  26. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109277763/leader-telegram/ University of Wisconsin
  27. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109277763/leader-telegram/ ABC News
  28. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109277005/daily-citizen/ University of Wisconsin