Wisconsin gubernatorial elections explained

Wisconsin gubernatorial elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November every four years on even, non-presidential election years since 1970. Between 1884 and 1970, gubernatorial elections were held on every even-numbered year. Prior to 1882, gubernatorial elections were held on every odd-numbered year.

The Wisconsin gubernatorial election selects the Governor of Wisconsin and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin who will take office for a four-year term beginning the first Monday of the first January following the election. The election operates under first-past-the-post rules with no runoff. Prior to 2014, the lieutenant gubernatorial election was a separate election on the same ballot.

The first Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held May 8, 1848, concurrent with a referendum to ratify the Wisconsin Constitution. Since then, there have been 74 regular Wisconsin gubernatorial elections and one special recall election.

Fifty-five elections have been won by Republican candidates. Seventeen elections were won by Democratic candidates. Three were won by Wisconsin Progressives. One was won by a Whig.

Incumbents have been re-elected 35 times and have been defeated 14 times.

List of election results

Percentages are approximate:

Year	Elected				Defeated
1848		Democratic	19,875	56%				14,621	41%
					Charles Durkee			1,134	3%
1849		Democratic	16,649	52%			14,621	36%
					Warren Chase		3,761	12%
1851		Whig	22,319	51%			21,812	49%
1853	William A. Barstow	Democratic	30,405	55%	Edward D. Holton			21,886	39%
					Henry S. Baird			3,304	6%
1855	Coles Bashford	Republican	36,198	50%	William A. Barstow (inc)			36,355	50%
1857	Alexander Randall	Republican	44,693	50%	James B. Cross			44,239	49%
1859	Alexander Randall (inc)	Republican	59,999	53%	Harrison Carroll Hobart			52,539	47%
1861	Louis P. Harvey	Republican	53,777	54%	Benjamin Ferguson			45,456	46%
1863	James Taylor Lewis	Republican	72,717	60%	Henry L. Palmer			49,053	40%
1865	Lucius Fairchild	Republican	58,332	55%	Harrison Carroll Hobart			48,330	45%
1867	Lucius Fairchild (inc)	Republican	73,637	52%	John J. Tallmadge			68,873	48%
1869	Lucius Fairchild (inc)	Republican	69,502	53%	Charles D. Robinson			61,239	47%
1871	Cadwallader C. Washburn	Republican	78,301	53%	James Rood Doolittle			68,910	47%
1873	William Robert Taylor	Democratic	81,599	55%	Cadwallader C. Washburn (inc)			66,224	45%
1875	Harrison Ludington	Republican	85,155	50%	William Robert Taylor (inc)			84,314	50%
1877	William E. Smith	Republican	78,759	44%	James A. Mallory			70,486	40%
					Edward P. Allis			26,216	15%
					Collin M. Campbell			2,176	1%
1879	William E. Smith (inc)	Republican	100,535	53%	James Graham Jenkins			75,030	40%
					Reuben May			12,996	7%
1881	Jeremiah McLain Rusk	Republican	81,754	48%	Nicholas D. Fratt			69,797	41%
					Theodore D. Kanouse			13,225	8%
					Edward P. Allis			7,002	4%
1884	Jeremiah McLain Rusk (inc)	Republican	163,214	51%	Nicholas D. Fratt			143,945	45%
					Samuel D. Hastings			8,545	3%
					William L. Utley			4,274	1%
1886	Jeremiah McLain Rusk (inc)	Republican	133,247	47%				114,529	40%
					John Cochrane			21,467	7%
					John Myers Olin			17,089	6%
1888	William D. Hoard	Republican	175,696	49%	James Morgan			155,423	44%
					E. G. Durant			14,373	4%
					D. Frank Powell			9,196	3%
1890	George Wilbur Peck	Democratic	160,388	52%	William D. Hoard (inc)			132,068	43%
					Charles Alexander			11,246	4%
					Reuben May			5,447	2%
1892	George Wilbur Peck (inc)	Democratic	178,095	48%	John Coit Spooner			170,497	46%
					Thomas C. Richmond			13,185	4%
					Cyrus M. Butt			9,638	3%
1894	William H. Upham	Republican	196,150	52%	George Wilbur Peck (inc)			142,250	38%
					D. Frank Powell			25,604	7%
					John F. Cleghorn			11,240	3%
1896	Edward Scofield	Republican	264,981	60%	Willis C. Silverthorn			169,257	38%
					Joshua H. Berkey			8,140	2%
					Christ Tuttrop			1,306	0%
					Robert Henderson			407	0%
1898	Edward Scofield (inc)	Republican	173,137	53%	Hiram Wilson Sawyer			135,353	41%
					Albinus A. Worsley			8,518	3%
					Eugene W. Chafin			8,078	2%
					Howard Tuttle			2,544	1%
					Henry Riese			1,473	0%
					Robert M. La Follette			112	0%
1900	Robert M. La Follette	Republican	264,419	60%	Louis G. Bomrich			160,674	36%
					J. Burritt Smith			9,707	2%
					Howard Tuttle			6,590	1%
					Frank R. Wilke			509	0%
1902	Robert M. La Follette (inc)	Republican	193,417	53%	David Stuart Rose			145,818	40%
					Emil Seidel			15,970	4%
					Edwin W. Drake			9,647	3%
					Henry E. D. Puck			791	0%
1904	Robert M. La Follette (inc)	Republican	227,253	51%	George Wilbur Peck			173,301	39%
					William A. Arnold			24,857	6%
					Edward Scofield			12,136	3%
					William H. Clark			8,764	2%
					Charles M. Minkley			249	0%
1906	James O. Davidson (inc)	Republican	183,558	57%	John A. Aylward			103,311	32%
					Winfield R. Gaylord			24,437	8%
					Ephraim L. Eaton			8,211	3%
					Ole T. Rosaas			455	0%
1908	James O. Davidson (inc)	Republican	242,935	54%	John A. Aylward			165,977	37%
					Harvey D. Brown			28,583	6%
					Winfred D. Cox			11,760	3%
					Herman Bottema			393	0%
1910	Francis E. McGovern	Republican	161,619	51%	Adolph H. Schmitz			110,442	35%
					William A. Jacobs			39,547	12%
					Byron E. Van Keuren			7,450	2%
					Fred G. Kremer			430	0%
1912	Francis E. McGovern (inc)	Republican	179,360	46%	John C. Karel			167,316	42%
					Carl D. Thompson			34,468	9%
					Charles L. Hill			9,433	2%
					William H. Curtis			3,253	1%
1914	Emanuel L. Philipp	Republican	140,787	43%	John C. Karel			119,509	37%
					John J. Blaine			32,560	10%
					Oscar Ameringer			25,917	8%
					David W. Emerson			6,279	2%
					John Vierthaler			352	0%
1916	Emanuel L. Philipp (inc)	Republican	229,889	53%	Burt Williams			164,555	38%
					Rae Weaver			30,649	7%
					George McKerrow			9,193	2%
1918	Emanuel L. Philipp (inc)	Republican	155,799	47%	Henry A. Moehlenpah			112,576	34%
					Emil Seidel			57,523	17%
					William C. Dean			5,296	2%
1920	John J. Blaine	Republican	366,247	53%	Robert Bruce McCoy			247,746	36%
					William Coleman			71,126	10%
					Henry H. Tubbs			6,047	1%
1922	John J. Blaine (inc)	Republican	367,929	76%	Arthur A. Bentley			51,061	11%
					Louis A. Arnold			39,570	8%
					M. L. Welles			21,438	4%
					Arthur A. Dietrich			1,444	0%
1924	John J. Blaine (inc)	Republican	412,255	52%	Martin L. Lueck			317,550	40%
					William F. Quick			45,268	6%
					Adolph R. Bucknam			11,516	1%
					Severi Alanne			4,107	0%
					Farrand K. Shuttleworth			4,079	0%
					Jose Snover			1,452	0%
1926	Fred R. Zimmerman	Republican	350,927	63%	Charles B. Perry			76,507	14%
					Virgil H. Cady			72,627	13%
					Herman O. Kent			40,293	7%
					David W. Emerson			7,333	1%
					Alex Gorden			4,593	1%
1928	Walter J. Kohler, Sr.	Republican	547,738	55%	Albert G. Schmedeman			394,368	40%
					Otto R. Hauser			36,924	4%
					Adolph R. Bucknam			6,477	1%
					Joseph Ehrhardt			1,938	0%
					Alvar J. Hayes			1,420	0%
1930	Philip La Follette	Republican	392,958	65%	Charles E. Hammersley			170,020	28%
					Frank Metcalfe			25,607	4%
					Alfred B. Taynton			14,818	2%
					Fred Basset Blair			2,998	0%
1932	Albert G. Schmedeman	Democratic	590,114	52%	Walter J. Kohler, Sr.			470,805	42%
					Frank Metcalfe			56,965	5%
					William C. Dean			3,148	0%
					Fred Basset Blair			2,926	0%
					Joseph Ehrhardt			398	0%
1934	Philip La Follette	Progressive	373,093	39%	Albert G. Schmedeman (inc)			359,467	38%
					Howard Greene			172,980	18%
					George A. Nelson			44,589	5%
					Morris Childs			2,454	0%
					Thomas W. North			857	0%
					Joseph Ehrhardt			332	0%
1936	Philip La Follette (inc)	Progressive	573,724	46%	Alexander Wiley			363,973	29%
					Arthur W. Lueck			268,530	22%
					Joseph F. Walsh			27,934	2%
					Joseph Ehrhardt			1,738	0%
					August F. Fehlandt			1,008	0%
1938	Julius P. Heil	Republican	543,675	55%	Philip La Follette (inc)			353,381	36%
					Harry W. Bolens			78,446	8%
					Frank W. Smith			4,564	0%
					John Schleier, Jr.			1,459	0%
1940	Julius P. Heil (inc)	Republican	558,678	41%	Orland Steen Loomis			546,436	40%
					Francis E. McGovern			264,985	19%
					Fred Basset Blair			2,340	0%
					Louis Fisher			1,158	0%
1942	Orland Steen Loomis	Progressive	397,664	50%	Julius P. Heil (inc)			291,945	36%
					William C. Sullivan			98,153	12%
					Frank Zeidler			11,295	1%
					Fred Basset Blair			1,092	0%
					Georgia Cozzini			480	0%
1944	Walter Samuel Goodland (inc)	Republican	697,740	53%	Daniel Hoan			536,357	41%
					Alexander O. Benz			76,028	6%
					George A. Nelson			9,183	1%
					Georgia Cozzini			1,122	0%
1946	Walter Samuel Goodland (inc)	Republican	621,970	60%	Daniel Hoan			406,499	39%
					Walter H. Uphoff			8,996	1%
					Sigmund G. Eisenscher			1,857	0%
					Jerry R. Kenyon			959	0%
1948	Oscar Rennebohm (inc)	Republican	684,839	54%	Carl W. Thompson			558,497	44%
					Henry J. Berquist			12,928	1%
					Walter H. Uphoff			9,149	1%
					James E. Boulton			356	0%
					Georgia Cozzini			328	0%
1950	Walter J. Kohler, Jr.	Republican	605,649	53%	Carl W. Thompson			525,319	46%
					M. Michael Essin			3,735	0%
					William O. Hart			3,384	0%
1952	Walter J. Kohler, Jr. (inc)	Republican	1,009,171	62%	William Proxmire			601,844	37%
					M. Michael Essin			3,706	0%
1954	Walter J. Kohler, Jr. (inc)	Republican	596,158	51%	William Proxmire			560,747	48%
					Arthur Wepfer			1,722	0%
1956	Vernon Wallace Thomson	Republican	808,273	52%	William Proxmire			749,421	48%
1958	Gaylord Nelson	Democratic	644,296	54%				556,391	46%
					Wayne Leverenz			1,485	0%
1960	Gaylord Nelson (inc)	Democratic	890,868	52%	Phillip G. Kuehn			837,123	48%
1962	John W. Reynolds, Jr.	Democratic	637,491	50%	Phillip G. Kuehn			625,536	49%
					Adolf Wiggert			2,477	0%
1964	Warren P. Knowles	Republican	856,779	51%	John W. Reynolds, Jr. (inc)			837,901	49%
1966	Warren P. Knowles (inc)	Republican	626,041	54%	Patrick Lucey			539,258	46%
					Adolf Wiggert			4,745	0%
1968	Warren P. Knowles (inc)	Republican	893,463	53%	Bronson La Follette			791,100	47%
					Adolf Wiggert			3,225	0%
					Robert Wilkinson			1,813	0%
1970	Patrick Lucey	Democratic	728,403	54%	Jack B. Olson			602,617	45%
					Leo James McDonald			9,035	1%
					Georgia Cozzini			1,287	0%
					Samuel K. Hunt			888	0%
					Myrtle Kastner			628	0%
1974	Patrick Lucey (inc)	Democratic	628,639	53%	William Dyke			497,189	42%
					William H. Upham			33,528	3%
					Crazy Jim			12,107	1%
					William Hart			5,113	0%
					Fred Basset Blair			3,617	0%
					Georgia Cozzini			1,492	0%
1978	Lee S. Dreyfus	Republican	816,056	54%	Martin J. Schreiber (inc)			673,813	45%
					Eugene R. Zimmerman			6,355	0%
					John C. Doherty			2,183	0%
					Adrienne Kaplan			1,548	0%
					Henry A. Ochsner			849	0%
1982	Tony Earl	Democratic	896,872	57%				662,738	42%
					Larry Smiley			9,734	1%
					James Wickstrom			7,721	0%
					Peter Seidman			3,025	0%
1986	Tommy Thompson	Republican	805,090	53%	Tony Earl (inc)			705,578	46%
					Kathryn A. Christensen			10,323	1%
					Darold E. Wall			3,913	0%
					Sanford Knapp			1,668	0%
1990	Tommy Thompson (inc)	Republican	802,321	58%	Thomas A. Loftus			576,280	42%
1994	Tommy Thompson (inc)	Republican	1,051,326	67%	Charles Chvala			482,850	31%
					David S. Harmon			11,639	1%
					Edward J. Frami			9,188	1%
					Michael J. Mangan			8,150	1%
1998	Tommy Thompson (inc)	Republican	1,047,716	60%	Ed Garvey			679,553	39%
					Jim Mueller			11,071	1%
					Edward J. Frami			10,269	1%
					Michael J. Mangan			4,985	0%
					A-Ja-mu Muhammad			1,604	0%
					Jeffrey L. Smith			14	0%
2002	Jim Doyle	Democratic	800,515	45%	Scott McCallum (inc)			734,779	41%
					Ed Thompson			185,455	10%
					Jim Young			44,111	2%
					Alan D. Eisenberg			2,847	0%
					Ty A. Bollerud			2,637	0%
					Michael J. Mangan			1,710	0%
					Aneb Jah Rasta Sensa-Utcha Nefer-I			929	0%
2006	Jim Doyle (inc)	Democratic	1,139,115	53%	Mark Andrew Green			979,427	45%
					Nelson Eisman			40,709	2%
2010		Republican	1,128,941	52%	Tom Barrett			1,004,303	46%
					Jim Langer			10,608	0%
					James James			8,273	0%
2012^	Scott Walker (inc)	Republican	1,335,585	53%	Tom Barrett			1,164,480	46%
					Hari Trivedi			14,463	1%
2014	Scott Walker (inc)	Republican	1,259,706	52%				1,122,913	47%
					Robert Burke			18,720	1%
					Dennis Fehr			7,530	1%
2018	Tony Evers	Democratic	1,324,307	50%	Scott Walker (inc)			1,295,080	48%
					Phil Anderson			20,255	1%
					Maggie Turnbull			18,884	1%
					Michael White			11,087	0%
					Arnie Enz			2,745	0%
2022	Tony Evers (inc)	Democratic	1,358,774	51%	Tim Michels			1,268,535	47%
					Joan Ellis Beglinger			27,198	1%

^ Recall election

References

• http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/WI/ofc/gov1950s.html
• 2005-2006 Wisconsin Bluebook