Tony Evers (D) defeated incumbent Scott Walker (R) and four other candidates in the 2018 general election for governor of Wisconsin.

Heading into the 2018 race, Walker had last been elected in 2014, winning a second term by a margin of 6 percentage points. Since the introduction of four-year terms for governors of Wisconsin in a 1967 constitutional amendment, the only governor to win election to more than two consecutive terms was Tommy Thompson (R), who was elected in 1986 and was re-elected in 1990, 1994, and 1998. The last election in which an elected governor seeking re-election was defeated was in 1986, when Thompson unseated Tony Earl (D). Of the state's past 10 gubernatorial elections, five resulted in partisan control of the seat flipping.

Evers' victory broke the state's Republican trifecta. At the time of the election, Wisconsin had been a Republican trifecta since Walker took office and Republicans gained majorities in both chambers of the state legislature in 2011. The winner of this election stood to influence the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Wisconsin state law, the governor may veto congressional and state legislative district lines proposed by the state legislature. Evers' victory marks the fifth time in state history that a Democratic governor presided over redistricting.^[1]

Minor party and independent candidates included Phillip Anderson (L), Arnie Enz (The Wisconsin Party), Maggie Turnbull (I), and Michael White (G).

Wisconsin was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Candidates and election results

See also: Statistics on gubernatorial candidates, 2018

General election

General election for Governor of Wisconsin

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Wisconsin on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tony Evers (D)	49.5	1,324,307
	Scott Walker (R)	48.4	1,295,080
	Phillip Anderson (L)	0.8	20,225
	Maggie Turnbull (Independent)	0.7	18,884
	Michael White (G)	0.4	11,087
	Arnie Enz (The Wisconsin Party)	0.1	2,745
	Other/Write-in votes	0.0	980

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,673,308
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tony Evers	41.8	225,082
	Mahlon Mitchell	16.3	87,926
	Kelda Roys	12.8	69,086
	Kathleen Vinehout	8.2	44,168
	Michael McCabe	7.4	39,885
	Matthew Flynn	5.9	31,580
	Paul Soglin	5.2	28,158
	Andy Gronik	1.2	6,627
	Dana Wachs	0.8	4,216
	Josh Pade	0.4	1,908

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 538,636
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Robert Meyer in the Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Walker	91.6	417,276
	Submit photo	Robert Meyer	8.4	38,269

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 455,545
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Ryan Cason (R)

Green primary election

Green primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Michael White advanced from the Green primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael White	100.0	817

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 817
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Phillip Anderson advanced from the Libertarian primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phillip Anderson	100.0	1,673

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,673
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Lieutenant governor

General election candidates

Rebecca Kleefisch (Incumbent) (Republican Party)
Mandela Barnes (Democratic Party) ✔
Tiffany Anderson (Green Party)
Patrick Baird (Libertarian Party)
Wil Losch (Independent)

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Tony Evers, Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction (Assumed office: 2009), Wisconsin Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction (2001-2009)

Biography: Evers attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in educational administration. Prior to his entry into politics, Evers served as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and district administrator.^[2]

Key messages

Evers emphasized his background in education, saying that Walker underinvested in education during his time as governor.^[3]^[4]

Evers characterized Walker as a divisive governor whose decisions had benefitted his donors and increased the burden on local governments.^[5]

Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin

Party: Republican

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: Governor of Wisconsin (Assumed office: 2011), Milwaukee County Executive (2002-2010), Wisconsin State Assembly (1993-2002)

Biography: Walker attended Marquette University, leaving the school early to pursue an opportunity with the American Red Cross. After serving nearly ten years in the state assembly, Walker became the first Republican elected as county executive of Milwaukee County, a position he held until his election as governor.^[6]

Key messages

Walker promised to continue what he described as the state's strong economic performance, citing the state's unemployment and wage growth rates.^[7]

Walker touted his higher education policies, particularly policies aimed at reducing student debt and incentivizing recent graduates to remain in the state.^[7]^[8]

Walker highlighted his support for tax credits for groups including working families and seniors.^[7]

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Wisconsin governor, 2018
Poll	Poll sponsor	Tony Evers (D)	Scott Walker (R)	Phillip Anderson (L)	Michael White (G)	Maggie Turnbull (I)	Arnie Enz (I)	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size

Emerson College (October 29-31, 2018)	N/A	51%	46%	0%	0%	0%	0%	1%	+/-4.1	604
Marquette University Law School (October 24-28, 2018)	N/A	47%	47%	3%	0%	0%	0%	1%	+/-3.2	1,154
Ipsos (October 12-18, 2018)	Thomson Reuters/University of Virginia	48%	45%	0%	0%	0%	0%	7%	+/-3.0	1,193
Marquette University Law School (October 3-7, 2018)	N/A	46%	47%	5%	0%	0%	0%	1%	+/-3.9	799
Marist College (September 30 - October 3, 2018)	NBC News	52%	43%	0%	0%	0%	0%	4%	+/-4.1	781
AVERAGES		48.8%	45.6%	1.6%	0%	0%	0%	2.8%	+/-3.66	906.2
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

Click [show] to view older polls

Wisconsin governor, 2018
Poll	Poll sponsor	Tony Evers (D)	Scott Walker (R)	Phillip Anderson (L)	Michael White (G)	Maggie Turnbull (I)	Arnie Enz (I)	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size

Ipsos (September 14-21, 2018)	Thomson Reuters/University of Virginia	50%	43%	0%	0%	0%	0%	7%	+/-3.4	1,109
Marquette Law School (September 12-16, 2018)	N/A	49%	44%	6%	0%	0%	0%	2%	+/-4.4	614
Public Policy Polling (September 4-5, 2018)	High Ground Action Fund	49%	45%	2%	0%	0%	0%	6%	+/-4.0	726
Suffolk University (August 18-24, 2018)^[9]	N/A	46%	44%	2%	0%	0%	1%	7%	+/-4.4	500
Marquette University Law School (August 15-19, 2018)	N/A	46%	46%	5%	0%	0%	0%	3%	+/-4.5	601
Public Policy Polling (August 15-16, 2018)	The Evers campaign	49%	44%	0%	0%	0%	0%	7%	+/-4.0	600
AVERAGES		48.17%	44.33%	2.5%	0%	0%	0.17%	5.33%	+/-4.12	691.67
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

Click [show] to view polls of hypothetical general election matchups conducted before the August 14 primary

Wisconsin governor 2018, hypothetical general election matchup
Poll	Tony Evers (D)	Scott Walker (R)	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size

Emerson College (July 26-28)	48%	41%	7%	+/-4.2	632
NBC News/Marist Poll (July 15-19)	54%	41%	5%	+/-3.8	906
Marquette University (June 13-17)	44%	48%	8%	+/-4.0	800
AVERAGES	48.67%	43.33%	6.67%	+/-4	779.33
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

PredictIt Prices

This section provides the PredictIt market prices for this race during the three months leading up to the election. PredictIt is a site where people make and trade predictions on political and financial events. Market prices reflect the probability, based on PredictIt users' predictions, that a candidate will win a race. For example, a market price of $0.60 for Candidate A is equivalent to a 60 percent probability that Candidate A will win.

Campaign finance

The following chart contains campaign finance information obtained from the Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System covering all contributions and expenditures made between January 1, 2017, and October 22, 2018. Campaign finance information was not available for the Arnie Enz campaign.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.^[10]^[11]^[12]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

Americans for Prosperity
- The group announced a $1.5 million ad buy opposing Evers on October 3, 2018.^[13]
- The group announced a $1.3 million ad buy opposing Evers on September 14, 2018.^[14]
- The group announced a $1.8 million ad buy in support of Walker on August 18, 2018.^[15]

The Democratic Governors Association reserved $3.8 million worth of airtime in July 2018.^[16]

The Republican Governors Association reserved $5.7 million worth of airtime in July 2018.^[16]

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.^[17]
Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.^[18]^[19]^[20]

Race ratings: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2018	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
For more endorsements, see the following page:

Endorsements in August 14 Democratic primary

Noteworthy general election endorsements
Endorsement	Evers	Walker
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)^[21]		✔
Former President Barack Obama (D)^[22]	✔

Timeline

November 3, 2018: Vice President Mike Pence (R) headlined a rally in support of Walker in Hudson.
November 2, 2018: An Emerson College poll found Evers apparently leading Walker, with 51 percent support to Walker's 46 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.
October 31, 2018: A Marquette University poll found Evers and Walker at 47 percent support each. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
October 30, 2018: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) headlined rallies supporting Evers in Madison and Milwaukee.
October 29, 2018: The candidates submitted campaign finance reports covering the period between September 1 and October 22. During this period, Walker reported raising $7.7 million to Evers' $6.0 million.
October 26, 2018: Evers and Walker met for a debate in Milwaukee.
October 26, 2018: Former President Barack Obama (D) headlined a rally in Milwaukee in support of Evers.
October 24, 2018: President Donald Trump (R) headlined a rally in Mosinee in support of Walker.
October 24, 2018: An Ipsos poll sponsored by Thomson Reuters and the University of Virginia found Evers about even with Walker, with 48 percent support to Walker's 45 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.0 percentage points.
October 19, 2018: Evers and Walker met for a debate in Madison.
October 11, 2018: An NBC News/Marist College poll found Evers leading Walker 52-43. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.
October 10, 2018: Vice President Mike Pence (R) made two campaign appearances on behalf of Walker.
October 10, 2018: A Marquette University Law School poll found Walker about even with Evers, with 47 percent support to Evers' 46 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.
October 3, 2018: Americans for Prosperity announced a $1.5 million buy opposing Evers.
October 1, 2018: Former President Barack Obama (D) endorsed Evers.
September 27, 2018: The candidates filed campaign finance reports covering all contributions and expenditures made during August 2018.
September 26, 2018: An Ipsos poll found Evers leading Walker 50-43. The poll reported a 3.4 percent margin of error.
September 21, 2018: A Stronger Wisconsin released an ad opposed to Walker titled Year After Year.
September 20, 2018: The Walker campaign released an ad titled Great Place for Children and Families.
September 18, 2018: A Marquette University Law School poll found Evers apparently leading Walker, with 49 percent support to Walker's 44 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.
September 14, 2018: The Evers campaign released an ad titled Ellen. The ad defended Evers' handling of a case where a teacher was accused of sexual misconduct.
September 14, 2018: Americans for Prosperity announced a $1.3 million ad campaign in opposition to Evers.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Scott Walker

Support

"Good Job" - Walker campaign ad, released October 24, 2018

"Keep Wisconsin Growing - Vote for Scott Walker" - Americans For Prosperity ad, released October 22, 2018

"Quality, Affordable Health Care" - Walker campaign ad, released October 17, 2018

"A Leader" - Walker campaign ad, released October 11, 2018

"Make Ends Meet" - Walker campaign ad, released October 8, 2018

"Tony Evers: We Can't Afford That" - Walker campaign ad, released October 2, 2018

"A Better Future" - Walker campaign ad, released September 28, 2018

"Great Place for Children and Families" - Walker campaign ad, released September 20, 2018

"Can't Afford to Turn Back Now" - Walker campaign ad, released September 20, 2018

"They Always Will Be" - Walker campaign ad, released September 14, 2018

"Close to Home" - Walker campaign ad, released September 11, 2018

"Tony Evers: Taking Back His Praise" - Americans For Prosperity ad, released September 10, 2018

"Jumpstart" - Walker campaign ad, released September 4, 2018

"We're Just Getting Started" - Walker campaign ad, released August 15, 2018

"Foxconn: Wisconsin's On a Roll" - Walker campaign ad, released July 31, 2018

"Foxconn: Keeping Wisconsin Working" - Walker campaign ad, released July 31, 2018

"Foxconn: Helping Companies Like Mine" - Walker campaign ad, released July 31, 2018

"Foxconn: Work for Local Companies" - Walker campaign ad, released July 31, 2018

"The Wisconsin Comeback" - Walker campaign ad, released June 25, 2018

"Students First" - Walker campaign ad, released June 19, 2018

"Lower Premiums for Wisconsin Families" - Walker campaign ad, released June 5, 2018

"To Help People" - Walker campaign ad, released May 31, 2018

"Providing a Leg Up" - Walker campaign ad, released May 15, 2018

"To Save Lives" - Walker campaign ad, released May 3, 2018

"Helping People Like Me" - Walker campaign ad, released May 1, 2018

"Working" - Walker campaign ad, released March 13, 2018

Oppose

"Stage" - A Stronger Wisconsin ad, released October 22, 2018

"Splash" - A Stronger Wisconsin ad, released October 22, 2018

"Sure He Has" - Evers campaign ad, released October 16, 2018

"It’s time for a change. On November 6th, it’s time to ground Air Walker" - Greater Wisconsin opposition ad, released October 16, 2018

"Her, Him, You" - A Stronger Wisconsin ad, released October 15, 2018

"Who" - A Stronger Wisconsin ad, released October 4, 2018

"Year After Year" - A Stronger Wisconsin ad, released September 21, 2018

"Daughter" - A Stronger Wisconsin ad, released September 10, 2018

"Who." - Evers campaign ad, released August 27, 2018

"Scott Walker and the Special Interests" - Evers campaign ad, released August 20, 2018

Tony Evers

Support

"Break" - Evers campaign ad, released October 17, 2018

"Sue" - Evers campaign ad, released October 9, 2018

"Jacque" - Evers campaign ad, released October 9, 2018

"Every Kid" - Evers campaign ad, released September 25, 2018

"Ellen" - Evers campaign ad, released September 14, 2018

"Time" - Evers campaign ad, released September 12, 2018

"This Teacher" - A Stronger Wisconsin ad, released August 15, 2018

Oppose

"Bureaucrats" - RGA ad, released October 25, 2018

"Keep Our Schools Open - Oppose Tony Evers!" - Ameircans for Properity ad, released October 24, 2018

"Did You Know" - Walker campaign ad, released October 23, 2018

"Too Risky" - RGA ad, released October 19, 2018

"Tony Evers' Higher Taxes" - Walker campaign ad, released October 17, 2018

"Workers" - RGA ad, released October 15, 2018

"Farmers" - RGA ad, released October 15, 2018

"Tony Evers: You Just Can't Do That" - Walker campaign ad, released October 10, 2018

"Everything Is On The Table" - RGA ad, released October 4, 2018

"Tony Evers: A Risk We Can't Afford" - Americans for Prosperity ad, released October 2, 2018

"Oh No Tony" - Walker campaign ad, released September 25, 2018

"Higher Taxes, Higher Costs: We Can't Afford Tony Evers" - Americans for Prosperity ad, released September 12, 2018

"Putting Everyone at Risk" - Walker campaign ad, released September 12, 2018

"Tony Evers Put Children At Risk" - RGA ad, released September 10, 2018

"Still in the Classroom" - Walker campaign ad, released September 5, 2018

"Unprotected" - Republican Party of Wisconsin ad, released August 23, 2018

"Tony Evers Knew About It" - Republican Party of Wisconsin ad, released August 14, 2018

Noteworthy events

Joe Biden campaign appearances

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) headlined rallies in Madison and Milwaukee in support of Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) on October 30, 2018.^[23]

Barack Obama campaign appearance

Former President Barack Obama (D) headlined a rally in Milwaukee on behalf of Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) on October 26, 2018.^[24]

Donald Trump campaign appearance

President Donald Trump (R) headlined a rally in Mosinee on behalf of Walker and U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir (R) on October 24, 2018.^[25]

Mike Pence campaign appearances

Vice President Mike Pence (R) headlined a rally on Walker's behalf in Hudson on November 3, 2018.^[26]

Pence made two campaign appearances on Walker's behalf on October 10, 2018. The Vice President attended a fundraiser in Green Bay before headlining a campaign rally in Eau Claire.^[27]

Debates and forums

Evers and Walker met for a debate in Milwaukee on October 26, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
Evers and Walker met for a debate in Madison on October 19, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.

Campaign themes

Tony Evers

Evers' campaign website stated the following:

“

Public Education in Wisconsin
As a former educator, principal, district administrator and now as Wisconsin’s State Superintendent of Schools, Tony has dedicated his life to helping our kids. Our public schools are the heart and soul of so many Wisconsin communities but they also are essential to sustainable, innovative and long-term economic growth and workforce development.

From “Divide and Conquer” with our educators to cutting over $800 million from our schools, Scott Walker has not been a friend of public education. Since 2011, over 1 million Wisconsinites have voted to raise their own property taxes because Scott Walker and the Republican legislature have not adequately funded our public schools.

Tony believes what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our future.

As Governor, Tony will:

Increase investments in early childhood education and quality childcare, which also includes helping Wisconsin families with skyrocketing childcare costs
Increase funding for our public schools and restore respect and professionalism towards all our hardworking educators
Increase investments in both our technical schools and UW System
Support and reward research and innovation from student and faculty alike, and after graduation we must do everything we can to keep these young people in Wisconsin
Allow Wisconsinites to refinance their student loans at a lower interest rate, just like a home mortgage

As a member of the Board of Regents, Tony has seen firsthand the damage Scott Walker has inflicted on higher education in Wisconsin, cutting hundreds of millions from our UW System. When other states began reinvesting in higher education, Wisconsin chose not to and it’s resulted in fewer classes and quality educators for our kids. Our possibilities are only limited by our own willingness to take no for an answer – it’s time we look to the future.

Infrastructure and Transportation
As Governor, Tony will focus on solving problems, not picking fights. One of Tony’s first priorities will be to solve Wisconsin’s transportation crisis. Our road quality ranks 44th in the country; towns and villages are returning to gravel and we’re borrowing so much money that Tony’s three-year-old grandson will be paying for our roads when he’s grown-up. Our local roads have been so inadequately funded, five counties and 18 cities have passed vehicle fees and taxes since 2011 to help cover road maintenance costs because the state has fallen down on the job.

There are bipartisan long-term solutions for Wisconsin’s transportation system, however Scott Walker hasn’t shown the political will to get it done. Drawing a line in the sand is not leadership.

Not only do we need to improve Wisconsin’s roads, but we need to make strong investments in Wisconsin’s ports, airports and railways. A strong infrastructure is more than just patching potholes. This is key for successful economic development – both in terms of drawing new businesses to Wisconsin, expanding existing businesses in Wisconsin and creating good-paying Wisconsin jobs.

As Governor, Tony will:

Work with both Democrats and Republicans alike to implement a sustainable, long-term fix for how we fund our roads
Invest more in local road maintenance
Increase funding for public transit
Ensure our highways and bridges are no longer a liability, but an asset for bringing new industries and businesses to Wisconsin
Repeal changes made to Wisconsin’s prevailing wage laws that simply take money out of Wisconsin’s workers pockets

Healthcare
Too few people have access to affordable health insurance and the cost of healthcare in Wisconsin continues to be too high. Period.

One reason that folks in Wisconsin pay nearly 50 percent more than Minnesotans do when purchasing individual health insurance is because Minnesota accepted the Medicaid expansion dollars and Wisconsin did not.

Minnesota also made important changes to stabilize the market and control costs. Under Governor Scott Walker, premiums in Wisconsin have spiked, while DC Republicans peddle Walker-endorsed plans that would repeal critical protections for Wisconsin families and drive up costs.

As Governor, Tony will:

Take immediate action to accept the federal Medicaid expansion dollars which would insure thousands more Wisconsinites who are struggling to find affordable health insurance
Do everything in his power to stabilize health insurance markets and bring down costs – including prescription drug prices
Invest in preventive health programs, especially for Wisconsin women, that have been defunded over the last seven years. Having to drive four hours round-trip for a mammogram, simply isn’t acceptable.
Extend protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing health conditions. It is estimated that half of Wisconsinites have some kind of pre-existing health condition like cancer, diabetes, a heart condition, obesity or depression.

We cannot afford to return to the days where health insurance companies held all the power and could cut off patients who simply cost them too much money.

Protecting Our Natural Resources
Wisconsin is at a dangerous crossroads. Our lands and natural resources are being auctioned off to the highest bidder, our lakes and streams are disappearing and our wetlands are being destroyed. Too often, our drinking water is unsafe making our kids sick. We must restore balance and commonsense to our natural resources management.

From our state parks to the Great Lakes to the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program – Scott Walker has stopped investing in the very things that make Wisconsin great. Enough is enough. It’s time we reinvest in our future. We can grow our economy and increase our national security by producing renewable energy here at home rather than buying our energy from foreign countries and hostile nations. We can create new jobs and boost existing industries in Wisconsin, like logging and small-scale agriculture, by increasing the innovation, sustainability and value of their products.

As Governor, Tony will:

Make sure Wisconsin families have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe
Ensure our kids learn the critical thinking skills to help them make informed, science-based decisions for our future
Return Wisconsin’s rich legacy of conservation by restoring independence to the DNR, so decisions are based on facts and public input – not on catering to campaign donors, politicians and special interests
Invest in our natural resources to create new outdoor recreation opportunities for hunters, snowmobilers and silent sports enthusiasts alike, while also protecting these resources for our future generations to use and enjoy
Pledge Wisconsin’s support of the Paris Climate Change Accords

Economic Development
For eight years, Walker has focused on corporate subsidies to international companies and tax breaks for his political donors.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has been a constant source of controversy, inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Moreover, Walker’s $4.5+ billion Foxconn giveaway costs taxpayers $200+ million annually, pulling resources from the rest of the state to subsidize a broken political deal.

Meanwhile, more than 800,000 Wisconsin families cannot afford basic necessities, western Wisconsin led the nation in farm bankruptcies in 2017, and Wisconsin ranks dead last for new business startups, which are crucial for job creation and innovation.

As a career politician, Walker failed to meet his 2010 promise of growing 250,000 private sector jobs, instead using taxpayer funds to pick winners and losers among mega-corporations. Throughout his time in office, Walker has turned down billions in federal money for Medicaid, broadband, and rail expansion, hamstringing the economy and giving funds away to other states.

Tony will fight for working families and invest in an economy that creates higher wages and better jobs.

As Governor, Tony will:

Disband WEDC, replace it, and return the majority of economic development dollars to local communities and regional organizations. We shouldn’t make businesses come to Madison to beg for help – we should work within our communities and local chambers of commerce to rebuild our main streets and grow our existing businesses.
Ensure access to high speed broadband in every Wisconsin home and business
Invest in our roads, bridges, ports and airports, which not only brings new businesses and industries to Wisconsin, but leads to more good paying Wisconsin jobs
Increase our investment in education, includes starting kids off right with strong early childhood programs, fully funding well-rounded k-12 public schools and returning to the Wisconsin Idea that values higher education, research and a commitment to making our community a better place.

Racial Equity
Advancing racial equity and increasing opportunities for children, families and communities of color across the state is imperative to Wisconsin’s healthy and sustainable future. Tony believes that building upon the strengths of these communities and the shared values of all Wisconsinites we can collectively address the existing disparities in poverty, unemployment, incarceration rates, graduation rates and infant mortality that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and in particular the African American community.

Facing the challenge of being the state with the worst ranking for black child well-being in the nation is one Tony is willing to take head on, unlike Gov. Walker who continues to ignore these realities while pushing punitive policies that hurt not help Wisconsin families rebuild and grow.

We have to invest in people, not prisons, to meet these challenges.

As State Superintendent, Tony has worked to make every child a graduate and address the racial disparities and inequities in our schools, but Wisconsin needs all its leaders committed to this work. We need to make investments in local neighborhoods and ensure government decision-makers, corporate leaders, and educators reflect the growing diversity of our state.

We must address the grievous problems in corrections system, expand alternatives to incarceration and reform the criminal justice system – especially for juveniles. We should empower local communities and ensure our workforce – from classroom educators to local law enforcement to health care providers – is more diverse and reflects our changing communities. Finally, we must reject the hateful rhetoric and division that’s consuming our country. Tony will use all resources at his disposal to ensure equality, opportunity, justice and fairness to all Wisconsinites.

As Governor, Tony will:

Treat all Wisconsinites with respect and dignity, giving a seat at the table to voices that too often are unheard
Reform the criminal justice system (see more below), including specialty courts, diversion programs and restorative justice strategies as alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders
Make diverse appointments drawn from strong community leaders across Wisconsin to lead state agencies, fill judicial vacancies, and serve on boards and commissions
Prioritize equity and local communities in state budget decisions
Repeal controversial drug testing requirements and adopt health and welfare policies that improve quality of care and strengthen families, rather than punish them

Criminal Justice Reform
According to The Sentencing Project, African Americans are more than five times more likely than whites to be in imprisoned. However, here in Wisconsin, that ratio is doubled (10:1). From education to health care to criminal justice – bold reforms must be made.

The fact Wisconsin spends more on Corrections, than the entire UW System speaks volumes about our priorities as a state.

There are a number of policies that we as a state must change.

As Governor, Tony will support:

Ending crimeless revocations
Banning the box
Eliminating mandatory minimums
Ending the use of solitary confinement (especially with juveniles)
Investing in drug courts, Treatment and Diversion (TAD) programs and restorative justice strategies
Increased transparency, accountability and communication within policing
Fixing our broken parole and supervision system which only contributes to our high incarceration levels while also keeping families apart
Increasing access to affordable housing, employment with good wages, and other needed support for a successful re-entry for those who have completed their sentence

Voting Rights
Over the last seven years, Scott Walker and the Republican legislature have chipped away at Wisconsin’s fair elections laws. They’ve changed our voting dates, kicked hundreds of thousands off our voting rolls, implemented Voter ID with no evidence of credible voter fraud, made intimidation at the polls easier and gerrymandered our legislative maps to secure their power.

We shouldn’t be making it harder for Wisconsinites to vote, we should be making it easier! Wisconsin should be following the lead of states like Oregon that have automatic voter registration for their residents. As Governor, Tony will work to make sure every single vote counts and increase opportunities for all Wisconsinites to participate in our democracy.

Women's Health
The health decisions that a woman makes should reside with her, her family and her physician – not the politicians who represent her. These are individual choices that we should trust women to make. While Wisconsin’s politicians think they know what’s best, there’s no question that Wisconsin women really know what’s best for themselves.

As Governor, Tony will:

Trust women, not politicians, to make their own health care decisions
Invest in life-saving preventive health programs that keep Wisconsin women healthy
Reverse Governor Walker’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood and thus ensure that thousands of Wisconsin residents are still able to access important health services like breast and cervical cancer screenings, physical exams, birth control and STI testing

LGBTQ Rights
Tony believes that all Wisconsinites should be able to marry who they love – plain and simple. Even with our recent victories on this front, there are still important LGBTQ protections we need on the books here in Wisconsin to ensure fairness and equality for all. Our work is not done.

Tony is a strong ally who will continue to fight back against clandestine legislation that discriminates against LGBTQ people. He opposes attempts by the Legislature to outlaw local non-discrimination ordinances that protect people’s basic rights. He also has been a vocal opponent of the so-called “bathroom bills” and other attacks on LGBTQ youth.

Worker's Rights
It’s no secret Scott Walker has made his career by attacking Wisconsin’s workers time and time again. This ends in an Evers Administration. It’s time we started treating all Wisconsin workers – including our public employees – with respect and compassion.

Tony is committed to filling his appointments with people who actually have expertise and knowledge in their respective fields, not simply filling government with more political hacks who will rubberstamp his policies. We must give our workers a seat at the table – listening to their concerns and hearing their ideas. We can do this on day one and don’t need to pass a bill to treat Wisconsinites with the dignity they deserve.

Tony opposes Act 10, Right-to-Work and changes made by the GOP to Wisconsin’s prevailing wage laws. He also would support repealing legislation that eliminates the opportunity for local communities to pass living wages and other pro-worker protection policies.

Minimum Wage
In 2014, voters in 13 Wisconsin counties and cities had the opportunity to vote on a referendum asking lawmakers to raise the minimum wage. Every one of the referendums passed including places like Wood County, where Scott Walker won with 57% of the vote and the minimum wage referendum passing with 56% of the vote.

Tony supports raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and indexing to inflation. However, like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Tony also believes that this should be phased in over multiple years.

Marijuana Legalization
Tony believes it’s time for Wisconsin to join nearly 30 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing medical marijuana. As a cancer survivor himself, Tony is all too familiar with the side effects of a major illness that can make everyday tasks, like making your bed or even showering, a challenge.

This is an evolving issue. For many Wisconsinites, medical marijuana will alleviate chronic pain, which is why organizations like the American Legion support legalization because of the documented health benefits for our veterans. It’s no secret that Wisconsin, like red and blue states across the country, is battling an opioid and painkiller crisis that is killing thousands of Americans every year. The fact remains that states that have legalized medical marijuana have observed double digit decreases in both opioid abuse and overdose related hospitalizations.

Tony would support and sign medical marijuana legalization legislation. In regard to full legalization – Tony believes this is a decision that should reside with Wisconsin residents and would support a statewide referendum on the issue.

Non-Partisan Redistricting
Tony is strongly in-favor of non-partisan redistricting reform. Politicians should not be picking their constituents, the people should be picking their politicians.

Campaign Finance Reform
From Waukesha to Osceola to Reedsburg, more than 130 communities across Wisconsin have expressed their support for overturning the 2010 Citizen’s United court decision. Our elections should not be awarded to the highest bidder.

In 2015, Scott Walker and legislative Republicans overhauled Wisconsin’s campaign finance laws that resulted in them banning political corruption investigations, allowing for more cooperation between candidates and special interest groups, and doubling the amount of money candidates can accept.

It’s time we returned power to the people of Wisconsin. As Governor, Tony would support legislation overturning Citizens United and other commonsense campaign finance reform that would clean up Wisconsin’s elections.

Revitalizing Rural Wisconsin
The farms and forests of rural Wisconsin are a core part of our identity. The prosperity of rural Wisconsin is directly tied to the health of agriculture and working forests and the dollars they circulate in local economies. When farm families suffer, our rural communities also suffer.

Under Scott Walker’s eight years in office prospects for rural Wisconsin have gone down by every measure. From 2009 to 2014 more than thirty of our rural counties lost population – the highest trend of population loss in decades. Wisconsin is now losing more than one dairy farm every day. In parts of Wisconsin the rate of farm bankruptcies is the highest in the nation. Rural schools are on the brink of closing and suffering from woefully inadequate funding.

While we’re on a spending spree to build more highways for Foxconn, our rural roads are falling apart. And far too many communities still lack broadband internet, which limits economic development and education opportunities just as much as the lack of electricity did in rural areas one hundred years ago.

Tony Evers has seen first-hand the impacts of failure to invest in rural communities in every part of Wisconsin. And he knows how important is to restore healthy, vibrant rural communities, not just in our cities but in every part of Wisconsin.

Diversified Agriculture
Wisconsin’s farms are a tremendous asset with more than 68,000 farms occupying 14.3 million acres of farmland. To keep our farm economy strong Wisconsin needs to re-invest in diversified agriculture, value added farm products and food processing, and farm product marketing.

As Governor Tony will:

Convene a blue ribbon commission to advance agriculture and economic opportunities in rural Wisconsin
Re-orient our economic development agencies to increase incentives to support agriculture and rural businesses through training, labor attraction, market development and business support
Provide additional support for business investment in value added processing for farm products
Ensure that our farm marketing labels support Wisconsin-grown farm products (Ex: Something Special from Wisconsin)
Strengthen our support for forest owners and protecting jobs in our $26 billion forest products sector
Work across the globe to increase international export development initiatives

Renewable Energy
Our farms and working lands should be producing the energy to power our state. We need to restore incentives and policies to produce more solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable energies here in rural Wisconsin. Wisconsin citizens pay some of the highest rates in the nation for electricity. We can become more energy independent, and keep more of our energy dollars here at home by producing our own renewable energy – generating year-round income to help diversify operations for farms of all sizes.

As Governor Tony will:

Support policies to encourage farm operators and third-party system operators to invest in small and mid-scale producer-owned solar and wind
Strengthen state incentives for renewable energy and adopt consistent rules on utility rates for customer-produced power
Increase our investment in research, development and installation of renewable energy power sources through our UW System and UW-Extension

Supporting Agriculture
Wisconsin farmers are in a crisis as prices within the farm economy have been below production costs for more than three years. Farm families are enduring bankruptcy, health issues, and even suicides as rural Wisconsin loses more than one dairy farm every day. Farm policies have encouraged over production which has resulted in financial stress to dairy farm families, causing many of them to have to exit the industry.

As Governor Tony will:

Convene a blue-ribbon commission to advance economic opportunities in rural Wisconsin
Strengthen our State University Extension system to offer support and market assistance to help farmers navigate brutal commodity markets. Extension was key to building up agriculture in Wisconsin – they need to again be a part of finding solutions.
Work with Governors and farm leaders in neighboring states to find regional solutions, led by farmers, to maintain a strong dairy economy

Rural Broadband Internet
Broadband internet is an essential resource for schools, businesses, and homes. Without fast internet rural communities, farms, businesses, and students will always be at a disadvantage. Barely a month into his governorship, Scott Walker’s administration returned $23 million in federal stimulus money that would have built broadband connections for 380 Wisconsin communities — including 385 libraries and 82 schools. Tony Evers knows how important broadband internet is for everyone in rural Wisconsin and he’ll make it a priority to re-invest in internet access for everyone. Every home, school and business in Wisconsin should have access to 100 MB of high speed internet. Internet is the interstate of the 21st Century, we must begin treating it like a utility that all Wisconsinites deserve access to.

As Governor Tony will:

Call for a complete analysis of broadband needs in rural communities.
Internet should be treated like a utility and through robust investments and partnerships we can dramatically improve broadband internet access in underserved areas.
Advance policy to allow Wisconsin’s successful and efficient BadgerNet internet system to become a hub for internet access in underserved rural communities.^[28]

”

—Tony for Wisconsin^[29]

Scott Walker

Walker's campaign website stated the following:

“

Jobs and Developing the Workforce
Our goal is simple: ensure that everyone who wants a job can find a job and that our workforce is prepared for the jobs that are available.

During the four years before we took office, Wisconsin was headed backward with the loss of 133,000 jobs and an unemployment rate that peaked at 9.3 percent. In fact, Wisconsin was in the Bottom 10 for business according to Chief Executive Magazine.

Today, Wisconsin’s economy is strong and moving forward.

Wisconsin is now ranked as one of the top states for business. The unemployment rate hit an all-time low in 2018 and more people are working than ever before in Wisconsin – over 3 million.

To help Wisconsin win the 21st century, stay ahead of the curve and ensure long-term prosperity, we have enacted a comprehensive plan to develop our workforce.

Targeted investments in our schools help students start thinking about their career choices as early as 6th grade. Investments in Dual Enrollment programs will help students achieve credit for high school graduation and get a head start on the associate or bachelor’s degree that is right for them.

The Wisconsin Fast Forward program provides customized worker training in high-demand areas to help fill our workforce needs. And the state has a new labor management information system to track employment needs by region, helping to direct resources to meet specific workforce demands.

Investments in workforce development, lower taxes, reasonable regulations, Right to Work: all of these contribute to a better climate for creating jobs and opportunity. We will continue to move Wisconsin forward with more bold reforms that help the private sector succeed while keeping taxpayers in charge.

Cutting Taxes
Since taking office in 2011, we reduced the tax burden on working families, senior citizens, small business owners, farmers and others by some $8 billion through the end of the budget cycle. In fact, Wisconsin is ranked as a Top 10 state for reducing the overall tax burden over a 5-year period.

In the decade before taking office, property taxes increased by 27 percent. Thanks to our bold conservative reforms, property taxes will be lower in 2018 than they were in both 2014 and 2010. We even eliminated an entire tax as part of our pledge to keep taxpayers first.

Income taxes will also be lower in 2018 than they were in 2010. This income tax relief helps hard-working families stay ahead and small businesses thrive. We have gone further by virtually eliminating taxes on core Wisconsin industries like manufacturing and agriculture. We even eliminated the tax on health savings accounts.

We believe that you do a better job of spending your hard-earned money than the government does. Looking ahead, we will continue to hold the line on taxes because keeping more money in the hands of taxpayers will help Wisconsin win the 21st century by creating more jobs and leading to higher wages.

Education and Investing in Our Future
Every child deserves access to a great education.

Thanks to our Reform Dividend, we can invest in our priorities. In fact, our recent budget makes a historic investment in our schools — $200 more per student this past school year and $204 more per student in the fall, more actual dollars than ever before. With our Act 10 reforms in place, these funds are more likely to be spent in the classroom and help our children receive the education needed for a bright future. Our rural schools face unique challenges, especially as it relates to enrollment and transportation. That’s why we increased investments in Sparsity Aid to help ensure our children have access to a great education, no matter their zip code. Wisconsin is in the Top 10 for high school graduation rates and ACT scores, and these historic investments will continue to bolster student success.

My sons, Matt and Alex, went to great public schools in Wauwatosa – as did I in Delavan. Every family deserves access to a great education for their children at the public, charter, choice, private, virtual or home school that is right for them.

To keep the cost of college affordable for students and working families, we froze tuition at all University of Wisconsin campuses six years in a row – the first multi-year tuition freeze in UW history. Needs-based financial assistance is also at an all-time high.

The UW has more than $1 billion in academic research and development, and the overall UW System budget is the largest it has ever been, meaning university resources can be used on priorities in the classroom. And the latest state budget makes a significant investment in higher education so we can focus on more graduates filling high demand positions in our state, and help everyone in Wisconsin win the 21st century

As we continue moving Wisconsin forward, we are focused on finding ways to help students get a head start on higher education credits for our technical colleges, University of Wisconsin campuses and all other in-state colleges and universities.

Backing Wisconsin's Small Businesses
Small businesses provide the vast majority of jobs in Wisconsin. We have a plan to strengthen our small businesses and help them win the 21st century.

First, reduce business costs through lower taxes, stopping unemployment fraud, streamlining regulations and reducing frivolous lawsuits.

Second, prepare the workforce through investing in K-12 education, increasing worker training, expanding opportunities in our technical colleges and strengthening ties between the University of Wisconsin system and the workforce.

Third, end the public assistance benefits cliff, require able-bodied adults to work or receive employability training — and be able to pass a drug test before receiving public assistance — and target specific populations to enter the workforce.

Fourth, market workforce opportunities within Wisconsin and recruit talent to the state from across the country and around the world.

Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin
Farming is about more than just business – it’s a way of life. Wisconsin farmers and the workers connected to our agriculture industry pump more than $88 billion each year into the state’s economy.

With our conservative reforms in action, we’ve lowered property taxes, eliminated almost all the taxable liability on agricultural production, streamlined regulations, reduced frivolous lawsuits and promoted agricultural exports.

Standing with Wisconsin’s dairy farmers, Gov. Walker created the Wisconsin Dairy Task Force 2.0 that will allow industry experts to work together to create real solutions that can help our farmers, processors, and allied organizations.

We also increased assistance for rural schools, and our record investment in K-12 classrooms will help children across the state. Knowing that access to high-speed broadband internet is crucial to growing our economy and teaching our children, we’ve launched a rural broadband initiative and tripled grants for broadband in rural areas.

To help everyone in Wisconsin win the 21st century, we are investing in our rural communities and fighting for the agriculture industry that is crucial to our economy.

Preserving Our Heritage
Hunting and fishing are important parts of the fabric of Wisconsin. As someone who enjoys these traditions in our great outdoors, I am always looking for ways to protect our heritage and preserve it for the next generation. We have been aggressive in promoting ways to improve the outdoor experience in Wisconsin.

As Governor, I take an oath to uphold our federal and state constitutions. At the federal level, the Founders clearly defined our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. And at the state level, I voted to amend our state Constitution to include similar language.

During my time as Governor, I’ve signed into law concealed carry and castle doctrine legislation. Both of these reforms help law-abiding citizens protect themselves and their property. I am honored to have an “A+” rating from the National Rifle Association for my record of standing up for freedom and our constitutional rights.

The Wisconsin Walleye Initiative is one of our big successes for those who enjoy fishing in our 15,000 inland lakes. We also improved ways to get more young people involved in our hunting and fishing heritage.

Standing for Life
Protecting the sanctity of life has always been important to me. Tonette and I share a belief in protecting unborn babies as well as those in need all the way through the natural end of life. I am proudly pro-life.

As Governor, I’ve had the honor of signing into law several pro-life priorities. We defunded Planned Parenthood and directed the resources to non-controversial women’s health programs. We also require an ultrasound to see an unborn child, and we protect an unborn baby at the time when they can feel pain.

We want to make it easier for adoptive parents to provide a great family for children, which is why I have also signed several laws to improve the adoption process.

Serving Our Veterans
Freedom. Endowed by our Creator. Defined by our Constitution. Defended each and every day by the men and women who proudly wear our uniform. My love for country and public service comes, in part, because of my involvement in the American Legion’s Boys State and Boys Nation programs. I will never forget the Veterans who put on these programs just as I will never forget the men and women who served our country – or their families.

We fully restored the Wisconsin GI Bill so that our Veterans and their families can attend a public higher education institution for free. And we do not tax military pensions.

Since we designated the Year of the Veteran to focus on employment of our Veterans, we have expanded our efforts. During our time in office, the unemployment rate for Veterans in Wisconsin fell to one of the lowest rates in the country.

We will continue to build on our successful efforts to employ more Veterans. We will also continue to strengthen the state facilities for aging Veterans and their families, as well as those with special needs. During my time in office, we opened a new Veterans home in northwestern Wisconsin.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic head injuries are major challenges for returning Veterans. We are working with the federal government, local governments and healthcare systems to improve care for our Veterans in these areas.

We want every returning Veteran to have a place to call home, a job they want, good health and high quality of life.

Keeping Health Care Affordable
Wisconsin’s health care system is ranked first in the nation for quality, but costs for hard-working families are rising under Obamacare. This past year alone, health care premiums have skyrocketed 36 percent on average – placing a significant burden on Wisconsin families.

After Washington failed to get the job done and repeal Obamacare, we took action to lower premiums for Wisconsin families. By signing our bipartisan Health Care Stability Plan into law, we’re investing $200 million in market-based solutions to help bring down costs.

In addition, we are working to guarantee coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions in an effort to provide the care they need, regardless of what happens in Washington.

We also requested a permanent waiver for Wisconsin to provide SeniorCare – a program to help make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.

Under our plan, Obamacare costs will drop three and half percent in 2019 for Wisconsin families.

By enacting a comprehensive plan to provide our families the care they need to live a healthy life, Wisconsin is ahead of the curve. In fact, after embracing a plan similar to ours, Minnesota’s premiums dropped as well.

Our efforts to lower premiums, increase choice and provide certainty to seniors and those with preexisting conditions through our Health Care Stability Plan will make health care affordable for Wisconsin families.^[28]

”

—Friends of Scott Walker^[30]

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Other 2018 statewide elections

See also: States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2018

This race took place in one of twenty-two states that held elections for both governor and U.S. Senate in 2018.

A table of where these elections occurred, the names of incumbents prior to the 2018 elections, and links to our coverage of these races can be viewed by clicking "[show]" on the banner below:

States holding both Gubernatorial and Senate elections in 2018
State	Incumbent Governor	Open Seat?	Incumbent Senator	Open Seat?
Arizona	Doug Ducey	No	Jeff Flake	Yes
California	Jerry Brown	Yes	Dianne Feinstein	No
Connecticut	Dan Malloy	Yes	Chris Murphy	No
Florida	Rick Scott	Yes	Bill Nelson	No
Hawaii	David Ige	No	Mazie Hirono	No
Maine	Paul LePage	Yes	Angus King	No
Maryland	Larry Hogan	No	Ben Cardin	No
Massachusetts	Charlie Baker	No	Elizabeth Warren	No
Michigan	Rick Snyder	Yes	Debbie Stabenow	No
Minnesota	Mark Dayton	Yes	Amy Klobuchar	No
Nebraska	Pete Ricketts	No	Deb Fischer	No
Nevada	Brian Sandoval	Yes	Dean Heller	No
New Mexico	Susana Martinez	Yes	Martin Heinrich	No
New York	Andrew Cuomo	No	Kirsten Gillibrand	No
Ohio	John Kasich	Yes	Sherrod Brown	No
Pennsylvania	Tom Wolf	No	Bob Casey, Jr.	No
Rhode Island	Gina Raimondo	No	Sheldon Whitehouse	No
Tennessee	Bill Haslam	Yes	Bob Corker	Yes
Texas	Greg Abbott	No	Ted Cruz	No
Vermont	Phil Scott	No	Bernie Sanders	No
Wisconsin	Scott Walker	No	Tammy Baldwin	No
Wyoming	Matt Mead	Yes	John Barrasso	No

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Twenty-three of 72 Wisconsin counties—32 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Adams County, Wisconsin	21.92%	8.73%	18.35%
Buffalo County, Wisconsin	21.82%	2.93%	14.66%
Columbia County, Wisconsin	2.14%	13.58%	15.26%
Crawford County, Wisconsin	5.40%	19.98%	27.03%
Door County, Wisconsin	3.22%	6.99%	17.33%
Dunn County, Wisconsin	11.09%	4.97%	14.95%
Forest County, Wisconsin	26.58%	5.44%	15.16%
Grant County, Wisconsin	9.43%	13.77%	23.88%
Jackson County, Wisconsin	11.74%	15.01%	21.84%
Juneau County, Wisconsin	26.05%	7.03%	9.00%
Kenosha County, Wisconsin	0.31%	12.23%	18.06%
Lafayette County, Wisconsin	8.99%	15.37%	22.32%
Lincoln County, Wisconsin	20.60%	0.71%	12.48%
Marquette County, Wisconsin	24.09%	0.27%	5.28%
Pepin County, Wisconsin	23.08%	2.22%	12.89%
Price County, Wisconsin	25.00%	0.04%	13.40%
Racine County, Wisconsin	4.28%	3.54%	7.41%
Richland County, Wisconsin	5.50%	16.13%	20.63%
Sauk County, Wisconsin	0.35%	18.47%	23.04%
Sawyer County, Wisconsin	18.41%	0.49%	6.23%
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin	12.64%	14.08%	26.39%
Vernon County, Wisconsin	4.43%	14.73%	22.00%
Winnebago County, Wisconsin	7.34%	3.73%	11.66%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Wisconsin with 47.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 46.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Wisconsin cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Wisconsin supported Republicans slightly more than Democratic candidates, 50.0 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Democrats in every presidential election from 2000 to 2012 before voting for Trump in 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in Wisconsin. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.^[31]^[32]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 43 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 36 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.6 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 56 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 12.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 63 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 19.4 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

2016 Presidential Results by State Assembly District '
District	Obama	Romney	2012 Margin	Clinton	Trump	2016 Margin	Party Control
1	49.45%	49.55%	R+0.1	40.19%	55.31%	R+15.1	R
2	45.06%	53.88%	R+8.8	35.98%	58.55%	R+22.6	R
3	46.37%	52.37%	R+6	39.25%	54.77%	R+15.5	R
4	47.96%	51.02%	R+3.1	42.82%	51.96%	R+9.1	R
5	45.84%	53.01%	R+7.2	35.60%	58.94%	R+23.3	R
6	44.15%	54.75%	R+10.6	30.90%	64.34%	R+33.4	R
7	57.11%	41.73%	D+15.4	55.20%	39.20%	D+16	D
8	86.53%	12.79%	D+73.7	82.43%	14.14%	D+68.3	D
9	74.69%	24.42%	D+50.3	71.60%	23.86%	D+47.7	D
10	89.76%	9.63%	D+80.1	89.09%	8.09%	D+81	D
11	86.92%	12.62%	D+74.3	85.40%	12.20%	D+73.2	D
12	80.00%	19.52%	D+60.5	79.28%	17.84%	D+61.4	D
13	41.61%	57.43%	R+15.8	46.60%	48.01%	R+1.4	R
14	42.53%	56.71%	R+14.2	49.36%	45.05%	D+4.3	R
15	44.86%	54.03%	R+9.2	43.63%	50.53%	R+6.9	R
16	90.18%	8.97%	D+81.2	88.16%	8.20%	D+80	D
17	86.03%	13.52%	D+72.5	85.53%	11.96%	D+73.6	D
18	89.18%	10.15%	D+79	87.03%	9.71%	D+77.3	D
19	69.95%	28.13%	D+41.8	72.67%	20.16%	D+52.5	D
20	58.37%	40.39%	D+18	55.33%	39.27%	D+16.1	D
21	47.93%	51.07%	R+3.1	44.81%	50.06%	R+5.3	R
22	42.44%	56.73%	R+14.3	35.41%	60.15%	R+24.7	R
23	34.62%	64.61%	R+30	50.43%	44.81%	D+5.6	R
24	43.05%	56.18%	R+13.1	45.71%	49.32%	R+3.6	R
25	46.93%	51.76%	R+4.8	35.85%	58.74%	R+22.9	R
26	45.64%	53.35%	R+7.7	38.91%	55.22%	R+16.3	R
27	45.07%	53.89%	R+8.8	40.39%	54.00%	R+13.6	R
28	43.68%	54.77%	R+11.1	32.63%	61.90%	R+29.3	R
29	48.16%	50.05%	R+1.9	38.58%	54.01%	R+15.4	R
30	46.24%	52.24%	R+6	42.51%	50.44%	R+7.9	R
31	46.56%	52.48%	R+5.9	40.68%	53.70%	R+13	R
32	41.42%	57.37%	R+15.9	34.97%	59.41%	R+24.4	R
33	39.95%	58.97%	R+19	35.54%	59.27%	R+23.7	R
34	44.59%	54.39%	R+9.8	35.28%	60.34%	R+25.1	R
35	46.89%	52.10%	R+5.2	34.68%	60.52%	R+25.8	R
36	46.49%	52.48%	R+6	32.07%	64.35%	R+32.3	R
37	45.97%	52.93%	R+7	39.87%	54.26%	R+14.4	R
38	41.66%	57.48%	R+15.8	38.23%	56.78%	R+18.5	R
39	42.12%	56.85%	R+14.7	32.76%	62.11%	R+29.4	R
40	45.04%	53.94%	R+8.9	32.61%	62.85%	R+30.2	R
41	48.58%	50.35%	R+1.8	36.02%	59.60%	R+23.6	R
42	51.09%	48.03%	D+3.1	40.26%	54.51%	R+14.3	R
43	58.46%	40.22%	D+18.2	50.24%	43.54%	D+6.7	D
44	63.57%	35.53%	D+28	55.44%	38.62%	D+16.8	D
45	63.99%	34.88%	D+29.1	52.83%	41.86%	D+11	D
46	63.63%	35.46%	D+28.2	61.74%	32.95%	D+28.8	D
47	71.05%	27.83%	D+43.2	71.89%	23.13%	D+48.8	D
48	77.21%	21.61%	D+55.6	76.06%	19.26%	D+56.8	D
49	56.34%	42.26%	D+14.1	42.01%	51.26%	R+9.3	R
50	54.10%	44.84%	D+9.3	38.35%	57.05%	R+18.7	R
51	59.12%	39.77%	D+19.4	48.42%	46.59%	D+1.8	R
52	45.04%	53.91%	R+8.9	38.03%	56.66%	R+18.6	R
53	43.36%	55.55%	R+12.2	34.18%	60.93%	R+26.7	R
54	57.39%	41.08%	D+16.3	49.16%	44.12%	D+5	D
55	47.32%	51.08%	R+3.8	41.80%	51.70%	R+9.9	R
56	43.05%	55.69%	R+12.6	37.98%	56.68%	R+18.7	R
57	58.41%	39.31%	D+19.1	51.73%	41.22%	D+10.5	D
58	31.25%	67.77%	R+36.5	28.43%	66.52%	R+38.1	R
59	31.24%	67.73%	R+36.5	25.52%	69.73%	R+44.2	R
60	31.82%	67.23%	R+35.4	32.35%	62.53%	R+30.2	R
61	44.42%	54.59%	R+10.2	36.49%	58.50%	R+22	R
62	45.73%	53.46%	R+7.7	41.17%	54.02%	R+12.9	R
63	42.73%	56.47%	R+13.7	37.80%	57.26%	R+19.5	R
64	58.84%	40.05%	D+18.8	52.63%	42.23%	D+10.4	D
65	67.06%	31.78%	D+35.3	57.76%	36.48%	D+21.3	D
66	75.23%	23.77%	D+51.5	68.34%	26.50%	D+41.8	D
67	48.07%	50.75%	R+2.7	36.41%	58.15%	R+21.7	R
68	51.24%	47.56%	D+3.7	40.11%	54.44%	R+14.3	R
69	43.65%	55.15%	R+11.5	34.08%	60.83%	R+26.8	R
70	48.55%	50.09%	R+1.5	36.82%	57.83%	R+21	R
71	57.55%	41.03%	D+16.5	50.34%	43.28%	D+7.1	D
72	48.68%	50.09%	R+1.4	36.95%	58.55%	R+21.6	R
73	60.93%	37.66%	D+23.3	47.53%	47.49%	D+0	D
74	57.74%	40.88%	D+16.9	46.22%	49.38%	R+3.2	D
75	47.55%	51.22%	R+3.7	34.53%	60.84%	R+26.3	R
76	81.64%	15.70%	D+65.9	82.30%	11.34%	D+71	D
77	82.23%	16.20%	D+66	83.80%	11.48%	D+72.3	D
78	71.91%	26.85%	D+45.1	75.62%	19.47%	D+56.2	D
79	60.89%	38.29%	D+22.6	62.65%	32.43%	D+30.2	D
80	63.93%	35.08%	D+28.9	62.12%	32.50%	D+29.6	D
81	61.46%	37.67%	D+23.8	51.23%	43.11%	D+8.1	D
82	43.03%	56.32%	R+13.3	43.69%	51.79%	R+8.1	R
83	31.12%	68.10%	R+37	29.71%	65.91%	R+36.2	R
84	42.31%	56.84%	R+14.5	41.43%	53.68%	R+12.3	R
85	52.04%	46.78%	D+5.3	44.67%	49.90%	R+5.2	R
86	43.96%	55.02%	R+11.1	36.19%	59.18%	R+23	R
87	44.81%	53.95%	R+9.1	30.93%	64.82%	R+33.9	R
88	48.79%	50.35%	R+1.6	43.75%	50.75%	R+7	R
89	46.02%	52.97%	R+6.9	32.41%	63.26%	R+30.9	R
90	63.31%	35.13%	D+28.2	53.29%	39.82%	D+13.5	D
91	60.63%	37.68%	D+22.9	55.95%	36.72%	D+19.2	D
92	55.89%	42.98%	D+12.9	40.90%	54.33%	R+13.4	R
93	47.10%	51.80%	R+4.7	38.30%	56.18%	R+17.9	R
94	51.53%	47.32%	D+4.2	45.50%	49.03%	R+3.5	D
95	64.46%	33.93%	D+30.5	58.03%	34.66%	D+23.4	D
96	55.57%	42.95%	D+12.6	42.90%	51.64%	R+8.7	R
97	39.90%	59.02%	R+19.1	39.37%	54.43%	R+15.1	R
98	33.69%	65.46%	R+31.8	35.20%	59.58%	R+24.4	R
99	26.70%	72.64%	R+45.9	28.97%	66.40%	R+37.4	R
Total	52.92%	45.97%	D+7	47.01%	47.78%	R+0.8	-
Source: Daily Kos

2020 redistricting impact

Impact of the 2018 election cycle on 2020 redistricting

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. All 435 United States representatives and 7,383 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States Census, which is next scheduled to occur in 2020. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.^[33]

Redistricting processes can be affected by the trifecta status of a state. Ballotpedia defines a trifecta as any state in which both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship are controlled by the same party. If both chambers of a state legislature are controlled by one party but the governorship is held by another, that governor could veto district maps adopted by the opposing party. Alternatively, in a state where control of the legislature itself is divided between two parties, the two chambers may vie to advance competing district plans.

How did trifecta status impact the 2010 redistricting cycle in Wisconsin? Click here to find out.

Congressional redistricting

In 37 states, state legislatures control the congressional redistricting process, meaning that the legislatures are ultimately responsible for adopting new maps. In all but two of these states (Connecticut and North Carolina), a governor can veto congressional maps adopted by the state legislature. In 2018, governors in 27 of these states will be up for election and will stand to have an impact during the 2020 redistricting cycle. Of these 27 states, Republicans have trifectas in 15 heading into the 2018 elections, meaning that Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Democrats have trifectas in three. The remaining nine are under divided control.

The winner of Wisconsin's 2018 gubernatorial contest is poised to impact the 2020 congressional redistricting cycle, as the governor has the authority to veto district plans drawn by the state legislature.

State legislative redistricting

In 37 states, state legislatures control the state legislative redistricting process, meaning that the legislatures are ultimately responsible for adopting new maps. In 31 of these states, a governor can veto state legislative maps adopted by the state legislature. In 2018, governors in 23 of these states will be up for election and will stand to have an impact during the 2020 redistricting cycle. Of these 23 states, Republicans have 14 trifectas heading into the 2018 elections, meaning that Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Democrats have trifectas in three. The remaining six are under divided control.

The winner of Wisconsin's 2018 gubernatorial contest is poised to impact the 2020 state legislative redistricting cycle, as the governor has the authority to veto district plans drawn by the state legislature.^[34]

Election history

2014

	2022 → ← 2014
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
	Democratic primary; Republican primary; General election;
Election details
	Filing deadline: June 1, 2018
	Primary: August 14, 2018; General: November 6, 2018; Pre-election incumbent(s):; Gov. Scott Walker (Republican); Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (Republican)
How to vote
	Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Voting in Wisconsin
Race ratings
	Cook Political Report: Toss-up; Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up; Inside Elections: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
	Federal and state primary competitiveness; State executive elections in 2018; Impact of term limits in 2018; State government trifectas; State government triplexes; Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Wisconsin; executive elections
	Governor; Lieutenant governor; Attorney general; Secretary of state; Treasurer

See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2014

Republican incumbent Scott Walker won re-election on November 4, 2014.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch Incumbent	52.3%	1,259,706
	Democrat	Mary Burke/John Lehman	46.6%	1,122,913
	Libertarian	Robert Burke/Joseph Brost	0.8%	18,720
	Independent	Dennis Fehr	0.3%	7,530
	Nonpartisan	Scattering	0.1%	1,248
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0%	200
Total Votes				2,410,317
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

2012

See also: Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin (2012)

Scott Walker defeated Tom Barrett (D) and Hariprasad "Hari" Trivedi (I) in a recall election on June 5, 2012. A primary took place on May 8. While governors and lieutenant governors normally run on a joint ticket in Wisconsin, there is a separate set of rules for a recall. Each official must be recalled separately and face a separate recall election.

Recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Walker Incumbent	53.1%	1,335,585
	Democratic	Tom Barrett	46.3%	1,164,480
	Independent	Hari Trivedi	0.6%	14,463
	Scattering	-	0.1%	1,537
Total Votes				2,516,065
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

2010

On November 2, 2010, Scott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch won election to the office of Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor. They defeated Tom Barrett/Tom Nelson (D) and six minor-party candidates in the general election.

Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch	52.2%	1,128,941
	Democratic	Tom Barrett/Tom Nelson	46.5%	1,004,303
	Independent	Jim Langer/No candidate	0.5%	10,608
	Libertarian	No candidate/Terry Virgil	0.3%	6,790
	Common Sense	James James/No candidate	0.4%	8,273
	Independent	Leslie Ervin Smetak/David Myron Smetak	0%	19
	Independent	Patricia Messici/No candidate	0%	22
	Independent	Hari Trivedi/No candidate	0%	18
	Scattering	Various	0.1%	1,858
Total Votes				2,160,832
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.

2006

On November 7, 2006, Jim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton won re-election to the office of Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor. They defeated Mark Green/Jean Hundertmark (R) and Nelson Eisman/Leon Todd (G) in the general election.

Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton Incumbent	52.7%	1,139,115
	Republican	Mark Green/Jean Hundertmark	45.3%	979,427
	Green	Nelson Eisman/Leon Todd	1.9%	40,709
	Scattering	Various	0.1%	2,449
Total Votes				2,161,700
Election results via Wisconsin State Elections Board.

2002

On November 5, 2002, Jim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton won election to the office of Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor. They defeated Scott McCallum/M.A. Farrow (D) and six minor-party challengers in the general election.

Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton	46.1%	800,515
	Republican	Scott McCallum/M.A. Farrow Incumbent	42.3%	734,779
	Green	Jim Young/Jeff Peterson	0.3%	4,411
	Libertarian	Ed Thompson/M. Reynolds	10.7%	185,455
	Independent	Alan D. Eisenberg	0.2%	2,847
	Independent	Ty A. Bollerud	0.2%	2,637
	Independent	Mike Mangan	0.1%	1,710
	Independent	Aneb Jah Rasta	0.1%	929
	Scattering	Various	0.1%	2,366
Total Votes				1,735,649
Election results via Wisconsin State Election Board.

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to gubernatorial elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 11 gubernatorial waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

Gubernatorial wave elections
Year	President	Party	Election type	Gubernatorial seats change	Elections analyzed^[35]
1970	Nixon	R	First midterm	-12	35
1922	Harding	R	First midterm	-11	33
1932	Hoover	R	Presidential	-10	35
1920	Wilson	D	Presidential	-10	36
1994	Clinton	D	First midterm	-10	36
1930	Hoover	R	First midterm	-9	33
1938	Roosevelt	D	Second midterm	-9	33
1966	Johnson	D	First midterm^[36]	-9	35
1954	Eisenhower	R	First midterm	-8	33
1982	Reagan	R	First midterm	-7	36
2010	Obama	D	First midterm	-7	33

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Wisconsin heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

Following the 2016 elections, Democrats and Republicans each held one U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin.
Republicans held five of eight U.S. House seats in Wisconsin.

State executives

Republicans held six of 11 state executive positions, while one position was held by a Democrat and four were held by nonpartisan officials.
The governor of Wisconsin was Republican Scott Walker.

State legislature

Republicans controlled both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature. They had a 64-35 majority in the state Assembly and an 18-15 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

Wisconsin was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled the state government. Scott Walker (R) served as governor and Republicans controlled the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Wisconsin elections, 2018

Wisconsin held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Wisconsin
	Wisconsin	U.S.
Total population:	5,767,891	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	54,158	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	86.5%	73.6%
Black/African American:	6.3%	12.6%
Asian:	2.5%	5.1%
Native American:	0.9%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.1%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	6.3%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	91%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.8%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$53,357	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	15%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wisconsin. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2017, Wisconsin had a population of approximately 5,800,000 people, with its three largest cities being Milwaukee (pop. est. 600,000), Madison (pop. est. 250,000), and Green Bay (pop. est. 110,000).^[37]^[38]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Wisconsin from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Wisconsin every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Donald Trump	47.8%	Hillary Clinton	46.3%	1.5%
2012	Barack Obama	52.8%	Mitt Romney	45.9%	6.9%
2008	Barack Obama	56.2%	John McCain	42.3%	13.9%
2004	John Kerry	49.7%	George W. Bush	49.3%	0.4%
2000	Al Gore	47.8%	George W. Bush	47.6%	0.2%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Wisconsin from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Ron Johnson	50.2%	Russ Feingold	46.8%	3.4%
2012	Tammy Baldwin	51.4%	Tommy Thompson	45.9%	5.5%
2010	Ron Johnson	51.9%	Russ Feingold	47.0%	4.9%
2006	Herb Kohl	67.3%	Robert Lorge	29.5%	37.8%
2004	Russ Feingold	55.3%	Tim Michels	44.1%	11.2%
2000	Herb Kohl	61.5%	John Gillespie	37.0%	24.5%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Wisconsin.

Election results (Governor), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Scott Walker	52.3%	Mary Burke	46.6%	5.7%
2010	Scott Walker	52.3%	Tom Barrett	46.5%	5.8%
2006	Jim Doyle	52.7%	Mark Green	45.3%	7.4%
2002	Jim Doyle	45.1%	Scott McCallum	41.4%	3.7%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	5	62.5%	3	37.5%	R+2
2014	5	62.5%	3	37.5%	R+2
2012	5	62.5%	3	37.5%	R+2
2010	5	62.5%	3	37.5%	R+2
2008	3	37.5%	5	62.5%	D+2
2006	3	37.5%	5	62.5%	D+2
2004	4	50%	4	50%	-
2002	4	50%	4	50%	-
2000	4	44.4%	5	55.6%	D+1

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Wisconsin Party Control: 1992-2025
Two years of Democratic trifectas • Ten years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	R	R	R	D	D	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Wisconsin lieutenant governor election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Wisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 - Google News

External links

Suggest a link

Governor of Wisconsin official website

Footnotes

↑ Smart Politics, "It's Been Awhile," November 15, 2018
↑ Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, "About Tony Evers," accessed September 12, 2018
↑ Tony Evers for Governor, "Meet Tony," accessed September 13, 2018
↑ The Atlantic, "The Wisconsin Governor’s Race Might Be Decided by Education," August 8, 2018
↑ FOX 6 Now, "Governor’s race: Scott Walker, Tony Evers blame each other over school budget cuts," September 5, 2018
↑ Scott Walker for Governor, "About," accessed September 12, 2018
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Scott Walker for Governor, "Our Agenda for Wisconsin's Future," accessed September 13, 2018
↑ WISN, "Walker proposal: $5K for college grads to work in Wisconsin," September 11, 2018
↑ Suffolk University, "Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senate General Election" August 28, 2018
↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
↑ WisPolitics.com, "New AFP TV ad calls Evers ‘risk we can’t afford,’ mirroring language in Walker spots," October 3, 2018
↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "Koch-Funded Group Americans For Prosperity Drops Another $1.3M Against Evers," September 14, 2018
↑ Business Insider, "Koch group spends $1.8 million in ads for Wisconsin's Walker," August 21, 2018
↑ ^16.0 ^16.1 U.S. News, "National Groups Book $9.5 Million in Governor's Race Ads," July 27, 2018
↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "With three tweets, Donald Trump endorses Leah Vukmir, Bryan Steil and Scott Walker," August 15, 2018
↑ Journal-Sentinel, "Tony Evers gets Obama endorsement as Scott Walker promises boost in property tax credit for seniors," October 2, 2018
↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Joe Biden campaigns for Tammy Baldwin, Tony Evers: 'We're in a battle for America's soul'," October 30, 2018
↑ Shepherd Express, "Former President Obama Visits Milwaukee for Evers, Baldwin Campaigns," October 26, 2018
↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "President Trump praises Scott Walker, Leah Vukmir at Wisconsin rally," October 25, 2018
↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "Vice President Mike Pence Campaigning For Gov. Scott Walker In Hudson," November 3, 2018
↑ Green Bay Press Gazette, "Vice President Mike Pence supports Walker, Vukmir at rallies in Green Bay, Eau Claire," October 10, 2018
↑ ^28.0 ^28.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Tony Evers for Wisconsin, "Tony Evers' Plan for Wisconsin," archived October 4, 2018
↑ Scott Walker for Governor, "Issues," accessed September 12, 2018
↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
↑ All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015
↑ All About Redistricting, "Wisconsin," accessed February 15, 2018
↑ The number of gubernatorial seats up for election varies, with as many as 36 seats and as few as 12 seats being up in a single even-numbered year.
↑ Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - Wisconsin," accessed January 15, 2018
↑ Wisconsin Demographics, "Wisconsin Cities by Population," accessed January 15, 2018

[1] Smart Politics, "It's Been Awhile," November 15, 2018

[2] Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, "About Tony Evers," accessed September 12, 2018

[3] Tony Evers for Governor, "Meet Tony," accessed September 13, 2018

[4] The Atlantic, "The Wisconsin Governor’s Race Might Be Decided by Education," August 8, 2018

[5] FOX 6 Now, "Governor’s race: Scott Walker, Tony Evers blame each other over school budget cuts," September 5, 2018

[6] Scott Walker for Governor, "About," accessed September 12, 2018

[WalkerAgenda-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Scott Walker for Governor, "Our Agenda for Wisconsin's Future," accessed September 13, 2018

[8] WISN, "Walker proposal: $5K for college grads to work in Wisconsin," September 11, 2018

[9] Suffolk University, "Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senate General Election" August 28, 2018

[definition-10] OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015

[stats-11] OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015

[12] National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015

[13] WisPolitics.com, "New AFP TV ad calls Evers ‘risk we can’t afford,’ mirroring language in Walker spots," October 3, 2018

[14] Wisconsin Public Radio, "Koch-Funded Group Americans For Prosperity Drops Another $1.3M Against Evers," September 14, 2018

[15] Business Insider, "Koch group spends $1.8 million in ads for Wisconsin's Walker," August 21, 2018

[JulySatelliteSpending-16] 16.0 ^16.1 U.S. News, "National Groups Book $9.5 Million in Governor's Race Ads," July 27, 2018

[17] Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.

[18] Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018

[19] Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018

[20] Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018

[21] Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "With three tweets, Donald Trump endorses Leah Vukmir, Bryan Steil and Scott Walker," August 15, 2018

[22] Journal-Sentinel, "Tony Evers gets Obama endorsement as Scott Walker promises boost in property tax credit for seniors," October 2, 2018

[23] Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Joe Biden campaigns for Tammy Baldwin, Tony Evers: 'We're in a battle for America's soul'," October 30, 2018

[24] Shepherd Express, "Former President Obama Visits Milwaukee for Evers, Baldwin Campaigns," October 26, 2018

[25] Wisconsin State Journal, "President Trump praises Scott Walker, Leah Vukmir at Wisconsin rally," October 25, 2018

[26] Wisconsin Public Radio, "Vice President Mike Pence Campaigning For Gov. Scott Walker In Hudson," November 3, 2018

[27] Green Bay Press Gazette, "Vice President Mike Pence supports Walker, Vukmir at rallies in Green Bay, Eau Claire," October 10, 2018

[quotedisclaimer-28] 28.0 ^28.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[29] Tony Evers for Wisconsin, "Tony Evers' Plan for Wisconsin," archived October 4, 2018

[30] Scott Walker for Governor, "Issues," accessed September 12, 2018

[31] Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013

[32] Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017

[matter-33] All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015

[34] All About Redistricting, "Wisconsin," accessed February 15, 2018

[35] The number of gubernatorial seats up for election varies, with as many as 36 seats and as few as 12 seats being up in a single even-numbered year.

[LBJ-36] Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.

[37] United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - Wisconsin," accessed January 15, 2018

[38] Wisconsin Demographics, "Wisconsin Cities by Population," accessed January 15, 2018

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