WISCONSIN 10 Electoral Votes
Population 
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, State Elections Board)
Total Population, July 1, 2008 est.             5,627,967
(Registration by municipalities; no statewide registation total).
Wisconsin has: 72 counties.
Largest counties: Milwaukee, Dane, Waukesha, Brown, Racine. >
Largest cities: Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha, Racine. >

Government
Governor: James E. Doyle (D) re-elected in 2006.
State Legislature: Wisconsin Legislature   Assembly: 99 seats  Senate: 33 seats
Local: Counties, Cities..., Tribes  NACO Counties
U.S. House: 5D, 3R - 1. P.Ryan (R) | 2. T.Baldwin (D) | 3. R.Kind (D) | 4. G.Moore (D) | 5. J .Sensenbrenner (R) | 6. T.Petri (R) | 7. D.Obey (D) | 8. S.Kagen (D)
U.S. Senate: Herb Kohl (D) re-elected in 2006, Russ Feingold (D) re-elected in 2004. 
2008 update   
U.S. House:  In a closely contested re-match in the 8th CD (Green Bay), freshman Rep. Steve Kagen (D) defeated 2006 nominee former Assembly Speaker John Gard (R), gaining about 54% of the vote.  The other seven members of the House delegation were re-elected with over 60% of the vote.  The U.S. House delegation remains at 5D, 3R.
State Legislature:  Democrats gained control of the Assembly for the first time in 14 years, giving them both Houses of the Legislature.  
    > Democrats gain control of the House chamber.
wiflag
 The Badger State
 

State of Wisconsin
State Elections Board

Democratic Party of WI
Libertarian Party of WI
Republican Party of WI
WI Green Party
Constitution Party of WI

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
WSJ/Capital Times
Newspapers
TV, Radio

Politics1-WI
wispolitics.com
 

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting Eligible Population*: 4,113,565.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 72.5%.


As of Oct. 31, 2008 there were 3,502,196 registered voters.  In Wisconsin one can register at the polling place on Election Day with proof of residence.

Registered voters can vote absentee and are not required to provide any reason.



>
Official Results >


+Obama/Biden (Dem.)
1,677,211
(56.22)
McCain/Palin (Rep.)
1,262,393
(42.31)
McKinney/Clemente (Grn.)
4,216
(0.14)
Barr/Root (Lib.)
8,858
(0.30)
Moore/Alexander (Ind.)
540
(0.02)
La Riva/Moses (Ind.)
237
(0.01)
Nader/Gonzalez (Ind.)
17,605
(0.59)
Baldwin/Castle (Ind.)
5,072
(0.17)
Wamboldt/Klimisch
764
(0.03)
Scattering
6,521
(0.22)
Total........2,983,417


On Sept. 9, 2008 Kevin J. Kennedy, Director and General Counsel of the Government Accountability Board certified nine candidates for the presidential ballot.
2008 Overview
In both 2004 and 2000, the Democratic margin of victory in the presidential race had been less than one percentage point; indeed in 2004 Wisconsin had the smallest margin of any state.  2008 was a very different story as the Obama-Biden ticket won by a comfortable margin, gaining a plurality of 414,818 votes (13.91 percentage points) and carrying 59 counties to 13 for McCain-Palin.
General Election Details
Obama/Allies  |  McCain/Allies  Nader

[Primary Election: September 9, 2008]
Presidential Preference Primary -- Tuesday, February 19, 2008
...Open Primary (Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 10)
Democrats
92 Delegates (74 Pledged, 18 Unpledged) and 12 Alternates. >
2.27% of the 4,049 Delegate Votes 2.17% of the 4,234 Delegate Votes.

ClintonObama
former: Edwards

Official Results  
Dennis Kucinich
2,625
0.24%
Hillary Clinton
453,954
40.76%
Joe Biden
765
0.07%
Mike Gravel
517
0.05%
Chris Dodd
501
0.04%
+Barack Obama
646,551
58.08%
John Edwards
6,693
0.60%
Bill Richardson
528
0.05%
Uninstructed
861
0.08%
Scatter
468
0.04%
Total 
1,113,753

Preliminary Pledged Delegate Count: Obama 42, Clinton 32. >

"Barack Obama spent more than twice as much money on TV advertising in Wisconsin than all other candidates combined and nearly five times as much as Hillary Clinton.  Not only did the Obama campaign enjoy a massive advantage in spots aired, but the Obama campaign was up on the air a full week earlier than Clinton. Obama aired his first ad on February 6, one day after Super Tuesday, while the first Clinton ad did not appear until February 12."
                                                            -Wisconsin Advertising Project >

Republicans
40 Delegates: 3 RNC; 13 at-large; 24 by CD (3 x 8 CDs).
1.68% of the 2,380 Delegates. 

Delegate allocation: At-large winner-take-all per statewide vote; CD winner-take- all per CD vote.

Huckabee  |  McCain  |  Paul
former: Giuliani  |  Romney  |  T.Thompson

Official Results  
Tom Tancredo
185
0.05%
Mitt Romney
8,080
1.97%
Ron Paul
19,090
4.65%
Mike Huckabee
151,707
36.95%
+John McCain
224,755
54.74%
Rudy Giuliani
1,935
0.47%
Uninstructed
850
0.21%
Scatter
497
0.12%
Total
410,607

McCain remarks
 

Note: Wisconsin had a candidate in the 2008 presidential campaign for about eight months, but he was not the one many people expected.  Sen. Russ Feingold (D), seen as a likely 2008 presidential candidate in 2005-06, ruled out a White House run on Nov. 12, 2006. >  Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) established a presidential exploratory committee on Dec. 13, 2006 but withdrew from the race on Aug. 12, 2007. >.


General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Voting Eligible Population*: 4,006,948.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 74.8%.


Wisconsin has Election Day registration at polling place with verification of residence (since 1976).


Total voters: 3,003,083.

No early voting; people can request an absentee ballot from their municipal clerk without providing an explanation.  Municipal clerks (there are 1,850) can start sending out absentee ballots to people who have requested them 30 days before the election. 
Absentee vote: 364,639.
Official Results

+Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)
1,489,504 (49.70)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 1,478,120 (49.32)
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.) 6,464 (0.22)
Cobb/LaMarche (Grn.) 2,661 (0.09)
Nader/Camejo (Ind.) 16,390 (0.55)
Harris/Trowe (SWP) 411 (0.01)
Brown/Hebert (Soc.) 471 (0.02)
Scatter 2,986 (0.1)
Total........2,997,007  

2004 Overview
As in 2000 the race in Wisconsin was tightly fought to the end and as in 2000 the Democratic ticket narrowly prevailed.  Kerry-Edwards secured a plurality of 11,384 votes (0.38 percentage points).  Bush carried 45 counties to 27 for Kerry.  Wisconsin received numerous visits from the candidates and their wives, and intense advertising (Milwaukee Mix: The Ad Campaign).
General Election Details  |  Photos
Kerry/Allies  |  Bush-Cheney '04
[State Primary Election: September 14, 2004]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,842,044.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 67.6%.



Total voters: 2,619,184.
Absentee vote: 160,425.

Official Results


Bush/Cheney (Rep.)  1,237,279 (47.61)
+Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)  1,242,987 (47.83)
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)  6,640 (0.26)
Phillips/Frazier (Const.)  2,042 (0.07)
Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)  94,070 (3.62)
Moorehead/LaRiva(WWP)  1,063 (0.04)
Harris/Trowe (SWP) 306  - 
Hagelin/Goldhaber (Ref.) 878 (0.03)
Buchanan-Foster (Ref.) 11,446 (0.44)
Scattering 1,896 (0.07)
Total........2,598,607

2000 Overview
Both major campaigns poured significant resources into the battleground state of Wisconsin.  Ralph Nader's appeal in this state gave the Bush forces grounds for optimism, but on Election Day the Gore-Lieberman ticket eked out a narrow win, gaining a plurality of 5,708 votes (0.22 percentage points) over Bush-Cheney.  Bush carried 46 counties to Gore's 26.  By comparison, in 1996, when Dole did not actively compete in the state, the Dole-Kemp ticket carried just 11 counties, while Clinton-Gore won in 61.  Four-term Gov. Tommy Thompson was an ardent Bush supporter, and his organization provided a foundation for Bush's strong showing as the state's electors nearly went into the Republican column for the first time since 1984.
General Election Activity  |  Photos

1992 and 1996 General Elections

1992
Clinton (Dem.)....1,041,066 (41.13)
Bush (Rep.)..........930,855 (36.78)
Perot (Ind.)............544,479
 (21.51)
Others (11+scat).....14,714
(0.58)
Total........2,531,114

1996
Clinton (Dem.).....1,071,971 (48.81)
Dole (Rep.)............845,029  (38.48)
Perot (Ref.)............227,339
 (10.35)
Nader (Ind.).............28,723
(1.31)
Others (6+scat).......23,107
(1.05)
Total........2,196,169

2004 page >
2000 page >

Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.