Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 17 (online or mail), or Nov. 2 (in-person)
- Early voting: Varies by locality
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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| 2018 Wisconsin Senate elections | |
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| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | August 14, 2018 |
| Past election results |
| 2016・2014・2012・2010・2008 2006・2004・2002・2000 |
| 2018 elections | |
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| Choose a chamber below: | |
Republicans maintained their majority as a result of the 2018 elections for the Wisconsin State Senate, controlling 19 seats to Democrats' 14. Seventeen of 33 Senate seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans held 18 seats to Democrats' 15.
Ballotpedia identified six of the races as battlegrounds, including three Democratic-held districts and three Republican-held districts. Republicans won four of those elections, including one in a Democratic-held district, and Democrats won the remaining two.
Wisconsin changed from a Republican trifecta to divided government as a result of the 2018 elections. Republicans held majorities in the state House and Senate, but lost the gubernatorial race. The state had been under a Republican trifecta since 2010 when Republicans took control of the governor's office, the state Senate, and the state House. This broke the a Democratic trifecta that formed in 2009.
Majorities in the state Senate changed five times between 1992 and 2016. During that time, no party maintained control for more than six years. The state Senate changed hands in four of the six midterm elections during the Obama, Bush, and Clinton presidencies.
Because state senators in Wisconsin serve four-year terms, winning candidates in this election served through 2022 and played a role in Wisconsin's redistricting process. The state legislature draws both state legislative and congressional district boundaries in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin State Senate was one of 87 state legislative chambers with elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2017, three chambers in Virginia and New Jersey were up for election. In 2016, 86 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. Prior to 2018, the Wisconsin State Senate last held elections in 2016.
Wisconsin state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the state Senate is up for election every two years. In 2018, odd-numbered districts in the state Senate were up for election. Prior to that, the 2014 elections were the last time odd-numbered districts were up for election in the state Senate. Two districts had 2014 elections that were decided by fewer than five points.
For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.
Post-election analysis
- See also: State legislative elections, 2018
The Republican Party maintained control of both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature in the 2018 election. The Wisconsin State Senate was identified as a battleground chamber. Seventeen out of 33 seats were up for election. Republicans increased their majority in the Wisconsin State Senate from 18-15 to 19-14. One Democratic incumbent was defeated in the general election.
The Wisconsin State Assembly held elections for all 99 seats. The Republican majority in the State Assembly was reduced from 64-35 to 63-36. Two Democratic incumbents were defeated in the primary and no incumbents were defeated in the general election.
National background
On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.
- Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
- Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
- A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.
Want more information?
- Incumbents defeated in 2018's state legislative elections
- 2018 election analysis: Partisan balance of state legislative chambers
- 2018 election analysis: Number of state legislators by party
- 2018 election analysis: State legislative supermajorities
Districts
- See also: Wisconsin state legislative districts
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Candidates
General election candidates
Wisconsin State Senate General Election 2018 |
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| Office | Democratic |
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| District 1 |
Caleb Frostman (i) |
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| District 5 |
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| District 7 |
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| District 9 |
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| District 11 |
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| District 13 |
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| District 15 |
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| District 17 |
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| District 19 |
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| District 21 |
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| District 23 |
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| District 25 |
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| District 27 |
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| District 29 |
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| District 31 |
Aaron Camacho (Green Party) |
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| District 33 |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate ConnectionWrite-in candidates
- District 11: Steve Johnson
- District 15: Gregory Neumann
Primary candidates
Wisconsin State Senate Primary 2018 |
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| District 11 |
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| District 13 |
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| District 15 |
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| District 17 |
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| District 19 |
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| District 23 |
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| District 25 |
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| District 27 |
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| District 29 |
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| District 31 |
Green Party  Aaron Camacho |
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| District 33 |
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Margins of victory
A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 Wisconsin State Senate races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.
The table below presents the following figures for each party:
- Elections won
- Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
- Elections won without opposition
- Average margin of victory[1]
| Wisconsin State Senate: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis | ||||
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| Party | Elections won | Elections won by less than 10% | Unopposed elections | Average margin of victory[1] |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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 Other |
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| Total | ||||
The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races).
Seats flipped
The below map displays each seat in the Wisconsin State Senate which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.
| State legislative seats flipped in 2018, Wisconsin State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | 2018 winner | Direction of flip |
| Wisconsin State Senate District 1 | Caleb Frostman |
André Jacque |
D to R |
Incumbents retiring
Three incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018. Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Leah Vukmir |  Republican |
Senate District 5 |
| Terry Moulton | Republican |
Senate District 23 |
| Kathleen Vinehout |  Democratic |
Senate District 31 |
2018 battleground chamber
Ballotpedia identified the Wisconsin State Senate as one of 22 battleground chambers in 2018. These were chambers that we anticipated to be, overall, more competitive than other chambers and had the potential to see significant shifts in party control.
The chamber was selected because it met the following conditions:
- Competitive seats: In 2014, two Democratic seats had a margin of victory that was less than 10 percent. District 1, which Democrats flipped in a June 2018 special election, also had a margin of victory of less than 10 percent. Two Republicans seats had margins of victory that were just over 10 percent. See the 2018 races to watch here.
- Presidential election results: Donald Trump (R) won three districts represented by a Democrat heading into the elections. In one Republican-held seat, Trump won had a 1.0 percent margin of victory. Barack Obama (D) won two other Republican-held seats in the 2012 presidential election. See the 2016 presidential results in state legislative districts here.
- Majority holds 55 percent of the seats or less: Republicans held 18 of 33 seats, which was 54.5 percent.
- Majority seats up: Ten Republican seats and seven Democratic seats were up in 2018.
- Outside ratings: Governing listed this chamber as "Leans Republican."[2]
- Recent party control switches: This chamber flipped party control twice between 2006 and 2016. It flipped from Republican to Democratic control in 2006 and back to Republican control in 2010
| Party control: 2006 - 2016 | |||||||||||||||
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| Election Year: | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | |||||||||
| Winning Party: | D | D | R | R | R | R | |||||||||
Battleground races
| Wisconsin State Senate Battleground races |
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| Democratic seats |
| District 1
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| District 25
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| District 31
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| Republican seats |
| District 5
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| District 17
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| District 19
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Ballotpedia identified six battleground races in the Wisconsin State Senate 2018 elections: three Democratic seats and three Republican seats. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.
To determine state legislative battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:
- If the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election prior to 2018
- If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent’s margin of victory in the previous election was 10 percentage points or less
- If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent did not file to run for re-election
- If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections by 20 points or more
Other factors could also cause a race to be classified as a battleground. For example, Ballotpedia may have considered an election to be a battleground race if an outside group or a national or state party announced that they were targeting a specific seat in order to flip it. We may have also determined a race to be a battleground if it received an unusual amount of media attention. Two additional factors were open seats and districts impacted by redistricting.
District 1
Who won this race?
| Republican André Jacque defeated incumbent Democrat Caleb Frostman. |
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
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What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district that changed partisan control in a June 2018 special election. Incumbent Caleb Frostman (D) was first elected in a June 2018 special election where he received 51.4 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic opponent by 2.8 points. In 2014, Republican Frank Lasee won the seat by about 20 points. District 1 was one of 23 Wisconsin Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 1 by 17.7 points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 4.4 points. |
District 5
Who won this race?
| Republican Dale Kooyenga defeated Democrat Julie Henszey. |
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district that had a close margin of victory in the 2016 presidential election and the incumbent did not file for re-election. Incumbent Leah Vukmir (R) was first elected in 2010 and was unopposed in her 2014 re-election bid. She did not file for re-election in 2018 in order to run for U.S. Senate. District 5 was one of 23 Wisconsin Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 5 by 1.0 points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 13.2 points. |
District 17
Who won this race?
| Republican incumbent Howard Marklein defeated Democrat Kriss Marion. |
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
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What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent had a margin of victory of just over 10 points in 2014 and Barack Obama (D) won in 2012. Incumbent Howard Marklein (R) was first elected in 2014 with around 55 percent of the vote. District 17 was one of 23 Wisconsin Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 17 by 8.5 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 14.3 points. |
District 19
Who won this race?
| Republican incumbent Roger Roth defeated Democrat Lee Snodgrass. |
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
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What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent had a margin of victory of just over 10 points in 2014 and Barack Obama (D) won in 2012. Incumbent Roger Roth (R) was first elected in 2014 with around 57 percent of the vote. District 19 was one of 23 Wisconsin Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 19 by 7.1 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 0.1 points. |
District 25
Who won this race?
| Democratic incumbent Janet Bewley defeated Republican James Bolen. |
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
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What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2014 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Janet Bewley (D) was first elected in 2014 with around 51.2 percent of the vote. District 25 was one of 23 Wisconsin Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 25 by 9.5 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 12.5 points. |
District 31
Who won this race?
| Democrat Jeff Smith defeated Republican Mel Pittman. |
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
| The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
| This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2014 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Kathleen Vinehout (D) was first elected in 2006 and was re-elected in 2014 with around 52.4 percent of the vote. She did not file for re-election in 2018. District 31 was one of 23 Wisconsin Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 31 by 3.8 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 10.2 points. |
Battleground races map
Wisconsin political history
Party control
2018
In the 2018 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Wisconsin State Senate from 18-15 to 19-14.
| Wisconsin State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 15 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 18 | 19 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | |
2016
In the 2016 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Wisconsin State Senate from 18-14 with one vacancy to 20-13.
| Wisconsin State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 14 | 13 | |
| Republican Party | 18 | 20 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | |
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in Wisconsin gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 2010 elections, when the governorship and both legislative chambers switched to Republican control. Republicans also had trifectas in the state in 1995 and 1998. Democrats held a trifecta following the 2008 elections.
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 |
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 state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.
The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.
| State legislative wave elections | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | President | Party | Election type | State legislative seats change | Elections analyzed[3] | |
| 1932 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -1,022 | 7,365 | |
| 1922 | Harding | R | First midterm | -907 | 6,907 | |
| 1966 | Johnson | D | First midterm[4] | -782 | 7,561 | |
| 1938 | Roosevelt | D | Second midterm | -769 | 7,179 | |
| 1958 | Eisenhower | R | Second midterm | -702 | 7,627 | |
| 2010 | Obama | D | First midterm | -702 | 7,306 | |
| 1974 | Ford | R | Second midterm[5] | -695 | 7,481 | |
| 1920 | Wilson | D | Presidential | -654 | 6,835 | |
| 1930 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -640 | 7,361 | |
| 1954 | Eisenhower | R | First midterm | -494 | 7,513 | |
Candidate and office information
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Wisconsin Statutes and Annotations, Chapter 8
The filing process for both ballot-qualified party candidates and other candidates (e.g., independents, non-recognized party candidates, etc.) is the same. The filing procedure, however, does vary somewhat according to the type of office being sought. Please note that only ballot-qualified party candidates can participate in primaries.[6]
For federal and state candidates
A candidate for federal office must file a declaration of candidacy with the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The declaration of candidacy must state the following:[6][7]
- that the individual is a candidate for the office named on the form
- that the individual meets the qualifications for office, or will meet the qualifications by the time he or she assumes office if elected
- that the individual will otherwise qualify for office if nominated and elected
The declaration of candidacy must be sworn before an individual authorized to administer oaths. The declaration of candidacy must be filed by 5:00 p.m. on June 1 preceding the election (if June 1 falls on non-business day, the form will be due on the next preceding business day).[6][7][8][9]
In addition to the declaration of candidacy, the candidate must submit nomination papers to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The number of signatures required varies according to the office being sought. Requirements are summarized in the table below.[6][8][9]
| Nomination paper signature requirements for federal candidates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Minimum signatures | Maximum signatures |
| U.S. Senator | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| U.S. Representative | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| State senator | 400 | 800 |
| State representative | 200 | 400 |
| State supreme court justice | 2,000 | 4,000 |
Nomination papers must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on June 1 preceding the election (if June 1 falls on non-business day, the form will be due on the next preceding business day).[6][8][9]
Write-in candidates
On April 2, 2014, Governor Scott Walker signed into law AB 419, which requires that write-in candidates file campaign finance statements in order to have their votes tallied. Otherwise, there are no specific filing requirements for write-in candidates.[10]
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[11] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $57,408/year | $140/day for senators. Dane County senators are allowed half that amount. $155.70/day (with overnight) or $77.85/day (no overnight) for representatives. Dane County representatives receive only $77.85/day. |
When sworn in
Wisconsin legislators assume office the first Monday in January following the election, unless the first Monday of January falls on January 1 or 2. In those cases, legislators assume office on January 3.[12]
Competitiveness
Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.
Results from 2016
Click here to read the full study »
Historical context
Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.
Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.
Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.
Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.
Redistricting in Wisconsin
- See also: Redistricting in Wisconsin
Because state senators in Wisconsin serve four-year terms, winning candidates in this election served through 2022 and played a role in Wisconsin's redistricting process. In Wisconsin, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. Republicans controlled the redistricting process following the 2010 Census.
State legislature districts in the 2010-2012 redistricting process
On July 20, 2011, the state legislature approved a state legislative redistricting plan, which was signed into law on August 9, 2011. That summer, opponents of the new legislative and congressional maps filed suit in federal court through Baldus v. Brennan, alleging "partisan and racial gerrymandering and ... violation of the Voting Rights Act and various state constitutional criteria." Fifteen Wisconsin residents filed as the plaintiffs in that suit.[13] On March 22, 2012, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin ruled that two state Assembly districts violated the Voting Rights Act. The court ordered that these two districts be redrawn. On April 11, 2012, the court accepted the redrawn districts.[14]
On November 21, 2016, the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin struck down the district map for the Wisconsin State Assembly, finding that the map constituted an illegal partisan gerrymander. The case was brought by a group of 12 state Democrats who alleged that Wisconsin's redistricting plan treated voters "unequally, diluting their voting power based on their political beliefs, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection." At the time of redistricting, Republicans controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. The court ruled 2-1 on the matter, with Judges Kenneth Ripple and Barbara Crabb forming the majority. Ripple wrote the following in the court's majority opinion.[15]
| “ | We find that Act 43 [the redistricting plan enacted by the state legislature in 2011] was intended to burden the representational rights of Democratic voters throughout the decennial period by impeding their ability to translate their votes into legislative seats. Moreover, as demonstrated by the results of the 2012 and 2014 elections, among other evidence, we conclude that Act 43 has had its intended effect.[16] | ” |
| —Judge Kenneth Ripple | ||
Judge William Griesbach dissented and wrote the following in his dissent:[15]
| “ | I am unable to accept proof of intent to act for political purposes as a significant part of any test for whether a task constitutionally entrusted to the political branches of government is unconstitutional. If political motivation is improper, then the task of redistricting should be constitutionally assigned to some other body, a change in law we lack any authority to effect.[16] | ” |
| —Judge William Griesbach | ||
The court declined to order a remedy when it issued its ruling. Instead, the court ordered the parties involved in the case to submit briefs outlining recommended remedies within 30 days.[15]
The plaintiffs in the case proposed a three-part test for determining whether illegal partisan gerrymandering has occurred in a state.[15]
- Intent: "Plaintiffs would have to establish that a state had an intent to gerrymander for partisan advantage."
- Effect: "Plaintiffs would need to prove a partisan effect by proving that the efficiency gap for a plan exceeds a certain numerical threshold."
- State interest: "Plaintiffs placed the burden on the defendants to rebut the presumption by showing that the plan 'is the necessary result of a legitimate state policy, or inevitable given the state's underlying political geography.'"
Peter Barca (D), the minority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly, said, "This is an historic victory for voters and further admonishment of the extremely slanted maps that trample the democratic will of the people of Wisconsin." Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) said, "There are only two things that are certain about this case: it's unprecedented and it isn't over. The state of Wisconsin has competitive legislative districts that meet every traditional principle of redistricting. Republicans win elections because we have better candidates and a better message that continues to resonate with the voters."[17]
On January 27, 2017, the court ordered state lawmakers to draft a remedial redistricting plan for use in the November 2018 election. The court ordered that this plan be adopted by the legislature and signed into law by the governor by November 1, 2017. On March 24, 2017, state attorneys petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to reverse the district court's ruling.[18][19][20]
On June 19, 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States announced that it would hear the case, Gill v. Whitford. The court also voted 5-4 to stay the district court decision that ordered Wisconsin lawmakers to draft new maps by November 1, 2017. Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch voted to stay the district court order. Associate Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Stephen Breyer dissented.[21][22]
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 Senate 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.[23][24]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 16 out of 33 state Senate districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 28.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 10 out of 33 state Senate districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 38.3 points. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 17 out of 33 state Senate districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 12 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 23 out of 33 state Senate districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 16.5 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state Senate District | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 47.03% | 51.87% | R+4.8 | 38.51% | 56.19% | R+17.7 | R |
| 2 | 46.07% | 52.84% | R+6.8 | 36.65% | 58.19% | R+21.5 | R |
| 3 | 68.89% | 30.14% | D+38.7 | 66.10% | 29.09% | D+37 | D |
| 4 | 85.76% | 13.72% | D+72 | 84.74% | 12.56% | D+72.2 | D |
| 5 | 42.93% | 56.14% | R+13.2 | 46.69% | 47.71% | R+1 | R |
| 6 | 88.37% | 10.98% | D+77.4 | 86.82% | 10.08% | D+76.7 | D |
| 7 | 59.42% | 39.16% | D+20.3 | 58.47% | 35.56% | D+22.9 | D |
| 8 | 40.08% | 59.13% | R+19.1 | 43.92% | 51.36% | R+7.4 | R |
| 9 | 45.87% | 53.02% | R+7.2 | 38.46% | 55.91% | R+17.4 | R |
| 10 | 46.01% | 52.37% | R+6.4 | 38.05% | 55.30% | R+17.3 | D |
| 11 | 42.62% | 56.30% | R+13.7 | 37.08% | 57.46% | R+20.4 | R |
| 12 | 45.91% | 53.07% | R+7.2 | 34.09% | 61.65% | R+27.6 | R |
| 13 | 43.21% | 55.80% | R+12.6 | 37.06% | 57.63% | R+20.6 | R |
| 14 | 48.31% | 50.71% | R+2.4 | 36.34% | 58.93% | R+22.6 | R |
| 15 | 61.81% | 37.06% | D+24.7 | 52.67% | 41.47% | D+11.2 | D |
| 16 | 70.76% | 28.16% | D+42.6 | 69.97% | 25.04% | D+44.9 | D |
| 17 | 56.58% | 42.23% | D+14.3 | 43.02% | 51.53% | R+8.5 | R |
| 18 | 48.76% | 50.01% | R+1.2 | 40.54% | 53.80% | R+13.3 | R |
| 19 | 49.16% | 49.15% | D+0 | 43.29% | 50.47% | R+7.2 | R |
| 20 | 31.45% | 67.57% | R+36.1 | 28.87% | 66.14% | R+37.3 | R |
| 21 | 44.33% | 54.81% | R+10.5 | 38.54% | 56.55% | R+18 | R |
| 22 | 66.60% | 32.31% | D+34.3 | 58.87% | 35.78% | D+23.1 | D |
| 23 | 47.71% | 51.10% | R+3.4 | 36.91% | 57.76% | R+20.9 | R |
| 24 | 51.80% | 46.87% | D+4.9 | 41.60% | 52.97% | R+11.4 | R |
| 25 | 55.60% | 43.06% | D+12.5 | 42.91% | 52.43% | R+9.5 | D |
| 26 | 78.69% | 19.45% | D+59.2 | 80.66% | 13.93% | D+66.7 | D |
| 27 | 62.10% | 37.01% | D+25.1 | 59.19% | 35.52% | D+23.7 | D |
| 28 | 38.61% | 60.64% | R+22 | 37.99% | 57.42% | R+19.4 | R |
| 29 | 46.86% | 52.00% | R+5.1 | 37.23% | 58.00% | R+20.8 | R |
| 30 | 51.72% | 47.18% | D+4.5 | 41.98% | 52.60% | R+10.6 | D |
| 31 | 54.46% | 44.23% | D+10.2 | 45.16% | 48.92% | R+3.8 | D |
| 32 | 57.24% | 41.35% | D+15.9 | 49.00% | 44.90% | D+4.1 | D |
| 33 | 33.11% | 66.04% | R+32.9 | 34.20% | 60.51% | R+26.3 | R |
| Total | 52.92% | 45.97% | D+7 | 47.01% | 47.78% | R+0.8 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
- Wisconsin State Senate
- Wisconsin State Legislature
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Wisconsin state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- Wisconsin state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Excludes unopposed elections
- ↑ Governing, "Democrats Poised to Eat Into GOP's Lead in State Legislatures," May 2, 2018
- ↑ The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Government Accountability Board, "Ballot Access Manual (2023)," accessed apRIL 25, 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wisconsin Statutes and Annotations, "Chapter 8, Section 21," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Wisconsin Statutes and Annotations, "Chapter 8, Section 20," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Wisconsin Statutes and Annotations, "Chapter 8, Section 15," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "Wisconsin Will No Longer Count Write-in Votes Unless Write-in Candidate Files Paperwork," May 17, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Wisconsin Statutes, "Chapter 13: Legislative Branch: 13.02 Regular sessions," accessed October 5, 2021
- ↑ Loyola Law School, "UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN," accessed September 12, 2017
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Wisconsin," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, "Whitford v. Gill: Opinion and Order," November 21, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Capital Times, "In split decision, federal judges rule Wisconsin's redistricting law an unconstitutional gerrymander," November 21, 2016
- ↑ United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, "Whitford v. Gill: Opinion and Order," January 27, 2017
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "Wisconsin Asks U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Partisan Gerrymandering Lawsuit," March 25, 2017
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "U.S. Supreme Court Will Consider Whether to Grant Stay in Important Wisconsin Gerrymandering Case," May 30, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Supreme Court to hear potentially landmark case on partisan gerrymandering," June 19, 2017
- ↑ Election Law Blog, "UPDATE ON STAY: Breaking: Supreme Court to Hear WI Gerrymandering Case, Gill v. Whitford, Next Term Analysis," June 19, 2017
- ↑ 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
