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Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2022 (August 9 Republican primary)

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Governor of Wisconsin
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 1, 2022
Primary: August 9, 2022
General: November 8, 2022
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Gov. Tony Evers (Democratic)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Wisconsin
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2022
Impact of term limits in 2022
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
Wisconsin
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Treasurer

Tim Michels defeated Adam Fischer, Rebecca Kleefisch, Kevin Nicholson, and Timothy Ramthun in Wisconsin's Republican gubernatorial primary on August 9, 2022. Kleefisch and Michels received the most media attention and endorsements.

Kleefisch was lieutenant governor under Gov. Scott Walker (R) from 2011 to 2019. Before that, she was a journalist in the Milwaukee area and started a marketing company.[1] Kleefisch ran on her experience in office during the Walker administration and said she would reimplement several policies discontinued under Gov. Tony Evers (D).[2] Walker, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), 58 members of the state legislature, former Vice President Mike Pence (R), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R), and former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) endorsed Kleefisch.

Michels co-owned a construction company and served in the United States Army for 12 years.[3] Michels campaigned as a political outsider and said he would "drain the Madison swamp."[4] Former President Donald Trump (R) and former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) endorsed Michels. In his statement of support, Trump said, "Wisconsin needs a Governor who will Stop Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, strengthen our Borders and End the well-documented Fraud in our Elections. Tim Michels is the best candidate to deliver meaningful solutions to these problems, and he will produce jobs like no one else can even imagine."[5]

Former candidate Kevin Nicholson suspended his campaign on July 5, 2022, and said he would not endorse another candidate. Although no longer actively campaigning, Nicholson's name still appeared on the primary ballot. Before suspending his campaign, Nicholson polled at about 10% support.[6]

In Wisconsin, gubernatorial candidates do not select their own running mates. The winner of the lieutenant gubernatorial primary is placed on the general election ballot alongside the winner of the gubernatorial primary. For information on the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, click here.

Heading into the election, Wisconsin had a divided government. Gov. Evers was a Democrat and Republicans controlled both chambers of the state legislature.

Kevin Nicholson (R) and Timothy Ramthun (R) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.

This page focuses on Wisconsin's Republican Party gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:

HOTP-GOP-Ad-1-Small.png

Election news

This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election.

Candidates and election results

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tim Michels
Tim Michels
 
47.1
 
326,969
Image of Rebecca Kleefisch
Rebecca Kleefisch
 
42.0
 
291,384
Image of Timothy Ramthun
Timothy Ramthun Candidate Connection
 
6.0
 
41,639
Image of Kevin Nicholson
Kevin Nicholson (Unofficially withdrew) Candidate Connection
 
3.6
 
24,884
Image of Adam Fischer
Adam Fischer
 
1.2
 
8,139
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
504

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 693,519
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Rebecca Kleefisch

Image of Rebecca Kleefisch

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (2011-2019)

Biography:  Kleefisch received her bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997. She worked as a journalist for several outlets in the Milwaukee area and started a marketing company.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Kleefisch criticized Gov. Tony Evers' (D) handling of education policy. She said she would "fight to expand school choice and ban critical race theory from Wisconsin classrooms."

Kleefisch said election integrity was a key issue and highlighted her lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission. "No one can honestly say that the 2020 elections were normal. They were inconsistent with law and precedent," she said.

Kleefisch highlighted her endorsement from Wisconsin Right to Life. She said she would eliminate taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood and decertify abortion providers from the state's medical assistance program.

Show sources

Sources: Rebecca Kleefisch's 2022 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed July 11, 2022; Rebecca Kleefisch's 2022 campaign website, "About," accessed July 11, 2022

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Wisconsin in 2022.

Tim Michels

Image of Tim Michels

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Michels received his bachelor's degree from Saint Norbert College. He co-owned the Michels Corporation, a construction company. He served in the United States Army for 12 years.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Michels campaigned as a political outsider and published his Blueprint to Drain the Madison Swamp. This proposal included increased transparency and reporting requirements for lobbyists and establishing a two-year lobbying ban for elected officials leaving office.

On education, Michels said, "Under a Michels administration, the balance of power will shift fundamentally. The top-down mindset of the education establishment will yield to the wishes of parents.  The iron grip of teachers unions will no longer hold Wisconsin students hostage."

Michels said he believed that the 2020 presidential election may have been stolen. At a campaign event in Sheboygan, he said, "President Trump probably would be president right now if we had election integrity." Michels said he would look at either changing or dissolving the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Show sources

Sources: Tim Michels' 2022 campaign website, "Blueprint," accessed July 11, 2022 ; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Candidate for governor Tim Michels says 'maybe' the 2020 election was stolen even though Biden's win has been repeatedly confirmed," May 9, 2022; Tim Michels' 2022 campaign website, "About," accessed July 11, 2022

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Wisconsin in 2022.

Kevin Nicholson

Image of Kevin Nicholson

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I’m a husband and father, a native Wisconsinite, Marine Corps veteran, private sector businessman, and the founder and former volunteer president of No Better Friend Corp. Today, I’m running for Governor because I believe Wisconsin is worth fighting for. I’m a combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps. I served as a combat engineer platoon commander as part of the troop surge to Iraq in 2007 in Al Anbar province. From 2008-2009, I was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Joint Task Force Paladin; I was awarded the Bronze Star for my service there. Following my military service, I earned a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Masters of Business Administration from Dartmouth Tuck School of Business. Following graduate school, I began working as a management consultant, serving a variety of clients across varied industries – first, at McKinsey & Co. and now at ghSMART. Today, I advise employers on the risks they take each and every day as they work to serve their clients and customers. I received a BA from the University of Minnesota (where I met my wife, Jessie). Jessie and currently live in Delafield, Wisconsin with our three children."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Save our K-12 Education: Keep schools open and in-person with full transparency for all curriculums. Institute universal school choice to fund students instead of systems and protect them from the intellectual poison of Critical Race Theory. Pass Constitutional Amendment to transition the Department of Public Instruction Superintendent role to an Education Secretary.​

Re-Establish Law and Order: Speak to high school and college students across Wisconsin about the importance and honor of serving in law enforcement. Work with counties and municipalities to rebuild and re-staff law enforcement agencies. Institute mandatory minimum bail & sentencing for violent charges and convictions. Remove district attorneys that refuse to keep us safe. Mandate use of E-Verify to deter and stop illegal immigration.​

Establish Election Integrity: End ballot harvesting and use of ballot drop boxes to restore faith in our election processes and eliminate the unaccountable Wisconsin Election Commission. Mandate the counting of all legally requested and legally returned absentee ballots at one statewide location with transparency.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Wisconsin in 2022.

Timothy Ramthun

Image of Timothy Ramthun

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a servant of the people. My focus is results that exceed expectations, a practice I've performed now for 45yrs in the private sector and 14yrs in the public sector, as a school board member as well as WI State Legislature. My depth of experience, capabilities, and character are the attributes that make me the best choice. Proven strengths in leadership, courage, conviction, passion, integrity, honesty, and a high sense of urgency, are my core. You can learn more about me at: Tim-Ramthun.com."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Election Integrity is a WI and a national priority. Elections must be legal, fair, safe, and secure for all voters to ensure nobody is disenfranchised. Elections do have consequences and it is upon us all to make sure they're correct...

Medical Freedom. It should never be allowed under the pretense that it is a right for any government to tell you what goes into your body or how an employer can demand of you and action that leverages your job or career. These type of demands are tyrannical. They must stop now and they must be prevented from ever happening again...

Education, not indoctrination. Our schools, primarily public schools, must focus on core educational materials and not get into subjective, societal influences that adversely affect the minds of children. State-wide vouchers should be allowed so all parents can enroll their children into the school of choice, not one that aligns to their residency. Also, all state funding for each student must follow the student in its entirety, regardless of where they attend.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Wisconsin in 2022.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

Save our K-12 Education: Keep schools open and in-person with full transparency for all curriculums. Institute universal school choice to fund students instead of systems and protect them from the intellectual poison of Critical Race Theory. Pass Constitutional Amendment to transition the Department of Public Instruction Superintendent role to an Education Secretary.​

Re-Establish Law and Order: Speak to high school and college students across Wisconsin about the importance and honor of serving in law enforcement. Work with counties and municipalities to rebuild and re-staff law enforcement agencies. Institute mandatory minimum bail & sentencing for violent charges and convictions. Remove district attorneys that refuse to keep us safe. Mandate use of E-Verify to deter and stop illegal immigration.​

Establish Election Integrity: End ballot harvesting and use of ballot drop boxes to restore faith in our election processes and eliminate the unaccountable Wisconsin Election Commission. Mandate the counting of all legally requested and legally returned absentee ballots at one statewide location with transparency.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/TimRamthun.jpg

Timothy Ramthun (R)

Election Integrity is a WI and a national priority. Elections must be legal, fair, safe, and secure for all voters to ensure nobody is disenfranchised. Elections do have consequences and it is upon us all to make sure they're correct...

Medical Freedom. It should never be allowed under the pretense that it is a right for any government to tell you what goes into your body or how an employer can demand of you and action that leverages your job or career. These type of demands are tyrannical. They must stop now and they must be prevented from ever happening again...

Education, not indoctrination. Our schools, primarily public schools, must focus on core educational materials and not get into subjective, societal influences that adversely affect the minds of children. State-wide vouchers should be allowed so all parents can enroll their children into the school of choice, not one that aligns to their residency. Also, all state funding for each student must follow the student in its entirety, regardless of where they attend.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

Saving K-12 education by instituting universal school choice, re-establishing law & order, restoring election integrity & stopping ballot harvesting, reforming higher education, building our economy, reducing government spending, protecting innocent life, eliminating mask & vaccine mandates.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/TimRamthun.jpg

Timothy Ramthun (R)

Elections integrity, Medical Freedom, Education-not indoctrination, government accountability, pro-life, significant reduction in taxation, pro-1st responders-backing the badge-veterans-fire department, Pro-Agriculture and Small Business, 2A and making WI Constitutional Carry, ending fentanyl and our drug epidemic, and functional state-wide broadband... to name a few...
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

Those who wish to lead our society should have first pushed themselves to their limits in other aspects of life; they should know how to make difficult decisions, they should have an understanding of finance and economics, and they should understand the consequences of potential mistakes. I have lived a life that has pushed me to adapt and overcome – from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, to a challenging and intellectual diverse education, to my work with demanding clients in the private sector. Given how our political class has failed our state and nation, it is clear that we do not have enough people in positions of leadership who can say the same. If we want to get our society back on track, we need people from outside the political class – with real and valuable experience – to step up and lead.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

First and foremost, I have a track record of accomplishment outside of government and politics. I served my country during two wars; I've worked in the private sector for some of the most challenging companies on the planet. And, while working full-time in the private sector, I founded and previously served as the volunteer President & CEO of No Better Friend Corp. – an organization named after the Marine Corps' unofficial slogan, "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" – with the mission of advocating for common sense policies, such as universal school choice, that will improve Wisconsin. As your Governor, I'll be honest and straightforward about the challenges our state faces, and I'll put the practical leadership lessons I've learned both on the battlefield as a Marine, and as a businessman in the private sector, to work for the people of our state. Of significant importance, I don’t make my living through politics. I don’t need to win office or to peddle influence in order to have a successful career. I’m running for governor because our society is off kilter, and we need people who understand the depths of our challenges to step up, lead and provide solutions.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

Cow Cow Boogie, Ella Fitzgerald
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

First and foremost, a governor needs to provide moral leadership and common sense. We value honesty here in Wisconsin, but too many of our leaders are afraid to tell it like it is, to stand up, and to make the tough decisions. I won’t stray from worthy battles, and I will never bend the knee to the woke mob – or to the political class. I lead from the front and I don’t back down – much to the chagrin of many insiders. I’ve served my country during challenging times as a Marine Corps combat leader, I’ve successfully tackled wide and varied challenges during my private sector career, and I’m ready to serve as Wisconsin’s governor as we fight to get our society back on track.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

As governor, I will be closely involved in Wisconsin’s budgeting process in order to build our economy and to reduce government spending. I will implement a zero-based budgeting process on a go forward basis; every year, every biennium, every department within Wisconsin’s state government will start with $0 and justify every dollar it requests in the upcoming budget cycle. By digging into our state’s spending, we can identify waste and areas to reduce spending. With our spending reduced, we can comprehensively and wholistically reduce Wisconsin’s tax burden.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

First and foremost, to be an effective leader during turbulent and challenging times, one cannot simply go along with the status quo. As the governor of the state of Wisconsin, I will push back on legislative leaders when appropriate, and work together with those leaders when we are in agreement. This is the way the real world works; there is no problem with disagreement that occurs in defense of the truth and that yields better solutions. In essence, the people of Wisconsin will be able to rely on me to fight for what I view as the right course of action, regardless of who agrees or disagrees with me. Further, I look forward to working together with the legislature to make important structural improvements to the way our state operates – whether it’s in implementing universal school choice, securing election integrity, or emplacing mandatory minimum bail and sentencing guidelines – we must get our society back on track.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KevinNicholson.jpeg

Kevin Nicholson (R)

As I travel around the state of Wisconsin, I hear every day that Wisconsinites are frustrated with the way our society is slipping away. We’ve seen a loss of law and order, our schools are a mess, and faith in our electoral process has been lost. Our purported leaders have run our state into the ground, and I feel a sense of urgency to get our state – and our society – back on track. Universal school choice will give control to Wisconsin’s families when it comes to their kids’ education. We must implement mandatory minimum bail and minimum sentencing for violent charges and convictions to keep violent criminals off our streets. Then we need to work with counties and municipalities across our state to re-staff and rebuild law enforcement agencies that cannot currently recruit or retain the staff that they need. We need to do away with the Wisconsin Elections Commission and transfer power to the elected Secretary of State. Then, as governor, I will work with the legislature to write laws that are crystal clear in eliminating ballot harvesting, ballot drop boxes, and the introduction of private funds into our public election processes. Once these actions are taken, we can dig in to reduce state spending, reduce our state’s tax burden, and grow our economy. Further, as governor, I will constantly push our federal representatives to create and enforce strategic trade policies that open up markets for Wisconsin’s agricultural and manufacturing producers, and further spur growth in our state.


Campaign advertisements

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Republican Party Adam Fischer

Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Adam Fischer while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.


Republican Party Rebecca Kleefisch

July 11, 2022
July 6, 2022
June 24, 2022

View more ads here:


Republican Party Tim Michels

July 24, 2022
July 11, 2022
July 11, 2022

View more ads here:


Republican Party Kevin Nicholson

Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Kevin Nicholson while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.


Republican Party Timothy Ramthun

Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Timothy Ramthun while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.


Debates and forums

This section includes links to debates, forums, and other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated. If you are aware of any debates or forums that should be included, please email us.

July 24 debate

On July 24, 2022, Kleefisch, Michels, and Ramthun participated in a debate at Marquette University.[10]

July 24 debate

Click on the links below for summaries of the event:

News and conflicts in this primary

This race was featured in The Heart of the Primaries, a newsletter capturing stories related to conflicts within each major party. Click here to read more about conflict in this and other 2022 Republican gubernatorial primaries. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.

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.


Republican primary endorsements
Endorser Republican Party Rebecca Kleefisch Republican Party Tim Michels Republican Party Kevin Nicholson Republican Party Timothy Ramthun
Government officials
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R)  source ✔      
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R)  source ✔      
Gov. Kim Reynolds (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Joan Ballweg (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Julian Bradley (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Robert Cowles (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Alberta Darling (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. John Jagler (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Howard Marklein (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Stephen Nass (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Rob Stafsholt (R)  source ✔      
State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Scott Allen (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. David Armstrong (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Elijah Behnke (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Mark Born (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Robert Brooks (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Calvin Callahan (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Alex Dallman (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. James Edming (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Terry Katsma (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Joel Kitchens (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Daniel Knodl (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Scott Krug (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Tony Kurtz (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. John Macco (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Gae Magnafici (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Clint Moses (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Dave Murphy (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Jeffrey Mursau (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Adam Neylon (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Todd Novak (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Loren Oldenburg (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. William Penterman (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Kevin Petersen (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Jon Plumer (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Treig Pronschinske (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Donna Rozar (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Michael Schraa (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Ken Skowronski (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Patrick Snyder (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Shae Sortwell (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. John Spiros (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. David Steffen (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Jim Steineke (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Rob Summerfield (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Rob Swearingen (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Gary Tauchen (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Paul Tittl (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Travis Tranel (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Ron Tusler (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Robin Vos (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Robert Wittke (R)  source ✔      
State Rep. Shannon Zimmerman (R)  source ✔      
Individuals
Gen. Michael Flynn  source       ✔
Frmr. U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley  source ✔      
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell  source       ✔
President of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist  source ✔      
Musician Ted Nugent  source ✔      
Frmr. Vice President Mike Pence  source ✔      
Frmr. W.H. Press Sec. Sarah Huckabee Sanders  source ✔      
Frmr. U.S. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner  source ✔      
Frmr. Gov. Tommy Thompson  source   ✔    
Frmr. Pres. Donald Trump  source   ✔    
Businessman Richard Uihlein  source     ✔  
Frmr. Gov. Scott Walker  source ✔      
Organizations
American Conservative Union  source ✔      
Save America Fund  source   ✔    
Susan B. Anthony List Action PAC  source ✔      
Wisconsin Firearm Owners Association  source ✔      

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[18] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[19] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.

Below we provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval.


Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2022: Republican primary election polls
Poll Date Republican Party Fischer Republican Party Kleefisch Republican Party Michels Republican Party Nicholson Republican Party Ramthun Undecided/Other Margin of error Sample size[20] Sponsor[21]
Emerson August 3-5, 2022 1% 41% 39% 7% 9% —[22] ± 3.2 900 LV N/A
Marquette June 14-20, 2022 0% 26% 27% 10% 3% 34%[23] ± 6.3 359 LV N/A
Marquette April 19-24, 2022 — 32% — 10% 4% 53%[24] ± 5.6 413 LV N/A


General election 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.[25]
  • 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.[26][27][28]

Race ratings: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2022
Race trackerRace ratings
November 8, 2022November 1, 2022October 25, 2022October 18, 2022
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLean RepublicanToss-upToss-upToss-up
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Election spending

Campaign finance

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite 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.[29][30][31]

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

The Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System provides reports on independent expenditures for elections in the state. To search for reports from this race, click here.

Satellite spending in Wisconsin gubernatorial Republican primary, 2022
Organization Amount Date Purpose
Club for Growth$1,100,000July 26, 2022Ads opposing Kleefisch[8]
Freedom Wisconsin PAC$2,500,000July 22, 2022Ads supporting Kleefisch[11]
Sunrise in America PAC$123,000July 22, 2022Ads opposing Kleefisch[11]

Noteworthy events

National Rifle Association statement on Michels campaign mailers (July 2022)

On July 18, 2022, the National Rifle Association (NRA) released a statement after the Michels campaign sent out mailers claiming the group had endorsed him. The NRA's political action committee wrote, "Misrepresenting our ratings or our position in any election contest does a disservice to you and all our members, as well as other gun owners to whom protection of their liberty and firearm freedoms is a factor in how they vote." Chris Walker, the spokesman for the Michels campaign, said the campaign would rescind the mailer and replace it with one that highlights Michels' AQ grade on the NRA's candidate questionnaire. "Our direct mail shouldn’t have indicated that rating was an ‘endorsement,’ and subsequent communications will describe his ‘AQ rating’ from the NRA," Walker said.[13]

After a campaign rally on July 18, Michels told reporters that he felt his lack of an endorsement was because of a technicality between the NRA's lobbying group and political action committee. "I have received the highest rating that the NRA gives to a candidate ... So, it’s some technicality between the NRA-ILA and the NRA-PFV,” Michels said, referring to the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action and the group's Political Victory Fund. It's something that probably 1/10th of 1 percent of gun owners understand. People are tired of this political gotcha game. People are tired of you know: Oh, you were endorsed by the NRA-PFV but not by the NRA. Nobody cares. I'm not going to let the lawyers run my campaign. We made a mistake, we're moving on," he said.[32]

In a press release, Kleefisch's campaign said, "In case you missed it, Tim Michels’ campaign is lying to conservative voters by touting an endorsement from the National Rifle Association that does not exist. A mail piece sent by the campaign alleged Michels was endorsed by the NRA. The NRA stated on record that they had made no endorsements in the Wisconsin governor’s race. As a sportsman herself, Rebecca Kleefisch is a proven, trusted advocate for gun owners and 2nd Amendment rights. She is proud to have an A rating from the NRA."[33]

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
  • Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
  • State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

Presidential elections

See also: Presidential voting trends in Wisconsin and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Wisconsin, 2022
District Incumbent Party PVI
Wisconsin's 1st Bryan Steil Ends.png Republican R+3
Wisconsin's 2nd Mark Pocan Electiondot.png Democratic D+19
Wisconsin's 3rd Open Electiondot.png Democratic R+4
Wisconsin's 4th Gwen Moore Electiondot.png Democratic D+25
Wisconsin's 5th Scott Fitzgerald Ends.png Republican R+14
Wisconsin's 6th Glenn Grothman Ends.png Republican R+10
Wisconsin's 7th Tom Tiffany Ends.png Republican R+12
Wisconsin's 8th Mike Gallagher Ends.png Republican R+10


2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, Wisconsin[34]
District Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
Wisconsin's 1st 48.3% 50.3%
Wisconsin's 2nd 70.2% 28.4%
Wisconsin's 3rd 46.8% 51.5%
Wisconsin's 4th 75.9% 22.8%
Wisconsin's 5th 37.9% 60.8%
Wisconsin's 6th 41.4% 57.0%
Wisconsin's 7th 39.3% 59.2%
Wisconsin's 8th 41.5% 57.0%


2012-2020

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2020 presidential election, 46.1% of Wisconsinites lived in one of the state's 37 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 35.7% lived in one of 12 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Wisconsin was Battleground Democratic, having voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Wisconsin following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Historical voting trends

Wisconsin presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 15 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
  • 1 other win
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winning Party R R R D R R P[35] R D D D R D R R R D R R D R R D D D D D D D R D

Statewide elections

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Wisconsin

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Wisconsin.

U.S. Senate election results in Wisconsin
Race Winner Runner up
2018 55.4%Democratic Party 44.6%Republican Party
2016 50.2%Republican Party 46.8%Democratic Party
2012 51.4%Democratic Party 45.9%Republican Party
2010 51.9%Republican Party 47.0%Democratic Party
2006 67.3%Democratic Party 29.5%Republican Party
Average 55.2 42.8

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Wisconsin

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Wisconsin.

Gubernatorial election results in Wisconsin
Race Winner Runner up
2018 49.5%Democratic Party 48.4%Republican Party
2014 52.3%Republican Party 46.6%Democratic Party
2010 52.3%Republican Party 46.5%Democratic Party
2006 52.8%Democratic Party 45.4%Republican Party
2002 45.1%Democratic Party 41.4%Republican Party
Average 50.4 45.7

State partisanship

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Wisconsin's congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Wisconsin, November 2022
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 1 3 4
Republican 1 5 6
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 8 10

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Wisconsin's top four state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Wisconsin, November 2022
Office Officeholder
Governor Democratic Party Tony Evers
Lieutenant Governor Democratic Party Mandela Barnes
Secretary of State Democratic Party Dogulas J. La Follette
Attorney General Democratic Party Josh Kaul

State legislature

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Wisconsin State Legislature as of November 2022.

Wisconsin State Senate

Party As of November 2022
     Democratic Party 12
     Republican Party 21
     Vacancies 0
Total 33

Wisconsin State Assembly

Party As of November 2022
     Democratic Party 38
     Republican Party 57
     Vacancies 4
Total 99

Trifecta control

As of November 2022, Wisconsin was a divided government, with Democrats controlling the governorship and Republican majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Wisconsin Party Control: 1992-2022
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
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
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
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

Demographics

The table below details demographic data in Wisconsin and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

Demographic Data for Wisconsin
Wisconsin United States
Population 5,686,986 308,745,538
Land area (sq mi) 54,167 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 85.4% 72.5%
Black/African American 6.4% 12.7%
Asian 2.8% 5.5%
Native American 0.9% 0.8%
Pacific Islander 0% 0.2%
Other (single race) 2% 4.9%
Multiple 2.4% 3.3%
Hispanic/Latino 6.8% 18%
Education
High school graduation rate 92.2% 88%
College graduation rate 30.1% 32.1%
Income
Median household income $61,747 $62,843
Persons below poverty level 11.3% 13.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**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.


Election context

Election history

2018

See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 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
✔
Image of Tony Evers
Tony Evers (D)
 
49.5
 
1,324,307
Image of Scott Walker
Scott Walker (R)
 
48.4
 
1,295,080
Image of Phillip Anderson
Phillip Anderson (L)
 
0.8
 
20,225
Image of Maggie Turnbull
Maggie Turnbull (Independent)
 
0.7
 
18,884
Image of Michael White
Michael White (G)
 
0.4
 
11,087
Image of Arnie Enz
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
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 538,636
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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
✔
Image of Scott Walker
Scott Walker
 
91.6
 
417,276
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Robert Meyer
 
8.4
 
38,269

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 455,545
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
✔
Image of Michael White
Michael White
 
100.0
 
817

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 817
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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
✔
Image of Phillip Anderson
Phillip Anderson
 
100.0
 
1,673

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,673
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

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 Green check mark transparent.pngScott 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


2022 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This election was a battleground race. Other 2022 battleground elections included:

See also

Wisconsin State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Party control of state government
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State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Rebecca Kleefisch's 2022 campaign website, "About," accessed July 11, 2022
  2. ↑ Rebecca Kleefisch's 2022 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed July 11, 2022
  3. ↑ Tim Michels' 2022 campaign website, "About," accessed July 11, 2022
  4. ↑ Tim Michels' 2022 campaign website, "Blueprint," accessed July 11, 2022
  5. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Donald Trump endorses Tim Michels for Wisconsin governor, inserting himself into competitive GOP primary," June 2, 2022
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 WPR, "Republican Kevin Nicholson suspends campaign for Wisconsin governor," July 5, 2022
  7. ↑ Twitter, "Rebecca Kleefisch on July 27, 2022," accessed July 28, 2022
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 NBC News, "Midterm roundup: On Wisconsin," July 27, 2022
  9. ↑ Twitter, "Molly Beck on July 26, 2022," accessed July 28, 2022
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Associated Press, “Takeaways from Republican Wisconsin gubernatorial debate,” July 25, 2022
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Wisconsin Politics, "Pro-Kleefisch PAC adds $1.5M to TV buy opposing Michels; new PAC target Kleefisch," July 22, 2022
  12. ↑ WISPolitics, "Wisconsin Firearm Owners Association: Endorses Rebecca Kleefisch for Governor," July 19, 2022
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Washington Post, "NRA slams Trump's Wisconsin candidate over false endorsement," July 18, 2022
  14. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Republican Tim Michels pours nearly $8 million into self-funded run for Wisconsin governor," July 17, 2022
  15. ↑ Madison.com, "Former Gov. Tommy Thompson endorses Tim Michels, slew of state lawmakers back Rebecca Kleefisch as primary nears," July 8, 2022
  16. ↑ Washington Times, "Rebecca Kleefisch has my endorsement for the next governor of Wisconsin," June 12, 2022
  17. ↑ WPR, "Trump endorses Tim Michels in Wisconsin governor's race, dealing blow to GOP frontrunner Rebecca Kleefisch," June 2, 2022
  18. ↑ For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
  19. ↑ Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
  20. ↑ RV=Registered Voters
    LV=Likely Voters
  21. ↑ The sponsor is the person or group that funded all or part of the poll.
  22. ↑ Undecided voters were allocated based on who they leaned towards.
  23. ↑ Includes "Don't know" (32%) and "Someone else" (2%).
  24. ↑ Includes "Don't know" (46%), "Someone else" (3%), "Will not vote" (3%), and "Refused" (1%).
  25. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  26. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  27. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  28. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  29. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
  30. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
  31. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
  32. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tim Michels' campaign says mailer promoting nonexistent NRA endorsement was an 'error,'" July 18, 2022
  33. ↑ WISPolitics, "Kleefisch campaign: Tim Michels lied about NRA endorsement," July 18, 2022
  34. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed September 9, 2022
  35. ↑ Progressive Party
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