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Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary)

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Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
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Democratic primary
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Election details
Filing deadline: June 1, 2018
Primary: August 14, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Gov. Scott Walker (Republican)
Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Wisconsin
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Toss-up
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Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
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Wisconsin
executive elections
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A Republican Party primary election took place on August 14, 2018 in Wisconsin to determine which candidate would run in the state's November 6, 2018, general election as the party's gubernatorial nominee.


For more information about gubernatorial elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the governor of Wisconsin was Scott Walker (R), who was first elected in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. On October 18, 2017, Walker announced that he would seek re-election to a third term in 2018.
  • In 2018, Wisconsin was a Republican trifecta. It had held this status since Walker took office and Republicans gained majorities in the Wisconsin State Senate and Wisconsin House of Representatives in 2011. Wisconsin was also under divided triplex control.
  • The Democratic candidate won Wisconsin in the 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 presidential elections, while the Republican candidate won Wisconsin in the 2016 presidential election. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 14 percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Al Gore's 0.22 percent margin in 2000.

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

    Candidates and election results

    See also: Statistics on gubernatorial candidates, 2018

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

    Republican primary election

    Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin

    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

    Context of the 2018 election

    Past elections

    2014

    See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

    Scott Walker ran for re-election as governor of Wisconsin in the 2014 election. Walker defeated write-in candidate Steve Evans by a 99.4 percent margin in the Republican primary election.[1]

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Wisconsin utilizes an open primary system; registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[2][3]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    In Wisconsin, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[4]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in Wisconsin, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Wisconsin for at least 28 days prior to the election. A voter must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day.[5]

    Prospective voters can register online or by mailing a form to their municipal clerk. If registering by mail, the application must be postmarked no later than 20 days before the election. In-person registration must be completed by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Prospective voters can also register in person at their municipal clerk's office up until the Friday before the election or at their polling place on Election Day. (Same-day voter registration requires proof of residency.)[5]

    Automatic registration

    Wisconsin does not practice automatic voter registration.[6]

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    Wisconsin has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[6]

    Same-day registration

    Wisconsin allows same-day voter registration.[6]

    Residency requirements

    Wisconsin law requires 28 days of residency in a precinct before a person may vote.[5]

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Wisconsin does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information "may be subject to fine or imprisonment under State and Federal laws."[7]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[8] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The site My Vote, run by the Wisconsin Election Commission, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

    Voter ID requirements

    Wisconsin requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[9]

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of May 2023. Click here for the Wisconsin Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

    • Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended
    • Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued identification card, with or without a photo
    • Military ID card issued by the U.S. Uniformed Services
    • U.S. passport book or card
    • Identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin (can be expired or unexpired)
    • Photo identification card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college, or technical college, containing the date the card was issued and a signature. (If expired, the voter must also provide a separate document proving enrollment).
    • Veteran's photo ID card issued by a government authority
    • Certificate of naturalization issued within the past two years
    • Driver’s license receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
    • Identification card receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
    • Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles ID Petition Process Photo Receipt (valid for 60 days from date issued)

    The following voters do not need to provide photo ID:[9]

    • Confidential electors
    • Active military and permanent overseas voters who vote by absentee ballot
    • Indefinitely confined voters who vote by absentee ballot

    Voters can obtain a free Wisconsin State ID Card at a Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles office. Voters need the following to apply for an ID:[10]

    • Proof of name and date of birth (birth certificate)
    • Proof of identity (Social Security Card, Medicaid/Medicare Card, etc.)
    • Proof of Wisconsin residency (utility bill, government mail, lease, etc.)
    • Proof of U.S. citizenship (U.S. Birth certificate or citizenship paperwork)
    • Social Security Number

    Voters who do not have all or any of the materials listed above can still obtain an ID. Call the voter ID hotline for assistance at (844) 588-1069.[10]

    Early voting

    Wisconsin permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail in Wisconsin. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by mail.[11][12]

    To vote absentee by mail, a request to the municipal clerk must be received by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before Election Day. Once completed, returned ballots must be received no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.[11][13]


    State overview

    Partisan control

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

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

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

    State legislature

    Trifecta status

    2018 elections

    See also: Wisconsin elections, 2018

    Wisconsin held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for Wisconsin
     WisconsinU.S.
    Total population:5,767,891316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):54,1583,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:86.5%73.6%
    Black/African American:6.3%12.6%
    Asian:2.5%5.1%
    Native American:0.9%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
    Two or more:2.1%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:6.3%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:91%86.7%
    College graduation rate:27.8%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$53,357$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:15%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wisconsin.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2017, Wisconsin had a population of approximately 5,800,000 people, with its three largest cities being Milwaukee (pop. est. 600,000), Madison (pop. est. 250,000), and Green Bay (pop. est. 110,000).[14][15]

    State election history

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

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

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

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

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

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

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

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

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

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

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

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

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

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

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

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

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


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

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

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

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

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in Wisconsin. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[16][17]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 43 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 36 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.6 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 56 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 12.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 63 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 19.4 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

    Recent news

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

    Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary) - Google News

    See also

    Wisconsin government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Canvass Results for 2014 Fall Partisan Primary," accessed September 19, 2017
    2. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 4, 2024
    3. ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "Wis. State § 5.62 Partisan primary ballots," accessed October 4, 2024
    4. ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, “Election Day Voting,” accessed May 4, 2023
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Voter Registration and Proof of Residence," accessed May 4, 2023
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 20, 2024
    7. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Wisconsin Voter Registration Application," accessed November 2, 2024
    8. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Photo ID," accessed May 4, 2023 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "wvid" defined multiple times with different content
    10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Wisconsin Department of Transportation, "Wisconsin ID card for voting purposes - petition process," accessed May 4, 2023
    11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Wisconsin Election Commission, "What is in-person absentee voting and how can I do it?" accessed May 4, 2023
    12. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Vote Absentee Guide," accessed May 4, 2023
    13. ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "FAQ search results: absentee," accessed May 4, 2023
    14. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - Wisconsin," accessed January 15, 2018
    15. ↑ Wisconsin Demographics, "Wisconsin Cities by Population," accessed January 15, 2018
    16. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    17. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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