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Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District special election, 2020

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Tom Tiffany (R) defeated Tricia Zunker (D) in the special election for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District on May 12, 2020. Tiffany received 57% of the vote to Zunker's 43%.

The special election was called to fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Sean Duffy (R), who left office in September 2019 in anticipation of the birth of a child with health complications.[1]

During his daily COVID-19 briefing on April 29, Gov. Tony Evers (D) stated that no changes would be made to the special election in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[2]

Tiffany, a state senator, defeated Jason Church in the February 18 Republican primary by a margin of 15 percentage points. Zunker, a member of the Wausau School Board and associate justice on the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court, defeated Lawrence Dale in the Democratic primary with 89% of the vote to Dale's 11%.

Duffy won his last election in 2018 by a margin of about 22 percentage points. Before Duffy took office in 2011, former Rep. Dave Obey (D) held the 7th District seat for 42 years. The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+8, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 8 percentage points more Republican than the national average. The 7th District includes or overlaps with six pivot counties, counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012: Jackson, Juneau, Forest, Lincoln, Price, and Sawyer.

To remain in office past January 2021, Tiffany needed to win a partisan primary on August 11, 2020, and the district's regular election on November 3, 2020.[3] The filing deadline for the regular election was June 1, 2020.

Evers originally scheduled the special election for January 27, 2020, but moved the date to May 12 due to conflicting state and federal election laws.[4]

As of May 2020, nine special elections had been called during the 116th Congress, seven of those for seats in the U.S. House. The Democratic Party was in the majority in the United States House of Representatives, holding 233 seats to Republicans' 196 seats, with one seat held by an independent, and five vacancies. All 435 seats in the House were up for election on November 3.

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

Click here for coverage of the regularly scheduled election in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District.

Candidates and election results

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Tom Tiffany defeated Tricia Zunker in the special general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on May 12, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tom Tiffany
Tom Tiffany (R)
 
57.1
 
109,498
Image of Tricia Zunker
Tricia Zunker (D)
 
42.9
 
82,135

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2

Total votes: 191,633
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Coronavirus

See also: Ballotpedia: Political responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020#Responses by state governments
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Voting in the May 12 election

See also: Voting in Wisconsin

This information was current as of 5:00 p.m. Central Time on May 11, 2020.

Were there any delays in the election due to the coronavirus pandemic?

  • No. Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced on April 29, 2020, that there would be no delays in the special election due to the pandemic.[5]

Will in-person voting run any differently than normal?

  • Wisconsin elections are run locally by each municipality's election clerks. Clerks in the 7th District implemented safety measures including distributing hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment to poll workers, installing protective barriers in polling places, limiting the number of voters who may be present at a time, and making use of assistance from the National Guard.[6]

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages
Tricia Zunker

Image of Tricia Zunker

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: Wausau School Board (Assumed office: 2018) Ho-Chunk Supreme Court (Assumed office: 2013)

Biography:  Tricia Zunker received a B.A. in French, political science, and international relations from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. As of her 2020 campaign, Zunker practiced and taught law and served on the board of directors of the ACLU of Wisconsin.


Key Messages

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

Zunker said that healthcare was a right and that she was "in favor of Medicare for All for those who want it."

Zunker said she would fight for policies she said would help local farmers, including fair markets, enforcing trade agreements, and "providing access to timely loans and ending predatory lending practices."

Zunker said there was a need to "adequately fund our public schools and make early childhood education a reality for all students."

Show sources

Sources: Tricia Zunker 2020 Campaign Website, "Issues," accessed December 17, 2019 Facebook, “Tricia Zunker for Wisconsin,” November 8, 2019; Tricia Zunker 2020 Campaign Website, “Tricia Zunker, a Voice for the People,” accessed December 8, 2019 LinkedIn, “Tricia Zunker,” accessed December 8, 2019 ACLU Wisconsin, “Tricia Zunker,” accessed December 20, 2019

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 in 2020.

Tom Tiffany

Image of Tom Tiffany

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Wisconsin State Senate (Assumed office: 2013)

Wisconsin State Assembly (2011-2013)

Biography:  Tiffany attended the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, where he completed a degree in agricultural economics. He owned and operated a river cruise company and worked as a dam tender. Tiffany was a town supervisor in Little Rice, Wisconsin, and served on the Oneida County Economic Development Board of Directors.


Key Messages

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

Tiffany described himself as "a proven conservative for Wisconsin."

Tiffany said he would work for deregulation. He stated, "We’ve got plenty of laws. We do not need more laws. ... Giving more power to the swamp in Washington stifles and strangles opportunity for Americans."

Tiffany said, "I'm the type of person who will provide the leadership to get things done to protect our freedoms here in Wisconsin."

Show sources

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tom Tiffany aligns himself with Trump as he runs to replace outgoing Congressman Sean Duffy," September 10, 2019 WAOW, "One-on-one with Tom Tiffany," February 10, 2020; Tom Tiffany 2020 campaign website, "Tom Tiffany for U.S. Congress," accessed December 6, 2019 

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 in 2020.

Polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Tricia Zunker Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Tom Tiffany Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.


Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[7][8][9]

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

Interviews and questionnaires

Click the links below to view candidates' responses to questionnaires.

Debates and forums

Know of a debate or forum we're missing? Email us.

May 4, 2020

Tiffany and Zunker participated in a virtual debate sponsored by Wisconsin Public Radio and the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce.[10]

Coverage:

May 1, 2020

Tiffany and Zunker participated in a debate hosted by WJFW Newswatch 12.

Coverage:

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.[11]
  • 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.[12][13][14]

Race ratings: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

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

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement Democratic Party Zunker Republican Party Tiffany
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)[15][16] ✔
Vice President Mike Pence (R)[17] ✔
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)[18] ✔
Former WI-07 Rep. Sean Duffy (R)[19] ✔
Former WI-07 Rep. Dave Obey (D)[20] ✔


Timeline

2020

Campaign advertisements

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

Democratic Party Tricia Zunker

"Now" - Zunker campaign ad, released April 20, 2020

Republican Party Tom Tiffany

"Shake" – Tiffany campaign, April 16, 2020

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Democratic Party Tricia Zunker

“

Issues

Healthcare

Healthcare is a right. No one should die because they can’t afford to go to the doctor; people should not go bankrupt because they can’t afford their medication. We need to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable health insurance and we must empower people to make their own health decisions. I am in favor of Medicare for All for those who want it in the form of a robust public option, and I support measures to increase healthcare coverage. On the campaign trail, I have met many people here in Northern Wisconsin who want to keep their private insurance, including hard-working members of our unions who have fought hard for their health insurance. I will also fight to protect coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. We need to ensure any healthcare reform does not reduce their coverage and control costs. And we need to legalize medical marijuana because no one should be forced to suffer from a health condition or side effect that can be relieved through its use.

Corporate special interests and Washington politicians allowed the costs of prescription drugs to skyrocket out of control. We need to take on Big Pharma and lower the costs of prescription drugs. If a medication only costs $3 to make, they should not be able to sell it for $1000. That is just plain wrong.

I am also a fierce defender of a woman’s right to choose and to make her own health decisions. And when we talk about health care, we must also include accessible mental health care. We need to remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues and make sure people can seek the treatment they need.

Here in the 7th District, we need to make sure that we fund our hospitals and medical services, especially to serve rural communities and to ensure access to critical medical needs, including maternal healthcare and emergency healthcare.

Finally, we need to make sure that we continue to be taking care of our veterans. The United States has an obligation to support our veterans and that includes having efficient, accessible medical services. We need to reform the VA and ensure that our service members have the support they have earned and deserve.

Farm Crisis

Here in Wisconsin and in the 7th District, our farmers are at the core of our communities and have worked tirelessly to move the economy forward. Right now, they are facing a farm crisis. As the granddaughter of a dairy farmer, I saw firsthand the hard work our family farmers do. I am a vocal supporter of our small family farms here in Northern Wisconsin. Our rural communities are enduring hardship and stress at alarming rates. We must fight for them to have the support they need. We must also fight for fair, competitive markets and to enforce our trade agreements. The current trade war is hitting our farmers in Wisconsin hard and harming their livelihood. We need to support our family farms, including providing access to timely loans and ending predatory lending practices. It is also important to me that we combat the mental health crisis facing many of our farmers and must also ensure accessible mental health assistance for them. We must invest in our family farms and encourage innovation to preserve the Wisconsin family farms for generations to come.

Education & Children

I am a first generation college graduate. My Ho-Chunk grandma once told me “Education is the one thing they can never take away from you” and she spoke from personal experience. We must adequately fund our public schools and make early childhood education a reality for all students. We must ensure that students do not go hungry – hungry students cannot learn. Students must be given a fair shot at success through equitable practices and ensuring opportunity. Children are our future and we must give them opportunities for a healthy, successful future.

Higher education must be made accessible and affordable. We need to begin to tackle the growing student debt crisis. We need to continue to encourage affordable community colleges and trade schools. We should also be promoting jobs in the skilled trades and technical field.

Our children are entitled to safety, whether that is in school or in society generally. As a mother and school board president, I see our students participate in active shooter drills. This is not the environment we want our students to be learning in. The epidemic of school shootings must end. We need common sense gun legislation to protect our children. I fully support the Second Amendment. People should certainly be permitted to defend themselves in their homes and, of course, they should be permitted to hunt with appropriate firearms. We need to keep guns out of the hands of people who will use them to hurt others. We have a duty to provide safe schools and safe communities for our children and we are failing right now without common sense gun reform.

We also must make sure that our educators are treated with the respect they deserve and valued for the important work they do. This must be reflected in the pay they receive and the conditions in which they work.

Children who were brought here by their parents deserve these same rights. This is their home and our DREAMers should be able to receive an education and be provided a pathway to citizenship.

Standing up for Working People & Protecting Equality

The people of Northern Wisconsin wake up every day and go to work, but because of politicians who cater to corporate interests and rig the system against them, working-class Americans have been left behind. In Congress, I will fight to create good-paying union jobs here in Wisconsin and oppose proposed laws that hurt workers.

I will also defend not only equal rights, but equal opportunity. That means access to quality schools, equitable education and employment opportunities, quality and affordable healthcare, and end to discrimination. I will fight for women to ensure that they get equal pay for equal work, proper, legal treatment in the workplace and I will fight for paid family leave. I will also stand up for a women’s healthcare. I am a strong advocate for our LGBTQ+ community and will ensure they receive equal rights and opportunities. In Congress, I will also be a voice for our minority and underrepresented communities and give everyone in Wisconsin the opportunity to succeed. I will stand up for our marginalized communities and fight hard against policies of continued oppression. And I will be a strong defender of tribal sovereignty, ensuring that we not only protect sovereignty, but strengthen it.

We are in this together.

The Economy & Infrastructure

In order for Northern Wisconsin to thrive, it is critical that we invest to build a diverse and energetic regional economy that strengthens the middle class by focusing on manufacturing, small business owners, our farmers, education and career training. Government should bring together our businesses, educators and community leaders to develop and find solutions.

All across the district, consumers and our local communities are struggling to pay the bills. We need to increase the money in people’s pockets by increasing the minimum wage and creating good-paying jobs here in Northern Wisconsin. We also need to end unfair tax giveaways to big corporations and push for smart tax policies that will allow us to implement a real infrastructure plan to fix our aging and broken roads, bridges, and water systems. We also need to increase access to affordable childcare. As a single mother, I know the reality of not being able to secure childcare while still needing to support my household. We must make sure that there are childcare opportunities for our working parents.

The 7th District needs an advocate that is committed to fighting for resources for our underserved communities.

Environment

I believe we have an obligation and a duty to protect the environment for generations to come. Growing up, my family didn’t have money for vacations and expensive outings – we enjoyed the free, beautiful outdoors at places like the Dells of the Eau Claire Park. That’s why it was important to me to launch my campaign there. We must ensure clean air and clean water and we must ensure that our beautiful lands stay protected. We cannot let corporate mining interests destroy our beautiful lands. We cannot let corporations and CAFOs contaminate our water and lands with unchecked practices. In addition to fighting for our environment, we must also begin to tackle emissions and climate change to protect the environment for our children and grandchildren.

Campaign Finance Reform

I’m running to be a voice for the people of Wisconsin, not special interests and corporate lobbyists. Because of Citizens United, campaigns are becoming more expensive, and citizens who would make strong representatives are finding it harder and harder to run for office as a result. In order for our government to become more representative, and accountable to their constituents, we need serious campaign finance reform.

Unlike my Republican opponents, I refuse to accept a dime in corporate PAC money. We’re going to deliver a fair deal to the people of Wisconsin and end special deals for corporations and special interests.

Criminal Justice Reform

A few years ago, I published an academic article in a legal journal regarding human rights and prisoners. A society is judged by how it treats its prisoners and we have a serious public health crisis occurring with the spread of communicable diseases first in jails and prisons, then out into our communities. One thing I learned in my research is the large majority of affected individuals are nonviolent drug offenders. Let’s get them out of the prisons and give them a future.

We need to address the disproportionate rate of incarceration of minority communities. We must end the epidemic of crimeless revocations and invest in communities, not in prisons. Jails and prisons house more mentally ill individuals than hospitals. We need to get them the help they need. We need to treat people humanely wherever they are detained. Separating families at the border is inhumane and does not reflect who we are as a society.

Recreational marijuana in appropriate amounts should be legalized. We have too many people who are being treated as if they are threats to society for marijuana. Our jails and prisons are overcrowded as a result and there is a surge in for-profit prisons. Criminal justice should never be about profit, ever. Where we can see the revenue stream that benefits society is through marijuana taxation.

Instead, we must seriously address the opioid crisis, reducing violence (including domestic violence and gun violence) and we need to seriously address the murdered and missing indigenous women crisis. We can reduce our prison population and focus efforts on serious crimes when we legalize marijuana. And we can allow people to have a future instead of a record.[67]

”
—Tricia Zunker[68]

Republican Party Tom Tiffany

“

STANDING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP

Tom was proud to stand with Wisconsin and vote to elect Donald Trump as President of the United States in 2016. In Congress, Tom will work with President Trump to keep America great and ensure prosperity and freedom for future generations.

REDUCING THE DEFICIT, CUTTING SPENDING

Just like Wisconsin families must balance their budgets, so must America. Tom believes that federal spending is out of control. Tom has proven he will take balancing budgets seriously. In Wisconsin, Tom and his colleagues took a $3.6 billion deficit and turned it into balanced budgets, $13 billion in tax cuts, and the largest rainy day fund in state history!

Tom believes that we need to take an underlying look at the whole federal budget – how our government operates and where we can find massive, systemic savings for the taxpayer. Tom supports repealing the Davis-Bacon law that increases the costs of everyday federal building projects.

BUILDING A PRO-JOBS ECONOMY

Tom and his wife Chris were the proud owners of an excursion business, Wilderness Cruises, on the Willow Flowage for two decades. He used that small business experience to help more Wisconsinites find work than ever before in our state's history. In Congress, Tom will work with President Trump to ensure America keeps good, family-supporting jobs.

PROTECTING THE UNBORN

As the dad of three daughters, Tom has seen the miracle of life firsthand. He is proud to be pro-life and to support President Trump as he works to protect the unborn. A proven fighter for life, Tom has defunded Planned Parenthood at the state level and will work in Congress, so no taxpayers' dollars go to support abortions.

DRAINING THE SWAMP

Tom has always fought for the rights of property owners. In Congress, he'll fight for your property rights against the bureaucrats in the swamp. He'll work to give more power to the people by cutting red tape.

Tom supports initiatives like the SWAMP Act, which would take federal agencies and move them right into the heart of the country. Lowering costs and moving our agencies away from the swamp to where the problem solvers are – real America. Tom has firsthand experience at the state level, where he successfully relocated the Division of Forestry in the Department of Natural Resources from Madison to Northern Wisconsin.

SECURING OUR SOUTHERN BORDER

Tom stands with President Trump as he works to secure our border to stop the inflow of drugs and human trafficking into our country. First and foremost, America needs to build a wall to secure our southern border. Then, there can be a broader discussion about ending chain migration and a merit-based immigration process. Tom does not support amnesty.

DEFENDING THE 2ND AMENDMENT

A proud National Rifle Association lifetime member with an A+ rating, Tom helped pass both concealed carry and Castle Doctrine in his first term. When Governor Evers proposed restricting people's 2nd Amendment rights, Tom stepped forward and stopped Evers' gun-grabbing efforts.

In Congress, Tom will stop attacks on the 2nd Amendment and champion your ability to fight for freedom and defend yourself against tyranny.

CHAMPIONING AGRICULTURE

Tom grew up on a 50-cow dairy farm. With his seven brothers and sisters, they learned about hard work from their mom and dad on the farm. Tom will take his work ethic, learned on the farm, to Washington to champion free and fair trade deals. He'll work so there are fewer government regulations so all Wisconsin farms can succeed.

SUPPORTING RURAL VETERANS

Because of our veterans, our children and grandchildren's futures are safe. Nothing makes Tom more proud than standing up, putting his hand over his heart, and thinking of his gratitude for those who are serving and have served to protect the red, white, and blue. That's why he's worked to make Wisconsin the best state in the nation for veterans to come back to after they serve.

In Congress, Tom will make sure veterans have the support they need to find quality jobs and health care in our rural communities.

CONTINUING ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

While socialists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fight for the Green New Deal that would bankrupt Wisconsin small businesses and manufacturers, Tom knows the answer for the future is homegrown American energy. One of the greatest things we've done as a nation is becoming energy independent. Energy independence provides job security, economic security, and national security. Overregulation puts this all at risk.

Tom promotes energy efficiency whenever possible. He believes alternative sources must be able to stand on their own in the marketplace without government interference or assistance.

MAKING HEALTH CARE AFFORDABLE

While socialists in the House want to enact Medicare for all that would bankrupt taxpayers and result in Medicare for none, Tom knows there's a better way. With more choice, competition, and transparency, Americans will get better access to health care at lower costs.

Tom supports President Trump's efforts to hold drug companies accountable with greater transparency. This will lead to lower prices on prescription drugs and health care in general. By inserting competition into health care, we can lower costs. Providers will have to compete for patients' business, resulting in higher quality and lower costs.

ENCOURAGING A CONVENTION OF STATES

Tom is a firm believer in the 10th Amendment. Issues not prescribed to the government belong to the states. He also supports a Convention of States that would impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, place term limits on entrenched career politicians, and reassert states' rights. Tom authored the Convention of State's resolution in Wisconsin and believes the states need to help take power back from the swamp.

WORKING FOR FREE AND FAIR TRADE

With his deep roots in Wisconsin, Tom knows our farmers and manufacturers need better deals and access to more markets so they can succeed for future generations. In the House of Representatives, Tom will support better trade deals that will ultimately result in fewer tariffs and fairer trade. President Trump's USMCA deal is an excellent first step.

DELISTING THE GRAY WOLF

For years, Tom has been one of the leading voices in Wisconsin working to have the federal government remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. Wisconsin should be able to manage its wolf population on its own. The exploding wolf population hurts farmers' bottom lines, harms tourism, and reduces real estate values. At the same time, the federal government is denying the science behind delisting and watches our farms struggle.

In 2019, researchers estimated wolves killed more deer than hunters during the nine-day gun-deer harvest in single counties. Congress must act not only to help our farmers but also to help preserve our sporting heritage — one of Wisconsin's longest-standing family traditions for supporting one's family. [67]

”
—Tom Tiffany[69]

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.[70][71]

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.


Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 7th Congressional District candidates in Wisconsin in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Wisconsin, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Wisconsin 7th Congressional District Recognized party 1,000 Fixed number N/A N/A 6/1/2020 Source
Wisconsin 7th Congressional District Unaffiliated 1,000 Fixed number N/A N/A 6/1/2020 Source

District history

2018

See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Incumbent Sean Duffy defeated Margaret Engebretson and Ken Driessen in the general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy (R)
 
60.1
 
194,061
Image of Margaret Engebretson
Margaret Engebretson (D) Candidate Connection
 
38.5
 
124,307
Image of Ken Driessen
Ken Driessen (Direct Participatory Democracy Party)
 
1.4
 
4,416
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
3

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

Total votes: 322,787
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Margaret Engebretson defeated Brian Ewert in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Margaret Engebretson
Margaret Engebretson Candidate Connection
 
57.3
 
27,194
Image of Brian Ewert
Brian Ewert
 
42.7
 
20,285

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

Total votes: 47,479
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

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Incumbent Sean Duffy advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy
 
100.0
 
60,708

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

Total votes: 60,708
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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2016

See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Sean Duffy (R) defeated Mary Hoeft (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Duffy defeated Donald Raihala in the Republican primary, while Hoeft defeated Joel Lewis to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on August 9, 2016.[72][73]

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy Incumbent 61.7% 223,418
     Democratic Mary Hoeft 38.3% 138,643
Total Votes 362,061
Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission


U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy Incumbent 89.5% 29,501
Donald Raihala 10.5% 3,456
Total Votes 32,957
Source: Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commission
U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngMary Hoeft 80.7% 27,289
Joel Lewis 19.3% 6,531
Total Votes 33,820
Source: Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commission

2014

See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 7th Congressional District of Wisconsin held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Sean Duffy (R) defeated Kelly Westlund (D) and Lawrence Dale (G) in the general election.

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy Incumbent 59.3% 169,891
     Democratic Kelly Westlund 39.4% 112,949
     Green Lawrence Dale 1.3% 3,686
     Independent Rob Taylor - Write-in 0% 30
     Republican John Schiess - Write-in 0% 5
     N/A Scattering 0% 42
Total Votes 286,603
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

State profile

See also: Wisconsin and Wisconsin elections, 2020
USA Wisconsin location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of March 26, 2020.

Presidential voting pattern

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

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
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Wisconsin quick stats
More Wisconsin coverage on Ballotpedia:


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.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Roll Call, "GOP Rep. Sean Duffy resigning on Sept. 23," August 26, 2019
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 WSAU, "Seventh Congressional District Election to Proceed as Planned," April 29, 2020
  3. ↑ Wausau Daily Herald, "Winner in 7th Congressional District special election in May will face quick transition — and another election in November," March 16, 2020
  4. ↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "Evers Sets New 7th Congressional District Special Election Date," October 18, 2019
  5. ↑ WSAU, "Seventh Congressional District Election to Proceed as Planned," April 29, 2020
  6. ↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "Clerks Plan Protective Measures For In-Person Voting In Congressional Special Election," May 11, 2020
  7. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  8. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  9. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 WXOW, "Candidates for 7th Congressional seat debate online," May 4, 2020
  11. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  12. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  13. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  14. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Twitter, "Donald J. Trump on April 20, 2020," accessed April 21, 2020
  16. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump on April 30, 2020," accessed May 2, 2020
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 AP, "Pence coming to Wisconsin for Tiffany campaign event," March 11, 2020
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Wausau Daily Herald, "7th Congressional District support: Elizabeth Warren endorses Tricia Zunker days after President Donald Trump backed Tom Tiffany," April 22, 2020
  19. ↑ Wausau Daily Herald, "Sean Duffy endorses Tom Tiffany over Jason Church in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District," December 19, 2019
  20. ↑ Facebook, "Dave Obey on March 17, 2020," accessed April 12, 2020
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 Wausau Daily Herald, "U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorses Tom Tiffany in Republican primary for 7th Congressional District," February 6, 2020
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Wausau Daily Herald, "Sean Duffy endorses Tom Tiffany over Jason Church in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District," December 19, 2019
  23. ↑ Citizen Action of Wisconsin, "Citizen Action of Wisconsin endorses Tricia Zunker for Congress District 7 Special Election. Vote Tuesday, February 18th!," February 7, 2020
  24. ↑ Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, "Wisconsin AFL-CIO Endorses Tricia Zunker for 7th Congressional District," February 11, 2020
  25. ↑ Facebook, "Tricia Zunker for Wisconsin on January 23, 2020," accessed January 28, 2020
  26. ↑ Facebook, "Tricia Zunker for Wisconsin on January 31, 2020," accessed February 4, 2020
  27. ↑ Twitter, "Jason Church," December 9, 2019
  28. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Church campaign: Senator Tom Cotton endorses Jason Church for U.S. Congress," November 18, 2019
  29. ↑ The Wheeler Report, "Congressman Adam Kinzinger Endorses Jason Church for U.S. House of Representatives," January 9, 2020
  30. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Church campaign: Congressman Dan Crenshaw endorses Jason Church for U.S. Congress," December 4, 2019
  31. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "U.S. Rep. Mast: Endorses Jason Church for U.S. Congress," November 4, 2019
  32. ↑ WBAY, "Congressman Sensenbrenner endorses Tiffany for Congress," January 19, 2020
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 WisPolitics.com, "Tiffany campaign: Western Wisconsin legislators support Tom Tiffany," September 25, 2019
  34. ↑ Twitter, "Jason Church," December 22, 2019
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 35.6 35.7 35.8 35.9 WisPolitics.com, "Sen. Tiffany: The Badge Backs Tiffany for Congress," November 20, 2019
  36. ↑ Wausau Daily Herald, "Sean Duffy endorses Tom Tiffany over Jason Church in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District," December 19, 2019
  37. ↑ WQOW, "Former WI Gov. Scott Walker endorses Tom Tiffany for 7th Congressional District," September 11, 2019
  38. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Tiffany campaign: Governor Tommy Thompson endorses Tom Tiffany for Congress," September 18, 2019
  39. ↑ Twitter, "Leah Vukmir," November 14, 2019
  40. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Rep. Tiffany: Senator Moulton Announces Support," October 17, 2019
  41. ↑ Jason Church 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed February 4, 2020
  42. ↑ Facebook, "Jason Church," December 16, 2019
  43. ↑ Twitter, "Jason Church," December 11, 2019
  44. ↑ Twitter, "New Politics," December 5, 2019
  45. ↑ Facebook, "The Guardian Fund," November 18, 2019
  46. ↑ Facebook, "Jason Church on February 14, 2020," accessed February 17, 2020
  47. ↑ The Club for Growth, "Club for Growth PAC Endorses Tom Tiffany (WI-7)," January 14, 2020
  48. ↑ Americans for Prosperity Action, "Americans for Prosperity Action today announces its endorsement of State Senator Tom Tiffany ...," October 18, 2019
  49. ↑ Wausau Daily Herald, "U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorses Tom Tiffany in Republican primary for 7th Congressional District," February 6, 2020
  50. ↑ The Daily Reporter, "ABC of Wisconsin endorses Tiffany for congress," December 5, 2019
  51. ↑ WSAU, "Tiffany gets the Endorsement of the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association," January 9, 2020
  52. ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "Pro-Family PAC Endorses Tom Tiffany for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District," January 21, 2020
  53. ↑ Facebook, "Wisconsin Right to Life," January 21, 2020
  54. ↑ Facebook, "Wisconsin Right to Life," January 21, 2020
  55. ↑ "Qualified endorsement due to rape/incest exception."
  56. ↑ Tom Tiffany's 2020 campaign website, "National Rifle Association of America - Political Victory Fund," January 23, 2020
  57. ↑ Facebook, "Tom Tiffany on January 30, 2020," accessed February 4, 2020
  58. ↑ Facebook, "WJFW Newswatch 12 on May 1, 2020," accessed May 2, 2020
  59. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Special election report notice," accessed May 2, 2020
  60. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Report of receipts and disbursements," accessed May 2, 2020
  61. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Report of receipts and disbursements," accessed May 2, 2020
  62. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Zunker’s first TV ad of general election calls Tiffany ‘bad for our health and economy,'" April 21, 2020
  63. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Tiffany says in new ad he’d like to shake hands, ask for votes, but 'that’ll have to wait,'" April 16, 2020
  64. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Wisconsin - House District 07," accessed April 20, 2020
  65. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "7th Congressional election District: Zunker and Tiffany cancel, postpone all in-person campaign events due to coronavirus," March 19, 2020
  66. ↑ Twitter, "Tom Tiffany on March 12, 2020," accessed March 29, 2020
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  68. ↑ Tricia Zunker 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed March 26, 2020
  69. ↑ Tom Tiffany 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed January 22, 2020
  70. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  71. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  72. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidate Tracking by Office," accessed June 2, 2016
  73. ↑ Politico, "Wisconsin House Primaries Results," August 9, 2016


Wisconsin's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Tammy Baldwin (D)
Ronald Johnson (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
Tony Wied (R)
Republican Party (7)
Democratic Party (3)

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