 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 69.2% ( 3.7%)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 County results Congressional district results Precinct results
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The2008 United States presidential election in Wisconsin took place on November 4, 2008, as part of the2008 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus theDistrict of Columbia participated. State voters chose 10 electors to represent them in theElectoral College via a popular vote pitting DemocraticU.S. Senator fromIllinoisBarack Obama, and his running mate U.S. Senator fromDelawareJoe Biden, againstRepublican challenger and U.S. Senator fromArizonaJohn McCain and his running mate,Alaska GovernorSarah Palin.
Also on the ballot were four third parties: activist and former presidential candidateRalph Nader ran as anIndependent with his running mate, President of theSan Francisco Board of SupervisorsMatt Gonzalez. TheLibertarian Party nominated formerRepresentative fromGeorgiaBob Barr for president and conservative authorWayne Allyn Root for vice president. PastorChuck Baldwin and attorney Darrell Castle were nominated by the right-wingConstitution Party, and the left-wingGreen Party nominated former Representative from GeorgiaCynthia McKinney and community organizerRosa Clemente.[2]
Wisconsin was won by Democratic nomineeBarack Obama by a 13.91% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise considered as a safeblue state, despite the extremely close margins of victory in the previous two presidential elections. Polling throughout the state began to show a sizable and widening lead for DemocratBarack Obama of neighboringIllinois over RepublicanJohn McCain ofArizona. Obama carried Wisconsin with over 56% of the vote, significantly improving uponJohn Kerry's very narrow margin of victory in2004. Obama is the only candidate since 1988 to win the state with the majority of the vote, and the only candidate since 1996 to win by a margin of more than 1%, both of which he would go on to do again in2012.
Whether measured by raw vote margin, percentage of total votes, or two-party percentage, Obama's victory remains the strongest performance for any candidate in the state since the landslide re-election of DemocratLyndon B. Johnson in1964. In fact, Obama carried two of three counties that voted forBarry Goldwater in that election and became the first Democrat sinceFranklin D. Roosevelt in1936 to carryWaupaca County, and only the second Democratic nominee to carry that county since the Civil War. This is also the most recent election where Wisconsin was decided by double digits, the first time since1936 that Wisconsin voted more Democratic than its neighboring state ofMinnesota, as well as the last in which the Democratic candidate won a majority of counties in the state.
As of2024, this is the last time thatBarron,Brown,Burnett,Calumet,Chippewa,Clark,Iron,Jefferson,Kewaunee,Langlade,Manitowac,Marathon,Marinette,Monroe,Oconto,Oneida,Outagamie,Pierce,Rusk,Shawano,Washburn,Waupaca,Waushara, andWood counties voted Democratic.
There were 16 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day:
| Source | Ranking |
|---|---|
| D.C. Political Report[3] | Likely D |
| Cook Political Report[4] | Solid D |
| The Takeaway[5] | Solid D |
| Electoral-vote.com[6] | Solid D |
| Washington Post[7] | Solid D |
| Politico[8] | Solid D |
| RealClearPolitics[9] | Solid D |
| FiveThirtyEight[7] | Solid D |
| CQ Politics[10] | Solid D |
| The New York Times[11] | Lean D |
| CNN[12] | Lean D |
| NPR[7] | Solid D |
| MSNBC[7] | Solid D |
| Fox News[13] | Likely D |
| Associated Press[14] | Likely D |
| Rasmussen Reports[15] | Safe D |
Pre-election polling early on showed a tight race. However, after May 18, Obama swept every single poll. Since September 21, Obama won every poll with at least 49% of the vote. The final 3 polls averaged Obama leading 53% to 40%.[16]
John McCain raised a total of $1,728,185 in the state. Barack Obama raised $4,862,486.[17]
Obama and his interest groups spent $13,586,634. McCain and his interest groups spent $9,240,899.[18] Each ticket visited the state 7 times.[19]
Having voted for the Democratic presidential nominees by comfortable margins in1988,1992, and1996, but extremely narrow margins in2000 and2004, Wisconsin was originally considered to be a swing state in 2008.[20] However, Obama took a wide lead in the polls in Wisconsin in the final weeks before the election and many pundits and news organizations labeled the state as a safe blue state.[21]
Obama won Wisconsin by a comfortable 13.91% margin of victory. Obama carried the heavily Democratic cities ofMilwaukee andMadison by large margins, winning above two-thirds of the vote, along with some traditionally Republican cities likeGreen Bay andAppleton.[22] InDane County, he won almost 73% of the vote, and carried 67.3% inMilwaukee County. This was consistent with Obama's pattern of strong performances in the states bordering Illinois. Obama's best performance, at 86.81%, was in the small county ofMenominee, which is 87% Native American.[23] The state's Republican base essentially melted; John McCain only carried 13 of the state's 72 counties, a devastating defeat. McCain did best in the Milwaukee suburbs likeWaukesha andOzaukee counties, with his best performance inWashington County where he received 64.14% of the vote. He only won five counties in the Northern part of the state, all of which by rather narrow margins.
| 2008 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[2] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Barack Obama | Joe Biden | 1,677,211 | 56.22% | 10 | |
| Republican | John McCain | Sarah Palin | 1,262,393 | 42.31% | 0 | |
| Independent | Ralph Nader | Matt Gonzalez | 17,605 | 0.59% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Bob Barr | Wayne Allyn Root | 8,858 | 0.30% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 6,521 | 0.22% | 0 | ||
| Independent[a] | Chuck Baldwin | Darrell Castle | 5,072 | 0.17% | 0 | |
| Green | Cynthia McKinney | Rosa Clemente | 4,216 | 0.14% | 0 | |
| Independent[b] | Jeffrey Wamboldt | 764 | 0.03% | 0 | ||
| Independent[c] | Brian Moore | Stewart Alexander | 540 | 0.02% | 0 | |
| Independent[d] | Gloria La Riva | 237 | 0.01% | 0 | ||
| Totals | 2,983,417 | 100.00% | 10 | |||
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 70.8% | |||||
| County | Barack Obama Democratic | John McCain Republican | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 5,806 | 58.14% | 3,974 | 39.80% | 206 | 2.06% | 1,832 | 18.34% | 9,986 |
| Ashland | 5,818 | 67.86% | 2,634 | 30.72% | 122 | 1.42% | 3,184 | 37.14% | 8,574 |
| Barron | 12,078 | 52.77% | 10,457 | 45.69% | 351 | 1.54% | 1,621 | 7.08% | 22,886 |
| Bayfield | 5,972 | 63.08% | 3,365 | 35.54% | 131 | 1.38% | 2,607 | 27.54% | 9,468 |
| Brown | 67,269 | 53.92% | 55,854 | 44.77% | 1,631 | 1.31% | 11,415 | 9.15% | 124,754 |
| Buffalo | 3,949 | 56.41% | 2,923 | 41.76% | 128 | 1.83% | 1,026 | 14.65% | 7,000 |
| Burnett | 4,337 | 49.92% | 4,200 | 48.34% | 151 | 1.74% | 137 | 1.58% | 8,688 |
| Calumet | 13,295 | 50.22% | 12,722 | 48.05% | 457 | 1.73% | 573 | 2.17% | 26,474 |
| Chippewa | 16,239 | 53.72% | 13,492 | 44.63% | 500 | 1.65% | 2,747 | 9.09% | 30,231 |
| Clark | 7,454 | 52.54% | 6,383 | 44.99% | 350 | 2.47% | 1,071 | 7.55% | 14,187 |
| Columbia | 16,661 | 56.92% | 12,193 | 41.65% | 418 | 1.43% | 4,468 | 15.27% | 29,272 |
| Crawford | 4,987 | 62.49% | 2,830 | 35.46% | 164 | 2.05% | 2,157 | 27.03% | 7,981 |
| Dane | 205,984 | 72.80% | 73,065 | 25.82% | 3,890 | 1.37% | 132,919 | 46.98% | 282,939 |
| Dodge | 19,183 | 44.80% | 23,015 | 53.74% | 625 | 1.46% | -3,832 | -8.94% | 42,823 |
| Door | 10,142 | 58.02% | 7,112 | 40.68% | 227 | 1.30% | 3,030 | 17.34% | 17,481 |
| Douglas | 15,830 | 65.78% | 7,835 | 32.56% | 401 | 1.66% | 7,995 | 33.22% | 24,066 |
| Dunn | 13,002 | 56.56% | 9,566 | 41.61% | 421 | 1.83% | 3,436 | 14.95% | 22,989 |
| Eau Claire | 33,146 | 60.25% | 20,959 | 38.10% | 905 | 1.65% | 12,187 | 22.15% | 55,010 |
| Florence | 1,134 | 42.23% | 1,512 | 56.31% | 39 | 1.46% | -378 | -14.08% | 2,685 |
| Fond du Lac | 23,463 | 44.84% | 28,164 | 53.83% | 696 | 1.33% | -4,701 | -8.99% | 52,323 |
| Forest | 2,673 | 57.08% | 1,963 | 41.92% | 47 | 1.00% | 710 | 15.16% | 4,683 |
| Grant | 14,875 | 61.16% | 9,068 | 37.29% | 377 | 1.55% | 5,807 | 23.87% | 24,320 |
| Green | 11,502 | 62.06% | 6,730 | 36.31% | 302 | 1.63% | 4,772 | 25.75% | 18,534 |
| Green Lake | 4,000 | 41.95% | 5,393 | 56.55% | 143 | 1.50% | -1,393 | -14.60% | 9,536 |
| Iowa | 7,987 | 66.73% | 3,829 | 31.99% | 153 | 1.28% | 4,158 | 34.74% | 11,969 |
| Iron | 1,914 | 55.77% | 1,464 | 42.66% | 54 | 1.57% | 450 | 13.11% | 3,432 |
| Jackson | 5,572 | 60.23% | 3,552 | 38.40% | 127 | 1.37% | 2,020 | 21.83% | 9,251 |
| Jefferson | 21,448 | 49.69% | 21,096 | 48.87% | 622 | 1.44% | 352 | 0.82% | 43,166 |
| Juneau | 6,186 | 53.65% | 5,148 | 44.65% | 196 | 1.70% | 1,038 | 9.00% | 11,530 |
| Kenosha | 45,836 | 58.18% | 31,609 | 40.12% | 1,344 | 1.70% | 14,227 | 18.06% | 78,789 |
| Kewaunee | 5,902 | 54.71% | 4,711 | 43.67% | 174 | 1.62% | 1,191 | 11.04% | 10,787 |
| La Crosse | 38,524 | 60.94% | 23,701 | 37.49% | 993 | 1.57% | 14,823 | 23.45% | 63,218 |
| Lafayette | 4,732 | 60.43% | 2,984 | 38.10% | 115 | 1.47% | 1,748 | 22.33% | 7,831 |
| Langlade | 5,182 | 49.82% | 5,081 | 48.85% | 139 | 1.33% | 101 | 0.97% | 10,402 |
| Lincoln | 8,424 | 55.17% | 6,519 | 42.70% | 325 | 2.13% | 1,905 | 12.47% | 15,268 |
| Manitowoc | 22,428 | 52.88% | 19,234 | 45.35% | 752 | 1.77% | 3,194 | 7.53% | 42,414 |
| Marathon | 36,367 | 53.53% | 30,345 | 44.66% | 1,228 | 1.81% | 6,022 | 8.87% | 67,940 |
| Marinette | 11,195 | 52.67% | 9,726 | 45.76% | 334 | 1.57% | 1,469 | 6.91% | 21,255 |
| Marquette | 4,068 | 51.85% | 3,654 | 46.57% | 124 | 1.58% | 414 | 5.28% | 7,846 |
| Menominee | 1,257 | 86.81% | 185 | 12.78% | 6 | 0.41% | 1,072 | 74.03% | 1,448 |
| Milwaukee | 319,819 | 67.30% | 149,445 | 31.45% | 5,928 | 1.25% | 170,374 | 35.85% | 475,192 |
| Monroe | 10,198 | 53.25% | 8,666 | 45.25% | 288 | 1.50% | 1,532 | 8.00% | 19,152 |
| Oconto | 9,927 | 52.34% | 8,755 | 46.16% | 286 | 1.50% | 1,172 | 6.18% | 18,968 |
| Oneida | 11,907 | 54.30% | 9,630 | 43.92% | 390 | 1.78% | 2,277 | 10.38% | 21,927 |
| Outagamie | 50,294 | 54.93% | 39,677 | 43.33% | 1,592 | 1.74% | 10,617 | 11.60% | 91,563 |
| Ozaukee | 20,579 | 38.56% | 32,172 | 60.29% | 614 | 1.15% | -11,593 | -21.73% | 53,365 |
| Pepin | 2,102 | 55.74% | 1,616 | 42.85% | 53 | 1.41% | 486 | 12.89% | 3,771 |
| Pierce | 11,803 | 53.39% | 9,812 | 44.38% | 492 | 2.23% | 1,991 | 9.01% | 22,107 |
| Polk | 10,876 | 48.03% | 11,282 | 49.83% | 485 | 2.14% | -406 | -1.80% | 22,643 |
| Portage | 24,817 | 62.95% | 13,810 | 35.03% | 795 | 2.02% | 11,007 | 27.92% | 39,422 |
| Price | 4,559 | 55.64% | 3,461 | 42.24% | 174 | 2.12% | 1,098 | 13.40% | 8,194 |
| Racine | 53,408 | 53.07% | 45,954 | 45.66% | 1,280 | 1.27% | 7,454 | 7.41% | 100,642 |
| Richland | 5,041 | 59.66% | 3,298 | 39.03% | 111 | 1.31% | 1,743 | 20.63% | 8,450 |
| Rock | 50,529 | 63.82% | 27,364 | 34.56% | 1,276 | 1.62% | 23,165 | 29.26% | 79,169 |
| Rusk | 3,855 | 53.01% | 3,253 | 44.73% | 164 | 2.26% | 602 | 8.28% | 7,272 |
| St. Croix | 21,177 | 47.25% | 22,837 | 50.95% | 807 | 1.80% | -1,660 | -3.70% | 44,821 |
| Sauk | 18,617 | 60.79% | 11,562 | 37.75% | 447 | 1.46% | 7,055 | 23.04% | 30,626 |
| Sawyer | 4,765 | 52.45% | 4,199 | 46.22% | 121 | 1.33% | 566 | 6.23% | 9,085 |
| Shawano | 10,259 | 51.07% | 9,538 | 47.48% | 292 | 1.45% | 721 | 3.59% | 20,089 |
| Sheboygan | 30,395 | 48.94% | 30,801 | 49.59% | 911 | 1.47% | -406 | -0.65% | 62,107 |
| Taylor | 4,563 | 48.82% | 4,586 | 49.07% | 197 | 2.11% | -23 | -0.25% | 9,346 |
| Trempealeau | 8,321 | 62.50% | 4,808 | 36.11% | 185 | 1.39% | 3,513 | 26.39% | 13,314 |
| Vernon | 8,463 | 60.13% | 5,367 | 38.13% | 245 | 1.74% | 3,096 | 22.00% | 14,075 |
| Vilas | 6,491 | 47.21% | 7,055 | 51.31% | 204 | 1.48% | -564 | -4.10% | 13,750 |
| Walworth | 24,177 | 47.95% | 25,485 | 50.54% | 760 | 1.51% | -1,308 | -2.59% | 50,422 |
| Washburn | 4,693 | 51.50% | 4,303 | 47.22% | 116 | 1.28% | 390 | 4.28% | 9,112 |
| Washington | 25,719 | 34.56% | 47,729 | 64.14% | 963 | 1.30% | -22,010 | -29.58% | 74,411 |
| Waukesha | 85,339 | 36.64% | 145,152 | 62.32% | 2,406 | 1.04% | -59,813 | -25.68% | 232,897 |
| Waupaca | 12,952 | 50.77% | 12,232 | 47.95% | 327 | 1.28% | 720 | 2.82% | 25,511 |
| Waushara | 5,868 | 49.52% | 5,770 | 48.70% | 211 | 1.78% | 98 | 0.82% | 11,849 |
| Winnebago | 48,167 | 54.94% | 37,946 | 43.28% | 1,564 | 1.78% | 10,221 | 11.66% | 87,677 |
| Wood | 21,710 | 55.59% | 16,581 | 42.46% | 761 | 1.95% | 5,129 | 13.13% | 39,052 |
| Totals | 1,677,211 | 56.22% | 1,262,393 | 42.31% | 43,813 | 1.47% | 414,818 | 13.91% | 2,983,417 |
| Democratic Hold Gain from Republican | Republican Hold |
Barack Obama swept the state, carrying seven of thestate's eight congressional districts, including two districts held byRepublicans.[25]
| District | McCain | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 47.45% | 51.40% | Paul Ryan |
| 2nd | 29.78% | 69.00% | Tammy Baldwin |
| 3rd | 40.80% | 57.76% | Ron Kind |
| 4th | 23.61% | 75.39% | Gwen Moore |
| 5th | 57.73% | 41.28% | Jim Sensenbrenner |
| 6th | 48.72% | 49.91% | Tom Petri |
| 7th | 42.52% | 55.91% | David Obey |
| 8th | 45.12% | 53.59% | Steve Kagen |
Technically the voters of Wisconsin cast their ballots for electors: representatives to theElectoral College. Wisconsin is allocated 10 electors because it has 8congressional districts and 2senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 10 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 10 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them.[26]
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 10 were pledged toBarack Obama andJoe Biden:[27]
State and district results of the2008 United States presidential election | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |
.jpg)
