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The2016 Wisconsin Fall General Election was held in theU.S. state ofWisconsin on November 8, 2016.[1] One of Wisconsin'sU.S. Senate seats and all eight seats in theUnited States House of Representatives were up for election, as well as half of theWisconsin Senate seats and all 99Wisconsin State Assembly seats. Voters also chose ten electors to represent them in theElectoral College, which then participated in selecting the 45th president of the United States. The2016 Fall Partisan Primary was held on August 9, 2016.[2]
TheWisconsin Republican Party made large gains in the 2016 election. Businessman and Republican presidential nomineeDonald Trump won Wisconsin in an upset, becoming the first Republican to win the state since 1984.[3][4] Additionally, the state GOP had a strong showing in theState Legislature, building their largest majorities since 1957,[3][5] and Republican senatorRon Johnson defeatedRuss Feingold a second time for a second term.[3][6] This put Walker and the Wisconsin GOP in a strong position.[7]
The2016 Wisconsin Spring Election was held April 5, 2016. This election featured a contested race forWisconsin Supreme Court, with Republicans' preferred candidate, recently-appointed justiceRebecca Bradley, winning a ten-year term. The Spring election also saw various other judicial and local elections, including contested county executive and mayoral races in Wisconsin's largest city and county,Milwaukee. The2016 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 17, 2016.[8]
In a rematch of the2010 election, first term incumbent RepublicanRon Johnson ran against former Democratic U.S. SenatorRuss Feingold.[9] Johnson defeated Feingold in the general election with 50.2% of the vote.[10]
All of Wisconsin's eightUnited States House of Representatives seats were up for election in 2016. Party composition remained unchanged after the general election.
| District | Incumbent | Elected | Defeated | Democratic | Republican | Others | Total | Result | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | |||||||
| District 1 | Paul Ryan | Paul Ryan | Ryan Solen (D) Jason Lebeck (Lib) | 107,003 | 30.21% | 230,072 | 64.95% | 17,170 | 4.85% | 354,245 | 12.77% | Republican Hold | ||
| District 2 | Mark Pocan | Mark Pocan | Peter Theron (R) | 273,537 | 68.72% | 124,044 | 31.16% | 479 | 0.12% | 398,060 | 14.35% | Democratic Hold | ||
| District 3 | Ron Kind | Ron Kind | Ryan Peterson (Ind) | 257,401 | 98.86% | 0 | 0.0% | 2,969 | 1.14% | 260,370 | 9.39% | Democratic Hold | ||
| District 4 | Gwen Moore | Gwen Moore | Andy Craig (Lib) Robert R. Raymond (Ind) | 220,181 | 76.74% | 0 | 0.0% | 66,728 | 23.26% | 286,909 | 10.34% | Democratic Hold | ||
| District 5 | Jim Sensenbrenner | Jim Sensenbrenner | Khary Penebaker (D) John Arndt (Lib) | 114,477 | 29.29% | 260,706 | 66.70% | 15,661 | 4.01% | 390,844 | 14.09% | Republican Hold | ||
| District 6 | Glenn Grothman | Glenn Grothman | Sarah Lloyd (D) Jeff Dahlke (Ind) | 133,072 | 37.26% | 204,147 | 57.15% | 19,964 | 5.59% | 357,183 | 12.88% | Republican Hold | ||
| District 7 | Sean Duffy | Sean Duffy | Mary Hoeft (D) | 138,643 | 38.27% | 223,418 | 61.67% | 210 | 0.06% | 362,271 | 13.06% | Republican Hold | ||
| District 8 | Reid Ribble | Mike Gallagher | Tom Nelson (D) Wendy Gribben (Green) | 135,682 | 37.30% | 227,892 | 62.65% | 206 | 0.06% | 363,780 | 13.12% | Republican Hold | ||
| Total | 1,379,996 | 49.75% | 1,270,279 | 45.80% | 123,387 | 4.45% | 2,773,662 | 100.00% | ||||||
The 16 even-numbered districts out of 33 seats in theWisconsin Senate were up for election in 2016. Nine of these seats were held by Republicans and seven were held by Democrats. Prior to the election, Republicans controlled the chamber with a 19 to 14 majority, but they gained a seat in the election.
| Senatorial district | Incumbent | This race | Results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Senator | Party | First elected | Incumbent Status | Candidates[11] | Winner[12] | |||
| 2 | Robert Cowles | Republican | 1987 | Running | Robert Cowles (Republican) John Powers (Democratic) | Robert Cowles 65% | |||
| 4 | Lena Taylor | Democrat | 2005 | Running | Lena Taylor (Democrat) | Lena Taylor 100% | |||
| 6 | Nikiya Harris | Democrat | 2013 | Not Running | La Tonya Johnson (Democrat) | LaTonya Johnson 100% | |||
| 8 | Alberta Darling | Republican | 1993 | Running | Alberta Darling (Republican) | Alberta Darling 100% | |||
| 10 | Sheila Harsdorf | Republican | 2001 | Running | Sheila Harsdorf (Republican) Diane Odeen (Democrat) | Sheila Harsdorf 63% | |||
| 12 | Tom Tiffany | Republican | 2013 | Running | Tom Tiffany (Republican) Bryan Van Stippen (Democrat) | Tom Tiffany 63% | |||
| 14 | Luther Olsen | Republican | 2004 | Running | Luther Olsen (Republican) Brian Smith (Democrat) | Luther Olsen 57% | |||
| 16 | Mark F. Miller | Democrat | 2005 | Running | Mark Miller (Democrat) | Mark Miller 100% | |||
| 18 | Rick Gudex | Republican | 2013 | Not Running | Dan Feyen (Republican) Mark Harris (Democrat) | Dan Feyen 56% | |||
| 20 | Duey Stroebel | Republican | 2015 | Running | Duey Stroebel (Republican) | Duey Stroebel 100% | |||
| 22 | Robert Wirch | Democrat | 1997 | Running | Robert Wirch (Democrat) | Robert Wirch 100% | |||
| 24 | Julie Lassa | Democrat | 2003 | Running | Patrick Testin (Republican) Julie Lassa (Democrat) | Patrick Testin 52% | |||
| 26 | Fred Risser | Democrat | 1962 | Running | Fred Risser (Democrat) | Fred Risser 100% | |||
| 28 | Mary Lazich | Republican | 1998 | Not Running | Dave Craig (Republican) | Dave Craig 100% | |||
| 30 | Dave Hansen | Democrat | 2001 | Running | Dave Hansen (Democratic) Eric Wimberger (Republican) | Dave Hansen 51% | |||
| 32 | Jennifer Shilling | Democrat | 2011 | Running | Jennifer Shilling (Democrat) Dan Kapanke (Republican) Chip DeNure (independent) | Jennifer Shilling 49% | |||
All 99 seats of theWisconsin State Assembly were up for election in November. Nine Assemblymen (6 Republicans, 3 Democrats) did not seek re-election.[11]
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Democratic | Vacant | ||
| Before 2016 elections | 63 | 36 | 99 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 64% | 36% | ||
| After 2016 elections | 64 | 35 | 99 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 65% | 35% | ||
IncumbentWisconsin Supreme Court JusticeRebecca Bradley defeated JudgeJoAnne Kloppenburg of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the April general election. Justice Bradley had been appointed to the court in 2015 by GovernorScott Walker, to replace JusticeN. Patrick Crooks, who had died in office. Justice Crooks' term was already set to expire in 2016, thus the election did not need to be scheduled any earlier than it was already set to be held before Crooks's death.[13]
Though Wisconsin's judicial elections are officially nonpartisan, Bradley's victory was seen as a win for the Republican Party, as she supported a judicial philosophy in line with that of federal conservative judges likeSamuel Alito andClarence Thomas. During the election her primary backers were Republican-aligned interest groups such as theNRA Political Victory Fund and Wisconsin Right to Life.[14] Justice Crooks, her predecessor, was seen as a swing vote on the court, so his replacement by the conservative Bradley was seen as a net gain for the conservative bloc on the court.
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Nonpartisan | Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) | 252,932 | 44.61% | |
| Nonpartisan | JoAnne Kloppenburg | 244,729 | 43.16% | |
| Nonpartisan | M. Joseph Donald | 68,746 | 12.12% | |
| Write-in | 631 | 0.11% | ||
| Total votes | 567,038 | 100.0% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Nonpartisan | Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) | 1,024,892 | 52.35% | |
| Nonpartisan | JoAnne Kloppenburg | 929,377 | 47.47% | |
| Write-in | 3,678 | 0.19% | ||
| Total votes | 1,957,947 | 100.0% | ||
All four districts of theWisconsin Court of Appeals had a seat up for election in 2016. None of the races were contested.
Forty of the state's 249circuit court seats were up for election in 2016. Ten of those seats were contested. Three incumbent judges were defeated—Milwaukee County judges Paul Rifelj and Michelle Ackerman Havas, and Eau Claire County judge Brian H. Wright. All three defeated judges had been appointed by GovernorScott Walker.
| Circuit | Branch | Incumbent | Elected | Defeated | Defeated in Primary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Votes | % | Name | Votes | % | Name(s) | |||
| Barron | 1 | James C. Babler | James C. Babler | 12,364 | 99.66% | ||||
| Crawford | James P. Czajkowski | Lynn Marie Rider | 4,327 | 99.63% | |||||
| Dane | 3 | Jim Troupis | Valerie L. Bailey-Rihn | 132,270 | 99.10% | ||||
| 4 | Amy Smith | Everett Mitchell | 132,939 | 99.14% | |||||
| 5 | Nicholas J. McNamara | Nicholas J. McNamara | 131,068 | 99.19% | |||||
| 14 | C. William Foust | John D. Hyland | 130,198 | 99.23% | |||||
| 15 | Stephen Ehlke | Stephen Ehlke | 130,754 | 99.27% | |||||
| 17 | Peter C. Anderson | Peter C. Anderson | 129,643 | 99.23% | |||||
| Eau Claire | 1 | Brian H. Wright | John F. Manydeeds | 18,850 | 55.35% | Brian H. Wright | 15,132 | 44.43% | |
| Fond du Lac | 2 | Peter L. Grimm | Peter L. Grimm | 25,290 | 100.00% | ||||
| 4 | Gary R. Sharpe | Gary R. Sharpe | 25,020 | 100.00% | |||||
| Iowa | William D. Dyke | Margaret M. Koehler | 4,546 | 51.21% | Timothy B. McKinley | 4,315 | 48.61% | Larry Nelson Tim Angel | |
| Juneau | 1 | John Pier Roemer | John Pier Roemer | 6,384 | 99.72% | ||||
| Kewaunee | Dennis J. Mleziva | Keith A. Mehn | 4,096 | 51.66% | Jeffrey Ronald Wisnicky | 3,832 | 48.34% | Andrew Naze | |
| Lincoln | 1 | Jay R. Tlusty | Jay R. Tlusty | 7,844 | 99.27% | ||||
| Marathon | 2 | Greg Huber | Greg Huber | 37,240 | 99.56% | ||||
| Milwaukee | 5 | Mary M. Kuhnmuench | Mary M. Kuhnmuench | 171,093 | 98.72% | ||||
| 14 | Christopher R. Foley | Christopher R. Foley | 175,825 | 98.91% | |||||
| 25 | Stephanie Rothstein | Stephanie Rothstein | 168,070 | 98.83% | |||||
| 31 | Paul Rifelj | Hannah C. Dugan | 132,461 | 64.90% | Paul Rifelj | 70,098 | 34.35% | ||
| 34 | Glenn H. Yamahiro | Glenn H. Yamahiro | 167,132 | 98.83% | |||||
| 44 | Daniel L. Konkol | Gwen Connolly | 167,479 | 98.93% | |||||
| 45 | Michelle Ackerman Havas | Jean Marie Kies | 100,409 | 49.86% | Michelle Ackerman Havas | 99,225 | 49.28% | ||
| Monroe | 2 | Mark L. Goodman | Mark L. Goodman | 11,260 | 99.68% | ||||
| 3 | J. David Rice | J. David Rice | 11,100 | 99.61% | |||||
| Oconto | 2 | Jay Conley | Jay Conley | 11,890 | 100.00% | ||||
| Pierce | Joseph D. Boles | Joseph D. Boles | 10,309 | 100.00% | |||||
| Portage | 2 | Robert J. Shannon | Robert J. Shannon | 12,551 | 54.22% | Trish Baker | 10,515 | 45.42% | David R. Knaapen Jared Redfield |
| Racine | 2 | Eugene A. Gasiorkiewicz | Eugene A. Gasiorkiewicz | 40,407 | 100.00% | ||||
| 4 | John S. Jude | Mark Nielsen | 34,573 | 71.84% | Joseph W. Seifert | 13,554 | 28.16% | ||
| Rock | 2 | Alan Bates | Alan Bates | 35,354 | 99.29% | ||||
| Rusk | 2 | Steven P. Anderson | Steven P. Anderson | 2,542 | 52.29% | Richard J. Summerfield | 2,319 | 47.71% | |
| St. Croix | 4 | R. Michael Waterman | R. Michael Waterman | 18,333 | 99.34% | ||||
| Sauk | 1 | Michael Screnock | Michael Screnock | 15,773 | 100.00% | ||||
| 2 | James Evenson | Wendy J. N. Klicko | 10,757 | 53.36% | Kevin R. Calkins | 9,403 | 46.64% | ||
| Vilas | Neal A. Nielsen III | Neal A. Nielsen III | 7,354 | 99.27% | |||||
| Walworth | 2 | James L. Carlson | Daniel S. Johnson | 16,420 | 54.80% | Dan Necci | 13,385 | 44.67% | Shannon Wynn |
| 4 | David M. Reddy | David M. Reddy | 24,024 | 99.14% | |||||
| Winnebago | 3 | Barbara Hart Key | Barbara Hart Key | 41,909 | 99.23% | ||||
| 5 | John A. Jorgensen | John A. Jorgensen | 40,795 | 99.29% | |||||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)The National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) today announced the endorsement of the Honorable Rebecca G. Bradley for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.