Wisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

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Wisconsin Gubernatorial and Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election

Primary Date:
August 12, 2014

General Election Date:
November 4, 2014

Race rating:

November 4 Election Winner:
Scott WalkerRepublican Party
Rebecca KleefischRepublican Party
Incumbent prior to election:
Scott WalkerRepublican Party
Rebecca KleefischRepublican Party
Gov. Scott Walker
Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch

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Contents

TheWisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election took place onNovember 4, 2014. IncumbentsScott Walker (R) andRebecca Kleefisch (R) were running for re-election to a second term in office. Wisconsin has no gubernatorial term limits. Walker and Kleefischwon concurrent four-year terms in office.

The 2014 election was incumbentGovernorWalker's third election in four years. He first won in the2010 elections and faced arecall election in 2012. Walker, aRepublican, defeated the sameDemocratic opponent,Milwaukee MayorTom Barrett, by a similar margin in both elections. Walker was the only governor to have remained in office following a recall and only the third governor to face a recall election in United States history at the time.[1]

Walker's main opponent in the general election was DemocratMary Burke. There were two third-party candidates:LibertarianRobert Burke and Peoples Party candidateDennis Fehr. Polling indicated that this race was likely to be close.

The gubernatorial race was not the only race on the November ballot that could have shifted the balance of power in Wisconsin. TheWisconsin State Senate was identified by Ballotpedia as one of the top 20 legislative chambers to watch in 2014. Republicans maintained astate government trifecta by holding the governor's office and control over both legislative chambers. Learn more about the state's most competitive legislative races in 2014 on thebattleground chambers page.

Aprimary 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 anopen primary system; registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[2]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, seethis article. The primary was held on August 12.

Candidates

General election

Republican PartyScott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch -IncumbentsGreen check mark transparent.png
Democratic PartyMary Burke/John Lehman[3]
Grey.pngDennis Fehr - Peoples Party candidate[4]
Libertarian PartyRobert Burke/Joseph Brost -Libertarian candidate[5]
Republican Party (Write-in)Steve Evans[4]
Constitution Party (Write-in)Jumoka A. Johnson[6]
Independent (Write-in)Brett Hulsey[7]
Independent (Write-in)Mary Jo Walters - Independent candidate[8]

Lost in primary

Democratic PartyBrett Hulsey[9]

Note: Hulsey lost in the Democratic primary but filed to run as an independent write-in candidate on October 23, 2014.[7]

Withdrew or failed to qualify

Democratic PartyMarcia Perkins[4]
Democratic PartyHari Trivedi[4]
Democratic PartyKathleen Vinehout[10]
Democratic PartyMary Jo Walters[4] -ran forLieutenant Governor
Grey.pngEric Bruce[4]
Grey.pngFrancis Klein[4]
Grey.pngTravis Swenby[4]
Grey.pngSteven Zelinski[4]

Declined

Democratic PartyPeter Barca[11]
Democratic PartyRon Kind[12]
Democratic PartyMark Harris[13][14]
Democratic Party Chris Abele[3][15]

Results

General election

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, 2014
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngScott Walker/Rebecca KleefischIncumbent52.3%1,259,706
    DemocratMary Burke/John Lehman46.6%1,122,913
    LibertarianRobert Burke/Joseph Brost0.8%18,720
    IndependentDennis Fehr0.3%7,530
    Nonpartisan Scattering0.1%1,248
    Nonpartisan Write-in votes0%200
Total Votes2,410,317
Election results viaWisconsin Government Accountability Board

Primary election

Gubernatorial

Democratic primary
Wisconsin Gubernatorial Democratic Primary, 2014
CandidateVote %Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngMary Burke83.4%259,926
Brett Hulsey16.6%51,830
Total Votes311,756
Election results viaWisconsin Government Accountability Board.
Republican primary

IncumbentRepublicanScott Walker was opposed only by a write-in candidate and news outlets did not report the result.

Lieutenant gubernatorial

Democratic primary
Wisconsin Lieutenant Gubernatorial Democratic Primary, 2014
CandidateVote %Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Lehman55.2%144,591
Mary Jo Walters44.5%116,518
Write-in votes0.2%631
Total Votes261,740
Election results viaWisconsin Government Accountability Board.
Republican primary

IncumbentRepublicanRebecca Kleefisch won re-nomination without opposition.

Race background

November 2014 marked incumbentGovernorScott Walker's third election in four years. He first won in the2010 elections, and he faced arecall election in 2012. Walker, aRepublican, defeated the sameDemocratic opponent,Milwaukee MayorTom Barrett, by a similar margin in both elections. In 2014, Walker's main Democratic challenger wasMary Burke, a former business executive and current member of theschool board inMadison.

2012 recall
See also:Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin (2012)

Democrats criticized Walker for recall due to his efforts to limit the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions throughWisconsin Assembly Bill 11, the "Scott Walker Budget Repair Bill", which the governor introduced in February 2011. The bill wasmet with protests.[16] As of 2014, Walker was the only governor to have remained in office after a recall and only the third governor to face a recall election in U.S. history.[17]

Common Core
See also:Common Core State Standards Initiative

The issue ofCommon Core also surfaced in this race. Walker, a former supporter of the education standards, said that he sought to change how Common Core was implemented in Wisconsin.[18] Burke publicly supported Common Core.[19]

State of the race

Polling in October 2014 indicated a close race with few undecided voters. As of July 2014,The Cook Political Report rated this race as atoss-up.[20]

LibertarianRobert Burke and Peoples Party candidateDennis Fehr were identified as potential variables in this toss-up race, though their vote totals did not contribute to the outcome of the race. Burke, a former Republican, said that he could "mess things up for both sides."[21][22][23] Fehr was the founder and sole candidate of the Peoples Party, not to be confused with thePeople's Party.[24]

Primary races

Both Walker and Mary Burke faced primary challengers but won their respective parties' nominations. Walker's only opponent,Steve Evans, ran as a write-in candidate, while Burke was endorsed by the Wisconsin Democratic Party's Administrative Committee over her opponent,State AssemblymanBrett Hulsey.[25]

Campaign themes

The League of Women Voters of Dane County, Inc. published results of a questionnaire submitted to all of the gubernatorial candidates on the November 4 ballot. All of the candidates provided responses exceptGov. Scott Walker (R). The following sections quote candidate responses to the questionnaire verbatim:

Mary Burke

1. Would you support converting, either by statute or a constitutional amendment, to a system whereby a nonpartisan legislative service agency or an independent citizen commission would draw legislative districts after each census? (Yes or No, and why/why not)

Yes. A recent article reported that the legal battle over redrawing legislative districts is costing taxpayers $2.1 million—quite frankly, that’s a waste of taxpayer money. I support reforming how Wisconsin draws its legislative and congressional district boundaries, including creating a nonpartisan body that is responsible for redistricting because we need to ensure a fair and democratic process. Voters are supposed to pick their elected officials; elected officials are not supposed to pick their voters.

2. Recent legislative and court actions have increased barriers faced by citizens attempting to exercise their right to vote. These include reduced hours for absentee voting at the clerk's office and changes in registration laws. What actions would you support to promote the greatest possible citizen access to voting?

I support increasing accessibility to voting by allowing voters to cast ballots by mail or in-person prior to Election Day, allowing municipalities to expand their hours of operation and permitting multiple in-person absentee ballot locations. We shouldn’t be making it harder to vote—we should be doing everything we can to ensure eligible voters have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. I oppose eliminating same-day voter registration and any type of photo ID legislation that puts costly, unfair burdens onto specific segments of voters, particularly veterans, students and seniors.

3. How will you help Wisconsin transition to clean, renewable energy generation?

I will support policies and funding for public transportation, including modern commuter trains and clean-fuel buses. I believe Wisconsin should commit to exploring and implementing wind, solar, and biomass energy. More efficient energy sources go hand in hand with conservation and powering our future in an economically and environmentally appropriate manner. As Governor, I will look to other states for best practices on how we can encourage capital investment in green energy projects which have the potential to create jobs right here in Wisconsin to inform our overall strategy.

4. Would you support legislation to return first-offense, nonviolent 17 year olds to the juvenile court system while providing the option to refer individual cases to adult court when appropriate? Why, or why not?

First and foremost, I believe we have to ensure that our communities are safe. But especially in the case of first-offense, nonviolent 17 year olds, I feel that we have a duty to invest in a strong education system that helps keep our young people on track to becoming productive citizens. While I am inclined to support this change it is essential that we understand the cost implications and ensure counties are able to pay for a change in the law before moving forward. I also believe we should maintain the option to refer individual cases to adult court when appropriate.[26]

—League of Women Voters of Dane County, Inc.

[27]

Dennis Fehr

1. Would you support converting, either by statute or a constitutional amendment, to a system whereby a nonpartisan legislative service agency or an independent citizen commission would draw legislative districts after each census? (Yes or No, and why/why not)

No, many nonpartisan agencies show partisanship because they are appointed by a political party at some point; as seen with recent “John Doe” allegations. The 501(c3) organizations were nonpartisan and still broke the rules. We definitely need a better system of voter redistricting which is why our party designed and utilizes a “zip code population map” to organize and represent people. It strips all biases from our current voter districting maps. We believe it’s a better system but, change is hard when two parties already control the districts and don’t have a vested interest in real change.

2. Recent legislative and court actions have increased barriers faced by citizens attempting to exercise their right to vote. These include reduced hours for absentee voting at the clerk's office and changes in registration laws. What actions would you support to promote the greatest possible citizen access to voting?

Many things can be done to get more citizens informed and voting. For example, most people work weekdays so switching the voting day to the weekend or changing the election period to three days (Saturday-Monday) would help. This way third shift and weekend shifts (Friday-Sundays) can also vote easily. There’s really no need to cram everyone in on a Tuesday. However, insuring those voting are eligible is equally important. This can be done through ids and other technologies that will also help reduce lines, prevent fraud, and cut costs. We can have the best of both worlds if we work together.

3. How will you help Wisconsin transition to clean, renewable energy generation?

Renewable energy falls into our “Smart Government” platform in variety of areas but, leadership is where Wisconsin lacks. To showcase its potential to private industry we’ll work with companies like Solar Roadways by implementing their solar roadway designs. We’ll reach out to companies and countries that would rather do than sit idle! JAXA’s proposed spaced based solar farm and SpaceX’s vision of a private space industry means we won’t have to wait for NASA to mine the unlimited energy and mineral resources of space. We can provide exciting, high paying-high tech jobs in Wisconsin first.

4. Would you support legislation to return first-offense, nonviolent 17 year olds to the juvenile court system while providing the option to refer individual cases to adult court when appropriate? Why, or why not?

Yes, minors being charged for a crime should be in our juvenile system 99.99% of the time and referring them to an adult court should be very rare at best. However, in today’s court system this rare exception has become the everyday norm. We charge our children with adult conditions. This mentality is ruining thousands of children’s lives, destroying families, and bankrupting our state. Our platform’s “Judicial System Reform” restructures the way our system handles juveniles and adults to help these people get back on the right track so they’ll be happy productive members of society again.[26]

—League of Women Voters of Dane County, Inc.

[27]

Robert Burke

1. Would you support converting, either by statute or a constitutional amendment, to a system whereby a nonpartisan legislative service agency or an independent citizen commission would draw legislative districts after each census? (Yes or No, and why/why not)

Yes. The process of creating districts should be done using mathematical tables as much as possible with an independent citizen commission overseeing the process. I will support any system that removes manipulation for political purposes.

2. Recent legislative and court actions have increased barriers faced by citizens attempting to exercise their right to vote. These include reduced hours for absentee voting at the clerk's office and changes in registration laws. What actions would you support to promote the greatest possible citizen access to voting?

I support multi-day voting and a more robust absentee voter system. My concern over ballot access is with the exclusion of people and not the risk of fraud. The responsibility to protect against fraud should be with the poll judge on-duty who can make judgement calls based on the available information by the prospective voter should they not possess an ID.

3. How will you help Wisconsin transition to clean, renewable energy generation?

I believe we are missing a large chuck of scientific data on clean energy generation and in particular Zero Point Energy. First and foremost I support the end of the embargo on this clean and free energy. Having said that I will eliminate any tax subsidies so the market can see which solutions are worth investing. We will eliminate the property tax and the income tax to encourage innovators of these energy sources to bring their new business to Wisconsin where 100% of venture capital is invested in product development and a robust launch. This tax structure is what is driving growth in TX.

4. Would you support legislation to return first-offense, nonviolent 17 year olds to the juvenile court system while providing the option to refer individual cases to adult court when appropriate? Why, or why not?

Judicial discretion is at the heart of a healthy court system. Judges should have the discretion to move cases based on the severity of the crime and by what is in the long term interest of the individual and society. It does not benefit a child who acts without discretion at 17 to lose opportunities at a productive life, especially over a victimless crime. I would also begin looking one step further at what laws are affecting our youth negatively that we can handle without making them a criminal. Drug addiction is a healthcare problem and not a legal one.[26]

—League of Women Voters of Dane County, Inc.

[27]

Debates

Debate media
October 10 debate
October 17 debate
October 17 debate

The second debate betweenMary Burke (D) andScott Walker (R) centered on the state economy. Burke criticized the Republican governor for failing to create 250,000 jobs in his first term as he pledged during his 2010 campaign. She also blamed Walker and Republican legislators for a projected budget shortfall of $1.8 billion. Walker countered that his administration helped generate 100,000 new jobs and $2 billion in tax cuts since 2011. He also argued that Burke's economic plan used word-for-word passages from the plans of other Democratic candidates, an issue emphasized in pro-Walker TV ads.[28]

October 10 debate

Burke and Walker discussed the minimum wage, economic policy, and abortion during a debate hosted by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. When asked about raising the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour, Walker responded that state officials should push to create jobs that earn more than minimum wage. Burke countered that Walker's argument was unrealistic as workers in many fields would not be able to shift easily to industrial jobs. Walker argued that Wisconsin families experienced an average tax reduction of $322 in 2014, while Burke suggested that Walker should not be elected again because the state had a projected budget shortfall.[29]

When asked whether he opposed abortion in cases of rape, Walker noted that the Supreme Court resolved the question inRoe v. Wade. Burke echoed an ad campaign by Planned Parenthood prior to the general election to criticize the governor's stance on abortion.[29]

Polls

Governor of Wisconsin, General election from August 2014
PollScott Walker * (R)Mary Burke (D)Undecided/OtherMargin of errorSample size
Public Policy Polling
(October 28-30, 2014)
48%47%5%+/--1,814
Marquette University Law School
October 23-26, 2014
50%43%4%+/-31,409
New York Times/CBS News/YouGov
October 16-23, 2014
46%45%10%+/-33,308
Rasmussen Reports
October 20-21, 2014
48%49%3%+/-3973
WPR/St. Norbert College
October 19-21, 2014
47%46%6%+/-4603
Marquette University Law School
October 9-12, 2014
47%47%5%+/-3.21,004
New York Times/CBS News/YouGov
September 20-October 1, 2014
48%49%3%+/-31,444
Rasmussen Reports
September 15-16, 2014
48%46%6%+/-4750
Marquette University Law School
September 11-14, 2014
49%46%5%+/-4.1589
We Ask America
September 3, 2014
44%48%8%+/-31,170
YouGov
August 18-September 2, 2014
49%45%6%+/-41,473
Marquette Law School Poll
August 21-24, 2014
47%49%4%+/-4.1609
Rasmussen Reports
August13-14, 2014
48%47%5%+/-4750
AVERAGES 47.62% 46.69% 5.38% +/-3.26 1,222.77
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email toeditor@ballotpedia.org.
Governor of Wisconsin, General election through July 2014
PollScott Walker (R)Mary Burke (D)Undecided/OtherMargin of errorSample size
Gravis Marketing
July 31-August 3, 2014
47%47%6%+/-31,346
Marquette University Law School Poll
July 17-20, 2014
46%45%9%+/-3.5804
Marquette University Law School Poll
May 15-18, 2014
46%46%6%+/-3.5805
Public Policy Polling
April 17-20, 2014
48%45%7%+/-2.91,144
Magellan Strategies for the Liberty Foundation of America
April 14-15,2014
47%47%6%+/-3.36851
St. Norbert College Strategic Research Institute
March 24 - April 3, 2014
55%40%5%+/-5401
Marquette University Law School Poll
March 20-23, 2014
48%41%11%+/-3.5801
Rasmussen Reports
March 10-11, 2014
45%45%10%+/-4.5500
Marquette University Law School Poll
October 21-24, 2013
47.1%44.9%6.5%+/-3.5800
AVERAGES 47.68% 44.54% 7.39% +/-3.64 828
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email toeditor@ballotpedia.org.

Note: An asterisk (*) denotes incumbent status.

Campaign media

Mary Burke

Mary Burke ad: Quince & Apple
Mary Burke ad: TV News
Mary Burke ad: Four Years

Scott Walker

Scott Walker ad: Comeback
Scott Walker ad: Decision
Scott Walker ad: Tuition Freeze

Outside organizations

League of Conservation Voters

League of Conservation Voters: Dirty Deal

Wisconsin Manufacturers

Wisconsin Manufacturers: Mary Burke is wrong on jobs

Wisconsin WOMEN VOTE!

Wisconsin WOMEN VOTE!: Illegal
Wisconsin WOMEN VOTE!: Invasive

Ad spending

The Wesleyan Media Project published a report on September 30, 2014, highlighting spending on gubernatorial races from September 12-25. This report found that Democratic and Republican groups spent a total of $46.84 million on TV ads in 15 states with gubernatorial elections. The following chart details the group's findings, including spending amounts and number of ads:[30]

Note: Abolded number indicates the highest total for this category. A number initalics is the lowest total for this category.

Spending on TV ads, September 12-25, 2014
StateTotal # of ads% Democratic-leaning ads% GOP-leaning adsTotal spending-Democratic leaning (in millions of $)Total spending-GOP leaning (in millions of $)
Colorado2,46083.116.91.350.39
Connecticut2,31261.738.31.480.89
Florida20,11138.561.54.076.64
Georgia4,62551.148.91.430.99
Illinois7,79363.536.54.173.5
Iowa2,13447.552.50.250.38
Kansas5,02445.754.30.851.17
Maine3,28142.357.70.460.32
Michigan6,76733.966.11.142.3
Minnesota1,97483.916.10.650.29
New York4,92661392.180.88
Pennsylvania3,26350.949.11.581.23
South Carolina2,88339.160.90.330.38
Texas10,33033.466.62.242.93
Wisconsin7,37463.336.71.361.01
TOTALS85,25748.251.823.5423.3

Campaign finance

Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of$44,931,515 during the election. This information was last updated on January 20, 2015.[31]

Campaign Contribution Totals
CandidateOfficeResultContributions
Scott Walker/Rebecca KleefischRepublican PartyWisconsin Governor/Lieutenant GovernorWon$29,486,228
Mary Burke/John LehmanDemocratic PartyWisconsin Governor/Lieutenant GovernorDefeated$15,437,825
Dennis FehrIndependent (People's Party)Wisconsin GovernorDefeated$5,698
Mary Jo WaltersIndependent (Write-in)Wisconsin GovernorDefeated$1,764
Robert Burke/Joseph BrostLibertarian PartyWisconsin Governor/Lieutenant GovernorDefeated$0
Steve EvansRepublican Party (Write-in)Wisconsin GovernorDefeated$0
Grand Total Raised$44,931,515

Past elections

2012

Recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, 2012
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngScott WalkerIncumbent53.1%1,335,585
    DemocraticTom Barrett46.3%1,164,480
    IndependentHari Trivedi0.6%14,463
    Scattering -0.1%1,537
Total Votes2,516,065
Election results viaWisconsin Government Accountability Board


2010

Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2010
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngScott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch52.2%1,128,941
    Democratic Tom Barrett/Tom Nelson46.5%1,004,303
    Independent Jim Langer/No candidate0.5%10,608
    LibertarianNo candidate/Terry Virgil0.3%6,790
    Common Sense James James/No candidate0.4%8,273
    Independent Leslie Ervin Smetak/David Myron Smetak0%19
    Independent Patricia Messici/No candidate0%22
    Independent Hari Trivedi/No candidate0%18
    -Scattering0.1%1,858
Total Votes2,160,832
Election results viaWisconsin Government Accountability Board

2006

Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2006
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngJim Doyle/Barbara C. LawtonIncumbent52.7%1,139,115
    Republican Mark Green/Jean Hundertmark45.3%979,427
    Green Nelson Eisman/Leon Todd1.9%40,709
    ScatteringVarious0.1%2,449
Total Votes2,161,700
Election results viaWisconsin State Elections Board

2002

Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2002
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngJim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton46.1%800,515
    Republican Scott McCallum/M.A. FarrowIncumbent42.3%734,779
    Green Jim Young/Jeff Peterson0.3%4,411
    Libertarian Ed Thompson/M. Reynolds10.7%185,455
    Independent Alan D. Eisenberg0.2%2,847
    Independent Ty A. Bollerud0.2%2,637
    Independent Mike Mangan0.1%1,710
    Independent Aneb Jah Rasta0.1%929
    ScatteringVarious0.1%2,366
Total Votes1,735,649
Election results viaWisconsin State Election Board

Voter turnout

Political scientist Michael McDonald's United States Elections Project studied voter turnout in the 2014 election by looking at the percentage of eligible voters who headed to the polls. McDonald used voting-eligible population (VEP), or the number of eligible voters independent of their current registration status, to calculate turnout rates in each state on November 4. He also incorporated ballots cast for the highest office in each state into his calculation. He estimated that 81,687,059 ballots were cast in the 50 states plus theDistrict of Columbia, representing 35.9 percent of the VEP.[32] By comparison, 61.6 percent of VEP voted in the 2008 presidential election and 58.2 percent of VEP voted in the 2012 presidential election.[33]

Quick facts

  • According toPBS Newshour, voter turnout in the 2014 midterms was the lowest since the 1942 midterms, which took place during the nation's involvement in World War II.[34]
  • Forty-three states and the District of Columbia did not surpass 50 percent turnout in McDonald's analysis.
  • The three states with the lowest turnout according to McDonald's analysis wereTexas (28.3 percent),Tennessee (28.6 percent), andIndiana (28.8 percent).
  • Maine (58.5 percent),Wisconsin (56.5 percent), andColorado (54.5 percent) were the three states with the highest turnout.
  • Twelve states increased voter turnout in 2014 compared to the 2010 midterm elections.[35]
Voter turnout rates, 2014
StateTotal votes counted% voter eligible populationTop statewide office up for electionSize of lead (Raw votes)Size of lead (%)
Alabama1,191,27433.2Governor320,31927.2
Alaska285,43154.4Governor4,0041.6
Arizona1,537,67134.1Governor143,95112.5
Arkansas852,64240.1Governor118,66414.0
California7,513,97230.8Governor1,065,74817.8
Colorado2,080,07154.5Governor50,3952.4
Connecticut1,096,50942.5Governor26,6032.5
Delaware234,03834.4Attorney General31,15513.6
District of Columbia177,17635.8Mayor27,93419.0
Florida6,026,80243.3Governor66,1271.1
Georgia2,596,94738.5Governor202,6858.0
Hawaii369,55436.5Governor45,32312.4
Idaho445,30739.6Governor65,85214.9
Illinois3,680,41740.9Governor171,9004.9
Indiana1,387,62228.8Secretary of State234,97817.8
Iowa1,142,28450.2Governor245,54821.8
Kansas887,02343.4Governor33,0523.9
Kentucky1,435,86844.0U.S. Senate222,09615.5
Louisiana1,472,03943.8U.S. Senate16,4011.1
Maine616,99658.5Governor29,8204.9
Maryland1,733,17741.5Governor88,6486.1
Massachusetts2,186,78944.6Governor40,3611.9
Michigan3,188,95643.2Governor129,5474.3
Minnesota1,992,61350.5Governor109,7765.6
Mississippi631,85828.9U.S. Senate141,23433.0
Missouri1,426,30331.8Auditor684,07453.6
Montana373,83147.3U.S. Senate65,26217.9
Nebraska552,11541.5Governor97,67818.7
Nevada547,34929.0Governor255,79346.7
New Hampshire495,56548.4Governor24,9245.2
New Jersey1,955,04232.5N/AN/AN/A
New Mexico512,80535.7Governor73,86814.6
New York3,930,31029.0Governor476,25213.4
North Carolina2,939,76741.2U.S. Senate48,5111.7
North Dakota255,12845.0U.S. House At-large seat42,21417.1
Ohio3,149,87636.2Governor933,23530.9
Oklahoma824,83129.8Governor122,06014.7
Oregon1,541,78253.5Governor59,0294.5
Pennsylvania3,495,86636.0Governor339,2619.8
Rhode Island329,21242.2Governor14,3464.5
South Carolina1,261,61135.2Governor179,08914.6
South Dakota282,29144.9Governor124,86545.1
Tennessee1,374,06528.6Governor642,21447.5
Texas4,727,20828.3Governor957,97320.4
Utah577,97330.2Attorney General173,81935.2
Vermont193,08738.8Governor2,0951.1
Virginia2,194,34636.6U.S. Senate16,7270.8
Washington2,123,90143.1N/AN/AN/A
West Virginia451,49831.2U.S. Senate124,66727.6
Wisconsin2,410,31456.5Governor137,6075.7
Wyoming168,39039.3Governor52,70333.6

Note: Information from the United States Elections Project was last updated on December 16, 2014.

Key deadlines

DeadlineEvent
June 2, 2014Filing deadline
August 12, 2014Primary election
November 4, 2014General election
December 1, 2014Certification of results
January 5, 2015State executives inaugurated

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Wisconsin + Governor + elections"

See also

External links

Candidate Websites

Footnotes

  1. The Guardian, "Wisconsin governor Scott Walker survives bitterly fought recall election," June 6, 2012
  2. Wisconsin State Legislature, "Wis. Stat. § 5.62," accessed January 5, 2026
  3. 3.03.1FOX 6 Now, "Looking ahead to 2014, who will face Scott Walker in race for Gov.?" July 21, 2013
  4. 4.04.14.24.34.44.54.64.74.8Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates Registered by Office," February 17, 2014(dead link)
  5. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "CERTIFICATE OF NOMINATION FOR GENERAL ELECTION," accessed July 4, 2014
  6. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Registered Write-in Candidates for November 2014," October 23, 2014(dead link)
  7. 7.07.1Wisconsin State Journal, "Rep. Brett Hulsey, no longer a Democrat, still running for governor as a write-in," October 23, 2014
  8. Email communication with Ballotpedia, September 8, 2014
  9. Fond du Lac Reporter, "State board approves Rep. Brett Hulsey gubernatorial candidacy," June 10, 2014
  10. Senator Kathleen Vinehout, "Senator Vinehout Statement on Not Running for Governor This Year," January 23, 2014
  11. Facebook, "Peter Barca for Governor," accessed January 10, 2013
  12. Channel 3000, "U.S. Rep. Ron Kind says no run for governor," June 7, 2015
  13. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Democratic Winnebago county executive could decide by Labor Day whether to run for governor," July 22, 2013
  14. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Winnebago County Exec Mark Harris declines run for governor," August 30, 2013
  15. WTAQ, "Milwaukee County exec Abele not interested in running for governor," February 28, 2013
  16. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Race tightens, with Scott Walker, Mary Burke tied among registered voters," May 21, 2014
  17. The Guardian, "Wisconsin governor Scott Walker survives bitterly fought recall election," June 6, 2012
  18. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Gov. Scott Walker calls for Legislature to repeal Common Core standards," July 17, 2014
  19. WKOW Madison, "Burke supports sticking with Common Core in WI," July 19, 2014
  20. The Cook Political Report, "2014 GOVERNORS RACE RATINGS FOR JULY 30, 2014," accessed July 31, 2014
  21. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Two Burkes on ballot for governor," July 11, 2014
  22. The Cap Times, "John Nichols: Libertarians give Wisconsin another option," July 1, 2014
  23. Wausau Daily Herald, "Letter: More than two are running for governor," July 16, 2014
  24. Dennis Fehr for Governor, "About our Candidate," accessed July 9, 2014
  25. Democratic Party of Wisconsin, "Candidates," accessed July 31, 2014
  26. 26.026.126.2Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  27. 27.027.127.2League of Women Voters of Dane County, Inc., "Wisconsin Governor," accessed October 14, 2014
  28. Associated Press, "Debate: Gov. Scott Walker, Mary Burke disagree on Wisconsin's economy," October 17, 2014
  29. 29.029.1WKOW, "Walker, Burke spar in first gubernatorial debate," October 10, 2014
  30. Wesleyan Media Project, "GOP Groups Keeping Senate Contests Close," September 30, 2014
  31. Follow the Money, "Overview of Wisconsin 2014 elections," accessed January 20, 2015
  32. United States Elections Project, "2014 November General Election Turnout Rates," November 7, 2014
  33. TIME, "Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections Hits 72-Year Low," November 10, 2014
  34. PBS, "2014 midterm election turnout lowest in 70 years," November 10, 2014
  35. U.S. News & World Report, "Midterm Turnout Down in 2014," November 5, 2014
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