The 2016 Wisconsin Fall General Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 8, 2016.[1] One of Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seats and all eight seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election, as well as half of the Wisconsin Senate seats and all 99 Wisconsin State Assembly seats. Voters also chose ten electors to represent them in the Electoral College, which then participated in selecting the 45th president of the United States. The 2016 Fall Partisan Primary was held on August 9, 2016.[2]
The Wisconsin Republican Party made large gains in the 2016 election. Businessman and Republican presidential nominee Donald 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 the State Legislature, building their largest majorities since 1957,[3][5] and Republican senator Ron Johnson defeated Russ Feingold a second time for a second term.[3][6] This put Walker and the Wisconsin GOP in a strong position.[7]
The 2016 Wisconsin Spring Election was held April 5, 2016. This election featured a contested race for Wisconsin Supreme Court, with Republicans' preferred candidate, recently-appointed justice Rebecca 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. The 2016 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 17, 2016.[8]
In a rematch of the 2010 election, first term incumbent Republican Ron Johnson ran against former Democratic U.S. Senator Russ Feingold.[9] Johnson defeated Feingold in the general election with 50.2% of the vote.[10]
All of Wisconsin's eight United States House of Representatives seats were up for election in 2016. Party composition remained unchanged after the general election.
The 16 even-numbered districts out of 33 seats in the Wisconsin 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.
All 99 seats of the Wisconsin State Assembly were up for election in November. Nine Assemblymen (6 Republicans, 3 Democrats) did not seek re-election.[11]
Incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley defeated Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the April general election. Justice Bradley had been appointed to the court in 2015 by Governor Scott Walker, to replace Justice N. Patrick Crooks, who had died in office. Justice Crooks' term was already set to expire in 2016, thus no special election needed to be scheduled.[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 like Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. During the election her primary backers were Republican-aligned interest groups such as the NRA 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.
All four districts of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals had a seat up for election in 2016. None of the races were contested.
In District I, Judge Joan F. Kessler was elected to her third term without opposition.
In District II, Judge Paul F. Reilly was elected to his second term without opposition.
In District III, Judge Thomas Hruz was elected to his first full term, after being appointed to the court by Governor Scott Walker in 2014.
In District IV, Judge Brian Blanchard was elected to his second term without opposition.
State Circuit Courts
Forty of the state's 249 circuit court seats were up for election in 2020. 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 Governor Scott 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%
Local
Kenosha
John Antaramian was elected to a four-year term as Mayor of Kenosha.[18] He was returning to office after having previously served four four-year terms as mayor from 1992 through 2008.
^"2016 General Election"(PDF). State of Wisconsin. November 8, 2016. Archived from the original(PDF) on December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
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