Presidential elections in Wisconsin
Map of the United States with Wisconsin highlighted
Number of elections44
Voted Democratic19
Voted Republican25
Voted other1[a]
Voted for winning candidate34
Voted for losing candidate10
Elections in Wisconsin
Federal government
Presidential elections
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2016
2020
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
U.S. House of Representatives elections
State government
General elections
Gubernatorial elections
Secretary of State elections
Attorney General elections
Treasurer elections
State Senate elections
State Assembly elections
Supreme Court elections
Ballot measures
2006
Referendum 1
Green Bay
Mayoral elections
Madison
Mayoral elections
Milwaukee
Mayoral elections

Since Wisconsin's admission to the Union in May 1848,[1] it has participated in 44 U.S. presidential elections. In the 1924 presidential election, Robert M. La Follette became the only third-party presidential candidate to win in Wisconsin, with 53.96% of the popular vote. Since the 1988 presidential election, Wisconsin has leaned towards the Democratic Party in presidential elections, however, in 2016 the Republican Party's candidate Donald Trump won the state by a margin of 0.77%. Wisconsin is tied with Michigan and Pennsylvania for the longest active streak of voting for the winning candidate, last voting for a losing candidate in 2004 when they backed John Kerry.

In the 2020 presidential election Joe Biden, the Democratic Party's candidate, won Wisconsin defeating the incumbent president Donald Trump by a close margin of 0.62%. During the 2021 joint session of the Congress for ascertaining the electoral votes 36 members objected to the certification of the electoral votes of Wisconsin based on unsupported claims of election fraud. The objection failed because it was not sponsored by a senator.[2]

Presidential Elections

Key for parties
  American Independent Party – (AI)
  American Party (1969) – (A)
  Constitution Party – (C)
  Constitutional Union Party – (CU)
  Democratic Party – (D)
  Free Soil Party – (FS)
  Green Party – (G)
  Greenback Party – (GB)
  Independent candidate – (I)
  Know Nothing Party – (KN)
  Libertarian Party – (LI)
  Progressive Party (1912) – (PR-1912)
  Progressive Party (1924) – (PR-1924)
  Progressive Party (1948) – (PR-1948)
  Prohibition Party – (PRO)
  Reform Party – (RE)
  Republican Party – (R)
  Socialist Party of America – (S)
  Southern Democratic Party – (SD)
  Straight-Out Democratic Party – (SOD)
  Whig Party – (W)
  Union Party – (U)
Note – A double dagger (‡) indicates the national winner.

1848 to 1856

Presidential elections in Wisconsin from 1848 to 1856
Year Winner Runner-up Other candidate[b] EV Ref.
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes %
1848 Lewis Cass (D) 15,001 38.30% Zachary Taylor (W) ‡ 13,747 35.10% Martin Van Buren (FS) 10,418 26.60% 4 [3][4][5]
1852 Franklin Pierce (D) ‡ 33,658 51.99% Winfield Scott (W) 22,240 34.35% John P. Hale (FS) 8,842 13.66% 5 [6][4][7]
1856 John C. Frémont (R) 67,090 55.67% James Buchanan (D) ‡ 52,843 43.85% Millard Fillmore (KN) 580 0.48% 5 [4][8]

Election of 1860

The election of 1860 was a complex realigning election in which the breakdown of the previous two-party alignment culminated in four parties each competing for influence in different parts of the country. The result of the election, with the victory of an ardent opponent of slavery, spurred the secession of eleven states and brought about the American Civil War.

1860 presidential election in Wisconsin
Year Winner Runner-up Other candidate Other candidate EV Ref.
Candidate Votes
(%) 		Candidate Votes
(%)		 Candidate Votes
(%)		 Candidate Votes
(%)
1860 Abraham Lincoln (R) ‡ 86,110
(56.58%) 		Stephen A. Douglas (D) 65,021
(42.73%)		 John C. Breckinridge (SD) 887
(0.58%)		 John Bell (CU) 161
(0.11%) 		5 [9][10]

1864 to present

Presidential elections in Wisconsin from 1864 to present
Year Winner Runner-up Other candidate[b] EV Ref.
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes %
1864 Abraham Lincoln (R) ‡ 83,458 55.88% George B. McClellan (D) 65,884 44.12% – – – 8 [11][12]
1868 Ulysses S. Grant (R) ‡ 108,920 56.25% Horatio Seymour (D) 84,708 43.75% – – – 8 [13][14]
1872 Ulysses S. Grant (R) ‡ 105,012 54.62% Horace Greeley (D) 86,390 44.94% Charles O'Conor (SOD) 853 0.44% 10 [15][16]
1876 Rutherford B. Hayes (R) ‡ 130,668 50.69% Samuel Tilden (D) 123,927 48.07% Peter Cooper (GB) 1,509 0.59% 10 [17]
1880 James A. Garfield (R) ‡ 144,406 54.04% Winfield S. Hancock (D) 114,650 42.91% James B. Weaver (GB) 7,986 2.99% 10 [18][19]
1884 James G. Blaine (R) 161,155 50.39% Grover Cleveland (D) ‡ 146,447 45.79% John P. St. John (PRO) 7,651 2.39% 11 [20][21]
1888 Benjamin Harrison (R) ‡ 176,553 49.79% Grover Cleveland (D) 155,232 43.77% Clinton B. Fisk (PRO) 14,277 4.03% 11 [22][23]
1892 Grover Cleveland (D) ‡ 177,325 47.73% Benjamin Harrison (R) 171,101 46.06% John Bidwell (PRO) 13,136 3.54% 12 [24][25]
1896 William McKinley (R) ‡ 268,135 59.93% William Jennings Bryan (D) 165,523 37.00% Joshua Levering (PRO) 7,507 1.68% 12 [26][27]
1900 William McKinley (R) ‡ 265,760 60.06% William Jennings Bryan (D) 159,163 35.97% John G. Woolley (PRO) 10,027 2.27% 12 [28][29]
1904 Theodore Roosevelt (R) ‡ 280,314 63.21% Alton B. Parker (D) 124,205 28.01% Eugene V. Debs (S) 28,240 6.37% 13 [30][31]
1908 William Howard Taft (R) ‡ 247,744 54.52% William Jennings Bryan (D) 166,662 36.67% Eugene V. Debs (S) 28,147 6.19% 13 [32][33]
1912 Woodrow Wilson (D) ‡ 164,230 41.06% William Howard Taft (R) 130,596 32.65% Theodore Roosevelt (PR-1912) 62,448 15.61% 13 [34][35]
1916 Charles E. Hughes (R) 220,822 49.39% Woodrow Wilson (D) ‡ 191,363 42.80% Allan L. Benson (S) 27,631 6.18% 13 [36][37]
1920 Warren G. Harding (R) ‡ 498,576 71.10% James M. Cox (D) 113,422 16.17% Eugene V. Debs (S) 80,635 11.50% 13 [38][39]
1924 Robert LaFollette (PR-1924) 453,678 53.96% Calvin Coolidge (R) ‡ 311,614 37.06% John W. Davis (D) 68,115 8.10% 13 [40][41]
1928 Herbert Hoover (R) ‡ 544,205 53.52% Alfred E. Smith (D) 450,259 44.28% Norman M. Thomas (S) 18,213 1.79% 13 [42][43]
1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) ‡ 707,410 63.46% Herbert Hoover (R) 347,741 31.19% Norman M. Thomas (S) 53,379 4.79% 12 [44][45]
1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) ‡ 802,984 63.80% Herbert Hoover (R) 380,828 30.26% William Lemke (Union) 60,297 4.79% 12 [46][47]
1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) ‡ 704,821 50.15% Wendell L. Willkie (R) 679,206 48.32% Norman M. Thomas (S) 15,071 1.07% 12 [48][49]
1944 Thomas E. Dewey (R) 674,532 50.37% Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) ‡ 650,413 48.57% Norman M. Thomas (S) 13,205 0.99% 12 [50][51]
1948 Harry S. Truman (D) ‡ 647,310 50.70% Thomas E. Dewey (R) 590,959 46.28% Henry A. Wallace (PR-1948) 25,282 1.98% 12 [52][53]
1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) ‡ 979,744 60.95% Adlai Stevenson (D) 622,175 38.71% Vincent Hallinan (PR-1948) 2,174 0.14% 12 [54][55]
1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) ‡ 954,844 61.58% Adlai Stevenson (D) 586,768 37.84% T. Coleman Andrews (C) 6,918 0.45% 12 [56][57]
1960 Richard M. Nixon (R) 895,175 51.77% John F. Kennedy (D) ‡ 830,805 48.05% Farrell Dobbs (SWP) 1,792 0.10% 12 [58][59]
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson (D) ‡ 1,050,424 62.09% Barry Goldwater (D) 638,495 37.74% Clifton DeBerry (SWP) 1,692 0.10% 12 [60][61]
1968 Richard M. Nixon (R) ‡ 809,997 47.89% Hubert Humphrey (D) 748,804 44.27% George Wallace (AI) 127,835 7.56% 12 [62][63]
1972 Richard M. Nixon (R) ‡ 989,430 53.40% Sargent Shriver (D) 810,174 43.72% John G. Schmitz (A) 47,525 2.56% 11 [64][65]
1976 Jimmy Carter (D) ‡ 1,040,232 49.44% Gerald R. Ford (R) 1,004,987 47.76% Eugene J. McCarthy (I) 34,943 1.66% 11 [66][67]
1980 Ronald Reagan (R) ‡ 1,088,845 47.90% Jimmy Carter (D) 981,584 43.18% John B. Anderson (I) 160,657 7.07% 11 [68][69]
1984 Ronald Reagan (R) ‡ 1,198,584 54.19% Walter Mondale (D) 995,740 45.02% David Bergland (LI) 4,883 0.22% 11 [70][71]
1988 Michael Dukakis (D) 1,126,794 51.41% George H. W. Bush (R) ‡ 1,047,499 47.80% Ron Paul (LI) 5,157 0.24% 11 [72][73]
1992 Bill Clinton (D) ‡ 1,041,066 41.13% George H. W. Bush (R) 930,855 36.78% Ross Perot (I) 544,479 21.51% 11 [74][75]
1996 Bill Clinton (D) ‡ 1,071,971 48.81% Bob Dole (R) 845,029 38.48% Ross Perot (RE) 227,339 10.35% 11 [76][77]
2000 Al Gore (D) 1,242,987 47.83% George W. Bush (R) ‡ 1,237,279 47.61% Ralph Nader (G) 94,070 3.62% 11 [78][79]
2004 John Kerry (D) 1,489,504 49.70% George W. Bush (R) ‡ 1,478,120 49.32% Ralph Nader (RE) 16,390 0.55% 10 [80][81]
2008 Barack Obama (D) ‡ 1,677,211 56.22% John McCain (R) 1,262,393 42.31% Ralph Nader (I) 17,605 0.59% 10 [82][83]
2012 Barack Obama (D) ‡ 1,620,985 52.83% Mitt Romney (R) 1,407,966 45.89% Gary Johnson (I) 20,439 0.67% 10 [84]
2016 Donald Trump (R) ‡ 1,405,284 47.22% Hillary Clinton (D) 1,382,536 46.45% Gary Johnson (LI) 106,674 3.58% 10 [85]
2020 Joe Biden (D) ‡ 1,630,866 49.45% Donald Trump (R) 1,610,184 48.82% Jo Jorgensen (LI) 38,491 1.17% 10 [86]

Graph

Graphs are temporarily unavailable due to technical issues.

See also

Note

  1. ^ Robert La Follette Sr., 1924
  2. ^ a b For purposes of these lists, other candidates are defined as those who were in third place in Wisconsin

References

  1. ^ "Today in History - May 29". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  2. ^ Vetterkind, Riley (January 8, 2021). "Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Tiffany sole Republicans from Wisconsin to object to Joe Biden certification". madison.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  3. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 761.
  4. ^ a b c Wisconsin Blue Book 1997, p. 677.
  5. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 90.
  6. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 762.
  7. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 91.
  8. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 92.
  9. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 764.
  10. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 93.
  11. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 765.
  12. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 94.
  13. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 766.
  14. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 95.
  15. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 767, 803.
  16. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 96.
  17. ^ Wisconsin Blue Book (1997, p. 677) cited in Guide to U.S. Elections (2010, pp. 768, 804)
  18. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 769.
  19. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 98.
  20. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 770.
  21. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 99.
  22. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 771.
  23. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 100.
  24. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 772.
  25. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 101.
  26. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 773.
  27. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 102.
  28. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 774.
  29. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 103.
  30. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 775.
  31. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 104.
  32. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 776.
  33. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 105.
  34. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 777.
  35. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 106.
  36. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 778.
  37. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 107.
  38. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 779.
  39. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 108.
  40. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 780.
  41. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 109.
  42. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 781.
  43. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 110.
  44. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 782.
  45. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 111.
  46. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 783.
  47. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 112.
  48. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 784.
  49. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 113.
  50. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 785.
  51. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 114.
  52. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 786.
  53. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 115.
  54. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 787.
  55. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 116.
  56. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 788.
  57. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 117.
  58. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, pp. 789, 808.
  59. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 118.
  60. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 790.
  61. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 119.
  62. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 791.
  63. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 120.
  64. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 792.
  65. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 121.
  66. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 793.
  67. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 122.
  68. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 794.
  69. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 123.
  70. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, pp. 795, 810–811.
  71. ^ Presidential elections, 1789–1996, p. 124.
  72. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, pp. 796, 811–812.
  73. ^ Federal Elections 1988 (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 1988. p. 14. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  74. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 797.
  75. ^ Federal Elections 1992 (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 1992. pp. 10, 32. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  76. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 798.
  77. ^ Federal Elections 1996 (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 1996. pp. 12, 28. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  78. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 799.
  79. ^ Federal Elections 2000 (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 2000. pp. 12, 30. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  80. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 800.
  81. ^ Federal Elections 2004 (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 2004. pp. 6, 39. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  82. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 801.
  83. ^ Federal Elections 2008 (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 2008. pp. 6, 39. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  84. ^ Federal Elections 2012 (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 2012. pp. 6, 40. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  85. ^ Federal Elections 2016 (PDF) (Report). Federal Election Commission. 2016. pp. 6, 44. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  86. ^ "Official 2020 Presidential General Election Result" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. pp. 2–8. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.

Works cited

Category