# 1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1958. The Democratic nominee, state senator Gaylord A. Nelson, defeated the Republican incumbent governor, Vernon W. Thomson, receiving 53.59% of the vote.
This was the first Democratic victory in a Wisconsin gubernatorial election since 1932, and only the second since 1892. Nelson's share of the vote was the highest for a Democrat since 1873. As of 2024, this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Vilas County has voted for the Democratic candidate.

## Primary election

The primary election was held on September 9, 1958. Both major party candidates were unopposed in their respective primaries.

### Republican party
#### Candidates

* Vernon W. Thomson, incumbent governor

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Vernon W. Thomson (incumbent) | 241,816 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 241,816 | 100.00% |

### Democratic party
#### Candidates

* Gaylord A. Nelson, member of the Wisconsin State Senate since 1948.

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Gaylord A. Nelson | 234,345 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 234,345 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Candidates

* Gaylord A. Nelson, Democrat
* Vernon W. Thomson, Republican
* Wayne Leverenz, Independent

### Results

1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Gaylord A. Nelson | 644,296 | 53.59% | +5.48% |
| | Republican | Vernon W. Thomson (incumbent) | 556,391 | 46.28% | −5.61% |
| | Independent | Wayne Leverenz | 1,485 | 0.12% | |
| | | Scattering | 47 | 0.00% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 87,905 | 7.31% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,202,219 | 100.00% | |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | +11.09% | |

### Results by county

By backing Thomson, Oconto County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1875, breaking a streak of 40 consecutive elections of backing the eventual winner. Additionally, Clark County, Green County, and Waupaca County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1892.
| County | Gaylord A. Nelson Democratic | Gaylord A. Nelson Democratic | Vernon W. Thomson Republican | Vernon W. Thomson Republican | Wayne Leverenz Independent | Wayne Leverenz Independent | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 1,540 | 56.37% | 1,190 | 43.56% | 0 | 0.00% | 350 | 12.81% | 2,732 |
| Ashland | 3,773 | 59.14% | 2,603 | 40.80% | 4 | 0.06% | 1,107 | 18.34% | 6,380 |
| Barron | 4,928 | 51.05% | 4,716 | 48.86% | 9 | 0.09% | 212 | 2.20% | 9,653 |
| Bayfield | 2,739 | 59.18% | 1,886 | 40.75% | 3 | 0.06% | 853 | 18.43% | 4,628 |
| Brown | 16,747 | 44.30% | 21,036 | 55.65% | 19 | 0.05% | -4,289 | -11.35% | 37,802 |
| Buffalo | 1,779 | 49.33% | 1,824 | 50.58% | 3 | 0.08% | -45 | -1.25% | 3,606 |
| Burnett | 1,931 | 53.06% | 1,703 | 46.80% | 5 | 0.14% | 228 | 6.27% | 3,639 |
| Calumet | 2,596 | 40.22% | 3,851 | 59.67% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,255 | -19.45% | 6,454 |
| Chippewa | 7,055 | 58.29% | 5,037 | 41.62% | 11 | 0.09% | 2,018 | 16.67% | 12,103 |
| Clark | 4,809 | 49.33% | 4,932 | 50.59% | 7 | 0.07% | -123 | -1.26% | 9,748 |
| Columbia | 5,576 | 48.50% | 5,918 | 51.47% | 3 | 0.03% | -342 | -2.97% | 11,497 |
| Crawford | 2,548 | 47.18% | 2,851 | 52.79% | 2 | 0.04% | -303 | -5.61% | 5,401 |
| Dane | 39,790 | 62.12% | 2,4251 | 37.86% | 6 | 0.01% | 15,539 | 24.26% | 64,050 |
| Dodge | 8,013 | 45.76% | 9,489 | 54.19% | 8 | 0.05% | -1,476 | -8.43% | 17,510 |
| Door | 2,639 | 37.92% | 4,316 | 62.01% | 5 | 0.07% | -1,677 | -24.09% | 6,960 |
| Douglas | 11,016 | 64.38% | 6,080 | 35.53% | 15 | 0.09% | 4,936 | 28.85% | 17,111 |
| Dunn | 3,550 | 45.45% | 4,258 | 54.51% | 3 | 0.04% | -708 | -9.06% | 7,811 |
| Eau Claire | 10,347 | 56.65% | 7,896 | 43.23% | 22 | 0.12% | 2,451 | 13.42% | 18,265 |
| Florence | 856 | 55.51% | 683 | 44.29% | 3 | 0.19% | 173 | 11.22% | 1,542 |
| Fond du Lac | 10,590 | 44.42% | 13,222 | 55.46% | 27 | 0.11% | -2,632 | -11.04% | 23,841 |
| Forest | 1,965 | 65.02% | 1,050 | 34.75% | 7 | 0.23% | 915 | 30.28% | 3,022 |
| Grant | 4,517 | 34.26% | 8,637 | 65.50% | 32 | 0.24% | -4,120 | -31.25% | 13,186 |
| Green | 2,838 | 38.63% | 4,506 | 61.34% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,668 | -22.71% | 7,346 |
| Green Lake | 2,016 | 31.89% | 4,291 | 67.87% | 15 | 0.24% | -2,275 | -35.99% | 6,322 |
| Iowa | 2,663 | 45.20% | 3,229 | 54.80% | 0 | 0.00% | -566 | -9.61% | 5,892 |
| Iron | 2,463 | 70.59% | 1,020 | 29.23% | 6 | 0.17% | 1,443 | 41.36% | 3,489 |
| Jackson | 2,643 | 55.64% | 2,104 | 44.29% | 2 | 0.04% | 539 | 11.35% | 4,750 |
| Jefferson | 8,463 | 50.50% | 8,285 | 49.43% | 12 | 0.07% | 178 | 1.06% | 16,760 |
| Juneau | 3,002 | 46.53% | 3,446 | 53.41% | 4 | 0.06% | -444 | -6.88% | 6,452 |
| Kenosha | 17,699 | 59.79% | 11,871 | 40.10% | 31 | 0.10% | 5,828 | 19.69% | 29,601 |
| Kewaunee | 2,833 | 47.48% | 3,132 | 52.49% | 2 | 0.03% | -299 | -5.01% | 5,967 |
| La Crosse | 11,789 | 51.45% | 11,035 | 48.16% | 89 | 0.39% | 754 | 3.29% | 22,913 |
| Lafayette | 2,500 | 46.05% | 2,929 | 53.95% | 0 | 0.00% | -429 | -7.90% | 5,429 |
| Langlade | 3,727 | 53.67% | 3,210 | 46.23% | 7 | 0.10% | 517 | 7.45% | 6,944 |
| Lincoln | 3,840 | 50.74% | 3,719 | 49.14% | 9 | 0.12% | 121 | 1.60% | 7,568 |
| Manitowoc | 12,281 | 53.92% | 10,417 | 45.73% | 79 | 0.35% | 1,864 | 8.18% | 22,777 |
| Marathon | 16,064 | 56.65% | 12,267 | 43.26% | 23 | 0.08% | 3,797 | 13.39% | 28,356 |
| Marinette | 5,369 | 48.84% | 5,618 | 51.11% | 5 | 0.05% | -249 | -2.27% | 10,992 |
| Marquette | 941 | 36.73% | 1,620 | 63.23% | 1 | 0.04% | -679 | -26.50% | 2,562 |
| Milwaukee | 190,647 | 61.58% | 118,310 | 38.22% | 612 | 0.20% | 72,337 | 23.37% | 309,576 |
| Monroe | 4,422 | 49.85% | 4,445 | 50.11% | 0 | 0.00% | -23 | -0.26% | 8,871 |
| Oconto | 4,029 | 48.81% | 4,222 | 51.14% | 4 | 0.05% | -193 | -2.34% | 8,255 |
| Oneida | 5,090 | 57.34% | 3,782 | 42.60% | 5 | 0.06% | 1,308 | 14.73% | 8,877 |
| Outagamie | 10,611 | 39.19% | 16,388 | 60.52% | 78 | 0.29% | -5,777 | -21.34% | 27,077 |
| Ozaukee | 5,448 | 47.76% | 5,956 | 52.21% | 4 | 0.04% | -508 | -4.45% | 11,408 |
| Pepin | 838 | 48.33% | 895 | 51.61% | 1 | 0.06% | -57 | -3.29% | 1,734 |
| Pierce | 2,656 | 46.31% | 3,079 | 53.69% | 0 | 0.00% | -423 | -7.38% | 5,735 |
| Polk | 4,598 | 56.96% | 3,470 | 42.98% | 5 | 0.06% | 1,128 | 13.97% | 8,073 |
| Portage | 7,698 | 62.97% | 4,510 | 36.89% | 17 | 0.14% | 3,188 | 26.08% | 12,225 |
| Price | 3,043 | 56.10% | 2,373 | 43.75% | 8 | 0.15% | 670 | 12.35% | 5,424 |
| Racine | 26,423 | 60.49% | 17,229 | 39.44% | 32 | 0.07% | 9,194 | 21.05% | 43,684 |
| Richland | 2,756 | 43.64% | 3,557 | 56.33% | 2 | 0.03% | -801 | -12.68% | 6,315 |
| Rock | 14,166 | 47.03% | 15,913 | 52.83% | 39 | 0.13% | -1,747 | -5.80% | 30,119 |
| Rusk | 2,813 | 57.02% | 2,114 | 42.85% | 6 | 0.12% | 699 | 14.17% | 4,933 |
| Sauk | 5,539 | 46.50% | 6,366 | 53.44% | 6 | 0.05% | -827 | -6.94% | 11,912 |
| Sawyer | 1,591 | 45.48% | 1,900 | 54.32% | 0 | 0.00% | -309 | -8.83% | 3,498 |
| Shawano | 3,884 | 43.17% | 5,109 | 56.78% | 5 | 0.06% | -1,225 | -13.61% | 8,998 |
| Sheboygan | 15,777 | 51.56% | 14,815 | 48.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 962 | 3.14% | 30,599 |
| St. Croix | 4,431 | 50.01% | 4,426 | 49.95% | 3 | 0.03% | 5 | 0.06% | 8,860 |
| Taylor | 3,362 | 59.30% | 2,303 | 40.62% | 4 | 0.07% | 1,059 | 18.68% | 5,669 |
| Trempealeau | 3,670 | 53.68% | 3,166 | 46.31% | 1 | 0.01% | 504 | 7.37% | 6,837 |
| Vernon | 4,885 | 56.10% | 3,819 | 43.86% | 4 | 0.05% | 1,066 | 12.24% | 8,708 |
| Vilas | 2,398 | 51.70% | 2,232 | 48.12% | 8 | 0.17% | 166 | 3.58% | 4,638 |
| Walworth | 5,753 | 38.67% | 9,116 | 61.27% | 9 | 0.06% | -3,363 | -22.60% | 14,878 |
| Washburn | 1,784 | 49.04% | 1,852 | 50.91% | 2 | 0.05% | -68 | -1.87% | 3,638 |
| Washington | 5,768 | 46.14% | 6,728 | 53.82% | 5 | 0.04% | -960 | -7.68% | 12,502 |
| Waukesha | 20,637 | 48.45% | 21,902 | 51.42% | 57 | 0.13% | -1,265 | -2.97% | 42,596 |
| Waupaca | 3,972 | 37.09% | 6,732 | 62.87% | 4 | 0.04% | -2,760 | -25.78% | 10,708 |
| Waushara | 1,446 | 36.00% | 2,569 | 63.95% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,123 | -27.96% | 4,017 |
| Winnebago | 15,494 | 46.21% | 17,979 | 53.62% | 59 | 0.18% | -2,485 | -7.41% | 33,532 |
| Wood | 8,232 | 47.69% | 9,006 | 52.17% | 24 | 0.14% | -774 | -4.48% | 17,262 |
| Total | 644,296 | 53.59% | 556,391 | 46.28% | 1,485 | 0.12% | 87,905 | 7.31% | 1,202,219 |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Adams
* Barron
* Burnett
* Eau Claire
* Florence
* Jefferson
* La Crosse
* Langlade
* Lincoln
* Oneida
* Price
* Sheboygan
* St. Croix
* Taylor
* Vilas