# 1990 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 1990 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Republican governor Tommy Thompson won the election with 58% of the vote, winning a second term as Governor of Wisconsin. The primary elections were held on September 11, 1990.
As of 2022, this is the most recent Wisconsin gubernatorial election in which a Republican candidate won at the same time the party held the presidency. Neither party would pull off such a feat again until 2022, when Democratic governor Tony Evers won re-election during the presidency of fellow Democrat Joe Biden.

## Republican primary
### Governor
#### Nominee

* Tommy G. Thompson, incumbent governor

##### Eliminated in primary

* Michele Ann Gess (write-in)
* Edmond Hou-Seye, perennial candidate
* Willie G. Lovelace (write-in)
* Bennett A. Masel

##### Results

Republican gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tommy G. Thompson (incumbent) | 201,467 | 92.68% |
| | Republican | Bennett A. Masel | 11,230 | 5.17% |
| | Republican | Edmond Hou-Seye | 4,665 | 2.15% |
| | Republican | Willie G. Lovelace (write-in) | 8 | 0.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 217,370 | 100.00% |

### Lieutenant Governor
#### Nominee

* Scott McCallum, incumbent lieutenant governor

#### Results

Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Scott McCallum (incumbent) | 169,403 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 169,403 | 100.00% |

## Democratic party
### Governor
#### Nominee

* Thomas A. Loftus, incumbent Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly

#### Results

Democratic gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Thomas A. Loftus | 153,346 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 153,346 | 100.00% |

### Lieutenant Governor
#### Nominee

* Joseph Czarnezki, member of Wisconsin Senate

#### Results

Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joseph Czarnezki | 128,885 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 128,885 | 100.00% |

## Labor-Farm party
### Governor
#### Nominee

* Rickey D. Keilholtz

#### Results

Labor-Farm gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor-Farm | Rickey D. Keilholtz (write-in) | 223 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 223 | 100.00% |

### Lieutenant Governor
#### Nominee

* Richard L. Ackley

#### Results

Labor-Farm lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor-Farm | Richard L. Ackley (write-in) | 208 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 208 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Results

1990 Wisconsin gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Tommy G. Thompson | 802,321 | 58.15% | +5.43% |
| | Democratic | Thomas A. Loftus | 576,280 | 41.77% | −4.44% |
| | | Scattering | 1,126 | 0.08% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 226,041 | 16.38% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,379,727 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | +9.87% | |

### Results by county

Thompson was the first Republican since Philip La Follette in 1930 to win Iron County, the first since Walter S. Goodland in 1946 to win Milwaukee County, and the first since Walter J. Kohler Jr. in 1952 to win Douglas County and Kenosha County.
| County | Tommy G. Thompson Republican | Tommy G. Thompson Republican | Thomas A. Loftus Democratic | Thomas A. Loftus Democratic | Scattering Write-in | Scattering Write-in | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 2,391 | 52.60% | 2,154 | 47.38% | 1 | 0.02% | 237 | 5.21% | 4,546 |
| Ashland | 3,066 | 59.49% | 2,087 | 40.49% | 1 | 0.02% | 979 | 18.99% | 5,154 |
| Barron | 5,494 | 52.37% | 4,982 | 47.49% | 14 | 0.13% | 512 | 4.88% | 10,490 |
| Bayfield | 3,309 | 59.24% | 2,276 | 40.74% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,033 | 18.49% | 5,586 |
| Brown | 35,561 | 57.62% | 26,143 | 42.36% | 14 | 0.02% | 9,418 | 15.26% | 61,718 |
| Buffalo | 2,262 | 52.06% | 2,083 | 47.94% | 0 | 0.00% | 179 | 4.12% | 4,345 |
| Burnett | 2,175 | 48.44% | 2,307 | 51.38% | 8 | 0.18% | -132 | -2.94% | 4,490 |
| Calumet | 6,109 | 65.96% | 3,151 | 34.02% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,958 | 31.94% | 9,262 |
| Chippewa | 7,954 | 54.86% | 6,542 | 45.12% | 3 | 0.02% | 1,412 | 9.74% | 14,499 |
| Clark | 5,761 | 58.22% | 4,131 | 41.75% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,630 | 16.47% | 9,895 |
| Columbia | 8,304 | 57.92% | 6,021 | 42.00% | 12 | 0.08% | 2,283 | 15.92% | 14,337 |
| Crawford | 2,456 | 55.37% | 1,976 | 44.54% | 4 | 0.09% | 480 | 10.82% | 4,436 |
| Dane | 55,998 | 45.63% | 66,638 | 54.29% | 98 | 0.08% | -10,640 | -8.67% | 122,734 |
| Dodge | 12,325 | 64.27% | 6,842 | 35.68% | 9 | 0.05% | 5,483 | 28.59% | 19,176 |
| Door | 5,291 | 62.06% | 3,235 | 37.94% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,056 | 24.11% | 8,526 |
| Douglas | 7,898 | 56.25% | 6,140 | 43.73% | 4 | 0.03% | 1,758 | 12.52% | 14,042 |
| Dunn | 4,613 | 48.42% | 4,900 | 51.43% | 14 | 0.15% | -287 | -3.01% | 9,527 |
| Eau Claire | 14,864 | 53.89% | 12,711 | 46.09% | 5 | 0.02% | 2,153 | 7.81% | 27,580 |
| Florence | 808 | 58.00% | 585 | 42.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 223 | 16.01% | 1,393 |
| Fond du Lac | 16,043 | 66.73% | 7,992 | 33.24% | 7 | 0.03% | 8,051 | 33.49% | 24,042 |
| Forest | 1,711 | 55.64% | 1,364 | 44.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 347 | 11.28% | 3,075 |
| Grant | 6,782 | 62.11% | 4,131 | 37.83% | 7 | 0.06% | 2,651 | 24.28% | 10,920 |
| Green | 4,454 | 58.31% | 3,180 | 41.63% | 4 | 0.05% | 1,274 | 16.68% | 7,638 |
| Green Lake | 3,412 | 69.10% | 1,526 | 30.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,886 | 38.19% | 4,938 |
| Iowa | 3,425 | 56.84% | 2,593 | 43.03% | 8 | 0.13% | 832 | 13.81% | 6,026 |
| Iron | 1,794 | 69.83% | 774 | 30.13% | 1 | 0.04% | 1,020 | 39.70% | 2,569 |
| Jackson | 3,196 | 52.27% | 2,918 | 47.73% | 0 | 0.00% | 278 | 4.55% | 6,114 |
| Jefferson | 10,646 | 62.79% | 6,305 | 37.18% | 5 | 0.03% | 4,341 | 25.60% | 16,956 |
| Juneau | 5,244 | 70.83% | 2,158 | 29.15% | 2 | 0.03% | 3,086 | 41.68% | 7,404 |
| Kenosha | 14,750 | 53.19% | 12,977 | 46.79% | 6 | 0.02% | 1,773 | 6.39% | 27,733 |
| Kewaunee | 4,140 | 57.29% | 3,087 | 42.71% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,053 | 14.57% | 7,227 |
| La Crosse | 16,790 | 54.24% | 14,164 | 45.76% | 2 | 0.01% | 2,626 | 8.48% | 30,956 |
| Lafayette | 3,203 | 61.22% | 2,028 | 38.76% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,175 | 22.46% | 5,232 |
| Langlade | 3,637 | 60.80% | 2,341 | 39.13% | 4 | 0.07% | 1,296 | 21.66% | 5,982 |
| Lincoln | 4,443 | 55.69% | 3,534 | 44.30% | 1 | 0.01% | 909 | 11.39% | 7,978 |
| Manitowoc | 12,967 | 56.15% | 10,098 | 43.73% | 28 | 0.12% | 2,869 | 12.42% | 23,093 |
| Marathon | 21,908 | 59.86% | 14,693 | 40.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 7,215 | 19.71% | 36,601 |
| Marinette | 7,524 | 58.73% | 5,286 | 41.26% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,238 | 17.47% | 12,812 |
| Marquette | 2,245 | 59.47% | 1,526 | 40.42% | 4 | 0.11% | 719 | 19.05% | 3,775 |
| Menominee | 390 | 41.76% | 544 | 58.24% | 0 | 0.00% | -154 | -16.49% | 934 |
| Milwaukee | 128,835 | 54.06% | 108,812 | 45.66% | 670 | 0.28% | 20,023 | 8.40% | 238,317 |
| Monroe | 5,189 | 59.38% | 3,546 | 40.58% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,643 | 18.80% | 8,738 |
| Oconto | 5,441 | 58.68% | 3,831 | 41.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,610 | 17.36% | 9,272 |
| Oneida | 7,208 | 62.47% | 4,328 | 37.51% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,880 | 24.96% | 11,538 |
| Outagamie | 27,500 | 64.68% | 15,010 | 35.31% | 5 | 0.01% | 12,490 | 29.38% | 42,515 |
| Ozaukee | 16,078 | 75.58% | 5,193 | 24.41% | 1 | 0.00% | 10,885 | 51.17% | 21,272 |
| Pepin | 1,047 | 50.97% | 1,006 | 48.98% | 1 | 0.05% | 41 | 2.00% | 2,054 |
| Pierce | 4,809 | 55.79% | 3,806 | 44.15% | 5 | 0.06% | 1,003 | 11.64% | 8,620 |
| Polk | 5,779 | 55.08% | 4,711 | 44.90% | 2 | 0.02% | 1,068 | 10.18% | 10,492 |
| Portage | 7,976 | 51.47% | 7,514 | 48.49% | 5 | 0.03% | 462 | 2.98% | 15,495 |
| Price | 3,592 | 54.88% | 2,949 | 45.06% | 4 | 0.06% | 643 | 9.82% | 6,545 |
| Racine | 29,318 | 61.64% | 18,243 | 38.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 11,075 | 23.29% | 47,561 |
| Richland | 2,666 | 61.37% | 1,678 | 38.63% | 0 | 0.00% | 988 | 22.74% | 4,344 |
| Rock | 19,979 | 55.14% | 16,231 | 44.80% | 23 | 0.06% | 3,748 | 10.34% | 36,233 |
| Rusk | 2,697 | 51.67% | 2,523 | 48.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 174 | 3.33% | 5,220 |
| Sauk | 8,191 | 59.99% | 5,458 | 39.97% | 6 | 0.04% | 2,733 | 20.01% | 13,655 |
| Sawyer | 2,530 | 58.96% | 1,757 | 40.95% | 4 | 0.09% | 773 | 18.01% | 4,291 |
| Shawano | 6,690 | 64.35% | 3,705 | 35.64% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,985 | 28.71% | 10,397 |
| Sheboygan | 18,903 | 60.93% | 12,118 | 39.06% | 5 | 0.02% | 6,785 | 21.87% | 31,026 |
| St. Croix | 7,052 | 53.37% | 6,158 | 46.61% | 3 | 0.02% | 894 | 6.77% | 13,213 |
| Taylor | 3,280 | 57.26% | 2,443 | 42.65% | 5 | 0.09% | 837 | 14.61% | 5,728 |
| Trempealeau | 3,566 | 47.85% | 3,878 | 52.04% | 8 | 0.11% | -312 | -4.19% | 7,452 |
| Vernon | 3,945 | 53.48% | 3,426 | 46.44% | 6 | 0.08% | 519 | 7.04% | 7,377 |
| Vilas | 5,003 | 68.18% | 2,331 | 31.77% | 4 | 0.05% | 2,672 | 36.41% | 7,338 |
| Walworth | 11,937 | 64.92% | 6,447 | 35.06% | 3 | 0.02% | 5,490 | 29.86% | 18,387 |
| Washburn | 2,743 | 55.46% | 2,201 | 44.50% | 2 | 0.04% | 542 | 10.96% | 4,946 |
| Washington | 15,983 | 70.58% | 6,662 | 29.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 9,321 | 41.16% | 22,645 |
| Waukesha | 61,002 | 71.19% | 24,679 | 28.80% | 13 | 0.02% | 36,323 | 42.39% | 85,694 |
| Waupaca | 7,227 | 66.57% | 3,619 | 33.34% | 10 | 0.09% | 3,608 | 33.24% | 10,856 |
| Waushara | 3,300 | 63.49% | 1,896 | 36.48% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,404 | 27.01% | 5,198 |
| Winnebago | 25,972 | 64.58% | 14,187 | 35.28% | 57 | 0.14% | 11,785 | 29.30% | 40,216 |
| Wood | 11,540 | 59.64% | 7,811 | 40.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,729 | 19.27% | 19,351 |
| Total | 802,321 | 58.15% | 576,280 | 41.77% | 1,126 | 0.08% | 226,041 | 16.38% | 1,379,727 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Bayfield
* Chippewa
* Douglas
* Eau Claire
* Iron
* Kenosha
* Milwaukee
* Pierce
* Polk
* Portage
* St. Croix