# 2006 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 2006 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jim Doyle ran for re-election to a second term in office. Doyle was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and he faced U.S. Representative Mark Green, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, in the general election. The campaign between Doyle and Green was competitive and hotly contested, but Doyle, whose approval ratings hovered around 50%, had the upper hand. In the end, Doyle defeated Green by a fairly comfortable margin, improving on his 2002 victory in the process.
This was the only Wisconsin gubernatorial election won by a Democrat with an outright majority of the vote between 1982 and 2022, and remains the largest winning margin garnered by a Democrat since 1982. This election was the first time since 1974 that an incumbent Democratic Governor was re-elected or won re-election.

## Democratic primary
### Governor
#### Candidates

* Jim Doyle, incumbent Governor of Wisconsin

#### Results

Democratic gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jim Doyle (incumbent) | 318,523 | 99.30% |
| | Democratic | Scattering | 2,259 | 0.70% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 320,782 | 100.00% |

### Lieutenant governor
#### Candidates

* Barbara Lawton, incumbent lieutenant governor

#### Results

Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Barbara Lawton (incumbent) | 287,616 | 99.71% |
| | Democratic | Scattering | 834 | 0.29% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 288,450 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary
### Governor
#### Candidates

* Mark Green, U.S. Representative from the 8th district

#### Withdrew

* Scott Walker, Milwaukee County Executive and former State Representative

#### Results

Republican gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mark Green | 233,216 | 99.66% |
| | Republican | Scattering | 804 | 0.34% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 234,020 | 100.00% |

### Lieutenant governor
#### Candidates

* Jean Hundertmark, member of Wisconsin State Assembly
* Nick Voegeli

#### Results

Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jean Hundertmark | 119,283 | 56.02% |
| | Republican | Nick Voegeli | 93,391 | 43.86% |
| | Republican | Scattering | 243 | 0.11% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 212,917 | 100.00% |

## Green primary
### Governor
#### Candidates

* Nelson Eisman

#### Results

Green Party gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Green | Nelson Eisman | 1,707 | 98.33% |
| | Green | Scattering | 29 | 1.67% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,736 | 100.00% |

### Lieutenant governor
#### Candidates

* Leon Todd

#### Results

Green lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Green | Leon Todd | 1,676 | 99.23% |
| | Green | Scattering | 13 | 0.77% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,689 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Tossup | November 6, 2006 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean D | November 6, 2006 |
| Rothenberg Political Report | Tossup | November 2, 2006 |
| Real Clear Politics | Lean D | November 6, 2006 |

### Polling

| Source | Date | Jim Doyle (D) | Mark Green (R) |
| WISC-TV | November 2, 2006 | 50% | 44% |
| Strategic Vision | October 31, 2006 | 47% | 45% |
| Zogby/WSJ | October 31, 2006 | 46.7% | 47.2% |
| Badger Poll | October 30, 2006 | 50% | 36% |
| Rasmussen | October 29, 2006 | 48% | 44% |
| Wisconsin Public Radio | October 18, 2006 | 51% | 38% |
| Strategic Vision | October 11, 2006 | 46% | 43% |
| Rasmussen | September 25, 2006 | 47% | 44% |
| Strategic Vision | September 20, 2006 | 46% | 42% |
| Zogby/WSJ | September 11, 2006 | 49.4% | 45.7% |
| Zogby/WSJ | August 28, 2006 | 49.7% | 43.1% |
| Rasmussen | August 20, 2006 | 49% | 41% |
| Strategic Vision | August 18, 2006 | 45% | 44% |
| Research 2000 | August 17, 2006 | 48% | 38% |
| Zogby/WSJ | July 24, 2006 | 49.2% | 44.7% |
| Rasmussen | July 20, 2006 | 47% | 41% |
| Strategic Vision | July 20, 2006 | 43% | 42% |
| University of Wisconsin | July 2, 2006 | 49% | 36% |
| WPRI | June 23, 2006 | 49% | 37% |
| Zogby/WSJ | June 21, 2006 | 46.9% | 45.1% |
| Strategic Vision | June 8, 2006 | 45% | 46% |
| Strategic Vision | May 3, 2006 | 45% | 43% |
| Rasmussen | April 28, 2006 | 47% | 43% |
| Strategic Vision | April 13, 2006 | 43% | 43% |
| WPR/St. Norbert College Survey | March 29 – April 7, 2006 | 43% | 35% |
| Rasmussen | March 29, 2006 | 45% | 40% |
| Strategic Vision | March 8, 2006 | 44% | 44% |
| Rasmussen | February 7, 2006 | 48% | 41% |
| Strategic Vision | February 1, 2006 | 44% | 43% |
| Strategic Vision | December 22, 2005 | 45% | 43% |
| Rasmussen | December 12, 2005 | 45% | 39% |
| Strategic Vision | November 16, 2005 | 47% | 44% |
| Strategic Vision | October 21, 2005 | 47% | 43% |

### Results

2006 Wisconsin gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Jim Doyle (incumbent) | 1,139,115 | 52.70% | +7.60% |
| | Republican | Mark Green | 979,427 | 45.31% | +3.92% |
| | Green | Nelson Eisman | 40,709 | 1.88% | −0.60% |
| | | Scattering | 2,449 | 0.11% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 159,688 | 7.39% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,161,700 | 100.00% | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | +3.68% | |

### Results by county

Doyle became only the third Democrat to carry Door County; the only two previous gubernatorial elections in which it had voted Democratic were 1859 and 1904. Door County would not vote Democratic again until 2022. Doyle was also the first Democrat since Albert G. Schmedeman in 1932 to win Monroe County.
As of 2024, this is the last gubernatorial election in which the Democratic candidate carried the counties of Adams, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Forest, Iron, Jackson, Lafayette, Lincoln, Marathon, Monroe, Oneida, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Washburn, Winnebago, and Wood.
| County | Jim Doyle Democratic | Jim Doyle Democratic | Mark Green Republican | Mark Green Republican | Nelson Eisman Green | Nelson Eisman Green | Scattering Write-in | Scattering Write-in | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 4,416 | 55.91% | 3,324 | 42.08% | 150 | 1.90% | 9 | 0.11% | 1,092 | 13.82% | 7,899 |
| Ashland | 4,118 | 65.80% | 1,902 | 30.39% | 232 | 3.71% | 6 | 0.10% | 2,216 | 35.41% | 6,258 |
| Barron | 8,136 | 49.81% | 7,920 | 48.49% | 271 | 1.66% | 6 | 0.04% | 216 | 1.32% | 16,333 |
| Bayfield | 4,653 | 64.15% | 2,468 | 34.03% | 129 | 1.78% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,185 | 30.13% | 7,253 |
| Brown | 45,046 | 48.11% | 46,989 | 50.18% | 1,517 | 1.62% | 83 | 0.09% | -1,943 | -2.08% | 93,635 |
| Buffalo | 3,078 | 57.40% | 2,196 | 40.95% | 83 | 1.55% | 5 | 0.09% | 882 | 16.45% | 5,362 |
| Burnett | 3,225 | 52.15% | 2,900 | 46.90% | 59 | 0.95% | 0 | 0.00% | 325 | 5.26% | 6,184 |
| Calumet | 9,059 | 46.74% | 9,995 | 51.57% | 320 | 1.65% | 8 | 0.04% | -936 | -4.83% | 19,382 |
| Chippewa | 11,467 | 52.56% | 9,839 | 45.10% | 502 | 2.30% | 10 | 0.05% | 1,628 | 7.46% | 21,818 |
| Clark | 5,758 | 51.23% | 5,152 | 45.84% | 326 | 2.90% | 4 | 0.04% | 606 | 5.39% | 11,240 |
| Columbia | 11,662 | 52.62% | 9,936 | 44.83% | 521 | 2.35% | 45 | 0.20% | 1,726 | 7.79% | 22,164 |
| Crawford | 3,751 | 59.25% | 2,439 | 38.52% | 128 | 2.02% | 13 | 0.21% | 1,312 | 20.72% | 6,331 |
| Dane | 149,661 | 69.95% | 58,302 | 27.25% | 5,645 | 2.64% | 332 | 0.16% | 91,359 | 42.70% | 213,940 |
| Dodge | 13,137 | 42.31% | 17,302 | 55.72% | 581 | 1.87% | 29 | 0.09% | -4,165 | -13.41% | 31,049 |
| Door | 7,592 | 52.75% | 6,479 | 45.01% | 319 | 2.22% | 3 | 0.02% | 1,113 | 7.73% | 14,393 |
| Douglas | 10,670 | 65.52% | 5,233 | 32.14% | 376 | 2.31% | 5 | 0.03% | 5,437 | 33.39% | 16,284 |
| Dunn | 8,070 | 55.24% | 6,208 | 42.50% | 318 | 2.18% | 12 | 0.08% | 1,862 | 12.75% | 14,608 |
| Eau Claire | 22,240 | 57.16% | 15,733 | 40.43% | 889 | 2.28% | 49 | 0.13% | 6,507 | 16.72% | 38,911 |
| Florence | 865 | 44.07% | 1,079 | 54.97% | 19 | 0.97% | 0 | 0.00% | -214 | -10.90% | 1,963 |
| Fond du Lac | 16,073 | 42.05% | 21,515 | 56.28% | 615 | 1.61% | 23 | 0.06% | -5,442 | -14.24% | 38,226 |
| Forest | 1,853 | 51.27% | 1,712 | 47.37% | 48 | 1.33% | 1 | 0.03% | 141 | 3.90% | 3,614 |
| Grant | 9,242 | 54.52% | 7,427 | 43.81% | 283 | 1.67% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,815 | 10.71% | 16,952 |
| Green | 7,769 | 58.67% | 5,149 | 38.89% | 304 | 2.30% | 19 | 0.14% | 2,620 | 19.79% | 13,241 |
| Green Lake | 3,122 | 39.09% | 4,714 | 59.03% | 144 | 1.80% | 6 | 0.08% | -1,592 | -19.93% | 7,986 |
| Iowa | 5,630 | 62.23% | 3,267 | 36.11% | 145 | 1.60% | 5 | 0.06% | 2,363 | 26.12% | 9,047 |
| Iron | 1,560 | 56.07% | 1,189 | 42.74% | 30 | 1.08% | 3 | 0.11% | 371 | 13.34% | 2,782 |
| Jackson | 3,858 | 55.61% | 2,931 | 42.25% | 146 | 2.10% | 3 | 0.04% | 927 | 13.36% | 6,938 |
| Jefferson | 14,247 | 46.01% | 16,038 | 51.79% | 640 | 2.07% | 40 | 0.13% | -1,791 | -5.78% | 30,965 |
| Juneau | 3,969 | 47.88% | 4,101 | 49.48% | 181 | 2.18% | 38 | 0.46% | -132 | -1.59% | 8,289 |
| Kenosha | 28,338 | 55.49% | 21,737 | 42.56% | 938 | 1.84% | 58 | 0.11% | 6,601 | 12.93% | 51,071 |
| Kewaunee | 4,354 | 48.14% | 4,479 | 49.52% | 211 | 2.33% | 1 | 0.01% | -125 | -1.38% | 9,045 |
| La Crosse | 24,663 | 57.34% | 17,235 | 40.07% | 1,002 | 2.33% | 110 | 0.26% | 7,428 | 17.27% | 43,010 |
| Lafayette | 3,344 | 57.20% | 2,405 | 41.14% | 91 | 1.56% | 6 | 0.10% | 939 | 16.06% | 5,846 |
| Langlade | 4,184 | 48.70% | 4,276 | 49.77% | 126 | 1.47% | 5 | 0.06% | -92 | -1.07% | 8,591 |
| Lincoln | 6,019 | 54.31% | 4,713 | 42.52% | 339 | 3.06% | 12 | 0.11% | 1,306 | 11.78% | 11,083 |
| Manitowoc | 15,736 | 48.47% | 16,154 | 49.76% | 535 | 1.65% | 38 | 0.12% | -418 | -1.29% | 32,463 |
| Marathon | 25,836 | 52.56% | 22,186 | 45.14% | 1,121 | 2.28% | 9 | 0.02% | 3,650 | 7.43% | 49,152 |
| Marinette | 8,408 | 49.35% | 8,455 | 49.63% | 166 | 0.97% | 8 | 0.05% | -47 | -0.28% | 17,037 |
| Marquette | 2,879 | 47.13% | 3,095 | 50.67% | 123 | 2.01% | 11 | 0.18% | -216 | -3.54% | 6,108 |
| Menominee | 886 | 82.57% | 180 | 16.78% | 7 | 0.65% | 0 | 0.00% | 706 | 65.80% | 1,073 |
| Milwaukee | 199,536 | 61.57% | 118,949 | 36.70% | 5,019 | 1.55% | 564 | 0.17% | 80,587 | 24.87% | 324,068 |
| Monroe | 6,556 | 48.76% | 6,517 | 48.47% | 323 | 2.40% | 50 | 0.37% | 39 | 0.29% | 13,446 |
| Oconto | 6,639 | 46.17% | 7,497 | 52.14% | 238 | 1.66% | 4 | 0.03% | -858 | -5.97% | 14,378 |
| Oneida | 8,372 | 51.67% | 7,425 | 45.82% | 389 | 2.40% | 17 | 0.10% | 947 | 5.84% | 16,203 |
| Outagamie | 34,901 | 50.05% | 33,511 | 48.05% | 1,284 | 1.84% | 41 | 0.06% | 1,390 | 1.99% | 69,737 |
| Ozaukee | 15,229 | 36.90% | 25,460 | 61.69% | 542 | 1.31% | 43 | 0.10% | -10,231 | -24.79% | 41,274 |
| Pepin | 1,627 | 55.70% | 1,256 | 43.00% | 38 | 1.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 371 | 12.70% | 2,921 |
| Pierce | 7,829 | 55.30% | 6,034 | 42.62% | 284 | 2.01% | 10 | 0.07% | 1,795 | 12.68% | 14,157 |
| Polk | 8,128 | 52.34% | 7,103 | 45.74% | 291 | 1.87% | 7 | 0.05% | 1,025 | 6.60% | 15,529 |
| Portage | 17,754 | 61.55% | 10,206 | 35.38% | 858 | 2.97% | 27 | 0.09% | 7,548 | 26.17% | 28,845 |
| Price | 3,581 | 55.85% | 2,737 | 42.69% | 91 | 1.42% | 3 | 0.05% | 844 | 13.16% | 6,412 |
| Racine | 34,968 | 49.00% | 35,286 | 49.44% | 1,055 | 1.48% | 59 | 0.08% | -318 | -0.45% | 71,368 |
| Richland | 3,489 | 54.41% | 2,814 | 43.88% | 100 | 1.56% | 10 | 0.16% | 675 | 10.53% | 6,413 |
| Rock | 33,774 | 61.26% | 20,156 | 36.56% | 1,115 | 2.02% | 84 | 0.15% | 13,618 | 24.70% | 55,129 |
| Rusk | 2,968 | 51.68% | 2,622 | 45.66% | 144 | 2.51% | 9 | 0.16% | 346 | 6.02% | 5,743 |
| Sauk | 12,232 | 55.76% | 9,148 | 41.70% | 517 | 2.36% | 41 | 0.19% | 3,084 | 14.06% | 21,938 |
| Sawyer | 3,218 | 51.22% | 2,965 | 47.19% | 100 | 1.59% | 0 | 0.00% | 253 | 4.03% | 6,283 |
| Shawano | 7,236 | 46.16% | 8,227 | 52.48% | 208 | 1.33% | 6 | 0.04% | -991 | -6.32% | 15,677 |
| Sheboygan | 21,388 | 45.13% | 25,257 | 53.29% | 714 | 1.51% | 38 | 0.08% | -3,869 | -8.16% | 47,397 |
| St. Croix | 13,392 | 49.79% | 13,117 | 48.77% | 378 | 1.41% | 9 | 0.03% | 275 | 1.02% | 26,896 |
| Taylor | 3,506 | 48.31% | 3,551 | 48.93% | 199 | 2.74% | 2 | 0.03% | -45 | -0.62% | 7,258 |
| Trempealeau | 5,557 | 58.57% | 3,725 | 39.26% | 198 | 2.09% | 8 | 0.08% | 1,832 | 19.31% | 9,488 |
| Vernon | 6,034 | 57.34% | 4,240 | 40.29% | 234 | 2.22% | 15 | 0.14% | 1,794 | 17.05% | 10,523 |
| Vilas | 4,799 | 45.15% | 5,623 | 52.90% | 202 | 1.90% | 6 | 0.06% | -824 | -7.75% | 10,630 |
| Walworth | 14,154 | 41.98% | 18,781 | 55.71% | 729 | 2.16% | 50 | 0.15% | -4,627 | -13.72% | 33,714 |
| Washburn | 3,323 | 50.73% | 3,135 | 47.86% | 87 | 1.33% | 6 | 0.09% | 188 | 2.87% | 6,551 |
| Washington | 17,219 | 32.29% | 35,262 | 66.13% | 803 | 1.51% | 41 | 0.08% | -18,043 | -33.84% | 53,325 |
| Waukesha | 61,402 | 34.86% | 112,243 | 63.73% | 2,320 | 1.32% | 149 | 0.08% | -50,841 | -28.87% | 176,114 |
| Waupaca | 8,767 | 45.24% | 10,296 | 53.13% | 307 | 1.58% | 10 | 0.05% | -1,529 | -7.89% | 19,380 |
| Waushara | 4,155 | 46.55% | 4,590 | 51.42% | 170 | 1.90% | 11 | 0.12% | -435 | -4.87% | 8,926 |
| Winnebago | 32,765 | 50.49% | 30,629 | 47.20% | 1,413 | 2.18% | 85 | 0.13% | 2,136 | 3.29% | 64,892 |
| Wood | 16,043 | 54.27% | 12,711 | 43.00% | 779 | 2.64% | 26 | 0.09% | 3,332 | 11.27% | 29,559 |
| Total | 1,139,115 | 52.70% | 979,427 | 45.31% | 40,709 | 1.88% | 2,449 | 0.11% | 159,688 | 7.39% | 2,161,700 |

#### Counties that flipped Republican to Democratic

* Burnett (largest village: Grantsburg)
* Clark (largest city: Neillsville)
* Chippewa (largest city: Chippewa Falls)
* Door (largest city: Sturgeon Bay)
* Outagamie (largest city: Appleton)
* Sawyer (largest city: Hayward)
* St. Croix (Largest city: Hudson)
* Winnebago (largest city: Oshkosh)

#### Counties that flipped from Libertarian to Democratic

* Monroe (largest city: Sparta)

#### Counties that flipped from Libertarian to Republican

* Juneau (largest city: Mauston)

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Langlade (largest city: Antigo)
* Manitowoc (largest city: Manitowoc)
* Marquette (largest city: Montello)
* Racine (largest city: Racine)
* Taylor (Largest city: Medford)