# 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Wisconsin. The primary elections on September 14 determined which candidates advanced to the general election.
Incumbent Democratic governor Jim Doyle did not seek re-election in 2010, making for the first open gubernatorial election in Wisconsin since 1982. Republican nominee Scott Walker, the Milwaukee County Executive, defeated Democratic nominee Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee. As of 2022, this was the last gubernatorial election in which a Republican gubernatorial candidate carried La Crosse and Columbia counties, and the last in which a Democratic candidate carried Trempealeau County.

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

* Tom Barrett, Mayor of Milwaukee and former U.S. Representative and candidate in 2002
* Tim John

#### Failed to qualify

* Jared Gary Christiansen
* Dominic Reinwand

#### Results

Democratic gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tom Barrett | 213,145 | 90.41% |
| | Democratic | Tim John | 22,296 | 9.46% |
| | Democratic | Scattering | 321 | 0.14% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 235,762 | 100.00% |

### Lieutenant governor
#### Candidates

* Spencer Coggs, state senator from Milwaukee and former state representative for 20 years.
* Tom Nelson, Democratic Majority Leader in the Wisconsin State Assembly, member since 2005 representing Outagamie County.
* Henry Sanders
* James L. Schneider

#### Results

Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tom Nelson | 108,765 | 51.84% |
| | Democratic | Spencer Coggs | 43,807 | 20.88% |
| | Democratic | James L. Schneider | 37,519 | 17.88% |
| | Democratic | Henry Sanders | 19,387 | 9.24% |
| | Democratic | Scattering | 322 | 0.15% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 209,800 | 100.00% |

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

* Mark Neumann, former U.S. Representative and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1998
* Scott S. Paterick
* Scott Walker, Milwaukee County Executive and candidate in 2006

#### Failed to qualify

* William "Bill" Ingram, truck driver and write-in candidate for President of the United States in 2008
* John Schless

### Polling

| Poll source | Dates administered | Mark Neumann | Scott Walker |
| Public Policy Polling | June 26–27, 2010 | 19% | 58% |
| WPRI | March 9, 2010 | 27% | 46% |
| WPRI | October 1, 2009 | 14% | 39% |

### Results

Republican gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Scott Walker | 362,913 | 58.65% |
| | Republican | Mark Neumann | 239,022 | 38.62% |
| | Republican | Scott S. Paterick | 16,646 | 2.69% |
| | Republican | Scattering | 247 | 0.04% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 618,828 | 100.00% |

### Lieutenant governor
#### Candidates

* Brett Davis, state representative from Oregon, Wisconsin.
* Rebecca Kleefisch, former WISN-TV morning anchor and frequent on-air contributor to Charlie Sykes' radio show on WTMJ (AM).
* Robert Gerald Lorge
* Dave Ross, Mayor of Superior, Wisconsin
* Nick Voegeli

#### Results

Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Rebecca Kleefisch | 258,714 | 46.78% |
| | Republican | Brett Davis | 139,997 | 25.31% |
| | Republican | Dave Ross | 80,617 | 14.58% |
| | Republican | Robert Gerald Lorge | 52,076 | 9.42% |
| | Republican | Nick Voegeli | 21,040 | 3.80% |
| | Republican | Scattering | 628 | 0.11% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 553,072 | 100.00% |

## Libertarian primary
### Governor

There were no qualified candidates in the Libertarian gubernatorial primary.

### Lieutenant governor
#### Candidates

* Terry Virgil

#### Results

Libertarian lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Libertarian | Terry Virgil | 403 | 96.18% |
| | Libertarian | Scattering | 16 | 3.82% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 419 | 100.00% |

## Independent nominations
### Candidates

* Jim Langer (Independent)
* James James (Common Sense)

### Failed to qualify

* Michael J. Blinkwitz

### Results

Independent gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Jim Langer | 1,657 | 72.96% |
| | Independent | James James | 614 | 27.04% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,271 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Candidates

Seven candidates appeared on the primary election ballot: two Democrats, three Republicans and two other candidates. After Walker and Barrett won their respective primaries, they faced each other and independent candidates using the "Independent" and "Common Sense" labels in the November general election.

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| Cook Political Report | Tossup | October 14, 2010 |
| Rothenberg Political Report | Lean R (flip) | October 28, 2010 |
| RealClearPolitics | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely R (flip) | October 28, 2010 |
| CQ Politics | Tossup | October 28, 2010 |

### Polling

| Poll source | Dates administered | Tom Barrett (D) | Scott Walker (R) |
| McClatchy | October 20, 2010 | 40% | 52% |
| Wisconsin Herald | October 16, 2010 | 44% | 52% |
| CNN/Time Magazine | October 8–12, 2010 | 44% | 52% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 11, 2010 | 42% | 51% |
| Ipsos/Reuters | October 8–11, 2010 | 42% | 52% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 29, 2010 | 44% | 50% |
| CNN/Time | September 17–21, 2010 | 42% | 53% |
| Public Policy Polling | September 18–19, 2010 | 41% | 50% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 15, 2010 | 43% | 51% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 24, 2010 | 44% | 47% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 10, 2010 | 41% | 49% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 27, 2010 | 43% | 50% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 13, 2010 | 44% | 48% |
| Public Policy Polling | June 26–27, 2010 | 38% | 45% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 21, 2010 | 41% | 49% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 25, 2010 | 41% | 48% |
| Rasmussen Reports | April 20, 2010 | 44% | 46% |
| Public Policy Polling | March 20–21, 2010 | 39% | 42% |
| Rasmussen Reports | March 16, 2010 | 42% | 48% |
| WPRI | March 9, 2010 | 32% | 36% |
| Rasmussen Reports | February 17, 2010 | 40% | 49% |
| Rasmussen Reports | January 26, 2010 | 38% | 48% |
| Public Policy Polling | November 20–22, 2009 | 40% | 40% |

### Results

2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Scott Walker | 1,128,941 | 52.25% | +6.94% |
| | Democratic | Tom Barrett | 1,004,303 | 46.48% | −6.22% |
| | Independent | Jim Langer | 10,608 | 0.49% | |
| | Common Sense | James James | 8,273 | 0.38% | |
| | Libertarian | No Candidate | 6,790 | 0.31% | |
| | Independent | Patricia Messicci (write-in) | 22 | 0.00% | |
| | Independent | Leslie Ervin Smetak (write-in) | 19 | 0.00% | |
| | Independent | Hari Trivedi (write-in) | 18 | 0.00% | |
| | | Scattering | 1,858 | 0.09% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 124,638 | 5.77% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,160,832 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | +13.16% | |

#### By county

| County | Scott Walker Republican | Scott Walker Republican | Tom Barrett Democratic | Tom Barrett Democratic | All Others Various | All Others Various | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 3,748 | 52.27% | 3,298 | 46.00% | 124 | 1.73% | 450 | 6.28% | 7,170 |
| Ashland | 2,205 | 37.07% | 3,664 | 61.59% | 80 | 1.34% | -1,459 | -24.53% | 5,949 |
| Barron | 8,486 | 54.68% | 6,746 | 43.47% | 288 | 1.86% | 1,740 | 11.21% | 15,520 |
| Bayfield | 2,961 | 40.89% | 4,185 | 57.79% | 96 | 1.33% | -1,224 | -16.90% | 7,242 |
| Brown | 49,567 | 56.08% | 37,549 | 42.48% | 1,274 | 1.44% | 12,018 | 13.60% | 88,390 |
| Buffalo | 2,610 | 53.49% | 2,174 | 44.56% | 95 | 1.95% | 436 | 8.94% | 4,879 |
| Burnett | 3,479 | 56.86% | 2,555 | 41.76% | 85 | 1.39% | 924 | 15.10% | 6,119 |
| Calumet | 11,152 | 60.26% | 7,065 | 38.18% | 288 | 1.56% | 4,087 | 22.09% | 18,505 |
| Chippewa | 11,901 | 56.25% | 8,753 | 41.37% | 504 | 2.38% | 3,148 | 14.88% | 21,158 |
| Clark | 6,368 | 60.62% | 3,844 | 36.59% | 293 | 2.79% | 2,524 | 24.03% | 10,505 |
| Columbia | 11,059 | 51.71% | 10,014 | 46.83% | 312 | 1.46% | 1,045 | 4.89% | 21,385 |
| Crawford | 2,792 | 46.84% | 3,062 | 51.37% | 107 | 1.80% | -270 | -4.53% | 5,961 |
| Dane | 68,238 | 30.98% | 149,699 | 67.96% | 2,336 | 1.06% | -81,461 | -36.98% | 220,273 |
| Dodge | 20,568 | 66.06% | 10,138 | 32.56% | 427 | 1.37% | 10,430 | 33.50% | 31,133 |
| Door | 6,932 | 49.98% | 6,719 | 48.44% | 219 | 1.58% | 213 | 1.54% | 13,870 |
| Douglas | 6,255 | 41.17% | 8,703 | 57.28% | 235 | 1.55% | -2,448 | -16.11% | 15,193 |
| Dunn | 7,282 | 53.71% | 5,972 | 44.05% | 304 | 2.24% | 1,310 | 9.66% | 13,558 |
| Eau Claire | 18,018 | 48.52% | 18,454 | 49.70% | 661 | 1.78% | -436 | -1.17% | 37,133 |
| Florence | 1,197 | 65.30% | 612 | 33.39% | 24 | 1.31% | 585 | 31.91% | 1,833 |
| Fond du Lac | 24,407 | 64.30% | 13,145 | 34.63% | 405 | 1.07% | 11,262 | 29.67% | 37,957 |
| Forest | 1,790 | 52.65% | 1,565 | 46.03% | 45 | 1.32% | 225 | 6.62% | 3,400 |
| Grant | 8,611 | 52.21% | 7,573 | 45.91% | 310 | 1.88% | 1,038 | 6.29% | 16,494 |
| Green | 6,391 | 48.46% | 6,567 | 49.80% | 229 | 1.74% | -176 | -1.33% | 13,187 |
| Green Lake | 4,488 | 64.28% | 2,262 | 32.40% | 232 | 3.32% | 2,226 | 31.88% | 6,982 |
| Iowa | 3,867 | 44.21% | 4,750 | 54.31% | 129 | 1.47% | -883 | -10.10% | 8,746 |
| Iron | 1,336 | 53.38% | 1,139 | 45.51% | 28 | 1.12% | 197 | 7.87% | 2,503 |
| Jackson | 3,428 | 50.59% | 3,219 | 47.51% | 129 | 1.90% | 209 | 3.08% | 6,776 |
| Jefferson | 19,155 | 60.75% | 11,909 | 37.77% | 466 | 1.48% | 7,246 | 22.98% | 31,530 |
| Juneau | 4,502 | 56.36% | 3,358 | 42.04% | 128 | 1.60% | 1,144 | 14.32% | 7,988 |
| Kenosha | 25,136 | 51.29% | 23,312 | 47.57% | 562 | 1.15% | 1,824 | 3.72% | 49,010 |
| Kewaunee | 4,577 | 56.69% | 3,345 | 41.43% | 152 | 1.88% | 1,232 | 15.26% | 8,074 |
| La Crosse | 20,754 | 49.32% | 20,639 | 49.05% | 684 | 1.63% | 115 | 0.27% | 42,077 |
| Lafayette | 2,926 | 52.31% | 2,566 | 45.87% | 102 | 1.82% | 360 | 6.44% | 5,594 |
| Langlade | 4,481 | 61.17% | 2,754 | 37.60% | 90 | 1.23% | 1,727 | 23.58% | 7,325 |
| Lincoln | 6,201 | 54.73% | 4,872 | 43.00% | 258 | 2.28% | 1,329 | 11.73% | 11,331 |
| Manitowoc | 18,234 | 60.03% | 11,784 | 38.80% | 357 | 1.18% | 6,450 | 21.23% | 30,375 |
| Marathon | 28,516 | 57.59% | 20,028 | 40.45% | 970 | 1.96% | 8,488 | 17.14% | 49,514 |
| Marinette | 8,222 | 56.49% | 6,127 | 42.09% | 207 | 1.42% | 2,095 | 14.39% | 14,556 |
| Marquette | 3,483 | 58.05% | 2,384 | 39.73% | 133 | 2.22% | 1,099 | 18.32% | 6,000 |
| Menominee | 166 | 22.07% | 586 | 77.93% | 0 | 0.00% | -420 | -55.85% | 752 |
| Milwaukee | 128,612 | 37.71% | 209,932 | 61.56% | 2,473 | 0.73% | -81,320 | -23.85% | 341,017 |
| Monroe | 7,570 | 57.83% | 5,199 | 39.72% | 320 | 2.44% | 2,371 | 18.11% | 13,089 |
| Oconto | 8,131 | 59.35% | 5,380 | 39.27% | 189 | 1.38% | 2,751 | 20.08% | 13,700 |
| Oneida | 8,773 | 55.29% | 6,762 | 42.62% | 331 | 2.09% | 2,011 | 12.67% | 15,866 |
| Outagamie | 35,143 | 53.85% | 29,223 | 44.78% | 893 | 1.37% | 5,920 | 9.07% | 65,259 |
| Ozaukee | 29,879 | 68.88% | 13,233 | 30.50% | 269 | 0.62% | 16,646 | 38.37% | 43,381 |
| Pepin | 1,279 | 53.14% | 1,093 | 45.41% | 35 | 1.45% | 186 | 7.73% | 2,407 |
| Pierce | 7,067 | 53.10% | 5,925 | 44.52% | 316 | 2.37% | 1,142 | 8.58% | 13,308 |
| Polk | 8,842 | 59.37% | 5,752 | 38.62% | 298 | 2.00% | 3,090 | 20.75% | 14,892 |
| Portage | 12,794 | 46.23% | 14,463 | 52.26% | 420 | 1.52% | -1,669 | -6.03% | 27,677 |
| Price | 3,284 | 52.21% | 2,858 | 45.44% | 148 | 2.35% | 426 | 6.77% | 6,290 |
| Racine | 40,813 | 56.07% | 31,333 | 43.05% | 645 | 0.89% | 9,480 | 13.02% | 72,791 |
| Richland | 3,293 | 52.72% | 2,866 | 45.89% | 87 | 1.39% | 427 | 6.84% | 6,246 |
| Rock | 23,813 | 45.61% | 27,424 | 52.52% | 976 | 1.87% | -3,611 | -6.92% | 52,213 |
| Rusk | 3,045 | 56.37% | 2,170 | 40.17% | 187 | 3.46% | 875 | 16.20% | 5,402 |
| Sauk | 11,044 | 49.82% | 10,741 | 48.46% | 381 | 1.72% | 303 | 1.37% | 22,166 |
| Sawyer | 3,766 | 57.97% | 2,650 | 40.79% | 81 | 1.25% | 1,116 | 17.18% | 6,497 |
| Shawano | 8,663 | 60.27% | 5,487 | 38.18% | 223 | 1.55% | 3,176 | 22.10% | 14,373 |
| Sheboygan | 29,657 | 63.27% | 16,720 | 35.67% | 497 | 1.06% | 12,937 | 27.60% | 46,874 |
| St. Croix | 17,298 | 61.48% | 10,329 | 36.71% | 510 | 1.81% | 6,969 | 24.77% | 28,137 |
| Taylor | 4,212 | 62.17% | 2,370 | 34.98% | 193 | 2.85% | 1,842 | 27.19% | 6,775 |
| Trempealeau | 4,898 | 48.88% | 4,928 | 49.18% | 195 | 1.95% | -30 | -0.30% | 10,021 |
| Vernon | 5,441 | 49.78% | 5,278 | 48.29% | 211 | 1.93% | 163 | 1.49% | 10,930 |
| Vilas | 6,595 | 62.58% | 3,773 | 35.80% | 171 | 1.62% | 2,822 | 26.78% | 10,539 |
| Walworth | 22,733 | 64.73% | 11,870 | 33.80% | 516 | 1.47% | 10,863 | 30.93% | 35,119 |
| Washburn | 3,533 | 53.43% | 2,974 | 44.98% | 105 | 1.59% | 559 | 8.45% | 6,612 |
| Washington | 44,222 | 74.99% | 14,276 | 24.21% | 475 | 0.81% | 29,946 | 50.78% | 58,973 |
| Waukesha | 134,608 | 71.49% | 52,684 | 27.98% | 986 | 0.52% | 81,924 | 43.51% | 188,278 |
| Waupaca | 10,596 | 59.12% | 7,072 | 39.46% | 256 | 1.43% | 3,524 | 19.66% | 17,924 |
| Waushara | 5,178 | 60.11% | 3,284 | 38.12% | 152 | 1.76% | 1,894 | 21.99% | 8,614 |
| Winnebago | 33,044 | 53.96% | 27,141 | 44.32% | 1,056 | 1.72% | 5,903 | 9.64% | 61,241 |
| Wood | 15,626 | 55.27% | 12,023 | 42.52% | 625 | 2.21% | 3,603 | 12.74% | 28,274 |
| Total | 1,128,941 | 52.25% | 1,004,303 | 46.48% | 27,588 | 1.28% | 124,638 | 5.77% | 2,160,832 |

##### Counties that flipped Democratic to Republican

* Adams (largest city: Adams)
* Barron (largest city: Rice Lake)
* Buffalo (largest city: Mondovi)
* Burnett (largest village: Grantsburg)
* Chippewa (largest city: Chippewa Falls)
* Clark (largest city: Neillsville)
* Columbia (largest city: Portage)
* Door (largest city: Sturgeon Bay)
* Dunn (largest city: Menomonie)
* Forest (largest city: Crandon)
* Grant (largest city: Platteville)
* Iron (largest city: Hurley)
* Jackson (largest city: Black River Falls)
* Kenosha (largest city: Kenosha)
* La Crosse (largest city: La Crosse)
* Lafayette (largest city: Darlington)
* Lincoln (largest city: Merrill)
* Marathon (largest city: Wausau)
* Monroe (largest city: Sparta)
* Oneida (largest city: Rhinelander)
* Outagamie (largest city: Appleton)
* Pepin (largest city: Durand)
* Pierce (largest city: River Falls)
* Polk (Largest city: Amery)
* Price (largest city: Park Falls)
* Richland (largest city: Richland Center)
* Rusk (largest city: Ladysmith)
* Sauk (largest city: Baraboo)
* Sawyer (largest city: Hayward)
* St. Croix (Largest city: Hudson)
* Vernon (largest city: Viroqua)
* Washburn (largest city: Spooner)
* Winnebago (largest city: Oshkosh)
* Wood (largest city: Wisconsin Rapids)