# 1986 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 1986 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986. Republican Tommy G. Thompson won the election with 53% of the vote, winning his first term as Governor of Wisconsin and defeating incumbent Governor Anthony S. Earl. This was the first time since 1962 that the winner of a Wisconsin gubernatorial election was of the same party as the incumbent president. Jonathan B. Barry unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination.

## Primary election

The primary election was held on September 9, 1986. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were selected in separate primaries before running on a joint ticket in the general election.

### Democratic party
#### Governor
##### Candidates

* Anthony S. Earl, incumbent governor
* Edmond Hou-Seye, perennial candidate

##### Results

Democratic gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Anthony S. Earl (incumbent) | 215,183 | 80.30% |
| | Democratic | Edmond Hou-Seye | 52,784 | 19.70% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 267,967 | 100.00% |

#### Lieutenant Governor
##### Candidates

* Taylor Benson, former member of Wisconsin Senate
* Gervase Hephner, member of Wisconsin State Assembly
* Cletus J. Johnson, nominee for Secretary of State of Wisconsin in 1966
* Sharon K. Metz, member of Wisconsin State Assembly
* Arlyn F. Wollenburg, perennial candidate

##### Results

Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sharon K. Metz | 101,753 | 42.01% |
| | Democratic | Gervase Hephner | 52,313 | 21.60% |
| | Democratic | Cletus J. Johnson | 50,795 | 20.97% |
| | Democratic | Taylor Benson | 29,353 | 12.12% |
| | Democratic | Arlyn F. Wollenburg | 7,984 | 3.30% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 242,198 | 100.00% |

### Republican party
#### Governor
##### Candidates

* Jonathan B. Barry, Dane County Executive
* Joseph A. Ortiz
* Tommy G. Thompson, member of Wisconsin State Assembly
* George Watts, Milwaukee businessman
* Albert Lee Wiley Jr.

##### Results

Republican gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tommy G. Thompson | 156,875 | 52.11% |
| | Republican | Jonathan B. Barry | 67,114 | 22.30% |
| | Republican | George Watts | 58,424 | 19.41% |
| | Republican | Albert Lee Wiley Jr. | 15,233 | 5.06% |
| | Republican | Joseph A. Ortiz | 3,374 | 1.12% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 301,020 | 100.00% |

#### Lieutenant Governor
##### Candidates

* Patricia A. Goodrich, former member of Wisconsin State Assembly
* Drew W. Heiden
* Scott McCallum, member of Wisconsin Senate
* Robert Nolan

##### Results

Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Scott McCallum | 134,099 | 49.48% |
| | Republican | Patricia A. Goodrich | 65,628 | 24.22% |
| | Republican | Robert Nolan | 51,836 | 19.13% |
| | Republican | Drew W. Heiden | 19,451 | 7.18% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 271,014 | 100.00% |

### Labor-Farm party
#### Governor
##### Candidates

* Kathryn A. Christensen

##### Results

Labor-Farm gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor-Farm | Kathryn A. Christensen | 1,088 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,088 | 100.00% |

#### Lieutenant Governor
##### Candidates

* John Ervin Bergum

##### Results

Labor-Farm lieutenant gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labor-Farm | John Ervin Bergum | 1,012 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,012 | 100.00% |

### Independent nominations
#### Governor
##### Candidates

* Sanford Knapp
* Darold E. Wall

##### Results

Independent gubernatorial primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Darold E. Wall | 525 | 59.59% |
| | Independent | Sanford Knapp | 356 | 40.41% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 881 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Candidates

* Anthony S. Earl & Sharon K. Metz, Democrat
* Tommy G. Thompson & Scott McCallum, Republican
* Kathryn A. Christensen & John Ervin Bergum, Labor-Farm
* Darold E. Wall & Irma L. Lotts, Independent
* Sanford Knapp & Verdell Hallingstad, Independent

### Results

1986 Wisconsin gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Tommy G. Thompson | 805,090 | 52.73% | +10.79% |
| | Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 705,578 | 46.21% | −10.55% |
| | Labor-Farm | Kathryn A. Christensen | 10,323 | 0.68% | |
| | Independent | Darold E. Wall | 3,913 | 0.26% | |
| | Independent | Sanford Knapp | 1,668 | 0.11% | |
| | | Scattering | 388 | 0.03% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 99,512 | 6.52% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,526,960 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | +21.33% | |

### Results by county

Thompson was the first Republican since Walter J. Kohler Jr. in 1952 to win Ashland County and Manitowoc County.
| County | Tommy G. Thompson Republican | Tommy G. Thompson Republican | Anthony S. Earl Democratic | Anthony S. Earl Democratic | All Others Various | All Others Various | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 3,193 | 63.54% | 1,800 | 35.82% | 32 | 0.64% | 1,393 | 27.72% | 5,025 |
| Ashland | 3,076 | 49.67% | 3,015 | 48.68% | 102 | 1.65% | 61 | 0.98% | 6,193 |
| Barron | 5,720 | 51.27% | 5,366 | 48.10% | 70 | 0.63% | 354 | 3.17% | 11,156 |
| Bayfield | 2,664 | 48.15% | 2,788 | 50.39% | 81 | 1.46% | -124 | -2.24% | 5,533 |
| Brown | 34,762 | 55.73% | 27,000 | 43.29% | 612 | 0.98% | 7,762 | 12.44% | 62,374 |
| Buffalo | 2,471 | 51.27% | 2,321 | 48.15% | 28 | 0.58% | 150 | 3.11% | 4,820 |
| Burnett | 2,378 | 44.49% | 2,887 | 54.01% | 80 | 1.50% | -509 | -9.52% | 5,345 |
| Calumet | 6,492 | 62.79% | 3,716 | 35.94% | 131 | 1.27% | 2,776 | 26.85% | 10,339 |
| Chippewa | 7,041 | 47.93% | 7,173 | 48.83% | 477 | 3.25% | -132 | -0.90% | 14,691 |
| Clark | 6,080 | 57.90% | 4,287 | 40.83% | 133 | 1.27% | 1,793 | 17.08% | 10,500 |
| Columbia | 9,035 | 59.74% | 6,002 | 39.69% | 86 | 0.57% | 3,033 | 20.06% | 15,123 |
| Crawford | 3,563 | 64.23% | 1,926 | 34.72% | 58 | 1.05% | 1,637 | 29.51% | 5,547 |
| Dane | 51,412 | 39.68% | 76,204 | 58.82% | 1,947 | 1.50% | -24,792 | -19.14% | 129,563 |
| Dodge | 15,045 | 66.73% | 7,300 | 32.38% | 200 | 0.89% | 7,745 | 34.35% | 22,545 |
| Door | 5,211 | 63.67% | 2,903 | 35.47% | 70 | 0.86% | 2,308 | 28.20% | 8,184 |
| Douglas | 4,582 | 33.33% | 9,063 | 65.93% | 101 | 0.73% | -4,481 | -32.60% | 13,746 |
| Dunn | 4,520 | 44.77% | 5,459 | 54.07% | 117 | 1.16% | -939 | -9.30% | 10,096 |
| Eau Claire | 12,813 | 47.42% | 13,862 | 51.30% | 344 | 1.27% | -1,049 | -3.88% | 27,019 |
| Florence | 895 | 52.10% | 815 | 47.44% | 8 | 0.47% | 80 | 4.66% | 1,718 |
| Fond du Lac | 17,248 | 64.83% | 9,136 | 34.34% | 219 | 0.82% | 8,112 | 30.49% | 26,603 |
| Forest | 1,367 | 49.65% | 1,364 | 49.55% | 22 | 0.80% | 3 | 0.11% | 2,753 |
| Grant | 7,847 | 62.83% | 4,548 | 36.42% | 94 | 0.75% | 3,299 | 26.42% | 12,489 |
| Green | 4,721 | 59.99% | 3,054 | 38.81% | 94 | 1.19% | 1,667 | 21.18% | 7,869 |
| Green Lake | 4,407 | 73.63% | 1,522 | 25.43% | 56 | 0.94% | 2,885 | 48.20% | 5,985 |
| Iowa | 3,385 | 54.31% | 2,790 | 44.76% | 58 | 0.93% | 595 | 9.55% | 6,233 |
| Iron | 1,205 | 46.24% | 1,381 | 52.99% | 20 | 0.77% | -176 | -6.75% | 2,606 |
| Jackson | 3,256 | 54.35% | 2,698 | 45.03% | 37 | 0.62% | 558 | 9.31% | 5,991 |
| Jefferson | 11,551 | 58.98% | 7,876 | 40.21% | 159 | 0.81% | 3,675 | 18.76% | 19,586 |
| Juneau | 5,904 | 73.04% | 2,122 | 26.25% | 57 | 0.71% | 3,782 | 46.79% | 8,083 |
| Kenosha | 12,385 | 38.77% | 19,293 | 60.40% | 263 | 0.82% | -6,908 | -21.63% | 31,941 |
| Kewaunee | 4,052 | 56.77% | 3,029 | 42.44% | 56 | 0.78% | 1,023 | 14.33% | 7,137 |
| La Crosse | 17,596 | 52.92% | 15,290 | 45.98% | 365 | 1.10% | 2,306 | 6.94% | 33,251 |
| Lafayette | 3,124 | 59.29% | 2,113 | 40.10% | 32 | 0.61% | 1,011 | 19.19% | 5,269 |
| Langlade | 3,907 | 59.43% | 2,610 | 39.70% | 57 | 0.87% | 1,297 | 19.73% | 6,574 |
| Lincoln | 4,060 | 53.32% | 3,456 | 45.38% | 99 | 1.30% | 604 | 7.93% | 7,615 |
| Manitowoc | 15,203 | 56.75% | 11,176 | 41.72% | 411 | 1.53% | 4,027 | 15.03% | 26,790 |
| Marathon | 20,827 | 55.33% | 16,318 | 43.35% | 498 | 1.32% | 4,509 | 11.98% | 37,643 |
| Marinette | 7,856 | 60.68% | 4,974 | 38.42% | 116 | 0.90% | 2,882 | 22.26% | 12,946 |
| Marquette | 3,012 | 68.45% | 1,350 | 30.68% | 38 | 0.86% | 1,662 | 37.77% | 4,400 |
| Menominee | 216 | 23.89% | 684 | 75.66% | 4 | 0.44% | -468 | -51.77% | 904 |
| Milwaukee | 129,933 | 44.17% | 161,149 | 54.79% | 3,066 | 1.04% | -31,216 | -10.61% | 294,148 |
| Monroe | 6,015 | 63.65% | 3,360 | 35.56% | 75 | 0.79% | 2,655 | 28.10% | 9,450 |
| Oconto | 6,058 | 60.28% | 3,897 | 38.78% | 94 | 0.94% | 2,161 | 21.50% | 10,049 |
| Oneida | 6,390 | 57.92% | 4,571 | 41.43% | 72 | 0.65% | 1,819 | 16.49% | 11,033 |
| Outagamie | 25,445 | 61.18% | 15,701 | 37.75% | 443 | 1.07% | 9,744 | 23.43% | 41,589 |
| Ozaukee | 16,973 | 65.31% | 8,807 | 33.89% | 210 | 0.81% | 8,166 | 31.42% | 25,990 |
| Pepin | 1,297 | 51.24% | 1,202 | 47.49% | 32 | 1.26% | 95 | 3.75% | 2,531 |
| Pierce | 3,614 | 42.59% | 4,781 | 56.35% | 90 | 1.06% | -1,167 | -13.75% | 8,485 |
| Polk | 4,281 | 44.69% | 5,204 | 54.33% | 94 | 0.98% | -923 | -9.64% | 9,579 |
| Portage | 7,938 | 45.27% | 9,363 | 53.40% | 233 | 1.33% | -1,425 | -8.13% | 17,534 |
| Price | 3,969 | 61.39% | 2,437 | 37.70% | 59 | 0.91% | 1,532 | 23.70% | 6,465 |
| Racine | 26,575 | 51.14% | 24,892 | 47.90% | 503 | 0.97% | 1,683 | 3.24% | 51,970 |
| Richland | 4,051 | 64.46% | 2,165 | 34.45% | 69 | 1.10% | 1,886 | 30.01% | 6,285 |
| Rock | 19,459 | 50.04% | 19,005 | 48.88% | 420 | 1.08% | 454 | 1.17% | 38,884 |
| Rusk | 2,999 | 53.00% | 2,592 | 45.81% | 67 | 1.18% | 407 | 7.19% | 5,658 |
| Sauk | 8,994 | 61.91% | 5,440 | 37.45% | 93 | 0.64% | 3,554 | 24.46% | 14,527 |
| Sawyer | 2,895 | 60.41% | 1,839 | 38.38% | 58 | 1.21% | 1,056 | 22.04% | 4,792 |
| Shawano | 7,181 | 66.10% | 3,608 | 33.21% | 75 | 0.69% | 3,573 | 32.89% | 10,864 |
| Sheboygan | 17,324 | 49.91% | 17,091 | 49.24% | 294 | 0.85% | 233 | 0.67% | 34,709 |
| St. Croix | 5,990 | 46.80% | 6,744 | 52.70% | 64 | 0.50% | -754 | -5.89% | 12,798 |
| Taylor | 4,069 | 62.52% | 2,345 | 36.03% | 94 | 1.44% | 1,724 | 26.49% | 6,508 |
| Trempealeau | 4,171 | 49.26% | 4,243 | 50.11% | 53 | 0.63% | -72 | -0.85% | 8,467 |
| Vernon | 4,911 | 62.10% | 2,9433 | 37.22% | 54 | 0.68% | 1,968 | 24.89% | 7,908 |
| Vilas | 4,854 | 68.32% | 2,207 | 31.06% | 44 | 0.62% | 2,647 | 37.26% | 7,105 |
| Walworth | 11,786 | 60.41% | 7,505 | 38.47% | 220 | 1.13% | 4,281 | 21.94% | 19,511 |
| Washburn | 2,613 | 53.02% | 2,267 | 46.00% | 48 | 0.97% | 346 | 7.02% | 4,928 |
| Washington | 16,757 | 62.57% | 9,755 | 36.43% | 269 | 1.00% | 7,002 | 26.15% | 26,781 |
| Waukesha | 62,387 | 62.54% | 36,389 | 36.48% | 973 | 0.98% | 25,998 | 26.06% | 99,749 |
| Waupaca | 7,835 | 64.92% | 4,121 | 34.15% | 113 | 0.94% | 3,714 | 30.77% | 12,069 |
| Waushara | 4,057 | 67.17% | 1,909 | 31.61% | 74 | 1.23% | 2,148 | 35.56% | 6,040 |
| Winnebago | 25,786 | 59.04% | 17,316 | 39.65% | 571 | 1.31% | 8,470 | 19.39% | 43,673 |
| Wood | 14,401 | 58.31% | 10,059 | 40.73% | 236 | 0.96% | 4,342 | 17.58% | 24,696 |
| Total | 805,090 | 52.73% | 705,578 | 46.21% | 16,292 | 1.07% | 99,512 | 6.52% | 1,526,960 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Adams
* Ashland
* Barron
* Brown
* Buffalo
* Fond du Lac
* Forest
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Kewaunee
* La Crosse
* Langlade
* Manitowoc
* Marathon
* Oneida
* Outagamie
* Pepin
* Racine
* Rock
* Rusk
* Sheboygan
* Washburn
* Winnebago
* Wood