# Electoral history of Paul Ryan

* This article is part of a series about Paul Ryan
Political positions
Electoral history
Vice presidential campaigns
2012
selection
convention
election
Speaker of the House
2015 election
2017 re-election
The Path to Prosperity
A Better Way :
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Electoral history of Paul Ryan, United States Representative from Wisconsin (1999-2019), 2012 Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States, and Speaker of the House of Representatives (2015-2019). Throughout his career, Paul Ryan had never lost an election other than his defeat in the 2012 United States presidential election; of all the times he has won, he has never received less than 54% of the vote.

## Wisconsin's 1st congressional district

| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Elected | Elected | Elected | Defeated | Defeated | Defeated | Defeated | Total | Plurality |
| 1998 | Primary | Sep. 8 | Paul Ryan | Republican | 15,859 | 80.74% | Michael J. Logan | Rep. | 3,784 | 19.26% | 19,643 | 12,075 |
| 1998 | General | Nov. 3 | Paul Ryan | Republican | 108,475 | 57.11% | Lydia Spottswood | Dem. | 81,164 | 42.73% | 189,946 | 27,311 |
| 2000 | General | Nov. 7 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 177,612 | 66.57% | Jeffrey C. Thomas | Dem. | 88,885 | 33.32% | 266,791 | 88,727 |
| 2002 | General | Nov. 5 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 140,176 | 67.19% | Jeffrey C. Thomas | Dem. | 63,895 | 30.63% | 208,613 | 76,281 |
| 2002 | General | Nov. 5 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 140,176 | 67.19% | George Meyers | Lib. | 4,406 | 2.11% | 208,613 | 76,281 |
| 2004 | General | Nov. 2 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 233,372 | 65.37% | Jeffrey C. Thomas | Dem. | 116,250 | 32.57% | 356,976 | 117,122 |
| 2004 | General | Nov. 2 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 233,372 | 65.37% | Norman Aulabaugh | Ind. | 4,252 | 1.19% | 356,976 | 117,122 |
| 2004 | General | Nov. 2 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 233,372 | 65.37% | Don Bernau | Lib. | 2,936 | 0.82% | 356,976 | 117,122 |
| 2006 | General | Nov. 7 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 161,320 | 62.63% | Jeffrey C. Thomas | Dem. | 95,761 | 37.17% | 257,596 | 65,559 |
| 2008 | General | Nov. 4 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 231,009 | 63.97% | Marge Krupp | Dem. | 125,268 | 34.69% | 361,107 | 105,741 |
| 2008 | General | Nov. 4 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 231,009 | 63.97% | Joseph Kexel | Lib. | 4,606 | 1.28% | 361,107 | 105,741 |
| 2010 | General | Nov. 2 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 179,819 | 68.21% | John Heckenlively | Dem. | 79,363 | 30.10% | 263,627 | 100,456 |
| 2010 | General | Nov. 2 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 179,819 | 68.21% | Joseph Kexel | Lib. | 4,311 | 1.64% | 263,627 | 100,456 |
| 2012 | General | Nov. 6 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 200,423 | 54.90% | Rob Zerban | Dem. | 158,414 | 43.39% | 365,058 | 42,009 |
| 2012 | General | Nov. 6 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 200,423 | 54.90% | Keith Deschler | Ind. | 6,054 | 1.66% | 365,058 | 42,009 |
| 2014 | Primary | Aug. 12 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 40,813 | 94.27% | Jeremy Ryan | Rep. | 2,450 | 5.66% | 43,293 | 38,363 |
| 2014 | General | Nov. 4 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 182,316 | 63.27% | Rob Zerban | Dem. | 105,552 | 36.63% | 288,170 | 76,764 |
| 2014 | General | Nov. 4 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 182,316 | 63.27% | Keith Deschler (write-in) | Ind. | 29 | 0.01% | 288,170 | 76,764 |
| 2016 | Primary | Aug. 9 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 57,364 | 84.06% | Paul Nehlen | Rep. | 10,864 | 15.92% | 68,243 | 46,500 |
| 2016 | General | Nov. 8 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 230,072 | 64.95% | Ryan Solen | Dem. | 107,003 | 30.21% | 354,245 | 123,069 |
| 2016 | General | Nov. 8 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 230,072 | 64.95% | Spencer Zimmerman | Ind. | 9,429 | 2.66% | 354,245 | 123,069 |
| 2016 | General | Nov. 8 | Paul Ryan (inc) | Republican | 230,072 | 64.95% | Jason Lebeck | Lib. | 7,486 | 2.11% | 354,245 | 123,069 |

## Speaker of the House
### 2015

2015 election for Speaker (Special) – 114th Congress :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Paul Ryan (WI-01) | 236 | 54.63 |
| | Democratic | Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) | 184 | 42.60 |
| | Republican | Dan Webster (FL-10) | 9 | 2.08 |
| | Democratic | Jim Cooper (TN-05) | 1 | 0.23 |
| | Democratic | John Lewis (GA-05) | 1 | 0.23 |
| | Republican | Colin Powell | 1 | 0.23 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 432 | 100 |
| Votes necessary | Votes necessary | Votes necessary | 217 | >50 |

### 2017

2017 election for Speaker – 115th Congress :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Paul Ryan (WI-01) (incumbent) | 239 | 55.19 |
| | Democratic | Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) | 189 | 43.65 |
| | Democratic | Tim Ryan (OH-13) | 2 | 0.47 |
| | Democratic | Jim Cooper (TN-05) | 1 | 0.23 |
| | Democratic | John Lewis (GA-05) | 1 | 0.23 |
| | Republican | Dan Webster (FL-10) | 1 | 0.23 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 433 | 100 |
| Votes necessary | Votes necessary | Votes necessary | 217 | >50 |

## Vice presidential nominee

At the 2012 Republican National Convention, Paul Ryan was nominated for vice president by voice vote.
2012 United States presidential election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Barack Obama (inc.) / Joe Biden (inc.) | 65,915,795 | 51.06% |
| | Republican | Mitt Romney / Paul Ryan | 60,933,504 | 47.20% |
| | Libertarian | Gary Johnson / Jim Gray | 1,275,971 | 0.99% |
| | Green | Jill Stein / Cheri Honkala | 469,627 | 0.36% |
| | Constitution | Virgil Goode / Jim Clymer | 122,389 | 0.09% |
| | Peace and Freedom | Roseanne Barr / Cindy Sheehan | 67,326 | 0.05% |
| | Justice | Rocky Anderson / Luis J. Rodriguez | 43,018 | 0.03% |
| | Independent | Tom Hoefling / J.D. Ellis | 40,628 | 0.03% |
| | N/A | Other | 217,152 | 0.17% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 129,085,410 | 100.00% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
The Republican presidential ticket which included Paul Ryan as vice presidential candidate won 195,835 votes (51.65% of the vote) in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. This was almost 5000 votes fewer than his simultaneous congressional run, and a lower percentage of the vote than he won in any of his congressional races for that district.