# 2020 Wisconsin Senate election

"none" is preferred when the title is already sufficiently detailed; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in Wisconsin :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
Class 1
1848
1851
1857
1863
1869
1875
1881
1887
1893
1899
1905
1911
1916
1922
1925 sp
1928
1934
1940
1946
1952
1957 sp
1958
1964
1970
1976
1982
1988
1994
2000
2006
2012
2018
2024
Class 3
1848
1849
1855
1861
1867
1872
1879
1881 sp
1885
1890
1891
1897
1903
1907 sp
1909
1914
1918 sp
1920
1926
1932
1938
1944
1950
1956
1962
1968
1974
1980
1982
1986
1992
1998
2004
2010
2016
2022
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1863
2nd sp
1864
1866
1868
1870
2nd sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
5th sp
1887
8th sp
1888
1890
1892
1893
4th sp
1894
7th sp
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
2nd sp
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
6th sp
11th sp
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
6th sp
1931
1st sp
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1941
1st sp
1942
1944
1946
1947
2nd sp
1948
1950
1952
1953
9th sp
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1969
7th sp
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1979
6th sp
1980
1982
1984
4th sp
1986
1988
1990
1992
1993
1st sp
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
7th sp
2022
2024
8th sp
2026 :
State government
General elections
1995
2000
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Gubernatorial elections
1848
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2012 (recall)
2014
2018
2022
2026
Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections
1942
1968
2012 (recall)
Secretary of State elections
1978
2014
2018
2022
2026
Attorney General elections
2014
2018
2022
Treasurer elections
2014
2022
Superintendent elections
2013
2017
2021
2025
State Senate elections
1996
2008
2010
2011 (recall)
2012 (recall)
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
State Assembly elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Supreme Court elections
2008
2009
2011
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2023
2025 :
Ballot measures
2006Referendum 1 :
Green Bay
Mayoral elections
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Madison
Mayoral elections
1997 sp
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Milwaukee
Mayoral elections
1910
1912
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2022 sp
2024 :
Kenosha
Mayoral elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
vte :
The 2020 Wisconsin Senate elections were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at the Fall general election in Wisconsin. 16 of the 33 seats in the Wisconsin Senate were up for election—the even-numbered districts. Before the election, Republicans held 18 seats, Democrats held 13, and two were vacant. Of the seats up for election, seven were held by Republicans, seven were held by Democrats, one was vacated by a Democratic resignation, and one was vacated by a Republican resignation. The primary election was held on August 11, 2020.
Republicans maintained control of the Senate but fell one seat short of a supermajority, defeating one Democratic incumbent and winning an open seat previously held by a Democrat. After the elections, Republicans were set to enter the 105th Wisconsin Legislature with 21 of 33 seats, but one member resigned due to election to another office, leaving them with 20 seats at the start of the legislative term.

## Results summary

| Seats | Seats | Party (majority caucus shading) | Party (majority caucus shading) | Total |
| Seats | Seats | Democratic | Republican | Total |
| Last election (2018) | Last election (2018) | 6 | 11 | 17 |
| Total after last election (2018) | Total after last election (2018) | 14 | 19 | 33 |
| Total before this election | Total before this election | 14 | 19 | 31 |
| Up for election | Up for election | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| of which: | Incumbent retiring | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| of which: | Vacated | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| of which: | Unopposed | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| This election | This election | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| Change from last election | Change from last election | | 1 | 1 |
| Total after this election | Total after this election | 12 | 21 | 33 |
| Change in total | Change in total | 2 | 2 | |

### Close races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
* State Senate district 32, 0.6%
* State Senate district 8, 8.54%
* State Senate district 30, 9.4% (gain)

## Outgoing incumbents
### Retiring

* Dave Craig (R–Vernon), representing District 28 since 2016, announced that he would not seek reelection to a second term in order to get "a break from public life."
* Dave Hansen (D–Green Bay), representing District 30 since 2000, announced in January 2020 that he would be retiring to spend more time with his family.
* Mark F. Miller (D–Monona), representing District 16 since 2004, announced in January 2020 that he would not be running for reelection.
* Luther Olsen (R–Ripon), representing District 14 since 2004, announced in February 2020 that he would not seek reelection, stating, "there comes a time in life when it’s time to move on."
* Fred Risser (D–Madison), representing District 26 since 1962, announced in March 2020 that he would be stepping down from the Legislature. Upon his retirement, Risser was the longest-serving lawmaker in American history, having served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate for 64 years.

### Vacated office

* Jennifer Shilling (D–La Crosse), who had represented District 32 since 2011 and served as Minority Leader since 2015, resigned her seat on May 15, 2020 in order to explore "unspecified career opportunities."
* Tom Tiffany (R–Hazelhurst), who had represented District 12 since 2014, left office on May 18, 2020, after winning the special election for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district.

## Race summary

| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | This race | This race | This race |
| District | Member | Party | First elected | Status | Primary candidates | General election candidates | Result |
| 2 | Robert Cowles | Republican | 1987 | Running | Robert Cowles (Republican) | Y Robert Cowles (Rep.) | Incumbent re-elected |
| 4 | Lena Taylor | Democratic | 2004 | Running | Lena Taylor (Democratic) | Y Lena Taylor (Dem.) | Incumbent re-elected |
| 6 | La Tonya Johnson | Democratic | 2016 | Running | Alciro Deacon (Republican) La Tonya Johnson (Democratic) Cordelia Michelle Bryant (Democratic) | Y La Tonya Johnson (Dem.) 88.83% Alciro Deacon (Rep.) 11.17% | Incumbent re-elected |
| 8 | Alberta Darling | Republican | 1992 | Running | Alberta Darling (Republican) Neal Plotkin (Democratic) | Y Alberta Darling (Rep.) 54.27% Neal Plotkin (Dem.) 45.73% | Incumbent re-elected |
| 10 | Patty Schachtner | Democratic | 2018 (special) | Running | Patty Schachtner (Democratic) Rob Stafsholt (Republican) Cherie Link (Republican) | Y Rob Stafsholt (Rep) 59.92% Patty Schachtner (Dem) 40.08% | Incumbent lost New member elected Republican gain |
| 12 | Tom Tiffany | Republican | 2012 | Vacant | Mary Felzkowski (Republican) Ed Vocke (Democratic) | Y Mary Felzkowski (Rep.) 65.71% Ed Vocke (Dem.) 34.29% | Incumbent vacated office to run for U.S. Representative New member elected Republican hold |
| 14 | Luther Olsen | Republican | 2004 | Not running | Joni Anderson (Democratic) Joan Ballweg (Republican) Kenneth Van Dyke, Sr. (Republican) | Y Joan Ballweg (Rep.) 64.91% Joni Anderson (Dem.) 35.09% | Incumbent retired New member elected Republican hold |
| 16 | Mark F. Miller | Democratic | 2004 | Not running | Scott Barker (Republican) Melissa Agard (Democratic) Andrew McKinney (Democratic) | Y Melissa Agard (Dem.) 73.5% Scott Barker (Rep.) 26.5% | Incumbent retired New member elected Democratic hold |
| 18 | Dan Feyen | Republican | 2016 | Running | Dan Feyen (Republican) Aaron Wojciechowski (Democratic) | Y Dan Feyen (Rep.) 59.13% Aaron Wojciechowski (Dem.) 40.87% | Incumbent re-elected |
| 20 | Duey Stroebel | Republican | 2014 | Running | Duey Stroebel (Republican) | Y Duey Stroebel (Rep.) | Incumbent re-elected |
| 22 | Robert Wirch | Democratic | 1996 | Running | Robert Wirch (Democratic) | Y Robert Wirch (Dem.) | Incumbent re-elected |
| 24 | Patrick Testin | Republican | 2016 | Running | Patrick Testin (Republican) Paul Piotrowski (Democratic) | Y Patrick Testin (Rep.) 56.47% Paul Piotrowski (Dem) 43.53% | Incumbent re-elected |
| 26 | Fred Risser | Democratic | 1962 | Not running | Kelda Roys (Dem.) Brian Benford (Dem.) Amani Latimer Burris (Dem.) Nada Elmikashfi (Dem.) William Henry Davis III (Dem.) John Imes (Dem.) Aisha Moe (Dem.) | Y Kelda Roys (Dem.) | Incumbent retired New member elected Democratic hold |
| 28 | Dave Craig | Republican | 2016 | Not running | Julian Bradley (Republican) Adam Murphy (Democratic) Steven Gerard Bobowski (Republican) Marina Croft (Republican) Jim Engstrand (Republican) Dan Griffin (Republican) | Y Julian Bradley (Rep.) 59.66% Adam Murphy (Dem.) 40.34% | Incumbent retired New member elected Republican hold |
| 30 | Dave Hansen | Democratic | 2000 | Not running | Jonathon Hansen (Democratic) Eric Wimberger (Republican) Sandra Jean Ewald (Democratic) | Y Eric Wimberger (Rep.) 54.7% Jonathon Hansen (Dem.) 45.3% | Incumbent retired New member elected Republican gain |
| 32 | Jennifer Shilling | Democratic | 2011 (recall) | Vacant | Dan Kapanke (Rep.) Brad Pfaff (Dem.) Jayne Marie Swiggum (Dem.) Paul Michael Weber (Dem.) | Y Brad Pfaff (Dem) 50.3% Dan Kapanke (Rep.) 49.7% | Incumbent vacated office New member elected Democratic hold |

## Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Likely R | October 21, 2020 |