Continuing a decade-long trend in Wisconsin due in part to GOP-drawn legislative maps, Democratic candidates on Tuesday secured fewer legislative seats than what their statewide vote total would suggest.
A Wisconsin State Journal analysis of unofficial vote totals in Wisconsin legislative races Tuesday shows that Democratic candidates received 46% of total votes cast in state Assembly races, but ended up with only 38 of 99 seats after winning two new districts. In state Senate races, Democratic candidates secured about 47% of total votes, but only picked up 38% of the seats on the ballot and now control only 12 of 33 seats.
Results are considered preliminary until officially canvassed, and The Associated Press has not called all state legislative races yet. The data does not include write-in votes.
“When people are denying the existence of a very effective gerrymander in Wisconsin, they’re basically asking us to deny what we can see with our own two eyes,” said Anthony Chergosky, UW-La Crosse assistant professor of political science. “You look at the maps, you look at the statistics, you look at the voting patterns, you look at the discrepancy between the popular vote and the number of seats won, and it’s plain as day that this was not just a gerrymandered map, but a very effective one.”
This year’s voting breakdown wasn’t as stark as in 2018, when Democrats swept all statewide elections and Democratic Assembly candidates secured about 53% of total votes cast, but they only ended up with 36% of the chamber’s seats. In 2016, Republicans garnered 52% of votes cast, yet won 65% of the Assembly seats.
“Once again, the rigging of the maps by the Republicans in 2011 has paid off,” said Matthew Rothschild, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan organization that tracks campaign spending. “Because of gerrymandering, we have unfair representation in Wisconsin.”
Minor shifts
The GOP added two seats in the state Senate and came within 600 votes of securing a third district, which would have granted Republicans a veto-proof majority in that chamber.
Republicans secured victories in the 10th Senate District, with incumbent Patty Schachtner, D-Somerset, losing to Rep. Rob Stafsholt, R-New Richmond, and in the 30th Senate District, with Green Bay lawyer Eric Wimberger defeating Democratic De Pere City Council member Jonathon Hansen.
In the 32nd Senate District, Democrat Brad Pfaff declared victory over former state Sen. Dan Kapanke while up by 589 votes. The Associated Press has not yet called the race.
As it stands, Republicans look to hold a 31-12 advantage in the Senate next year. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, won his bid for the 5th Congressional District and will vacate his 13th Senate District seat. However, that district has historically trended Republican.
In the Assembly, Democrats added two seats following victories in suburban Milwaukee districts. In the 23rd Assembly District, Democrat Deb Andraca declared victory over incumbent Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, and in the 13th Assembly District, Democrat Sara Rodriguez was up by 725 votes over incumbent Rep. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield. The Associated Press has not yet called the 13th Assembly District race.
Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, said those gains were made despite GOP-drawn maps, signifying a shift among suburban voters.
“Both in 2018 and 2020 you’ve seen a full-turnout election — Republicans and Democrats turning out throughout the state,” Hintz said. “If both sides turnout high and you’ve got districts that are not competitive to begin with, you’re going to have to find spots.”
Republicans still look to hold a 61-38 majority in the Assembly next year.
Earlier this year, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin launched a Save the Veto campaign aimed at preventing Republicans from making major gains in either chamber.
“The only question in this election was if the Republicans were going to obtain a supermajority,” Chergosky said. “I think it’s pretty telling that the Democrats flipping the majority has never been a plausible outcome.”
GOP responds
Kit Beyer, spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, said in an email that “Democrats’ argument for redistricting reform fails miserably when you look closer at the ticket splitting.” She cited the 2018 U.S. Senate race, in which Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, of Madison, won in 55 state Assembly districts — 19 of which also went to GOP Assembly candidates.
“Wisconsinites in 61 Assembly districts voted to have a Republican to represent them,” Beyer said of Tuesday’s election. “It’s not a statewide vote for individual representation. That’s not how our representative Democracy works.”
Republicans often have downplayed concerns of gerrymandered districts in the state and instead have said the GOP’s successes are the result of campaign efforts and strong candidates, as well as Democrats being clustered in cities.
“Republicans have better candidates,” Vos, R-Rochester, said. “I credit our strong incumbents and great recruits for creating the conservative majority in the Assembly.”
But Democrats often point to examples of disconnects between what the majority of Wisconsin voters want and what the GOP-led Legislature has delivered.
For example, a Marquette Law School Poll released last September found 80% of Wisconsinites supported expanded background checks for gun purchases — including nearly 70% of gun owners. However, Republicans the following November refused to take up discussion or a vote on gun control legislation in special sessions ordered by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Polling also has found the majority of Wisconsinites support expanding Medicaid and legalizing medical marijuana, but neither issue has gained much traction in the GOP-led Legislature.
Fitzgerald’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Drawing the maps
Tuesday’s election follows similar trends since Republicans, with full control of state government, were able to draw maps in a tightly controlled room at a law office in 2011. Democrats were not allowed to take part in the process.
Democrats and others have argued partisan gerrymandering is unfair by giving Republicans a built-in electoral advantage. Political parties in power at the time of redistricting can amplify that power by two methods: “packing and cracking.”
“Packing” occurs when many supporters of the party out of power are condensed into a small number of districts, giving them a few overwhelming wins. The remaining supporters of the minority party are then “cracked,” or spread out across a large number of districts so they consistently get under 50% of the vote, handing steady victories to the party in power.
Such a process is aided by the fact that large pockets of Democratic voters tend to live in the state’s more urban areas, such as Dane County and Milwaukee, Chergosky said.
“The whole name of the game is cramming the other party’s voters into a small number of districts and the geographic clustering of Democratic voters makes that easier to do,” he said.
No clear path
Evers this year created a commission tasked with drawing and proposing nonpartisan maps to the Legislature next year, but Republican leaders already have signaled plans to reject those maps and draw their own.
“Republicans started working even before I took office to prevent us from getting things done — it’s got to stop,” Evers said in an email last week. “We can’t afford to have these same maps for another 10 years, it’s just too important.”
Evers also promised to veto any partisan gerrymandered maps that come to his desk. With the governor’s veto power still intact following Tuesday’s election, the matter is likely again headed to state or federal court.
“I think it’s probably realistic to assume the worst-case scenario should be court-drawn maps,” Hintz said.
Also on Tuesday, more than a dozen counties and municipalities approved nonbinding referendums in favor of nonpartisan redistricting. The referendum passed in all 11 counties and three municipalities. A total of 28 of the state’s 72 counties and 16 municipalities have passed such a referendum over the last few years.
The results are in: See how Wisconsin voted in top state and local races
PRESIDENT, U.S. HOUSE
President
3,689 of 3,689 precincts - 100 percent
x-Joe Biden, Dem 1,630,548 - 50 percent
Donald Trump, GOP (i) 1,610,007 - 49 percent
Jo Jorgensen, Lib 38,414 - 1 percent
Brian Carroll, ASP 5,253 - 0 percent
Don Blankenship, CST 5,205 - 0 percent
U.S. House District 1 SE corner, Kenosha
370 of 370 precincts - 100 percent
x-Bryan Steil, GOP (i) 238,257 - 59 percent
Roger Polack, Dem 163,154 - 41 percent
U.S. House District 3 West Central
605 of 605 precincts - 100 percent
x-Ron Kind, Dem (i) 199,798 - 51 percent
Derrick Van Orden, GOP 188,825 - 49 percent
U.S. House District 5 SE, Milwaukee subs
364 of 364 precincts - 100 percent
x-Scott Fitzgerald, GOP 265,417 - 60 percent
Tom Palzewicz, Dem 175,872 - 40 percent
U.S. House District 6 East Central
428 of 428 precincts - 100 percent
x-Glenn Grothman, GOP (i) 238,858 - 59 percent
Jessica King, Dem 164,215 - 41 percent
U.S. House District 7 North
711 of 711 precincts - 100 percent
x-Tom Tiffany, GOP (i) 251,998 - 61 percent
Tricia Zunker, Dem 162,724 - 39 percent
WISCONSIN STATE SENATE
District 6
98 of 98 precincts - 100 percent
x-La Tonya Johnson, Dem (i) 60,051 - 89 percent
Alciro Deacon, GOP 7,555 - 11 percent
District 8
91 of 91 precincts - 100 percent
x-Alberta Darling, GOP (i) 64,905 - 54 percent
Neal Plotkin, Dem 54,692 - 46 percent
District 10
101 of 101 precincts - 100 percent
x-Rob Stafsholt, GOP 61,889 - 60 percent
Patty Schachtner, Dem (i) 41,211 - 40 percent
District 12
180 of 182 precincts - 99 percent
x-Mary Czaja-Felzkowski, GOP 68,679 - 66 percent
Ed Vocke, Dem 34,598 - 34 percent
District 14
152 of 152 precincts - 100 percent
x-Joan Ballweg, GOP 61,877 - 65 percent
Joni Anderson, Dem 33,453 - 35 percent
District 16
69 of 69 precincts - 100 percent
x-Melissa Agard Sargent, Dem 83,515 - 73 percent
Scott Barker, GOP 30,119 - 27 percent
District 18
106 of 106 precincts - 100 percent
x-Dan Feyen, GOP (i) 52,490 - 59 percent
Aaron Wojciechowski, Dem 36,274 - 41 percent
District 24
121 of 121 precincts - 100 percent
x-Patrick Testin, GOP (i) 53,717 - 57 percent
Paul Piotrowski, Dem 41,348 - 43 percent
District 28
91 of 91 precincts - 100 percent
x-Julian Bradley, GOP 64,179 - 60 percent
Adam Murphy, Dem 43,390 - 40 percent
District 30
65 of 65 precincts - 100 percent
x-Eric Wimberger, GOP 47,945 - 55 percent
Jonathon Hansen, Dem 39,711 - 45 percent
District 32
131 of 131 precincts - 100 percent
Brad Pfaff, Dem 48,853 - 50 percent
Dan Kapanke, GOP 48,264 - 50 percent
WISCONSIN STATE ASSEMBLY
District 1
41 of 41 precincts - 100 percent
x-Joel Kitchens, GOP (i) 23,441 - 62 percent
Kim Delorit Jensen, Dem 14,463 - 38 percent
District 2
29 of 29 precincts - 100 percent
x-Shae Sortwell, GOP (i) 22,244 - 63 percent
Mark Kiley, Dem 12,970 - 37 percent
District 3
30 of 30 precincts - 100 percent
x-Ron Tusler, GOP (i) 21,314 - 59 percent
Emily Voight, Dem 14,702 - 41 percent
District 4
22 of 22 precincts - 100 percent
x-David Steffen, GOP (i) 17,811 - 53 percent
Kathy Hinkfuss, Dem 15,804 - 47 percent
District 6
47 of 47 precincts - 100 percent
x-Gary Tauchen, GOP (i) 21,283 - 69 percent
Richard Sarnwick, Dem 9,398 - 31 percent
District 8
27 of 27 precincts - 100 percent
x-Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, Dem 8,914 - 79 percent
Angel Sanchez, GOP 2,375 - 21 percent
District 9
32 of 32 precincts - 100 percent
x-Marisabel Cabrera, Dem (i) 11,980 - 73 percent
Veronica Diaz, GOP 4,458 - 27 percent
District 11
33 of 33 precincts - 100 percent
x-Dora Drake, Dem 18,329 - 85 percent
Orlando Owens, GOP 3,299 - 15 percent
District 12
27 of 27 precincts - 100 percent
x-LaKeshia Myers, Dem (i) 18,539 - 82 percent
Ozell Cox, GOP 4,117 - 18 percent
District 13
30 of 30 precincts - 100 percent
Sara Rodriguez, Dem 19,296 - 51 percent
Rob Hutton, GOP (i) 18,571 - 49 percent
District 14
35 of 35 precincts - 100 percent
x-Robyn Vining, Dem (i) 21,370 - 54 percent
Bonnie Lee, GOP 18,185 - 46 percent
District 15
27 of 27 precincts - 100 percent
x-Joe Sanfelippo, GOP (i) 17,133 - 55 percent
Jessica Katzenmeyer, Dem 14,134 - 45 percent
District 16
31 of 31 precincts - 100 percent
x-Kalan Haywood, Dem (i) 17,662 - 89 percent
Dennis Walton, Ind 2,153 - 11 percent
District 17
34 of 34 precincts - 100 percent
x-Supreme Moore Omokunde, Dem 22,417 - 86 percent
Abie Eisenbach, GOP 3,638 - 14 percent
District 19
29 of 29 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jonathan Brostoff, Dem (i) 27,547 - 79 percent
Helmut Fritz, GOP 7,534 - 21 percent
District 21
12 of 12 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jessie Rodriguez, GOP (i) 17,729 - 55 percent
Erik Brooks, Dem 14,708 - 45 percent
District 23
32 of 32 precincts - 100 percent
x-Deb Andraca, Dem 21,052 - 52 percent
Jim Ott, GOP (i) 19,727 - 48 percent
District 24
24 of 24 precincts - 100 percent
Dan Knodl, GOP (i) 20,075 - 51 percent
Emily Siegrist, Dem 18,923 - 49 percent
District 25
29 of 29 precincts - 100 percent
x-Paul Tittl, GOP (i) 19,591 - 65 percent
Kerry Trask, Dem 10,700 - 35 percent
District 26
26 of 26 precincts - 100 percent
x-Terry Katsma, GOP (i) 18,222 - 59 percent
Mary Donohue, Dem 12,674 - 41 percent
District 28
45 of 45 precincts - 100 percent
x-Gae Magnafici, GOP (i) 21,646 - 64 percent
Kim Butler, Dem 12,221 - 36 percent
District 29
36 of 36 precincts - 100 percent
x-Clint Moses, GOP 18,958 - 60 percent
John Calabrese, Dem 12,521 - 40 percent
District 30
20 of 20 precincts - 100 percent
x-Shannon Zimmerman, GOP (i) 20,712 - 56 percent
Sarah Yacoub, Dem 16,322 - 44 percent
District 31
36 of 36 precincts - 100 percent
x-Amy Loudenbeck, GOP (i) 19,961 - 60 percent
Elizabeth Lochner-Abel, Dem 13,549 - 40 percent
District 32
19 of 19 precincts - 100 percent
x-Tyler August, GOP (i) 20,158 - 62 percent
Katherine Gaulke, Dem 12,455 - 38 percent
District 33
19 of 19 precincts - 100 percent
x-Cody Horlacher, GOP (i) 21,496 - 62 percent
Mason Becker, Dem 13,227 - 38 percent
District 34
53 of 53 precincts - 100 percent
x-Rob Swearingen, GOP (i) 24,652 - 63 percent
Kirk Bangstad, Dem 14,267 - 37 percent
District 35
70 of 70 precincts - 100 percent
x-Calvin Callahan, GOP 20,920 - 65 percent
Tyler Ruprecht, Dem 11,105 - 35 percent
District 37
28 of 28 precincts - 100 percent
x-John Jagler, GOP (i) 19,407 - 56 percent
Abigail Lowery, Dem 14,142 - 41 percent
Stephen Ratzlaff, Ind 1,041 - 3 percent
District 38
31 of 31 precincts - 100 percent
x-Barbara Dittrich, GOP (i) 22,786 - 59 percent
Melissa Winker, Dem 16,162 - 41 percent
District 39
40 of 40 precincts - 100 percent
x-Mark Born, GOP (i) 22,085 - 69 percent
Izzy Nevarez, Dem 10,049 - 31 percent
District 40
47 of 47 precincts - 100 percent
x-Kevin Petersen, GOP (i) 21,893 - 69 percent
Deb Silvers, Dem 9,651 - 31 percent
District 41
50 of 50 precincts - 100 percent
x-Alex Dallman, GOP 18,602 - 61 percent
Nate Zimdars, Dem 10,428 - 34 percent
Jean Bartz, Ind 1,679 - 5 percent
District 42
55 of 55 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jon Plumer, GOP (i) 19,403 - 59 percent
Melisa Arndt, Dem 13,379 - 41 percent
District 43
41 of 41 precincts - 100 percent
x-Don Vruwink, Dem (i) 17,641 - 55 percent
Beth Drew, GOP 14,262 - 45 percent
District 44
25 of 25 precincts - 100 percent
x-Sue Conley, Dem 17,201 - 60 percent
DuWayne Severson, GOP 11,333 - 40 percent
District 45
38 of 38 precincts - 100 percent
x-Mark Spreitzer, Dem (i) 14,451 - 55 percent
Tawny Gustina, GOP 11,895 - 45 percent
District 46
11 of 11 precincts - 100 percent
x-Gary Hebl, Dem (i) 25,918 - 68 percent
Terry Lyon, GOP 12,330 - 32 percent
District 47
27 of 27 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jimmy Anderson, Dem (i) 27,943 - 75 percent
Phil Anderson, GOP 9,331 - 25 percent
District 48
31 of 31 precincts - 100 percent
x-Samba Baldeh, Dem 30,068 - 80 percent
Samuel Anderson, GOP 7,649 - 20 percent
District 49
69 of 69 precincts - 100 percent
x-Travis Tranel, GOP (i) 16,663 - 59 percent
Shaun Murphy-Lopez, Dem 11,370 - 41 percent
District 50
65 of 65 precincts - 100 percent
x-Tony Kurtz, GOP (i) 18,756 - 63 percent
Mark Waldon, Dem 10,863 - 37 percent
District 51
60 of 60 precincts - 100 percent
x-Todd Novak, GOP (i) 15,931 - 52 percent
Kriss Marion, Dem 14,726 - 48 percent
District 52
38 of 38 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jeremy Thiesfeldt, GOP (i) 19,028 - 62 percent
Julie Schroeder, Dem 11,674 - 38 percent
District 53
41 of 41 precincts - 100 percent
x-Michael Schraa, GOP (i) 19,758 - 69 percent
Joseph Connelly, Ind 9,054 - 31 percent
District 54
28 of 28 precincts - 100 percent
x-Gordon Hintz, Dem (i) 15,487 - 54 percent
Donny Herman, GOP 13,063 - 46 percent
District 55
19 of 19 precincts - 100 percent
x-Rachael Cabral-Guevara, GOP 19,056 - 55 percent
Daniel Schierl, Dem 15,658 - 45 percent
District 56
43 of 43 precincts - 100 percent
x-Dave Murphy, GOP (i) 23,081 - 61 percent
Diana Lawrence, Dem 15,054 - 39 percent
District 57
30 of 30 precincts - 100 percent
x-Lee Snodgrass, Dem 15,969 - 57 percent
Eric Beach, GOP 12,275 - 43 percent
District 62
19 of 19 precincts - 100 percent
x-Robert Wittke, GOP (i) 20,537 - 59 percent
August Schutz, Dem 14,463 - 41 percent
District 63
17 of 17 precincts - 100 percent
x-Robin Vos, GOP (i) 19,919 - 58 percent
Joel Jacobsen, Dem 14,131 - 42 percent
District 64
70 of 70 precincts - 100 percent
x-Tip McGuire, Dem (i) 16,364 - 56 percent
Ed Hibsch, GOP 12,813 - 44 percent
District 65
45 of 45 precincts - 100 percent
x-Tod Ohnstad, Dem (i) 14,355 - 60 percent
Crystal Miller, GOP 9,444 - 40 percent
District 66
26 of 26 precincts - 100 percent
x-Greta Neubauer, Dem (i) 14,519 - 70 percent
Will Leverson, GOP 6,130 - 30 percent
District 67
54 of 54 precincts - 100 percent
x-Rob Summerfield, GOP (i) 21,180 - 64 percent
Chris Kapsner, Dem 11,921 - 36 percent
District 68
47 of 47 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jesse James, GOP (i) 19,003 - 61 percent
Emily Berge, Dem 12,161 - 39 percent
District 69
61 of 61 precincts - 100 percent
x-Donna Rozar, GOP 18,567 - 66 percent
Brian Giles, Dem 9,603 - 34 percent
District 70
58 of 58 precincts - 100 percent
x-Nancy VanderMeer, GOP (i) 20,687 - 67 percent
John Baldus, Dem 10,317 - 33 percent
District 71
31 of 31 precincts - 100 percent
x-Katrina Shankland, Dem (i) 17,753 - 55 percent
Scott Soik, GOP 14,306 - 45 percent
District 72
32 of 32 precincts - 100 percent
x-Scott Krug, GOP (i) 19,210 - 60 percent
Criste Greening, Dem 12,619 - 40 percent
District 73
47 of 47 precincts - 100 percent
Nick Milroy, Dem (i) 16,621 - 50 percent
Keith Kern, GOP 16,482 - 50 percent
District 74
93 of 93 precincts - 100 percent
x-Beth Meyers, Dem (i) 18,160 - 51 percent
James Bolen, GOP 17,163 - 49 percent
District 75
55 of 55 precincts - 100 percent
x-David Armstrong, GOP 20,102 - 62 percent
John Ellenson, Dem 12,134 - 38 percent
District 76
26 of 26 precincts - 100 percent
x-Francesca Hong, Dem 35,727 - 88 percent
Patrick Hull, GOP 4,777 - 12 percent
District 79
45 of 45 precincts - 100 percent
x-Dianne Hesselbein, Dem (i) 29,717 - 67 percent
Victoria Fueger, GOP 14,505 - 33 percent
District 80
44 of 44 precincts - 100 percent
x-Sondy Pope, Dem (i) 26,520 - 65 percent
Chase Binnie, GOP 14,589 - 35 percent
District 81
33 of 33 precincts - 100 percent
x-Dave Considine, Dem (i) 18,913 - 57 percent
David Dahlke, GOP 14,312 - 43 percent
District 82
33 of 33 precincts - 100 percent
x-Ken Skowronski, GOP (i) 17,205 - 50 percent
Jacob Malinowski, Dem 15,925 - 47 percent
Marc Ciske, Ind 1,098 - 3 percent
District 83
22 of 22 precincts - 100 percent
x-Chuck Wichgers, GOP (i) 27,019 - 70 percent
Alan DeYoung, Dem 11,747 - 30 percent
District 85
42 of 42 precincts - 100 percent
x-Patrick Snyder, GOP (i) 16,598 - 55 percent
Jeff Johnson, Dem 13,515 - 45 percent
District 87
89 of 89 precincts - 100 percent
x-James Edming, GOP (i) 21,569 - 71 percent
Richard Pulcher, Dem 8,883 - 29 percent
District 88
20 of 20 precincts - 100 percent
x-John Macco, GOP (i) 17,211 - 52 percent
Kristin Lyerly, Dem 15,673 - 48 percent
District 89
20 of 20 precincts - 100 percent
x-John Nygren, GOP (i) 22,823 - 69 percent
Karl Jaeger, Dem 10,374 - 31 percent
District 90
25 of 25 precincts - 100 percent
x-Kristina Shelton, Dem 12,756 - 60 percent
Drew Kirsteatter, GOP 8,429 - 40 percent
District 91
41 of 41 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jodi Emerson, Dem (i) 18,758 - 62 percent
Charlie Walker, GOP 11,529 - 38 percent
District 92
70 of 70 precincts - 100 percent
x-Treig Pronschinske, GOP (i) 17,270 - 59 percent
Amanda WhiteEagle, Dem 12,197 - 41 percent
District 93
80 of 80 precincts - 100 percent
x-Warren Petryk, GOP (i) 22,181 - 62 percent
Charlene Charlie Warner, Dem 13,769 - 38 percent
District 94
24 of 24 precincts - 100 percent
x-Steve Doyle, Dem (i) 19,155 - 52 percent
Kevin Hoyer, GOP 16,507 - 45 percent
Leroy Brown, Ind 868 - 2 percent
District 95
31 of 31 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jill Billings, Dem (i) 19,682 - 66 percent
Jerome Gundersen, GOP 10,270 - 34 percent
District 96
76 of 76 precincts - 100 percent
x-Loren Oldenburg, GOP (i) 16,812 - 56 percent
Josefine Jaynes, Dem 13,066 - 44 percent
District 97
40 of 40 precincts - 100 percent
x-Scott Allen, GOP (i) 18,555 - 59 percent
Aaron Perry, Dem 12,770 - 41 percent
SCHOOL REFERENDUMS
CLINTON
All precincts reporting
Question 1: Borrow $32 million for additions and renovations
x-Yes 1,764..........52.0%
No 1,613..........48.0%
Question 2: Exceed revenue limit by $500,000 a year for four years
x-Yes 1,758..........52.0%
No 1,596..........48.0%
DEERFIELD
All precincts reporting
Exceed revenue limit by $500,000 a year for five years
x-Yes 1,753..........68.0%
No 0,831..........32.0%
JANESVILLE
All precincts reporting
Question 1: Borrow $22.5 million for building improvements
x-Yes 20,842..........67.0%
No 10,255..........33.0%
Question 2: Exceed revenue limits by varying amounts totaling $37 million over four years
x-Yes 16,998..........55.0%
No 13,815..........45.0%
MADISON
All precincts reporting
Question 1: Exceed revenue limits by varying amounts totaling $33 million over four years
x-Yes 121,002..........76.0%
No 37,442..........24.0%
Question 2: Borrow $317 million for building improvements
x-Yes 125,842..........80.0%
No 32,290..........20.0%
MILTON
All precincts reporting
Exceed revenue limit by $2.5 million a year for five years
x-Yes 6,300..........50.0%
No 6,257..........50.0%
MONONA GROVE
All precincts reporting
Exceed revenue limit by $3.7 million a year for four years
x-Yes 7,279..........60.0%
No 4,898..........40.0%
PECATONICA
All precincts reporting
Exceed revenue limit by $490,000 a year, recurring
x-Yes 1,112..........64.0%
No 0,617..........36.0%
PORTAGE
All precincts reporting
Exceed revenue limit by $3.7 million a year for five years
x-Yes 4,683..........56.0%
No 3,746..........44.0%
RICHLAND
All precincts reporting
Question 1: Exceed revenue limit by $1.25 million a year, recurring
x-Yes 2,771..........53.0%
No 2,500..........47.0%
Question 2: Borrow $27 million for capital improvements
x-No 2,669..........51.0%
Yes 2,575..........49.0%
WAUNAKEE
All precincts reporting
Exceed revenue limit by $2.1 million a year for five years
x-Yes 8,491..........63.0%
No 5,077..........37.0%
WISCONSIN HEIGHTS
All precincts reporting
Borrow $27 million for new elementary school, other upgrades
x-Yes 2,138..........53.0%
No 1,910..........47.0%
OTHER COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL RACES AND REFERENDUMS
COLUMBIA COUNTY
Town of Arlington
All precincts reporting
Make the town clerk or town treasurer a position appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 301..........62.0%
No 187..........38.0%
CRAWFORD COUNTY
All precincts reporting
Call on Wisconsin Legislature to create a nonpartisan procedure for redistricting
x-Yes 5,544..........70.0%
No 2,380..........30.0%
DANE COUNTY
Town of Roxbury
All precincts reporting
Question 1: Make the town clerk a position appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 704..........62.0%
No 434..........38.0%
Question 2: Make the town treasurer a position appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 690..........61.0%
No 444..........39.0%
Town of York
All precincts reporting
Make the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer a position appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 291..........70.0%
No 122..........30.0%
Village of Maple Bluff
All precincts reporting
Exceed revenue limit by $862,409 a year, recurring
x-Yes 694..........66.0%
No 362..........34.0%
DODGE COUNTY
Town of Clyman
All precincts reporting
Make the town clerk and town treasurer positions appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 281..........64.0%
No 160..........36.0%
Town of Shields
All precincts reporting
Make the town clerk and town treasurer positions appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 253..........72.0%
No 98..........28.0%
City of Beaver Dam
All precincts reporting
Exceed revenue limit by $487,604 a year, recurring
x-Yes 5,127..........66.0%
No 2,591..........34.0%
GRANT COUNTY
Town of Watterstown
All precincts reporting
Provide residential garbage and recycling pickup in the Town of Watterstown
x-No 125..........63.0%
Yes 74..........37.0%
GREEN COUNTY
Town of Decatur
All precincts reporting
Allow ATVs and UTVs to travel on all town roads, not including Sugar River State Trail
x-Yes 636..........61.0%
No 413..........39.0%
Town of York
All precincts reporting
Make the town clerk and town treasurer positions appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 414 - 64%
No 235..........36.0%
Town of Sylvester
All precincts reporting
Make the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer a position appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 418 - 66%
No 220..........34.0%
Town of Adams
All precincts reporting
Combine town clerk and town treasurer positions and make it appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 164 - 50%
No 162..........50.0%
Town of Monroe
All precincts reporting
Make the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer a position appointed by Town Board
x-No 464 - 64%
Yes 265..........36.0%
IOWA COUNTY
All precincts reporting
Call on Wisconsin Legislature to create a nonpartisan procedure for redistricting
x-Yes 9,438 - 74%
No 3,348..........26.0%
Town of Waldwick
All precincts reporting
Allow ATVs and UTVs to travel on all town roads
x-Yes 172 - 58%
No 127..........42.0%
Village of Arena
All precincts reporting
Question 1: Exceed revenue limit by $75,000 a year for full-time EMT staff
x-No 258 - 54%
Yes 218..........46.0%
Question 2: Exceed revenue limit by $35,000 a year for employee raises 0,000..........0.0%
x-No 299 - 63%
Yes 174..........37.0%
Question 3: Exceed revenue limit by $55,000 a year for five years for street maintenance and capital equipment 0,000..........0.0%
x-No 295 - 63%
Yes 177..........38.0%
JEFFERSON COUNTY
All precincts reporting
Call on Wisconsin Legislature to create a nonpartisan procedure for redistricting
x-Yes 24,631 - 58%
No 17,662..........42.0%
Town of Palmyra
All precincts reporting
Make the combined office of town clerk and town treasurer a position appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 463 - 59%
No 316..........41.0%
RICHLAND COUNTY
Town of Henrietta
All precincts reporting
Make the town clerk and town treasurer positions appointed by Town Board
x-No 122..........50.0%
Yes 120..........50.0%
ROCK COUNTY
Blackhawk Technical College District
All precincts reporting
Borrow $32 million for building additions and improvements
x-Yes 54,674..........58.0%
No 40,048..........42.0%
Town of Harmony
All precincts reporting
Make the town treasurer a position appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 1,020 - 60%
No 683..........40.0%
City of Evansville
All precincts reporting
Choice to build new aquatic center, demolish existing aquatic center and complete West Side Park (council will adopt whichever option gets the most votes)
x-Option 3: Neither 1,352 - 42%
Option 1: Borrow $9.4 million for proposed aquatics and sports improvements 1,054..........33.0%
Option 2: Borrow $11.2 million for proposed aquatics and sports improvements 784..........25.0%
SAUK COUNTY
Town of Dellona
All precincts reporting
Make the town treasurer and town clerk positions appointed by Town Board
x-Yes 649..........65.0%
No 347..........35.0%
Associated Press calls Wisconsin for Joe Biden; Trump campaign vows recount
Joe Biden has won Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes, moving the former vice president to the threshold of the presidency, depending on the outcome in just a few remaining swing states.
“Plain and simple, Donald Trump has lost Wisconsin, he is losing Michigan, and he is losing the presidency,” said Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates.
Biden’s lead in the unofficial vote tally was just over 20,500 votes, or about 0.6 of a percentage point, a nearly identical margin by which Trump won the state in 2016. Shortly before The Associated Press called the state for Biden, the Trump campaign vowed to “immediately” request a recount in Wisconsin.
“Despite ridiculous public polling used as a voter suppression tactic, Wisconsin has been a razor-thin race as we always knew that it would be,” Bill Stepien, Trump campaign manager, said in a statement.
Stepien made unsubstantiated claims that there have been “reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results,” but did not elaborate.
The Biden campaign tore into those claims Wednesday afternoon.
“When Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by roughly the same amount of votes that Joe Biden just did, or won Michigan with fewer votes than Joe Biden is winning it now, he bragged about a ‘landslide,’ and called recount efforts ‘sad,’” Bates said.
“What makes these charades especially pathetic is that while Trump is demanding recounts in places he has already lost, he’s simultaneously engaged in fruitless attempts to halt the counting of votes in other states in which he’s on the road to defeat. This is not the behavior of a winning campaign.”
If Biden’s advantage stays about where it is, Trump could request a recount, although his campaign would most likely need to pay for it. Under state law, if the election is within 1% of the winner’s total vote, the second-place candidate has the right to request a recount.
There is no cost to the losing candidate if the difference between the leading candidate is 0.25% or less. If the difference is more than 0.25%, the Wisconsin Elections Commission will estimate the cost, which must be paid before the recount begins.
The recount rules were enacted after Green Party candidate Jill Stein requested a recount in 2016, which resulted in a net gain of 131 votes for Trump.
Republican Gov. Scott Walker signed into law the recount rule changes, which effectively blocked his campaign from seeking a recount when he lost the 2018 election by 1.1 percentage points. On Wednesday he called Biden’s lead in the state a “high hurdle” for Trump to overcome, although not impossible if the canvassing of results shifts things.
For now, attention turns toward certifying election results. Each of Wisconsin’s 1,850 municipalities must complete their counts by 4 p.m. Wednesday. Then, counties begin canvassing and results are certified by the state Elections Commission by Dec. 1.
Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe said the election process followed state laws, which do not permit the counting of absentee ballots before Election Day and allow municipalities to count absentee ballots at a central location, which results in late updates to the totals.
“There are no dark corners or locked doors in elections,” Wolfe said in a press briefing Wednesday morning. “Anybody was free to watch those processes as they unfolded yesterday.”
Wolfe emphasized in the coming days and weeks, municipal, county and state elections officials will begin the process of meticulously double- and triple-checking the results through the canvassing process.
The state will also begin a random selection of 5% of the voting equipment used in this election, which must be audited to ensure the paper tally matches the tally from the voting equipment.
“I think that it’s insulting to our local election officials to say that yesterday’s election was anything but an incredible success that was the result of years of preparation and meticulously, carefully following the law,” Wolfe said.
Evers offers assurance
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers during a media call Wednesday assured Wisconsinites of a fair and accurate election result, and urged patience as “every vote is being counted and every single voter is being heard.”
He said the Trump campaign is welcome to seek a recount, but expects Biden’s lead in the state to be insurmountable.
The final results could shift slightly after provisional ballots are tallied. Such ballots are an option for voters who don’t have the proper photo ID at the polls on Election Day. They have until Friday to provide a proper photo ID for their ballots to be counted. So far the state has only recorded 212 provisional ballots, though there could be more.
Wolfe said there are typically only about 1,000 provisional ballots issued in general elections.
State law allows a losing candidate to request a recount if the difference in votes is within 1%, and Donald Trump's presidential campaign has vowed to do so.
Ballot record set
The number of voters in this election, about 3.3 million, set an all-time record for the state, while the turnout as a percentage of the estimated voting-age population was about 72.5%, just shy of the all-time record of 73.2% turnout in 2004.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, voters returned a record 1,924,838 absentee and early ballots out of 2,071,727 requested. It’s unclear how many absentee ballots were returned after polls closed Tuesday, which would cause them to be disqualified under state law and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Some absentee voters may have decided not to return their absentee ballot and instead vote in person.
Turnout was substantially higher than in 2016, when about 3 million, or 67% of voting-age Wisconsinites cast a ballot.
Both candidates received higher percentages of support than Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton did in 2016. Biden benefited from higher support in reliably Democratic Dane and Milwaukee counties, as well as a stronger showing than Clinton in the reliably Republican Milwaukee suburban counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington.
For most of Tuesday night and early Wednesday, Trump retained a consistent lead in early returns. But that lead evaporated when the totals from Democratic-leaning absentee ballots were accounted for in the state’s urban centers of Milwaukee and Green Bay.
Kenosha County delivered its final unofficial vote totals as dawn was breaking shortly after 6 a.m., sealing Biden’s lead.
Still, election officials caution election night results are unofficial and need to be certified by municipal, county and state officials before they can become valid.
A true battleground
Three of the past five presidential elections in Wisconsin were decided by less than 1 percentage point. Trump, in 2016, was the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state since 1984. Polls leading up to the election had shown Biden with a larger lead, just as they had for Clinton four years earlier.
In 2000, Al Gore won Wisconsin by just 5,708 votes over George W. Bush, a difference of just 0.22 of a percentage point. Trump won in 2016 by 22,748 votes, or 0.77 of a percentage point.
Wisconsin decided the 2016 presidential election and both campaigns made it a focus this year. Trump visited the state 10 times this year, including four stops in the final 10 days of the race. Biden visited three times during the campaign.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Photos: Election Day 2020
The Orpheum Theatre serves as a polling location on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Young voters fill out their ballots at the Orpheum Theatre.
Voters cast ballots and election officials process absentee ballots at the polling place at the Orpheum Theatre on Tuesday.
A voter leaves the O’Keeffe Middle School polling place on the morning of Election Day.
Margaret Berg and her friend Katya Maes walk along North Shore Drive in Madison in United States Post Office box costumes. Berg made the costumes out of boxes from new patio heaters, and the two women walked around downtown Madison the morning of Election Day.
Voters fill in ballots behind privacy screens at the Olbrich Gardens polling place on Election Day in Madison, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Election officials Tom Otto and Alex Foote feed absentee ballots into the voting tabulator machine at the O’Keeffe Middle School polling place on Election Day in Madison. Absentee ballots were delivered to each polling location, and election officials spent the day processing them.
One of Madison’s busiest polling places, O’Keeffe Middle School, had a slow stream of voters in and out of its doors on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Election officials Jess Wilson and Jessie Chmell process absentee ballots at the the O’Keeffe Middle School polling place.
According to the Dane County Clerk, Olbrich Gardens is one of Madison’s busiest polling places.
Election official Sharon Lewandowski sanitizes a voting booth at the Olbrich Gardens polling place on Tuesday.
Voters wait in line and fill out ballots at Olbrich Gardens Tuesday morning.
Election Official Bonnie Buchanan sits at the voter registration table at Olbrich Gardens.
An election official wears disposable gloves to hold a stack of absentee ballots as she waits in line to put them into the voting machine at Olbrich Gardens on Tuesday morning.
Voters and election officials stream in and out of the commons at Olbrich Gardens Tuesday morning.
A voter fills in her ballot at the O’Keeffe Middle School polling place on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday.
An election official moves from one station to another to process absentee ballots while a voter fills in his ballot behind a privacy screen, at O’Keeffe Middle School Tuesday morning.
A voter fills out a ballot behind a privacy screen at O’Keeffe Middle School Tuesday morning.
Logan Millenbah holds a sign, directing voters to the Chazen Museum polling place on Election Day in Madison, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
A Prius with “Vote” written on the windows is parked outside of the Memorial Union at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which serves as a polling place on Election Day.
Signs direct voters to the polling place within the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union on Election Day.
Election Official Lindsey Weiss stands in line to process voters’ absentee ballots at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union polling place on Tuesday morning.
Voting booths are empty as election officials wait in line to process absentee ballots at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union Tuesday morning.
Hand sanitizer and “I voted” stickers are available for voters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union polling place, on Election Day.
University of Wisconsin - Madison psychology major Madeline Wellman poses for a portrait with a #BadgersVote mask, outside of Smith Residence Hall on Election Day.
Election official Nate Stevens assists voter Joan Wheeler with curbside voting outside of the Faith Bible Community Church polling place on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Election officials and University of Wisconsin-Madison Juniors Kisa Sow and Jordan Shapiro wait on the sidewalk of West Johnson Street for curbside voters, as a person sleeps on a doorstep behind them, on Election Day in Madison.
A cyclist rides past the Orpheum Theatre polling place on Election Day.
Robert Crisler stands on the side of Dayton Street, holding a sign directing voters to the poling place at Nicholas Recreation Center, at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, on Tuesday afternoon.
Londyn and Lily sit in the back of a mini van as a small crowd gathers in the plaza at the corner of North Carroll and State streets in support of the anti-racism movement, on Election Night in Madison, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
As a small crowd gathers near the Capitol, Jalynn Hoffer (3) peeks through an opening in the art installment the evening of election night.
Londyn and Lily play in the plaza at the corner of North Carroll and State streets as a small crowd gathers in support of the anti-racism movement, on election night in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The marquee at the Orpheum Theatre reads "Vote out voter suppression," on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Scott Ball uses a flashlight to see the carne asada steak on his grill, during an outdoor election results party in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood of Madison, on Tuesday night.
Frances Ball, 9, plays a glowing stacking game in the rooftop tent of a camper, while the election news is projected on a screen below her, at an outdoor election results party in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood of Madison Tuesday night.
Neighbors gather for an outdoor election results party in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood of Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Frances Ball, 9, and Anna King, 9, sit on a blanket and watch the election news at an outdoor election results block party.
Annie Kubena and her dog Vinnie settle in for a long night of watching election news, at their home in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Gary Olson and Tony Cass watch election coverage on televisions at Wilson’s Bar in Madison on election night.
Sports and election coverage are shown on televisions at Wilson’s Bar in Madison on Tuesday night.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has led a Republican caucus that has held between 60 and 64 out of 99 seats over a decade while winning 47 to 55% of the vote.
