The 2006 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jim Doyle ran for re-election to a second term in office. Doyle was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and he faced U.S. Representative Mark Green, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, in the general election. The campaign between Doyle and Green was competitive and hotly contested, but Doyle, whose approval ratings hovered around 50%, had the upper hand.[1] In the end, Doyle defeated Green by a fairly comfortable margin, improving on his 2002 victory in the process.
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Doyle: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Green: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No data | ||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the only Wisconsin gubernatorial election won by a Democrat with an outright majority of the vote between 1982 and 2022, and remains the largest winning margin garnered by a Democrat since 1982. This election was the first time since 1974 that an incumbent Democratic Governor was re-elected or won re-election.
Democratic primary
editGovernor
editCandidates
edit- Jim Doyle, incumbent Governor of Wisconsin
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jim Doyle (incumbent) | 318,523 | 99.30% | |
Democratic | Scattering | 2,259 | 0.70% | |
Total votes | 320,782 | 100.00% |
Lieutenant governor
editCandidates
edit- Barbara Lawton, incumbent lieutenant governor
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Barbara Lawton (incumbent) | 287,616 | 99.71% | |
Democratic | Scattering | 834 | 0.29% | |
Total votes | 288,450 | 100.00% |
Republican primary
editGovernor
editCandidates
edit- Mark Green, U.S. Representative from the 8th district
Withdrew
edit- Scott Walker, Milwaukee County Executive and former State Representative[3]
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Mark Green | 233,216 | 99.66% | |
Republican | Scattering | 804 | 0.34% | |
Total votes | 234,020 | 100.00% |
Lieutenant governor
editCandidates
edit- Jean Hundertmark, member of Wisconsin State Assembly
- Nick Voegeli
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jean Hundertmark | 119,283 | 56.02% | |
Republican | Nick Voegeli | 93,391 | 43.86% | |
Republican | Scattering | 243 | 0.11% | |
Total votes | 212,917 | 100.00% |
Green primary
editGovernor
editCandidates
edit- Nelson Eisman
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Green | Nelson Eisman | 1,707 | 98.33% | |
Green | Scattering | 29 | 1.67% | |
Total votes | 1,736 | 100.00% |
Lieutenant governor
editCandidates
edit- Leon Todd
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Green | Leon Todd | 1,676 | 99.23% | |
Green | Scattering | 13 | 0.77% | |
Total votes | 1,689 | 100.00% |
General election
editPredictions
editSource | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report[4] | Tossup | November 6, 2006 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball[5] | Lean D | November 6, 2006 |
Rothenberg Political Report[6] | Tossup | November 2, 2006 |
Real Clear Politics[7] | Lean D | November 6, 2006 |
Polling
editSource | Date | Jim Doyle (D) |
Mark Green (R) |
---|---|---|---|
WISC-TV[8] | November 2, 2006 | 50% | 44% |
Strategic Vision[9] | October 31, 2006 | 47% | 45% |
Zogby/WSJ[10] | October 31, 2006 | 46.7% | 47.2% |
Badger Poll[11] | October 30, 2006 | 50% | 36% |
Rasmussen[12] | October 29, 2006 | 48% | 44% |
Wisconsin Public Radio[13] | October 18, 2006 | 51% | 38% |
Strategic Vision[14] | October 11, 2006 | 46% | 43% |
Rasmussen[15] | September 25, 2006 | 47% | 44% |
Strategic Vision[16] | September 20, 2006 | 46% | 42% |
Zogby/WSJ | September 11, 2006 | 49.4% | 45.7% |
Zogby/WSJ | August 28, 2006 | 49.7% | 43.1% |
Rasmussen[17] | August 20, 2006 | 49% | 41% |
Strategic Vision[18] | August 18, 2006 | 45% | 44% |
Research 2000[19] | August 17, 2006 | 48% | 38% |
Zogby/WSJ | July 24, 2006 | 49.2% | 44.7% |
Rasmussen[20] | July 20, 2006 | 47% | 41% |
Strategic Vision[21] | July 20, 2006 | 43% | 42% |
University of Wisconsin[22] | July 2, 2006 | 49% | 36% |
WPRI[23] | June 23, 2006 | 49% | 37% |
Zogby/WSJ | June 21, 2006 | 46.9% | 45.1% |
Strategic Vision[24] | June 8, 2006 | 45% | 46% |
Strategic Vision[25] | May 3, 2006 | 45% | 43% |
Rasmussen[26] | April 28, 2006 | 47% | 43% |
Strategic Vision[27] | April 13, 2006 | 43% | 43% |
WPR/St. Norbert College Survey[28] | March 29 – April 7, 2006 | 43% | 35% |
Rasmussen[29] | March 29, 2006 | 45% | 40% |
Strategic Vision[30] | March 8, 2006 | 44% | 44% |
Rasmussen[31] | February 7, 2006 | 48% | 41% |
Strategic Vision[32] | February 1, 2006 | 44% | 43% |
Strategic Vision[33] | December 22, 2005 | 45% | 43% |
Rasmussen[34] | December 12, 2005 | 45% | 39% |
Strategic Vision[35] | November 16, 2005 | 47% | 44% |
Strategic Vision[36] | October 21, 2005 | 47% | 43% |
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jim Doyle (incumbent) | 1,139,115 | 52.70% | +7.60% | |
Republican | Mark Green | 979,427 | 45.31% | +3.92% | |
Green | Nelson Eisman | 40,709 | 1.88% | −0.60% | |
Scattering | 2,449 | 0.11% | |||
Majority | 159,688 | 7.39% | |||
Total votes | 2,161,700 | 100.00% | |||
Democratic hold | Swing | +3.68% |
Results by county
editDoyle became only the third Democrat to carry Door County; the only two previous gubernatorial elections in which it had voted Democratic were 1859 and 1904. Door County would not vote Democratic again until 2022. Doyle was also the first Democrat since Albert G. Schmedeman in 1932 to win Monroe County.
As of 2024, this is the last gubernatorial election in which the Democratic candidate carried the counties of Adams, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Forest, Iron, Jackson, Lafayette, Lincoln, Marathon, Monroe, Oneida, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Washburn, Winnebago, and Wood.
County[37] | Jim Doyle Democratic |
Mark Green Republican |
Nelson Eisman Green |
Scattering Write-in |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adams | 4,416 | 55.91% | 3,324 | 42.08% | 150 | 1.90% | 9 | 0.11% | 1,092 | 13.82% | 7,899 |
Ashland | 4,118 | 65.80% | 1,902 | 30.39% | 232 | 3.71% | 6 | 0.10% | 2,216 | 35.41% | 6,258 |
Barron | 8,136 | 49.81% | 7,920 | 48.49% | 271 | 1.66% | 6 | 0.04% | 216 | 1.32% | 16,333 |
Bayfield | 4,653 | 64.15% | 2,468 | 34.03% | 129 | 1.78% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,185 | 30.13% | 7,253 |
Brown | 45,046 | 48.11% | 46,989 | 50.18% | 1,517 | 1.62% | 83 | 0.09% | -1,943 | -2.08% | 93,635 |
Buffalo | 3,078 | 57.40% | 2,196 | 40.95% | 83 | 1.55% | 5 | 0.09% | 882 | 16.45% | 5,362 |
Burnett | 3,225 | 52.15% | 2,900 | 46.90% | 59 | 0.95% | 0 | 0.00% | 325 | 5.26% | 6,184 |
Calumet | 9,059 | 46.74% | 9,995 | 51.57% | 320 | 1.65% | 8 | 0.04% | -936 | -4.83% | 19,382 |
Chippewa | 11,467 | 52.56% | 9,839 | 45.10% | 502 | 2.30% | 10 | 0.05% | 1,628 | 7.46% | 21,818 |
Clark | 5,758 | 51.23% | 5,152 | 45.84% | 326 | 2.90% | 4 | 0.04% | 606 | 5.39% | 11,240 |
Columbia | 11,662 | 52.62% | 9,936 | 44.83% | 521 | 2.35% | 45 | 0.20% | 1,726 | 7.79% | 22,164 |
Crawford | 3,751 | 59.25% | 2,439 | 38.52% | 128 | 2.02% | 13 | 0.21% | 1,312 | 20.72% | 6,331 |
Dane | 149,661 | 69.95% | 58,302 | 27.25% | 5,645 | 2.64% | 332 | 0.16% | 91,359 | 42.70% | 213,940 |
Dodge | 13,137 | 42.31% | 17,302 | 55.72% | 581 | 1.87% | 29 | 0.09% | -4,165 | -13.41% | 31,049 |
Door | 7,592 | 52.75% | 6,479 | 45.01% | 319 | 2.22% | 3 | 0.02% | 1,113 | 7.73% | 14,393 |
Douglas | 10,670 | 65.52% | 5,233 | 32.14% | 376 | 2.31% | 5 | 0.03% | 5,437 | 33.39% | 16,284 |
Dunn | 8,070 | 55.24% | 6,208 | 42.50% | 318 | 2.18% | 12 | 0.08% | 1,862 | 12.75% | 14,608 |
Eau Claire | 22,240 | 57.16% | 15,733 | 40.43% | 889 | 2.28% | 49 | 0.13% | 6,507 | 16.72% | 38,911 |
Florence | 865 | 44.07% | 1,079 | 54.97% | 19 | 0.97% | 0 | 0.00% | -214 | -10.90% | 1,963 |
Fond du Lac | 16,073 | 42.05% | 21,515 | 56.28% | 615 | 1.61% | 23 | 0.06% | -5,442 | -14.24% | 38,226 |
Forest | 1,853 | 51.27% | 1,712 | 47.37% | 48 | 1.33% | 1 | 0.03% | 141 | 3.90% | 3,614 |
Grant | 9,242 | 54.52% | 7,427 | 43.81% | 283 | 1.67% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,815 | 10.71% | 16,952 |
Green | 7,769 | 58.67% | 5,149 | 38.89% | 304 | 2.30% | 19 | 0.14% | 2,620 | 19.79% | 13,241 |
Green Lake | 3,122 | 39.09% | 4,714 | 59.03% | 144 | 1.80% | 6 | 0.08% | -1,592 | -19.93% | 7,986 |
Iowa | 5,630 | 62.23% | 3,267 | 36.11% | 145 | 1.60% | 5 | 0.06% | 2,363 | 26.12% | 9,047 |
Iron | 1,560 | 56.07% | 1,189 | 42.74% | 30 | 1.08% | 3 | 0.11% | 371 | 13.34% | 2,782 |
Jackson | 3,858 | 55.61% | 2,931 | 42.25% | 146 | 2.10% | 3 | 0.04% | 927 | 13.36% | 6,938 |
Jefferson | 14,247 | 46.01% | 16,038 | 51.79% | 640 | 2.07% | 40 | 0.13% | -1,791 | -5.78% | 30,965 |
Juneau | 3,969 | 47.88% | 4,101 | 49.48% | 181 | 2.18% | 38 | 0.46% | -132 | -1.59% | 8,289 |
Kenosha | 28,338 | 55.49% | 21,737 | 42.56% | 938 | 1.84% | 58 | 0.11% | 6,601 | 12.93% | 51,071 |
Kewaunee | 4,354 | 48.14% | 4,479 | 49.52% | 211 | 2.33% | 1 | 0.01% | -125 | -1.38% | 9,045 |
La Crosse | 24,663 | 57.34% | 17,235 | 40.07% | 1,002 | 2.33% | 110 | 0.26% | 7,428 | 17.27% | 43,010 |
Lafayette | 3,344 | 57.20% | 2,405 | 41.14% | 91 | 1.56% | 6 | 0.10% | 939 | 16.06% | 5,846 |
Langlade | 4,184 | 48.70% | 4,276 | 49.77% | 126 | 1.47% | 5 | 0.06% | -92 | -1.07% | 8,591 |
Lincoln | 6,019 | 54.31% | 4,713 | 42.52% | 339 | 3.06% | 12 | 0.11% | 1,306 | 11.78% | 11,083 |
Manitowoc | 15,736 | 48.47% | 16,154 | 49.76% | 535 | 1.65% | 38 | 0.12% | -418 | -1.29% | 32,463 |
Marathon | 25,836 | 52.56% | 22,186 | 45.14% | 1,121 | 2.28% | 9 | 0.02% | 3,650 | 7.43% | 49,152 |
Marinette | 8,408 | 49.35% | 8,455 | 49.63% | 166 | 0.97% | 8 | 0.05% | -47 | -0.28% | 17,037 |
Marquette | 2,879 | 47.13% | 3,095 | 50.67% | 123 | 2.01% | 11 | 0.18% | -216 | -3.54% | 6,108 |
Menominee | 886 | 82.57% | 180 | 16.78% | 7 | 0.65% | 0 | 0.00% | 706 | 65.80% | 1,073 |
Milwaukee | 199,536 | 61.57% | 118,949 | 36.70% | 5,019 | 1.55% | 564 | 0.17% | 80,587 | 24.87% | 324,068 |
Monroe | 6,556 | 48.76% | 6,517 | 48.47% | 323 | 2.40% | 50 | 0.37% | 39 | 0.29% | 13,446 |
Oconto | 6,639 | 46.17% | 7,497 | 52.14% | 238 | 1.66% | 4 | 0.03% | -858 | -5.97% | 14,378 |
Oneida | 8,372 | 51.67% | 7,425 | 45.82% | 389 | 2.40% | 17 | 0.10% | 947 | 5.84% | 16,203 |
Outagamie | 34,901 | 50.05% | 33,511 | 48.05% | 1,284 | 1.84% | 41 | 0.06% | 1,390 | 1.99% | 69,737 |
Ozaukee | 15,229 | 36.90% | 25,460 | 61.69% | 542 | 1.31% | 43 | 0.10% | -10,231 | -24.79% | 41,274 |
Pepin | 1,627 | 55.70% | 1,256 | 43.00% | 38 | 1.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 371 | 12.70% | 2,921 |
Pierce | 7,829 | 55.30% | 6,034 | 42.62% | 284 | 2.01% | 10 | 0.07% | 1,795 | 12.68% | 14,157 |
Polk | 8,128 | 52.34% | 7,103 | 45.74% | 291 | 1.87% | 7 | 0.05% | 1,025 | 6.60% | 15,529 |
Portage | 17,754 | 61.55% | 10,206 | 35.38% | 858 | 2.97% | 27 | 0.09% | 7,548 | 26.17% | 28,845 |
Price | 3,581 | 55.85% | 2,737 | 42.69% | 91 | 1.42% | 3 | 0.05% | 844 | 13.16% | 6,412 |
Racine | 34,968 | 49.00% | 35,286 | 49.44% | 1,055 | 1.48% | 59 | 0.08% | -318 | -0.45% | 71,368 |
Richland | 3,489 | 54.41% | 2,814 | 43.88% | 100 | 1.56% | 10 | 0.16% | 675 | 10.53% | 6,413 |
Rock | 33,774 | 61.26% | 20,156 | 36.56% | 1,115 | 2.02% | 84 | 0.15% | 13,618 | 24.70% | 55,129 |
Rusk | 2,968 | 51.68% | 2,622 | 45.66% | 144 | 2.51% | 9 | 0.16% | 346 | 6.02% | 5,743 |
Sauk | 12,232 | 55.76% | 9,148 | 41.70% | 517 | 2.36% | 41 | 0.19% | 3,084 | 14.06% | 21,938 |
Sawyer | 3,218 | 51.22% | 2,965 | 47.19% | 100 | 1.59% | 0 | 0.00% | 253 | 4.03% | 6,283 |
Shawano | 7,236 | 46.16% | 8,227 | 52.48% | 208 | 1.33% | 6 | 0.04% | -991 | -6.32% | 15,677 |
Sheboygan | 21,388 | 45.13% | 25,257 | 53.29% | 714 | 1.51% | 38 | 0.08% | -3,869 | -8.16% | 47,397 |
St. Croix | 13,392 | 49.79% | 13,117 | 48.77% | 378 | 1.41% | 9 | 0.03% | 275 | 1.02% | 26,896 |
Taylor | 3,506 | 48.31% | 3,551 | 48.93% | 199 | 2.74% | 2 | 0.03% | -45 | -0.62% | 7,258 |
Trempealeau | 5,557 | 58.57% | 3,725 | 39.26% | 198 | 2.09% | 8 | 0.08% | 1,832 | 19.31% | 9,488 |
Vernon | 6,034 | 57.34% | 4,240 | 40.29% | 234 | 2.22% | 15 | 0.14% | 1,794 | 17.05% | 10,523 |
Vilas | 4,799 | 45.15% | 5,623 | 52.90% | 202 | 1.90% | 6 | 0.06% | -824 | -7.75% | 10,630 |
Walworth | 14,154 | 41.98% | 18,781 | 55.71% | 729 | 2.16% | 50 | 0.15% | -4,627 | -13.72% | 33,714 |
Washburn | 3,323 | 50.73% | 3,135 | 47.86% | 87 | 1.33% | 6 | 0.09% | 188 | 2.87% | 6,551 |
Washington | 17,219 | 32.29% | 35,262 | 66.13% | 803 | 1.51% | 41 | 0.08% | -18,043 | -33.84% | 53,325 |
Waukesha | 61,402 | 34.86% | 112,243 | 63.73% | 2,320 | 1.32% | 149 | 0.08% | -50,841 | -28.87% | 176,114 |
Waupaca | 8,767 | 45.24% | 10,296 | 53.13% | 307 | 1.58% | 10 | 0.05% | -1,529 | -7.89% | 19,380 |
Waushara | 4,155 | 46.55% | 4,590 | 51.42% | 170 | 1.90% | 11 | 0.12% | -435 | -4.87% | 8,926 |
Winnebago | 32,765 | 50.49% | 30,629 | 47.20% | 1,413 | 2.18% | 85 | 0.13% | 2,136 | 3.29% | 64,892 |
Wood | 16,043 | 54.27% | 12,711 | 43.00% | 779 | 2.64% | 26 | 0.09% | 3,332 | 11.27% | 29,559 |
Total | 1,139,115 | 52.70% | 979,427 | 45.31% | 40,709 | 1.88% | 2,449 | 0.11% | 159,688 | 7.39% | 2,161,700 |
Counties that flipped Republican to Democratic
edit- Burnett (largest village: Grantsburg)
- Clark (largest city: Neillsville)
- Chippewa (largest city: Chippewa Falls)
- Door (largest city: Sturgeon Bay)
- Outagamie (largest city: Appleton)
- Sawyer (largest city: Hayward)
- St. Croix (Largest city: Hudson)
- Winnebago (largest city: Oshkosh)
Counties that flipped from Libertarian to Democratic
editCounties that flipped from Libertarian to Republican
editCounties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ "SurveyUSA | America's Neighborhood Pollster".
- ^ a b c d e f "Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/12/2006". Wisconsin State Elections Board. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ Schultze, Steve (April 20, 2009). "Walker gov announcement expected April 28". Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ "2006 Governor Race Ratings for November 6, 2006" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
- ^ "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ "2006 Gubernatorial Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ "Election 2006". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ WISC-TV
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Zogby/WSJ
- ^ Badger Poll Archived November 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Rasmussen
- ^ Wisconsin Public Radio
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Rasmussen
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Rasmussen
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Research 2000
- ^ Rasmussen
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ University of Wisconsin Archived July 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ WPRI
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Rasmussen
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ WPR/St. Norbert College Survey
- ^ Rasmussen Archived June 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Rasmussen
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Rasmussen Archived December 16, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ Strategic Vision
- ^ a b "Canvass Summary Fall General Election - 11/07/2006". Wisconsin State Elections Board. Retrieved September 16, 2024.