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Tony Evers (D) defeated incumbent Scott Walker (R) and four other candidates in the 2018 general election for governor of Wisconsin.
Heading into the 2018 race, Walker had last been elected in 2014, winning a second term by a margin of 6 percentage points. Since the introduction of four-year terms for governors of Wisconsin in a 1967 constitutional amendment, the only governor to win election to more than two consecutive terms was Tommy Thompson (R), who was elected in 1986 and was re-elected in 1990, 1994, and 1998. The last election in which an elected governor seeking re-election was defeated was in 1986, when Thompson unseated Tony Earl (D). Of the state's past 10 gubernatorial elections, five resulted in partisan control of the seat flipping.
Evers' victory broke the state's Republican trifecta. At the time of the election, Wisconsin had been a Republican trifecta since Walker took office and Republicans gained majorities in both chambers of the state legislature in 2011. The winner of this election stood to influence the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Wisconsin state law, the governor may veto congressional and state legislative district lines proposed by the state legislature. Evers' victory marks the fifth time in state history that a Democratic governor will preside over redistricting.
Third party and independent candidates included Phillip Anderson (L), Arnie Enz (The Wisconsin Party), Maggie Turnbull (I), and Michael White (G).
Wisconsin was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election.
Wisconsin governor, 2018
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Tony Evers (D) | Scott Walker (R) | Phillip Anderson (L) | Michael White (G) | Maggie Turnbull (I) | Arnie Enz (I) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College (October 29-31, 2018) | N/A | 51% | 46% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | +/-4.1 | 604 |
| Marquette University Law School (October 24-28, 2018) | N/A | 47% | 47% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | +/-3.2 | 1,154 |
| Ipsos (October 12-18, 2018) | Thomson Reuters/University of Virginia | 48% | 45% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | +/-3.0 | 1,193 |
| Marquette University Law School (October 3-7, 2018) | N/A | 46% | 47% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | +/-3.9 | 799 |
| Marist College (September 30 - October 3, 2018) | NBC News | 52% | 43% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 4% | +/-4.1 | 781 |
| AVERAGES | 48.8% | 45.6% | 1.6% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.8% | +/-3.66 | 906.2 |
Wisconsin governor, 2018
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Tony Evers (D) | Scott Walker (R) | Phillip Anderson (L) | Michael White (G) | Maggie Turnbull (I) | Arnie Enz (I) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipsos (September 14-21, 2018) | Thomson Reuters/University of Virginia | 50% | 43% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | +/-3.4 | 1,109 |
| Marquette Law School (September 12-16, 2018) | N/A | 49% | 44% | 6% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | +/-4.4 | 614 |
| Public Policy Polling (September 4-5, 2018) | High Ground Action Fund | 49% | 45% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 6% | +/-4.0 | 726 |
| Suffolk University (August 18-24, 2018) | N/A | 46% | 44% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 7% | +/-4.4 | 500 |
| Marquette University Law School (August 15-19, 2018) | N/A | 46% | 46% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | +/-4.5 | 601 |
| Public Policy Polling (August 15-16, 2018) | The Evers campaign | 49% | 44% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | +/-4.0 | 600 |
| AVERAGES | 48.17% | 44.33% | 2.5% | 0% | 0% | 0.17% | 5.33% | +/-4.12 | 691.67 |
Wisconsin governor 2018, hypothetical general election matchup
| Poll | Tony Evers (D) | Scott Walker (R) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College (July 26-28) | 48% | 41% | 7% | +/-4.2 | 632 |
| NBC News/Marist Poll (July 15-19) | 54% | 41% | 5% | +/-3.8 | 906 |
| Marquette University (June 13-17) | 44% | 48% | 8% | +/-4.0 | 800 |
| AVERAGES | 48.67% | 43.33% | 6.67% | +/-4 | 779.33 |
The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage. Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.
Race ratings: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018
| Race tracker | Race ratings | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 5, 2018 | October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | |
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up |
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up |
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up |
Republican incumbent Scott Walker won re-election on November 4, 2014.
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Scott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch Incumbent |
52.3% | 1,259,706 | |
| Democrat | Mary Burke/John Lehman | 46.6% | 1,122,913 | |
| Libertarian | Robert Burke/Joseph Brost | 0.8% | 18,720 | |
| Independent | Dennis Fehr | 0.3% | 7,530 | |
| Nonpartisan | Scattering | 0.1% | 1,248 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0% | 200 | |
| Total Votes | 2,410,317 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board | ||||
Scott Walker defeated Tom Barrett (D) and Hariprasad "Hari" Trivedi (I) in a recall election on June 5, 2012. A primary took place on May 8. While governors and lieutenant governors normally run on a joint ticket in Wisconsin, there is a separate set of rules for a recall. Each official must be recalled separately and face a separate recall election.
Recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, 2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Walker Incumbent |
53.1% | 1,335,585 | |
| Democratic | Tom Barrett | 46.3% | 1,164,480 | |
| Independent | Hari Trivedi | 0.6% | 14,463 | |
| Scattering | - | 0.1% | 1,537 | |
| Total Votes | 2,516,065 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board | ||||
On November 2, 2010, Scott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch won election to the office of Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor. They defeated Tom Barrett/Tom Nelson (D) and six third-party candidates in the general election.
Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2010
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch |
52.2% | 1,128,941 | |
| Democratic | Tom Barrett/Tom Nelson | 46.5% | 1,004,303 | |
| Independent | Jim Langer/No candidate | 0.5% | 10,608 | |
| Libertarian | No candidate/Terry Virgil | 0.3% | 6,790 | |
| Common Sense | James James/No candidate | 0.4% | 8,273 | |
| Independent | Leslie Ervin Smetak/David Myron Smetak | 0% | 19 | |
| Independent | Patricia Messici/No candidate | 0% | 22 | |
| Independent | Hari Trivedi/No candidate | 0% | 18 | |
| Scattering | Various | 0.1% | 1,858 | |
| Total Votes | 2,160,832 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. | ||||
On November 7, 2006, Jim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton won re-election to the office of Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor. They defeated Mark Green/Jean Hundertmark (R) and Nelson Eisman/Leon Todd (G) in the general election.
Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2006
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton Incumbent |
52.7% | 1,139,115 | |
| Republican | Mark Green/Jean Hundertmark | 45.3% | 979,427 | |
| Green | Nelson Eisman/Leon Todd | 1.9% | 40,709 | |
| Scattering | Various | 0.1% | 2,449 | |
| Total Votes | 2,161,700 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin State Elections Board. | ||||
On November 5, 2002, Jim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton won election to the office of Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor. They defeated Scott McCallum/M.A. Farrow (D) and six third-party challengers in the general election.
Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2002
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Doyle/Barbara C. Lawton |
46.1% | 800,515 | |
| Republican | Scott McCallum/M.A. Farrow Incumbent | 42.3% | 734,779 | |
| Green | Jim Young/Jeff Peterson | 0.3% | 4,411 | |
| Libertarian | Ed Thompson/M. Reynolds | 10.7% | 185,455 | |
| Independent | Alan D. Eisenberg | 0.2% | 2,847 | |
| Independent | Ty A. Bollerud | 0.2% | 2,637 | |
| Independent | Mike Mangan | 0.1% | 1,710 | |
| Independent | Aneb Jah Rasta | 0.1% | 929 | |
| Scattering | Various | 0.1% | 2,366 | |
| Total Votes | 1,735,649 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin State Election Board. | ||||
Demographic data for Wisconsin
| Wisconsin | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|
| Total population: | 5,767,891 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 54,158 | 3,531,905 |
| Gender | ||
| Female: | 50.3% | 50.8% |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 86.5% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 6.3% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.5% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.3% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 91% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.8% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,357 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 15% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wisconsin. | ||
As of July 2017, Wisconsin had a population of approximately 5,800,000 people, with its three largest cities being Milwaukee (pop. est. 600,000), Madison (pop. est. 250,000), and Green Bay (pop. est. 110,000).
