1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

← 1968 November 3, 1970 1974 →
 
Nominee Patrick J. Lucey Jack B. Olson
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate Martin J. Schreiber David O. Martin
Popular vote 728,403 602,617
Percentage 54.24% 44.88%

County results
Lucey:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Olson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election

Warren P. Knowles
Republican

Elected Governor

Patrick J. Lucey
Democratic

The 1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. Democrat Patrick J. Lucey won the election with 54.23% of the vote, winning his first term as Governor of Wisconsin and defeating incumbent lieutenant governor, Republican Jack B. Olson.[1] Roman R. Blenski unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination. As of 2024, this is the last time the Democratic gubernatorial candidate carried Oconto County.

This was the first gubernatorial election in Wisconsin where the governor was elected to a four year term on the same ticket as the Lieutenant Governor.

Primary election

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The primary election was held on September 8, 1970. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were selected in separate primaries before running on a joint ticket in the general election.

Republican party

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Governor

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Candidates
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Results
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Republican gubernatorial primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack B. Olson 203,434 91.43%
Republican Roman Richard Blenski 19,061 8.57%
Total votes 222,495 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

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Candidates
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Results
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Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David O. Martin 192,005 100.00%
Total votes 192,005 100.00%

Democratic party

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Governor

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Candidates
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  • Edward Ihlenfeldt
  • Patrick J. Lucey, former Lieutenant Governor and nominee for governor in 1966
  • Donald O. Peterson
Results
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Democratic gubernatorial primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Patrick J. Lucey 177,584 60.66%
Democratic Donald O. Peterson 105,849 36.16%
Democratic Edward Ihlenfeldt 9,312 3.18%
Total votes 292,745 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

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Candidates
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Results
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Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Martin J. Schreiber 128,038 47.22%
Democratic Frank Nikolay 54,374 20.05%
Democratic John F. O'Malley 36,544 13.48%
Democratic Jay G. Sykes 35,984 13.27%
Democratic Harry Halloway 16,191 5.97%
Total votes 271,131 100.00%

American party

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Governor

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Candidates
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  • Leo James McDonald
Results
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American gubernatorial primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
American Leo James McDonald 2,729 100.00%
Total votes 2,729 100.00%

Lieutenant Governor

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Candidates
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  • Theodore G. Kothe
Results
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American lieutenant gubernatorial primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
American Theodore G. Kothe 2,512 100.00%
Total votes 2,512 100.00%

General election

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Candidates

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  • Patrick J. Lucey & Martin J. Schreiber, Democrat
  • Jack B. Olson & David O. Martin, Republican
  • Leo James McDonald & Theodore Kothe, American
  • Georgia Cozzini & Denis Kitchen, Independent
  • Samuel K. Hunt & Peter J. Kohlenberg, Independent
  • Myrtle Kastner & Russell Chabot, Independent

Results

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1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Patrick J. Lucey 728,403 54.23% +7.41%
Republican Jack B. Olson 602,617 44.87% −8.01%
American Leo James McDonald 9,035 0.67%
Independent Georgia Cozzini 1,287 0.10%
Independent Samuel K. Hunt 888 0.07%
Independent Myrtle Kastner 628 0.05%
Scattering[a] 302 0.02%
Majority 125,786 9.36%
Total votes 1,343,160 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing +15.42%

Results by county

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Lucey was the first Democrat since William A. Barstow in 1855 to win Dunn County.

County[4][5] Patrick J. Lucey
Democratic
Jack B. Olson
Republican
All Others
Various
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Adams 1,560 53.12% 1,358 46.24% 19 0.65% 202 6.88% 2,937
Ashland 3,541 66.72% 1,708 32.18% 58 1.09% 1,833 34.54% 5,307
Barron 5,052 49.83% 5,045 49.76% 42 0.41% 7 0.07% 10,139
Bayfield 2,977 64.38% 1,623 35.10% 24 0.52% 1,354 29.28% 4,624
Brown 23,869 52.00% 21,395 46.61% 636 1.39% 2,474 5.39% 45,900
Buffalo 1,890 52.66% 1,693 47.17% 6 0.17% 197 5.49% 3,589
Burnett 1,999 58.42% 1,413 41.29% 10 0.29% 586 17.12% 3,422
Calumet 4,295 50.49% 4,174 49.07% 37 0.43% 121 1.42% 8,506
Chippewa 7,523 60.37% 4,863 39.03% 75 0.60% 2,660 21.35% 12,461
Clark 5,017 53.17% 4,345 46.05% 73 0.77% 672 7.12% 9,435
Columbia 5,592 42.26% 7,542 57.00% 98 0.74% -1,950 -14.74% 13,232
Crawford 2,298 43.43% 2,517 47.57% 476 9.00% -219 -4.14% 5,291
Dane 49,868 55.89% 38,078 42.68% 1,272 1.43% 11,790 13.21% 89,218
Dodge 9,510 46.81% 10,683 52.58% 124 0.61% -1,173 -5.77% 20,317
Door 3,014 41.88% 4,153 57.70% 30 0.42% -1,139 -15.83% 7,197
Douglas 10,608 70.92% 4,255 28.45% 94 0.63% 6,353 42.48% 14,957
Dunn 3,963 51.03% 3,770 48.54% 33 0.42% 193 2.49% 7,766
Eau Claire 11,252 55.85% 8,787 43.61% 109 0.54% 2,465 12.23% 20,148
Florence 696 49.89% 695 49.82% 4 0.29% 1 0.07% 1,395
Fond du Lac 12,434 48.68% 12,872 50.39% 237 0.93% -438 -1.71% 25,543
Forest 1,724 62.04% 1,043 37.53% 12 0.43% 681 24.51% 2,779
Grant 4,621 39.58% 6,846 58.64% 207 1.77% -2,225 -19.06% 11,674
Green 2,894 37.59% 4,772 61.99% 32 0.42% -1,878 -24.40% 7,698
Green Lake 2,343 40.06% 3,461 59.18% 44 0.75% -1,118 -19.12% 5,848
Iowa 2,403 43.05% 3,141 56.27% 38 0.68% -738 -13.22% 5,582
Iron 1,741 67.35% 832 32.19% 12 0.46% 909 35.16% 2,585
Jackson 2,592 54.88% 2,117 44.82% 14 0.30% 475 10.06% 4,723
Jefferson 9,034 47.08% 10,047 52.36% 108 0.56% -1,013 -5.28% 19,189
Juneau 2,483 46.42% 2,825 52.81% 41 0.77% -342 -6.39% 5,349
Kenosha 22,136 64.53% 11,944 34.82% 223 0.65% 10,192 29.71% 34,303
Kewaunee 3,100 52.38% 2,795 47.23% 23 0.39% 305 5.15% 5,918
La Crosse 11,639 46.04% 13,335 52.75% 305 1.21% -1,696 -6.71% 25,279
Lafayette 2,414 42.39% 3,255 57.16% 26 0.46% -841 -14.77% 5,695
Langlade 3,110 55.26% 2,488 44.21% 30 0.53% 622 11.05% 5,628
Lincoln 3,860 50.90% 3,667 48.36% 56 0.74% 193 2.55% 7,583
Manitowoc 15,975 59.24% 10,577 39.22% 414 1.54% 5,398 20.02% 26,966
Marathon 17,665 55.30% 13,903 43.52% 376 1.18% 3,762 11.78% 31,944
Marinette 6,358 51.66% 5,871 47.70% 78 0.63% 487 3.96% 12,307
Marquette 1,203 40.67% 1,735 58.65% 20 0.68% -532 -17.99% 2,958
Menominee 485 73.48% 169 25.61% 6 0.91% 316 47.88% 660
Milwaukee 196,941 63.55% 110,436 35.64% 2,518 0.81% 86,505 27.91% 309,895
Monroe 3,694 45.31% 4,403 54.01% 55 0.67% -709 -8.70% 8,152
Oconto 4,321 50.99% 4,101 48.39% 53 0.63% 220 2.60% 8,475
Oneida 4,401 50.69% 4,224 48.65% 58 0.67% 177 2.04% 8,683
Outagamie 15,855 47.37% 17,318 51.74% 295 0.88% -1,463 -4.37% 33,468
Ozaukee 6,830 39.78% 10,184 59.31% 156 0.91% -3,354 -19.53% 17,170
Pepin 1,126 54.66% 924 44.85% 10 0.49% 202 9.81% 2,060
Pierce 3,769 52.91% 3,344 46.95% 10 0.14% 425 5.97% 7,123
Polk 4,616 52.33% 4,180 47.39% 25 0.28% 436 4.94% 8,821
Portage 9,580 66.02% 4,797 33.06% 134 0.92% 4,783 32.96% 14,511
Price 3,137 55.38% 2,500 44.14% 27 0.48% 637 11.25% 5,664
Racine 30,086 57.79% 21,573 41.44% 399 0.77% 8,513 16.35% 52,058
Richland 2,368 39.80% 3,444 57.88% 138 2.32% -1,076 -18.08% 5,950
Rock 20,358 51.77% 18,689 47.53% 275 0.70% 1,669 4.24% 39,322
Rusk 2,540 57.87% 1,819 41.44% 30 0.68% 721 16.43% 4,389
Sauk 5,601 43.85% 7,036 55.09% 135 1.06% -1,435 -11.24% 12,772
Sawyer 1,703 49.52% 1,716 49.90% 20 0.58% -13 -0.38% 3,439
Shawano 4,696 43.59% 6,027 55.95% 49 0.45% -1,331 -12.36% 10,772
Sheboygan 17,697 51.87% 16,077 47.12% 344 1.01% 1,620 4.75% 34,118
St. Croix 5,045 52.56% 4,534 47.24% 19 0.20% 511 5.32% 9,598
Taylor 2,019 50.83% 1,896 47.73% 57 1.44% 123 3.10% 3,972
Trempealeau 4,038 55.13% 3,266 44.59% 20 0.27% 772 10.54% 7,324
Vernon 3,688 45.87% 4,251 52.87% 101 1.26% -563 -7.00% 8,040
Vilas 2,185 43.62% 2,795 55.80% 29 0.58% -610 -12.18% 5,009
Walworth 7,789 41.52% 10,903 58.12% 66 0.35% -3,114 -16.60% 18,758
Washburn 2,319 54.78% 1,896 44.79% 18 0.43% 423 9.99% 4,233
Washington 9,686 49.78% 9,636 49.53% 134 0.69% 50 0.26% 19,456
Waukesha 32,969 46.77% 36,828 52.25% 689 0.98% -3,859 -5.47% 70,486
Waupaca 4,302 38.84% 6,726 60.73% 47 0.42% -2,424 -21.89% 11,075
Waushara 1,824 38.14% 2,933 61.32% 26 0.54% -1,109 -23.19% 4,783
Winnebago 17,507 46.89% 19,286 51.66% 540 1.45% -1,779 -4.77% 37,333
Wood 10,975 54.33% 9,083 44.97% 141 0.70% 1,892 9.37% 20,199
Total 728,403 54.23% 602,617 44.87% 12,140 0.90% 125,786 9.36% 1,343,160

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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Notes

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  1. ^ These are not listed in the Blue Book but are listed in the Board of Canvassers report.

References

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  1. ^ Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature (2015). Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Administration. pp. 699–701. ISBN 978-0-9752820-7-6.
  2. ^ a b c Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1971). "Vote For State Officers By County". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1971. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 290.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ a b c Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1971). "Vote For State Officers By County". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1971. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 291.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of State Canvassers for State Officers - General Election - 1970
  5. ^ a b Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1971). "Vote For State Officers By County". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1971. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 308.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)