1982 Wisconsin gubernatorial election County results Earl: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Kohler: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
The 1982 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1982. Democrat Anthony S. Earl won the election with 56.75% of the vote, defeating Republican Terry J. Kohler .[ 1]
As of 2024, this is the most recent Wisconsin gubernatorial election where the Democratic candidate won by a double-digit margin. Additionally, this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which a Democrat has carried Brown County , Fond Du Lac County , Jefferson County , Kewaunee County , and Sheboygan County .
The primary election was held on September 14, 1982. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were selected in separate primaries before running on a joint ticket in the general election.
Lieutenant Governor [ edit ] Lieutenant Governor [ edit ] Lieutenant Governor [ edit ] James P. Wickstrom, Constitution nominee for United States Senate in 1980 Lieutenant Governor [ edit ] Independent nominations [ edit ] Lieutenant Governor [ edit ] Anthony S. Earl & James T. Flynn, Democrat Terry J. Kohler & Russell A. Olson, Republican Larry Smiley & Gerald Shidell, Libertarian James P. Wickstrom & Diana K. Simonson, Constitution Peter Seidman & Margo Storsteen, Independent Earl was the first Democrat since Albert G. Schmedeman in 1934 to win Fond du Lac County and Winnebago County and no Democrat has won the former since this election. Grant County and Richland County would not vote for the losing candidate again until 2022 .
County[ 4] [ 5] Anthony S. Earl Democratic Terry J. Kohler Republican All Others Various Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Adams 2,514 51.82% 2,249 46.36% 88 1.81% 265 5.46% 4,851 Ashland 3,949 59.84% 2,558 38.76% 92 1.39% 1,391 21.08% 6,599 Barron 6,355 50.56% 6,136 48.81% 79 0.63% 219 1.74% 12,570 Bayfield 3,761 60.01% 2,448 39.06% 58 0.93% 1,313 20.95% 6,267 Brown 31,375 53.46% 26,605 45.33% 706 1.20% 4,770 8.13% 58,686 Buffalo 2,772 53.99% 2,314 45.07% 48 0.93% 458 8.92% 5,134 Burnett 4,179 60.03% 2,660 38.21% 122 1.75% 1,519 21.82% 6,961 Calumet 4,953 47.36% 5,246 50.16% 260 2.49% -293 -2.80% 10,459 Chippewa 9,128 59.35% 6,021 39.15% 232 1.51% 3,107 20.20% 15,381 Clark 5,056 46.54% 5,610 51.64% 198 1.82% -554 -5.10% 10,864 Columbia 7,056 48.98% 7,158 49.69% 192 1.33% -102 -0.71% 14,406 Crawford 2,913 44.70% 3,543 54.37% 61 0.94% -630 -9.67% 6,517 Dane 86,288 70.48% 34,631 28.29% 1,513 1.24% 51,657 42.19% 122,432 Dodge 10,425 46.38% 11,745 52.25% 309 1.37% -1,320 -5.87% 22,479 Door 4,292 42.29% 5,790 57.06% 66 0.65% -1,498 -14.76% 10,148 Douglas 11,160 73.24% 3,961 26.00% 116 0.76% 7,199 47.25% 15,237 Dunn 6,588 57.09% 4,778 41.41% 173 1.50% 1,810 15.69% 11,539 Eau Claire 16,520 61.41% 10,025 37.26% 358 1.33% 6,495 24.14% 26,903 Florence 667 45.59% 766 52.36% 30 2.05% -99 -6.77% 1,463 Fond du Lac 16,302 51.34% 14,921 46.99% 532 1.68% 1,381 4.35% 31,755 Forest 1,998 55.47% 1,509 41.89% 95 2.64% 489 13.58% 3,602 Grant 5,960 41.59% 8,268 57.69% 103 0.72% -2,308 -16.10% 14,331 Green 4,423 45.90% 5,118 53.11% 96 1.00% -695 -7.21% 9,637 Green Lake 2,292 35.32% 4,099 63.16% 99 1.53% -1,807 -27.84% 6,490 Iowa 2,759 44.59% 3,361 54.31% 68 1.10% -602 -9.73% 6,188 Iron 2,105 63.87% 1,136 34.47% 55 1.67% 969 29.40% 3,296 Jackson 3,710 51.24% 3,426 47.31% 105 1.45% 284 3.92% 7,241 Jefferson 9,862 49.81% 9,629 48.63% 309 1.56% 233 1.18% 19,800 Juneau 2,954 40.44% 4,230 57.91% 121 1.66% -1,276 -17.47% 7,305 Kenosha 24,315 68.30% 11,015 30.94% 271 0.76% 13,300 37.36% 35,601 Kewaunee 3,695 49.83% 3,640 49.09% 80 1.08% 55 0.74% 7,415 La Crosse 17,962 56.89% 13,191 41.78% 420 1.33% 4,771 15.11% 31,573 Lafayette 2,889 41.80% 3,987 57.69% 35 0.51% -1,098 -15.89% 6,911 Langlade 3,667 52.67% 3,199 45.95% 96 1.38% 468 6.72% 6,962 Lincoln 4,768 48.08% 4,932 49.73% 217 2.19% -164 -1.65% 9,917 Manitowoc 17,069 59.78% 10,447 36.59% 1,038 3.64% 6,622 23.19% 28,554 Marathon 19,451 49.87% 18,602 47.69% 950 2.44% 849 2.18% 39,003 Marinette 6,757 48.70% 6,985 50.34% 134 0.97% -228 -1.64% 13,876 Marquette 1,868 44.71% 2,215 53.02% 95 2.27% -347 -8.31% 4,178 Menominee 439 78.96% 113 20.32% 4 0.72% 326 58.63% 556 Milwaukee 210,142 67.34% 98,925 31.70% 2,988 0.96% 111,217 35.64% 312,055 Monroe 4,156 41.42% 5,752 57.32% 127 1.27% -1,596 -15.90% 10,035 Oconto 4,991 43.67% 6,305 55.17% 133 1.16% -1,314 -11.50% 11,429 Oneida 6,525 50.82% 5,996 46.70% 319 2.48% 529 4.12% 12,840 Outagamie 21,655 52.84% 18,741 45.73% 588 1.43% 2,914 7.11% 40,984 Ozaukee 9,852 42.54% 13,147 56.77% 161 0.70% -3,295 -14.23% 23,160 Pepin 1,297 59.04% 885 40.28% 15 0.68% 412 18.75% 2,197 Pierce 5,768 57.88% 4,118 41.32% 79 0.79% 1,650 16.56% 9,965 Polk 5,933 57.03% 4,344 41.76% 126 1.21% 1,589 15.27% 10,403 Portage 12,704 67.79% 5,690 30.36% 347 1.85% 7,014 37.43% 18,741 Price 2,764 46.49% 3,033 51.01% 149 2.51% -269 -4.52% 5,946 Racine 33,079 60.48% 20,914 38.24% 700 1.28% 12,165 22.24% 54,693 Richland 2,250 35.75% 3,971 63.10% 72 1.14% -1,721 -27.35% 6,293 Rock 26,130 62.10% 15,432 36.68% 515 1.22% 10,698 25.42% 42,077 Rusk 2,875 51.41% 2,598 46.46% 119 2.13% 277 4.95% 5,592 Sauk 6,430 46.10% 7,403 53.08% 115 0.82% -973 -6.98% 13,948 Sawyer 2,286 49.03% 2,321 49.79% 55 1.18% -35 -0.75% 4,662 Shawano 4,863 40.99% 6,708 56.54% 294 2.48% -1,845 -15.55% 11,865 Sheboygan 21,211 56.62% 15,769 42.09% 482 1.29% 5,442 14.53% 37,462 St. Croix 8,557 58.00% 6,097 41.32% 100 0.68% 2,460 16.67% 14,754 Taylor 3,237 48.85% 3,255 49.12% 134 2.02% -18 -0.27% 6,626 Trempealeau 4,959 56.41% 3,753 42.69% 79 0.90% 1,206 13.72% 8,791 Vernon 4,124 42.98% 5,328 55.52% 144 1.50% -1,204 -12.55% 9,596 Vilas 3,028 41.48% 4,054 55.53% 218 2.99% -1,026 -14.05% 7,300 Walworth 9,603 43.66% 12,229 55.59% 165 0.75% -2,626 -11.94% 21,997 Washburn 2,817 52.22% 2,528 46.86% 50 0.93% 289 5.36% 5,395 Washington 12,114 46.59% 13,505 51.93% 385 1.48% -1,391 -5.35% 26,004 Waukesha 43,128 46.82% 47,860 51.96% 1,119 1.21% -4,732 -5.14% 92,107 Waupaca 5,307 40.90% 7,497 57.78% 171 1.32% -2,190 -16.88% 12,975 Waushara 2,432 41.42% 3,360 57.23% 79 1.35% -928 -15.81% 5,871 Winnebago 24,375 52.23% 21,649 46.39% 641 1.37% 2,726 5.84% 46,665 Wood 13,084 52.78% 11,304 45.60% 401 1.62% 1,780 7.18% 24,789 Total 896,872 56.75% 662,738 41.94% 20,694 1.31% 234,134 14.82% 1,580,304
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic [ edit ] Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican [ edit ] ^ 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 . ^ a b c d e f Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1983). "Vote For State Officers. By County". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1983-1984 . Madison, Wisconsin. p. 876. {{cite book }}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link ) ^ a b c d Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1983). "Vote For State Officers, By County". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1983-1984 . Madison, Wisconsin. p. 877. {{cite book }}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link ) ^ a b Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1983). "Vote For State Officers, By County". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1983-1984 . Madison, Wisconsin. p. 900. {{cite book }}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link ) ^ a b Richard M. Scammon; Alice V. McGillivray, eds. (1983). America Votes 15, A Handbook of Contemporary American Election Statistics . Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly. p. 379.