The US FDA’s proposed rule on laboratory-developed tests: Impacts on clinical laboratory testing

2018 Wisconsin elections

← 2017 April 3, 2018 November 6, 2018 2019 →

Elections in Wisconsin
Federal government Presidential elections 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections Class 1 1848 1851 1857 1863 1869 1875 1881 1887 1893 1899 1905 1911 1916 1922 1925 sp 1928 1934 1940 1946 1952 1957 sp 1958 1964 1970 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 2024 Class 3 1848 1849 1855 1861 1867 1872 1879 1881 sp 1885 1890 1891 1897 1903 1907 sp 1909 1914 1918 sp 1920 1926 1932 1938 1944 1950 1956 1962 1968 1974 1980 1982 1986 1992 1998 2004 2010 2016 2022 2028 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1862 1863 2nd sp 1864 1866 1868 1870 2nd sp 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 5th sp 1887 8th sp 1888 1890 1892 1893 4th sp 1894 7th sp 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 2nd sp 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 6th sp 11th sp 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 6th sp 1931 1st sp 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1941 1st sp 1942 1944 1946 1947 2nd sp 1948 1950 1952 1953 9th sp 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1969 7th sp 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1979 6th sp 1980 1982 1984 4th sp 1986 1988 1990 1992 1993 1st sp 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 7th sp 2022 2024 8th sp 2026
State government General elections 1995 2000 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Gubernatorial elections 1848 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2012 (recall) 2014 2018 2022 2026 Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections 1942 1968 2012 (recall) Secretary of State elections 1978 2014 2018 2022 2026 Attorney General elections 2014 2018 2022 Treasurer elections 2014 2022 Superintendent elections 2013 2017 2021 2025 State Senate elections 1934 1996 2008 2010 2011 (recall) 2012 (recall) 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 State Assembly elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 Supreme Court elections 2008 2009 2011 2013 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2023 2025
Ballot measures 2006 Referendum 1
Green Bay Mayoral elections 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Madison Mayoral elections 1997 sp 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Milwaukee Mayoral elections 1910 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2022 sp 2024
Kenosha Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

The 2018 Wisconsin Fall General Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 6, 2018. All of Wisconsin's partisan executive and administrative offices were up for election as well as one of Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seats, Wisconsin's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives, seventeen seats in the Wisconsin State Senate, and all 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly. The 2018 Wisconsin Fall Partisan Primary was held August 14, 2018. There were also special elections held during 2018 for three State Assembly seats and two state senate seats.

The Democrats swept in all of the fall elections for statewide officials, unseating three incumbent Republicans, including two-term governor Scott Walker, and winning the open race for state treasurer. Republicans maintained control of both chambers in the Wisconsin Legislature however, as well as a majority of the state's U.S. House seats.^[1]

The 2018 Wisconsin Spring Election was held April 3, 2018. This election featured a contested election for Wisconsin Supreme Court, as well as a referendum on an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin, and various other nonpartisan local and judicial races. The 2018 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held on February 20, 2018.

In the nonpartisan Supreme Court election, the Wisconsin Democrats also claimed victory, as their preferred candidate defeated the Republicans' preferred candidate, reducing the Republican majority on the court to 4–3.

Incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin, first elected in 2012, won re-election to a second term by an 11 percentage point margin against Republican challenger Leah Vukmir. This was the widest margin of victory won by a statewide candidate in Wisconsin's 2018 elections, and marked the widest margin won by a U.S. Senate candidate in Wisconsin since Herb Kohl's landslide victory in the 2006 election.

All 8 of Wisconsin's congressional districts were up for election in November. Seven incumbents ran for re-election, while the 1st district saw an open race after incumbent and then-Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced his retirement.^[3] No seats flipped in the election, with Republicans continuing to hold 5 of the state's House seats to the Democrats' 3.

All of Wisconsin's executive offices saw close election results, with the largest vote difference in any race being eight-term incumbent secretary of state Doug La Follette‘s 5.5 percent margin of victory. Every executive office was won by the Democratic candidate.

Incumbent Republican governor Scott Walker, first elected in 2010, sought re-election to a third term. Despite having won two prior elections and a recall by fairly comfortable margins, Walker faced rising unpopularity due to his policies regarding infrastructure and education, among other issues, resulting in a close race.^[4][5] Low approval in Wisconsin of incumbent Republican U.S. President Donald Trump also harmed Walker in the election.^[6]

In the end, Walker was ultimately defeated by Democrat Tony Evers by a narrow one percent margin, ending 8 years of unified Republican control of the state.

Other candidates included Libertarian Phil Anderson and Independent Maggie Turnbull.

Former state representative Mandela Barnes defeated incumbent Republican lieutenant governor Rebecca Kleefisch, who had served since 2010, and Libertarian Patrick Baird.^[7] Barnes became Wisconsin's first African-American Lieutenant Governor, and the second African-American ever elected to state office in Wisconsin.^[8]

Republican incumbent Brad Schimel, first elected in 2014, ran for re-election to a second term.^[9] Voting rights attorney and former federal prosecutor Josh Kaul, the Democratic nominee, defeated Schimel in the general election.^[10] Terry Larson, the Constitution Party nominee, also garnered around 2% of the vote, greater than the vote difference between Schimel and Kaul.

Incumbent Democrat Doug La Follette, first elected in 1982 (and also serving from 1975 to 1979), won re-election to a tenth non-consecutive term. Madison Alderwoman Arvina Martin challenged La Follette in the Democratic primary.

Jay Schroeder was nominated in the Republican primary to run against La Follette, pledging to abolish the position if elected.^[11]

Libertarian sports announcer Rich Reynolds declared his candidacy for the position as well, joining the "TeamGuv" bill with Phil Anderson and Patrick Baird.

Governing magazine projected the race as "safe Democratic".^[12]

2018 Wisconsin State Treasurer Election

← 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 →

Candidate Sarah Godlewski Travis Hartwig Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,324,110 1,216,811 Percentage 50.9% 46.8%

County results Godlewski:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Hartwig:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Treasurer before election Matt Adamczyk Republican Elected Treasurer Sarah Godlewski Democratic

Earlier in the year, a referendum had been held on whether or not to abolish the State Treasurer office, a move that Wisconsin voters rejected by a margin of more than 20 percent.^[13]

Incumbent Republican Matt Adamczyk, first elected in 2014, chose not to run for reelection. Sarah Godlewski, the Democratic nominee, defeated Republican Travis Hartwig in the general.

Two special elections had been held earlier in the year for the 1st and 10th districts. Both races were won by Democrats, despite the respective districts’ usual Republican leanings.^[14][15]

The 17 odd-numbered districts out of the 33 seats in the Wisconsin Senate were up for election in 2018, including the 1st district. In total, Republicans had 10 seats up for election, while Democrats had 7. André Jacque was able to win back the 1st district seat for Republicans from Democrat Caleb Frostman, who had defeated him in the June special election.^[16]

At the start of 2018, the senate had a composition of 18 Republicans and 13 Democrats with 2 vacancies. The net result of all 2018 state senate elections was a gain of 1 seat for both parties. When compared to the 2016 general election, however, the Republican majority was reduced from 20 to 13 (60.6%) to 19-14 (57.6%).

All 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly were up for election in 2018. There were also two special elections for three Assembly vacancies during the course of 2018. Republicans lost one seat to the Democrats in the 2018 general election, resulting a 63-36 seat Republican majority going into the 2019-2020 session.

2018 Wisconsin Supreme Court election

← 2017 April 3, 2018 2019 →

← 2008 2028 →

Nominee Rebecca Dallet Michael Screnock Popular vote 555,848 440,808 Percentage 55.7% 44.2%

County results Dallet:      50–60%      60–70%      70–90% Screnock:      50–60%      60–70%      70–90%

Justice before election Michael Gableman Nonpartisan Elected Justice Rebecca Dallet Nonpartisan

There was an election for Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2018 to replace the retiring justice Michael Gableman.

• Tim Burns, attorney^[17]
• Rebecca Dallet, Judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court (Branch 40)^[18]
• Michael Screenock, Judge of the Sauk County Circuit Court (Branch 1)^[19]

Two seats on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals were up for election in 2018, but both seats were uncontested.

• In District I, Judge Timothy Dugan was elected to his first full term after being appointed by Governor Scott Walker in 2016.
• In District IV, Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg was elected to her second six-year term.

Fifty three of the state's 249 circuit court seats were up for election in 2018. Eleven of those seats were contested. Only one incumbent was defeated seeking re-election, Shaughnessy Murphy—an appointee of Governor Scott Walker in the Eau Claire Circuit.

Question 1

April 3, 2018
Elimination of state treasurer. Shall sections 1 and 3 of article VI and sections 7 and 8 of article X of the constitution be amended, and section 17 of article XIV of the constitution be created, to eliminate the office of state treasurer from the constitution and to replace the state treasurer with the lieutenant governor as a member of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands?
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 365,120 38.55% No 582,117 61.45% Total votes 947,237 100.00%
Yes:      50–60% No:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

In the Spring election, Wisconsin voters strongly rejected an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin which would have abolished the office of State Treasurer of Wisconsin.^[22]

Voters in eleven Wisconsin counties approved non-binding referendums expressing support for legalizing medical cannabis, and voters in six counties approved non-binding referendums expressing support for legalizing recreational cannabis.^[23][24] The support for medical cannabis ranged from 67.1% in Clark County to 88.5% in Kenosha County, while support for recreational cannabis ranged from 60.2% in Racine county to 76.4% in Dane County.^[25][26] The 16 counties that weighed in accounted for over half the state's population.^[25]

In the weeks following the election, Wisconsin's legislative districts came under wide scrutiny as an example of gerrymandering due to the fact that while Republicans won a fairly wide majority in the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Democrats garnered nearly 9 percent more of the overall statewide vote.^[27][28] In addition, Wisconsin was notable for being the only state in the 2018 elections where Republicans won a majority of the state's seats in the U.S. House while Democrats won a majority of the overall votes.

Early in December 2018, a special legislative session was called by outgoing Governor Scott Walker to pass a series of bills to limit the powers of Governor-elect Tony Evers, whom Walker had lost to in the election, as well as incoming State attorney general Josh Kaul.^[29]

Other bills being considered included restrictions on early voting and the passage of Medicaid work requirements, which Walker had previously held off on due to the election.^[30] A similar law restricting early voting that was passed several years prior had been ruled as unconstitutional.^[31]

The bills were widely denounced by Democrats and others as a “power grab.” Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin's 4th district described the move as a “coup” that “hijacked the voters’ will.” ^[32] Lawsuits were filed by Evers and various labor unions almost immediately after Walker signed the bills into law.^[33]

• 2018 United States elections
• 2016 Wisconsin elections
• 2018 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
• 2018 Wisconsin State Senate election
• 2018 Wisconsin State Assembly election

• Wisconsin Elections Commission official information for and about voters, elections and candidates
• Candidates at Vote Smart
• Candidates at Ballotpedia
• Campaign finance at OpenSecrets

Official Attorney General campaign websites

• Josh Kaul (D) for Attorney General
• Terry Larson (C) for Attorney General
• Brad Schimel (R) for Attorney General

Official Secretary of State campaign websites

• Doug La Follette (D) for Secretary of State
• Jay Schroeder (R) for Secretary of State

Official Treasurer campaign websites

• Sarah Godlewski (D) for Treasurer
• Travis Hartwig (R) for Treasurer