The 1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Governor Tommy Thompson won re-election for his fourth term with 59.66% of the vote. As of 2022, this is most recent gubernatorial election in which Milwaukee, Rock, Portage, and Iowa counties voted for the Republican candidate; the most recent where the winner garnered a double-digit margin of victory; and, as of 2025, the last time a governor in the United States was reelected to a fourth consecutive four-year term.

Primary election The primary election was held on September 8, 1998. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were selected in separate primaries before running on a joint ticket in the general election.

Republican party Governor Candidates Jeffrey A. Hyslop Tommy G. Thompson, incumbent governor

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Scott McCallum, incumbent lieutenant governor

Results

Democratic party Governor Candidates Ed Garvey, former executive director of the NFLPA and candidate for US Senate in 1986 Gary R. George, member of Wisconsin Senate

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Barbara Lawton, businesswoman

Results

Libertarian party Governor Candidates Jim Mueller

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates James Dean

Results

US Taxpayers' party Governor Candidates Edward J. Frami

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Thomas R. Rivers

Results

Green party Governor Candidates Jeffrey Lane Smith

Results

Independent nominations Governor Candidates Mike Mangan A-Ja-mu Muhammad

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Vida Harley Bridges

Results

General election Candidates Ed Garvey & Barbara Lawton, Democrat Tommy G. Thompson & Scott McCallum, Republican Jim Mueller & James Dean, Libertarian Edward J. Frami & Thomas R. Rivers, US Taxpayers' Jeffrey Lane Smith, Green Mike Mangan, Independent A-Ja-mu Muhammad & Vida Harley Bridges, Independent

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error TommyThompson (R) EdGarvey (D) UndecidedMarket Shares CorporationOctober 21–24, 1998600 (LV)± 4.0%67%26%7%St. Norbert College Survey CenterOctober 8–20, 1998415 (LV)± 4.8%63%28%9%Journal Sentinel Researchand Public Policy ForumOctober 2–9, 1998314 (LV)± 5.5%60%30%10%WISC-TV/Wisconsin State JournalAugust 7–26, 1998271 (LV)± 5.9%60%18%22%Louis Harris & AssociatesJuly 7–18, 19981,000 (A)± 3.0%58%27%15%WISC-TV/Wisconsin State JournalMay, 1998403 (A)± 5.0%55%19%26%St. Norbert College Survey CenterFebruary 17 – March 24, 1998400 (LV)± 5.0%60%26%14%Journal Sentinel Researchand Public Policy ForumFebruary, 1998497 (LV)± 4.5%60%23%17%St. Norbert College Survey CenterFall, 1997417 (LV)± 5.0%64%26%10%

Results

Results by county County Tommy G. ThompsonRepublican Ed GarveyDemocratic All OthersVarious Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Adams3,90760.55%2,45037.97%951.47%1,45722.58%6,452Ashland2,61148.90%2,69250.41%370.69%-81-1.52%5,340Barron7,44956.03%5,71643.00%1290.97%1,73313.04%13,294Bayfield2,81745.35%3,35253.96%430.69%-535-8.61%6,212Brown47,52962.84%27,30236.10%8031.06%20,22726.74%75,634Buffalo2,52358.61%1,73640.33%461.07%78718.28%4,305Burnett3,07650.19%3,01149.13%420.69%651.06%6,129Calumet9,15369.17%3,87329.27%2061.56%5,28039.90%13,232Chippewa10,36362.03%6,13236.70%2121.27%4,23125.32%16,707Clark6,95164.94%3,63333.94%1201.12%3,31831.00%10,704Columbia10,45660.41%6,50337.57%3492.02%3,95322.84%17,308Crawford3,64659.19%2,45739.89%570.93%1,18919.30%6,160Dane72,69344.78%86,23453.12%3,3962.09%-13,541-8.34%162,323Dodge16,24570.16%6,41727.72%4912.12%9,82842.45%23,153Door6,39263.07%3,59735.49%1461.44%2,79527.58%10,135Douglas5,90546.82%6,55051.93%1581.25%-645-5.11%12,613Dunn5,76453.24%4,92745.51%1351.25%8377.73%10,826Eau Claire17,16856.43%12,71541.79%5411.78%4,45314.64%30,424Florence1,10468.15%50631.23%100.62%59836.91%1,620Fond du Lac19,68270.75%7,68527.63%4521.62%11,99743.13%27,819Forest1,98857.94%1,42741.59%160.47%56116.35%3,431Grant8,37163.54%4,67335.47%1310.99%3,69828.07%13,175Green6,75663.82%3,61034.10%2202.08%3,14629.72%10,586Green Lake4,29771.52%1,64027.30%711.18%2,65744.22%6,008Iowa4,27058.05%2,99040.65%961.31%1,28017.40%7,356Iron1,59461.31%98737.96%190.73%60723.35%2,600Jackson3,44754.04%2,81344.10%1191.87%6349.94%6,379Jefferson15,36365.27%7,64732.49%5292.25%7,71632.78%23,539Juneau4,40267.02%2,06331.41%1031.57%2,33935.61%6,568Kenosha28,12861.34%17,01137.09%7201.57%11,11724.24%45,859Kewaunee4,57863.17%2,58235.63%871.20%1,99627.54%7,247La Crosse21,98458.63%14,89239.72%6191.65%7,09218.91%37,495Lafayette3,42365.84%1,74333.53%330.63%1,68032.31%5,199Langlade4,10762.80%2,37636.33%570.87%1,73126.47%6,540Lincoln5,30057.79%3,56738.89%3043.31%1,73318.90%9,171Manitowoc17,73362.63%10,29136.35%2891.02%7,44226.28%28,313Marathon25,96664.91%13,51133.77%5291.32%12,45531.13%40,006Marinette9,45766.25%4,71633.04%1020.71%4,74133.21%14,275Marquette3,11264.70%1,62433.76%741.54%1,48830.94%4,810Menominee30028.90%72569.85%131.25%-425-40.94%1,038Milwaukee145,01049.77%140,66648.28%5,6991.96%4,3441.49%291,375Monroe7,46563.45%4,14835.25%1531.30%3,31728.19%11,766Oconto7,65564.62%4,09734.59%940.79%3,55830.04%11,846Oneida7,81659.82%5,08838.94%1611.23%2,72820.88%13,065Outagamie32,76164.23%17,50034.31%7421.45%15,26129.92%51,003Ozaukee23,71675.34%7,28323.14%4801.52%16,43352.20%31,479Pepin1,17354.48%95844.50%221.02%2159.99%2,153Pierce5,85257.13%4,28541.83%1061.03%1,56715.30%10,243Polk6,82053.21%5,89646.00%1010.79%9247.21%12,817Portage12,03855.42%9,30942.86%3731.72%2,72912.56%21,720Price3,56860.44%2,29838.93%370.63%1,27021.51%5,903Racine34,33756.03%25,80342.11%1,1411.86%8,53413.93%61,281Richland3,50261.91%2,06136.43%941.66%1,44125.47%5,657Rock27,48555.86%21,10942.90%6131.25%6,37612.96%49,207Rusk3,10855.85%2,37542.68%821.47%73313.17%5,565Sauk10,20661.94%6,00836.47%2621.59%4,19825.48%16,476Sawyer3,43260.57%2,18538.56%490.86%1,24722.01%5,666Shawano9,10667.12%4,35332.09%1080.80%4,75335.03%13,567Sheboygan26,88067.97%12,16230.75%5041.27%14,71837.22%39,546St. Croix10,61262.25%6,22536.52%2101.23%4,38725.73%17,047Taylor4,48266.98%2,14732.08%630.94%2,33534.89%6,692Trempealeau5,08658.29%3,54340.60%971.11%1,54317.68%8,726Vernon5,32656.60%3,91841.64%1661.76%1,40814.96%9,410Vilas5,34263.98%2,83633.97%1712.05%2,50630.02%8,349Walworth17,31667.64%7,83930.62%4471.75%9,47737.02%25,602Washburn3,02253.25%2,60245.85%510.90%4207.40%5,675Washington29,10274.38%9,16423.42%8592.20%19,93850.96%39,125Waukesha98,55573.83%32,38424.26%2,5561.91%66,17149.57%133,495Waupaca10,77166.72%5,19132.15%1821.13%5,58034.56%16,144Waushara5,28968.52%2,29929.78%1311.70%2,99038.74%7,719Winnebago33,49665.81%16,43632.29%9661.90%17,06033.52%50,898Wood17,37764.81%9,00933.60%4261.59%8,36831.21%26,812Total1,047,71659.66%679,55338.70%28,7451.64%368,16320.97%1,756,014

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Ashland Bayfield Dane Douglas

See also 1998 United States Senate election in Wisconsin 1998 United States gubernatorial elections

Notes

Partisan clients

References