The 1986 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986. Republican Tommy G. Thompson won the election with 53% of the vote, winning his first term as Governor of Wisconsin and defeating incumbent Governor Anthony S. Earl. This was the first time since 1962 that the winner of a Wisconsin gubernatorial election was of the same party as the incumbent president. Jonathan B. Barry unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination.

Primary election The primary election was held on September 9, 1986. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were selected in separate primaries before running on a joint ticket in the general election.

Democratic party Governor Candidates Anthony S. Earl, incumbent governor Edmond Hou-Seye, perennial candidate

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Taylor Benson, former member of Wisconsin Senate Gervase Hephner, member of Wisconsin State Assembly Cletus J. Johnson, nominee for Secretary of State of Wisconsin in 1966 Sharon K. Metz, member of Wisconsin State Assembly Arlyn F. Wollenburg, perennial candidate

Results

Republican party Governor Candidates Jonathan B. Barry, Dane County Executive Joseph A. Ortiz Tommy G. Thompson, member of Wisconsin State Assembly George Watts, Milwaukee businessman Albert Lee Wiley Jr.

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Patricia A. Goodrich, former member of Wisconsin State Assembly Drew W. Heiden Scott McCallum, member of Wisconsin Senate Robert Nolan

Results

Labor-Farm party Governor Candidates Kathryn A. Christensen

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates John Ervin Bergum

Results

Independent nominations Governor Candidates Sanford Knapp Darold E. Wall

Results

General election Candidates Anthony S. Earl & Sharon K. Metz, Democrat Tommy G. Thompson & Scott McCallum, Republican Kathryn A. Christensen & John Ervin Bergum, Labor-Farm Darold E. Wall & Irma L. Lotts, Independent Sanford Knapp & Verdell Hallingstad, Independent

Results

Results by county Thompson was the first Republican since Walter J. Kohler Jr. in 1952 to win Ashland County and Manitowoc County. County Tommy G. ThompsonRepublican Anthony S. EarlDemocratic All OthersVarious Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Adams3,19363.54%1,80035.82%320.64%1,39327.72%5,025Ashland3,07649.67%3,01548.68%1021.65%610.98%6,193Barron5,72051.27%5,36648.10%700.63%3543.17%11,156Bayfield2,66448.15%2,78850.39%811.46%-124-2.24%5,533Brown34,76255.73%27,00043.29%6120.98%7,76212.44%62,374Buffalo2,47151.27%2,32148.15%280.58%1503.11%4,820Burnett2,37844.49%2,88754.01%801.50%-509-9.52%5,345Calumet6,49262.79%3,71635.94%1311.27%2,77626.85%10,339Chippewa7,04147.93%7,17348.83%4773.25%-132-0.90%14,691Clark6,08057.90%4,28740.83%1331.27%1,79317.08%10,500Columbia9,03559.74%6,00239.69%860.57%3,03320.06%15,123Crawford3,56364.23%1,92634.72%581.05%1,63729.51%5,547Dane51,41239.68%76,20458.82%1,9471.50%-24,792-19.14%129,563Dodge15,04566.73%7,30032.38%2000.89%7,74534.35%22,545Door5,21163.67%2,90335.47%700.86%2,30828.20%8,184Douglas4,58233.33%9,06365.93%1010.73%-4,481-32.60%13,746Dunn4,52044.77%5,45954.07%1171.16%-939-9.30%10,096Eau Claire12,81347.42%13,86251.30%3441.27%-1,049-3.88%27,019Florence89552.10%81547.44%80.47%804.66%1,718Fond du Lac17,24864.83%9,13634.34%2190.82%8,11230.49%26,603Forest1,36749.65%1,36449.55%220.80%30.11%2,753Grant7,84762.83%4,54836.42%940.75%3,29926.42%12,489Green4,72159.99%3,05438.81%941.19%1,66721.18%7,869Green Lake4,40773.63%1,52225.43%560.94%2,88548.20%5,985Iowa3,38554.31%2,79044.76%580.93%5959.55%6,233Iron1,20546.24%1,38152.99%200.77%-176-6.75%2,606Jackson3,25654.35%2,69845.03%370.62%5589.31%5,991Jefferson11,55158.98%7,87640.21%1590.81%3,67518.76%19,586Juneau5,90473.04%2,12226.25%570.71%3,78246.79%8,083Kenosha12,38538.77%19,29360.40%2630.82%-6,908-21.63%31,941Kewaunee4,05256.77%3,02942.44%560.78%1,02314.33%7,137La Crosse17,59652.92%15,29045.98%3651.10%2,3066.94%33,251Lafayette3,12459.29%2,11340.10%320.61%1,01119.19%5,269Langlade3,90759.43%2,61039.70%570.87%1,29719.73%6,574Lincoln4,06053.32%3,45645.38%991.30%6047.93%7,615Manitowoc15,20356.75%11,17641.72%4111.53%4,02715.03%26,790Marathon20,82755.33%16,31843.35%4981.32%4,50911.98%37,643Marinette7,85660.68%4,97438.42%1160.90%2,88222.26%12,946Marquette3,01268.45%1,35030.68%380.86%1,66237.77%4,400Menominee21623.89%68475.66%40.44%-468-51.77%904Milwaukee129,93344.17%161,14954.79%3,0661.04%-31,216-10.61%294,148Monroe6,01563.65%3,36035.56%750.79%2,65528.10%9,450Oconto6,05860.28%3,89738.78%940.94%2,16121.50%10,049Oneida6,39057.92%4,57141.43%720.65%1,81916.49%11,033Outagamie25,44561.18%15,70137.75%4431.07%9,74423.43%41,589Ozaukee16,97365.31%8,80733.89%2100.81%8,16631.42%25,990Pepin1,29751.24%1,20247.49%321.26%953.75%2,531Pierce3,61442.59%4,78156.35%901.06%-1,167-13.75%8,485Polk4,28144.69%5,20454.33%940.98%-923-9.64%9,579Portage7,93845.27%9,36353.40%2331.33%-1,425-8.13%17,534Price3,96961.39%2,43737.70%590.91%1,53223.70%6,465Racine26,57551.14%24,89247.90%5030.97%1,6833.24%51,970Richland4,05164.46%2,16534.45%691.10%1,88630.01%6,285Rock19,45950.04%19,00548.88%4201.08%4541.17%38,884Rusk2,99953.00%2,59245.81%671.18%4077.19%5,658Sauk8,99461.91%5,44037.45%930.64%3,55424.46%14,527Sawyer2,89560.41%1,83938.38%581.21%1,05622.04%4,792Shawano7,18166.10%3,60833.21%750.69%3,57332.89%10,864Sheboygan17,32449.91%17,09149.24%2940.85%2330.67%34,709St. Croix5,99046.80%6,74452.70%640.50%-754-5.89%12,798Taylor4,06962.52%2,34536.03%941.44%1,72426.49%6,508Trempealeau4,17149.26%4,24350.11%530.63%-72-0.85%8,467Vernon4,91162.10%2,943337.22%540.68%1,96824.89%7,908Vilas4,85468.32%2,20731.06%440.62%2,64737.26%7,105Walworth11,78660.41%7,50538.47%2201.13%4,28121.94%19,511Washburn2,61353.02%2,26746.00%480.97%3467.02%4,928Washington16,75762.57%9,75536.43%2691.00%7,00226.15%26,781Waukesha62,38762.54%36,38936.48%9730.98%25,99826.06%99,749Waupaca7,83564.92%4,12134.15%1130.94%3,71430.77%12,069Waushara4,05767.17%1,90931.61%741.23%2,14835.56%6,040Winnebago25,78659.04%17,31639.65%5711.31%8,47019.39%43,673Wood14,40158.31%10,05940.73%2360.96%4,34217.58%24,696Total805,09052.73%705,57846.21%16,2921.07%99,5126.52%1,526,960

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Adams Ashland Barron Brown Buffalo Fond du Lac Forest Jackson Jefferson Kewaunee La Crosse Langlade Manitowoc Marathon Oneida Outagamie Pepin Racine Rock Rusk Sheboygan Washburn Winnebago Wood

References