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2014 Wisconsin elections

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2014 Wisconsin elections

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The 2014 Wisconsin Fall General Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 4, 2014. Wisconsin's Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer were all up for election, as well as Wisconsin's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives. The November general election in 2014 also featured a statewide referendum on an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin. The 2014 Wisconsin Fall Primary Election was held on August 12, 2014.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin held onto all statewide offices up for election in 2014, except for secretary of state, where Democrat Doug La Follette won his tenth term. Republicans also retained control of the Wisconsin State Senate and Wisconsin State Assembly. The partisan breakdown of Wisconsin's delegation to the United States House of Representatives was unchanged, remaining five Republicans and three Democrats.

For local offices and judicial seats, the 2014 Wisconsin Spring General Election was held April 1, 2014. No Wisconsin Supreme Court seats were up in 2014, but three seats on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and 41 Wisconsin Circuit Court seats were up. The 2014 Wisconsin Spring Primary Election was held on February 18.

Federal

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House of Representatives

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All 8 of Wisconsin's congressional districts were up for election at the Fall general election. Seven of eight incumbent representatives ran for reelection, with Tom Petri retiring from District 6. Party composition remained unchanged after the general election.

District Incumbent Elected Defeated Democratic Republican Others Total Result
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
District 1 Paul Ryan Paul Ryan Rob Zerban (D)
Keith R. Deschler (Ind)
105,552 36.63% 182,316 63.27% 302 0.10% 288,170 12.23% Republican Hold
District 2 Mark Pocan Mark Pocan Peter Theron (R) 224,920 68.40% 103,619 31.51% 308 0.09% 328,847 13.96% Democratic Hold
District 3 Ron Kind Ron Kind Tony Kurtz (R)
Ken Van Doren (Ind)
155,368 56.46% 119,540 43.44% 253 0.09% 275,161 11.68% Democratic Hold
District 4 Gwen Moore Gwen Moore Dan Sebring (R)
Robert R. Raymond (Ind)
179,045 70.24% 68,490 26.87% 7,357 2.89% 254,892 10.82% Democratic Hold
District 5 Jim Sensenbrenner Jim Sensenbrenner Chris Rockwood (D) 101,190 30.40% 231,160 69.45% 476 0.14% 332,826 14.13% Republican Hold
District 6 Tom Petri Glenn Grothman Mark L. Harris (D)
Gus Fahrendorf (Ind)
122,212 40.87% 169,767 56.77% 7,054 2.36% 299,033 12.69% Republican Hold
District 7 Sean Duffy Sean Duffy Kelly Westlund (D)
Lawrence Dale (Ind)
112,949 39.41% 169,891 59.28% 3,763 1.31% 286,603 12.17% Republican Hold
District 8 Reid Ribble Reid Ribble Ron Gruett (D) 101,345 34.94% 188,553 65.01% 150 0.05% 290,048 12.31% Republican Hold
Total 1,102,581 46.81% 1,233,336 52.36% 19,663 0.83% 2,355,580 100.00%

State

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Executive

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Governor and Lieutenant Governor

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Incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, first elected in 2010, sought re-election to a second term after surviving a recall election in 2012.

The Democratic Party nominated business executive Mary Burke and state senator John Lehman for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively. Burke was a member of the Madison school board and former Secretary of Wisconsin's Department of Commerce. Lehman was a state senator and former teacher from Racine, who had just won back his senate seat in a recall election.

Walker and Kleefisch won the November election with 52% of the vote.[1]

2014 Wisconsin gubernatorial election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Scott Walker (incumbent) /
Rebecca Kleefisch (incumbent)
1,259,706 52.26% −0.79%
Democratic Mary Burke /
John Lehman
1,122,913 46.59% +0.31%
Libertarian Robert Burke /
Joseph M. Brost
18,720 0.78%
Independent Dennis Fehr 7,530 0.31%
Scattering 1,445 0.06%
Plurality 136,793 5.68%
Total votes 2,410,314 100.0% -4.20%

Attorney General

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Republican incumbent attorney general J. B. Van Hollen, first elected in 2006, did not seek re-election to a third term. Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel defeated Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ in the November general election.

Happ defeated state representative Jon Richards and Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne in the Democratic primary.

Secretary of State

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Incumbent Democratic secretary of state Doug La Follette, first elected in 1974 and regaining his seat in 1982, narrowly won his 10th four-year term, defeating the Republican candidate, telecommunications manager Julian Bradley.

La Follette was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In the Republican primary, Bradley defeated State Representative Garey Bies.

Treasurer

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Incumbent Republican Treasurer Kurt W. Schuller, first elected in 210 declined to run for re-election. In the election, Republican nominee Matt Adamczyk defeated Democratic nominee Dave Sartori, a former Greenfield alderman to succeed Schuller.

Adamczyk defeated attorney Randall Melchert in the Republican primary.

Sartori defeated Dave Leeper, a former Green County District Attorney, in the Democratic primary.

Legislature

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State Senate

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17 of the Wisconsin State Senate's 33 seats were up for election in the November general election. Republicans added one seat to their majority, retaking the 21st senate district which had been lost in the 2012 recall elections.

Seats Party
(majority caucus shading)
Total
Democratic Republican
Last election (2012) 8 8 16
Total after last election (2012) 15 18 33
Total before this election 15 17 32
Up for election 7 10 17
of which: Incumbent retiring 3 3 6
Vacated 0 1 1
Unopposed 2 0 2
This election 6 11 17
Change from last election Decrease 1 Increase 1
Total after this election 14 19 33
Change in total Decrease 1 Increase 2
Dist. Incumbent This race[2]
Member Party First elect Status Candidates Results
01 Frank Lasee Republican 2010 Ran
  • Green tickY Frank Lasee (Rep.) 61.59%
  • Dean P. Debroux (Dem.) 38.37%
Incumbent re-elected
03 Tim Carpenter Democratic 2002 Ran
  • Green tickY Tim Carpenter (Dem.) 97.1%
Incumbent re-elected
05 Leah Vukmir Republican 2010 Ran
  • Green tickY Leah Vukmir (Rep.) 73.03%
  • Wendy Friedrich (Dem.) 26.17%
Incumbent re-elected
07 Chris Larson Democratic 2010 Ran
  • Green tickY Chris Larson (Dem.) 59.5%
  • Jason Red Arnold (Rep.) 40.26%
Incumbent re-elected
09 Joe Leibham Republican 2010 Ran for U.S. House of Representatives
Incumbent retired to run for U.S. House
New member elected
Republican hold
11 --Vacant--
Incumbent resigned
New member elected
Republican hold
13 Scott Fitzgerald Republican 1994 Ran
  • Green tickY Scott Fitzgerald (Rep.) 62.69%
  • Michelle Zahn (Dem.) 37.28%
Incumbent re-elected
15 Timothy Cullen Democratic 1974
(2010)
Did not run
Incumbent retired
New member elected
Democratic hold
17 Dale Schultz Republican 1991 Did not run
Incumbent retired
New member elected
Republican hold
19 Michael Ellis Republican 1982 Did not run
Incumbent retired
New member elected
Republican hold
21 John Lehman Democratic 2006
(2012)
Ran for lieutenant governor
Incumbent retired to run for lieutenant governor
New member elected
Republican gain
23 Terry Moulton Republican 2010 Ran
  • Green tickY Terry Moulton (Rep.) 61.15%
  • Phil Swanhorst (Dem.) 38.84%
Incumbent re-elected
25 Robert Jauch Democratic 1986 Did not run
Incumbent retired
New member elected
Democratic hold
27 Jon Erpenbach Democratic 1986 Ran
  • Green tickY Jon Erpenbach (Dem.) 97.51%
Incumbent re-elected
29 Jerry Petrowski Republican 2012 Ran
  • Green tickY Jerry Petrowski (Rep.) 65.73%
  • Paul Demain (Dem.) 34.26%
Incumbent re-elected
31 Kathleen Vinehout Democratic 2006 Ran
  • Green tickY Kathleen Vinehout (Dem.) 52.32%
  • Mel Pittman (Rep.) 47.62%
Incumbent re-elected
33 Paul Farrow Republican 2012 Ran
  • Green tickY Paul Farrow (Rep.) 73.86%
  • Sherryll Shaddock (Dem.) 26.07%
Incumbent re-elected

State Assembly

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All 99 seats of the Wisconsin State Assembly were up for election in November. 21 Assembly incumbents (14 Republicans, 7 Democrats) did not seek re-election.

Affiliation Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total
Republican Democratic Vacant
Before 2014 elections 60 39 99 0
Latest voting share 61% 39%
After 2014 elections 63 36 99 0
Voting share 64% 36%

Judiciary

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State Court of Appeals

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Three seats on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals were up for election in 2014. None of the three elections was contested.

  • In District I, Judge Patricia S. Curley was re-elected to her fourth term.
  • In District II, Judge Lisa Neubauer was re-elected to her second full term.
  • In District IV, Judge Gary Sherman was elected to his first full term. Judge Sherman had been appointed to the court in 2010 by Governor Jim Doyle.

State Circuit Courts

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Forty one of the state's 249 circuit court seats were up for election in 2014. Four of those elections were contested.

Constitutional Amendments

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Transportation Fund

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In the November election, Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin to establish a dedicated transportation fund administered by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The amendment also specified that none of the money which flowed into the fund, collected by transportation fees or taxes, could be appropriated to any other program. Critics argued that purpose of the amendment was to create budget inflexibility that would force legislators to raid education funds to balance the budget.[3][4]

Transportation Fund
Candidate Votes %
Yes 1,733,101 79.94
No 434,806 20.06
Total votes 2,167,907 100

Personhood Amendment

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There was an attempt to amend the Constitution of Wisconsin to establish a right to life. This amendment did not ultimately make it onto the ballot in 2014, as it did not obtain a necessary vote in the 101st Wisconsin Legislature.

Local offices

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Kenosha County

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Kenosha County executive

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A regularly scheduled county executive election was held in Kenosha County, at the Spring general election, April 1, 2014. The incumbent James Kreuser, first elected in a 2008 special election, was elected to a second four-year term without opposition.[5]

Portage County

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Portage County executive

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A regularly scheduled county executive election was held in Portage County, at the Spring general election, April 1, 2014. The incumbent Patty Dreier, first elected in 2010, was elected to a second four-year term without opposition.[6]

Winnebago County

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Neenah mayor

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A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held in Neenah, Wisconsin, at the Spring general election, April 1, 2014. State representative Dean Kaufert defeated incumbent mayor George Scherck.[7]

Wood County

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Wisconsin Rapids mayor

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A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, at the Spring general election, April 1, 2014. First-term incumbent mayor Zach Vruwink was re-elected to a second two-year term, defeating former mayor Mary Jo Carson.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Stein, Jason (November 5, 2014). "Walker defeats Burke for 3rd victory in 4 years". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Canvass Results for 2014 General Election - 11/4/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. November 26, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2024 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
  3. ^ "Referendum on Creation of a Transportation Fund". Wisconsin Elections Commission. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  4. ^ "Wisconsin voters approve transportation amendment". Wisconsin State Journal. November 5, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  5. ^ "Two or three challengers win in county races". Stevens Point Journal. April 2, 2014. p. A3. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Unopposed Candidates Re-elected". Kenosha News. April 2, 2014. p. 6. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Behnke, Duke (April 1, 2014). "Dean Kaufert unseats George Scherck as Neenah mayor". The Post-Crescent. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  8. ^ "Vruwink re-elected Rapids mayor". The Daily Tribune. April 2, 2014. p. A1. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.