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Wisconsin voters on Tuesday handed Democrats a trifecta: an 18-15 Senate majority, a 53-46 Assembly majority and victories across all statewide executive offices, including governor.
Wisconsin mirrored the national trend of Democratic candidates receiving more support than in previous elections, even in districts where Republican candidates eventually won.
Democratic candidates flipped the 1st and 3rd congressional districts, creating a 4-4 split in the state’s House delegation. Even in districts where Republicans won, Democrats narrowed the margins.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley won by 8 percentage points over Republican candidate Tom Tiffany, a far more dominant win than Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ 3.4- and 1.1-point margins in 2022 and 2018, respectively.
Crowley improved on Evers’ performance in Wisconsin’s eastern counties. In Milwaukee County he increased the Democratic lead by 9.2 percentage points, receiving nearly three times as many votes as Tiffany.
Tiffany received more support than 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Tim Michels in western and central counties. For example, Tiffany won 56.4% of the vote in Lafayette County, a 5.4-point improvement over 2022.
Since 2018, Democrats have improved their performances in more populous counties such as Waukesha, Milwaukee and Dane. Ozaukee County shifted from a 25-point Republican lead in 2018 to a 5-point lead this year.
In Ashland County in far northern Wisconsin, the Democratic candidate’s lead narrowed by 8.5 points. Democrats have also lost support in other rural counties, including Lafayette, Marquette and Pepin, over the past three elections.
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DataWatch: How Wisconsin’s political landscape changed this election is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
