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1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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Field	Value
election_name	1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
country	Wisconsin
type	presidential
ongoing	Yes
previous_election	1994 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
previous_year	1994
next_election	2002 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
next_year	2002
election_date	November 3, 1998
image1	File:Tommy Thompson 1 (3x4) a.jpg
image_size	150x150px
nominee1	Tommy Thompson
running_mate1	Scott McCallum
party1	Republican Party (United States)
popular_vote1	1,047,716
percentage1	59.66%
image2	File:Ed Garvey, NFL National Football League, Halloran House, NYC (3x4) a.jpg
nominee2	Ed Garvey
running_mate2	Barbara Lawton
party2	Democratic Party (United States)
popular_vote2	679,553
percentage2	38.70%
map_image
map_caption	Thompson:
Garvey:
Tie:
title	Governor
before_election	Tommy Thompson
before_party	Republican Party (United States)
after_election	Tommy Thompson
after_party	Republican Party (United States)

Garvey:
Tie:

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	Sample
size	Margin
of error	Tommy
Thompson (R)	Ed
Garvey (D)	Undecided
Market Shares Corporation	October 21–24, 1998	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	67%	26%	7%
St. Norbert College Survey Center	October 8–20, 1998	415 (LV)	± 4.8%	63%	28%	9%
Journal Sentinel Research
and Public Policy Forum	October 2–9, 1998	314 (LV)	± 5.5%	60%	30%	10%
WISC-TV/Wisconsin State Journal	August 7–26, 1998	271 (LV)	± 5.9%	60%	18%	22%
Louis Harris & Associates	July 7–18, 1998	1,000 (A)	± 3.0%	58%	27%	15%
WISC-TV/Wisconsin State Journal	May, 1998	403 (A)	± 5.0%	55%	19%	26%
St. Norbert College Survey Center	February 17 – March 24, 1998	400 (LV)	± 5.0%	60%	26%	14%
Journal Sentinel Research
and Public Policy Forum	February, 1998	497 (LV)	± 4.5%	60%	23%	17%
St. Norbert College Survey Center	Fall, 1997	417 (LV)	± 5.0%	64%	26%	10%

Results

Results by county

County	Tommy G. Thompson
Republican	Ed Garvey
Democratic	All Others
Various	Margin	Total votes cast	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	Total	1,047,716	59.66%	679,553	38.70%	28,745	1.64%	368,163	20.97%	1,756,014
	Adams		3,907		60.55%		2,450		37.97%		95		1.47%		1,457		22.58%		6,452
	Ashland		2,611		48.90%		2,692		50.41%		37		0.69%		-81		-1.52%		5,340
	Barron		7,449		56.03%		5,716		43.00%		129		0.97%		1,733		13.04%		13,294
	Bayfield		2,817		45.35%		3,352		53.96%		43		0.69%		-535		-8.61%		6,212
	Brown		47,529		62.84%		27,302		36.10%		803		1.06%		20,227		26.74%		75,634
	Buffalo		2,523		58.61%		1,736		40.33%		46		1.07%		787		18.28%		4,305
	Burnett		3,076		50.19%		3,011		49.13%		42		0.69%		65		1.06%		6,129
	Calumet		9,153		69.17%		3,873		29.27%		206		1.56%		5,280		39.90%		13,232
	Chippewa		10,363		62.03%		6,132		36.70%		212		1.27%		4,231		25.32%		16,707
	Clark		6,951		64.94%		3,633		33.94%		120		1.12%		3,318		31.00%		10,704
	Columbia		10,456		60.41%		6,503		37.57%		349		2.02%		3,953		22.84%		17,308
	Crawford		3,646		59.19%		2,457		39.89%		57		0.93%		1,189		19.30%		6,160
	Dane		72,693		44.78%		86,234		53.12%		3,396		2.09%		-13,541		-8.34%		162,323
	Dodge		16,245		70.16%		6,417		27.72%		491		2.12%		9,828		42.45%		23,153
	Door		6,392		63.07%		3,597		35.49%		146		1.44%		2,795		27.58%		10,135
	Douglas		5,905		46.82%		6,550		51.93%		158		1.25%		-645		-5.11%		12,613
	Dunn		5,764		53.24%		4,927		45.51%		135		1.25%		837		7.73%		10,826
	Eau Claire		17,168		56.43%		12,715		41.79%		541		1.78%		4,453		14.64%		30,424
	Florence		1,104		68.15%		506		31.23%		10		0.62%		598		36.91%		1,620
	Fond du Lac		19,682		70.75%		7,685		27.63%		452		1.62%		11,997		43.13%		27,819
	Forest		1,988		57.94%		1,427		41.59%		16		0.47%		561		16.35%		3,431
	Grant		8,371		63.54%		4,673		35.47%		131		0.99%		3,698		28.07%		13,175
	Green		6,756		63.82%		3,610		34.10%		220		2.08%		3,146		29.72%		10,586
	Green Lake		4,297		71.52%		1,640		27.30%		71		1.18%		2,657		44.22%		6,008
	Iowa		4,270		58.05%		2,990		40.65%		96		1.31%		1,280		17.40%		7,356
	Iron		1,594		61.31%		987		37.96%		19		0.73%		607		23.35%		2,600
	Jackson		3,447		54.04%		2,813		44.10%		119		1.87%		634		9.94%		6,379
	Jefferson		15,363		65.27%		7,647		32.49%		529		2.25%		7,716		32.78%		23,539
	Juneau		4,402		67.02%		2,063		31.41%		103		1.57%		2,339		35.61%		6,568
	Kenosha		28,128		61.34%		17,011		37.09%		720		1.57%		11,117		24.24%		45,859
	Kewaunee		4,578		63.17%		2,582		35.63%		87		1.20%		1,996		27.54%		7,247
	La Crosse		21,984		58.63%		14,892		39.72%		619		1.65%		7,092		18.91%		37,495
	Lafayette		3,423		65.84%		1,743		33.53%		33		0.63%		1,680		32.31%		5,199
	Langlade		4,107		62.80%		2,376		36.33%		57		0.87%		1,731		26.47%		6,540
	Lincoln		5,300		57.79%		3,567		38.89%		304		3.31%		1,733		18.90%		9,171
	Manitowoc		17,733		62.63%		10,291		36.35%		289		1.02%		7,442		26.28%		28,313
	Marathon		25,966		64.91%		13,511		33.77%		529		1.32%		12,455		31.13%		40,006
	Marinette		9,457		66.25%		4,716		33.04%		102		0.71%		4,741		33.21%		14,275
	Marquette		3,112		64.70%		1,624		33.76%		74		1.54%		1,488		30.94%		4,810
	Menominee		300		28.90%		725		69.85%		13		1.25%		-425		-40.94%		1,038
	Milwaukee		145,010		49.77%		140,666		48.28%		5,699		1.96%		4,344		1.49%		291,375
	Monroe		7,465		63.45%		4,148		35.25%		153		1.30%		3,317		28.19%		11,766
	Oconto		7,655		64.62%		4,097		34.59%		94		0.79%		3,558		30.04%		11,846
	Oneida		7,816		59.82%		5,088		38.94%		161		1.23%		2,728		20.88%		13,065
	Outagamie		32,761		64.23%		17,500		34.31%		742		1.45%		15,261		29.92%		51,003
	Ozaukee		23,716		75.34%		7,283		23.14%		480		1.52%		16,433		52.20%		31,479
	Pepin		1,173		54.48%		958		44.50%		22		1.02%		215		9.99%		2,153
	Pierce		5,852		57.13%		4,285		41.83%		106		1.03%		1,567		15.30%		10,243
	Polk		6,820		53.21%		5,896		46.00%		101		0.79%		924		7.21%		12,817
	Portage		12,038		55.42%		9,309		42.86%		373		1.72%		2,729		12.56%		21,720
	Price		3,568		60.44%		2,298		38.93%		37		0.63%		1,270		21.51%		5,903
	Racine		34,337		56.03%		25,803		42.11%		1,141		1.86%		8,534		13.93%		61,281
	Richland		3,502		61.91%		2,061		36.43%		94		1.66%		1,441		25.47%		5,657
	Rock		27,485		55.86%		21,109		42.90%		613		1.25%		6,376		12.96%		49,207
	Rusk		3,108		55.85%		2,375		42.68%		82		1.47%		733		13.17%		5,565
	Sauk		10,206		61.94%		6,008		36.47%		262		1.59%		4,198		25.48%		16,476
	Sawyer		3,432		60.57%		2,185		38.56%		49		0.86%		1,247		22.01%		5,666
	Shawano		9,106		67.12%		4,353		32.09%		108		0.80%		4,753		35.03%		13,567
	Sheboygan		26,880		67.97%		12,162		30.75%		504		1.27%		14,718		37.22%		39,546
	St. Croix		10,612		62.25%		6,225		36.52%		210		1.23%		4,387		25.73%		17,047
	Taylor		4,482		66.98%		2,147		32.08%		63		0.94%		2,335		34.89%		6,692
	Trempealeau		5,086		58.29%		3,543		40.60%		97		1.11%		1,543		17.68%		8,726
	Vernon		5,326		56.60%		3,918		41.64%		166		1.76%		1,408		14.96%		9,410
	Vilas		5,342		63.98%		2,836		33.97%		171		2.05%		2,506		30.02%		8,349
	Walworth		17,316		67.64%		7,839		30.62%		447		1.75%		9,477		37.02%		25,602
	Washburn		3,022		53.25%		2,602		45.85%		51		0.90%		420		7.40%		5,675
	Washington		29,102		74.38%		9,164		23.42%		859		2.20%		19,938		50.96%		39,125
	Waukesha		98,555		73.83%		32,384		24.26%		2,556		1.91%		66,171		49.57%		133,495
	Waupaca		10,771		66.72%		5,191		32.15%		182		1.13%		5,580		34.56%		16,144
	Waushara		5,289		68.52%		2,299		29.78%		131		1.70%		2,990		38.74%		7,719
	Winnebago		33,496		65.81%		16,436		32.29%		966		1.90%		17,060		33.52%		50,898
	Wood		17,377		64.81%		9,009		33.60%		426		1.59%		8,368		31.21%		26,812

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Ashland
Bayfield
Dane
Douglas

Notes

;Partisan clients

References

Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. (1999). "The State of Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book".
Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. (1999). "The State of Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book".
"CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Wisconsin 1998 Polls". [[CNN]].
"Wisconsin State Election Board Canvass - County Totals".
Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. (1999). "The State of Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book".

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