The 1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Governor Tommy Thompson won re-election for the third time with nearly 60% 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, and the most recent where the winner garnered a double digit margin of victory. Gary George unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination.
1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
County results Precinct results Thompson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%Garvey: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%Tie:
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.
Independent nominations
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Mike Mangan
A-Ja-mu Muhammad
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
County[ 3] [ 4]
Tommy G. Thompson Republican
Ed Garvey Democratic
All Others Various
Margin
Total votes cast
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
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
Total
1,047,716
59.66%
679,553
38.70%
28,745
1.64%
368,163
20.97%
1,756,014
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
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