2016 Wisconsin Senate election

2016 Wisconsin Senate election

← 2014 November 8, 2016 (2016-11-08) 2018 →

16 of 33 seats in the Wisconsin State Senate
17 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Scott Fitzgerald Jennifer Shilling
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat 13thJuneau 32ndLa Crosse
Last election 19 14
Seats won 20 13
Seat change Increase1 Decrease1
Popular vote 618,589 639,545
Percentage 48.62% 50.26%
Seats up 8 8
Races won 9 7

Results of the elections:
     Republican hold      Republican gain
     Democratic hold
     No election

President before election

Mary Lazich
Republican

Elected President

Roger Roth
Republican

The 2016 Wisconsin Senate elections were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, at the Fall general election in Wisconsin. Sixteen of the 33 seats in the Wisconsin Senate were up for election—the even-numbered districts. Before the election, Republicans held 18 seats, Democrats held 14 seats, and 1 seat was vacant. Of the seats up for election, 8 were held by Democrats, 7 were held by Republicans, and 1 was vacant due to the recent death of a Republican member. The primary election was held on August 9, 2016.

Republicans consolidated their control of the Senate, flipping one Democrat-held seat, and entered the 103rd Wisconsin Legislature with 20 of 33 Senate seats.[1]

Results summary

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Statewide results of the 2016 Wisconsin State Senate election:[2]

Seats Party
(majority caucus shading)
Total
Democratic Republican
Last election (2014) 6 11 17
Total after last election (2014) 14 19 33
Total before this election 14 18 32
Up for election 8 8 16
of which: Incumbent retiring 1 0 1
Vacated 0 1 1
Unopposed 5 3 8
This election 7 9 16
Change from last election Decrease 1 Increase 1
Total after this election 13 20 33
Change in total Decrease 1 Increase 2
Party Candi-
dates
Votes Seats
No. % No. +/– %
Republican Party 11 618,589 48.62% 9 Increase1 56.25%
Democratic Party 13 639,545 50.26% 7 Decrease1 43.75%
Integrity Party 1 2,093 0.16% 0 Steady 0.00%
Scattering 12,126 0.95% 0 Steady 0.00%
Total 25 1,272,353 100.00% 16 Steady 100.00%
Popular vote
Democratic
50.26%
Republican
48.62%
Other
1.11%
Senate seats
Republican
56.25%
Democratic
43.75%

Close races

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Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. State Senate district 32, 0.07%
  2. State Senate district 30, 2.60%
  3. State Senate district 24, 4.69% (gain)

Outgoing incumbents

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Retiring

[edit]

Vacated

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  • Rick Gudex (R–Fond du Lac), representing District 18 since 2012, did not run for re-election, then died by suicide before the election.

Candidates and results

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Dist. Incumbent This race[a][2]
Member Party First
elected
Status Candidates Results
02 Robert Cowles Rep. 1987
(special)
Ran
Incumbent re-elected
04 Lena Taylor Dem. 2004 Ran
Incumbent re-elected
06 Nikiya Harris Dodd Dem. 2012 Did not run
Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.
08 Alberta Darling Rep. 1992 Ran
Incumbent re-elected
10 Sheila Harsdorf Rep. 2000 Ran
Incumbent re-elected
12 Tom Tiffany Rep. 2012 Ran
  • Green tickYTom Tiffany (Rep.) 62.92%
  • Bryan Van Stippen (Dem.) 37.04%
Incumbent re-elected
14 Luther Olsen Rep. 2004 Ran
Incumbent re-elected
16 Mark Miller Dem. 2004 Ran
Incumbent re-elected
18 Vacant[b]
  • Green tickYDan Feyen (Rep.) 55.83%
  • Mark Harris (Dem.) 44.06%
Incumbent died.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
20 Glenn Grothman Rep. 2004 Ran
Incumbent re-elected
22 Robert Wirch Dem. 1996 Ran
Incumbent re-elected
24 Julie Lassa Dem. 2003
(special)
Ran
Incumbent defeated.
New member elected.
Republican gain
26 Fred Risser Dem. 1962
(special)
Ran
Incumbent re-elected
28 Mary Lazich Rep. 1998
(special)
Ran
Incumbent re-elected
30 Dave Hansen Dem. 2000 Ran
Incumbent re-elected
32 Jennifer Shilling Dem. 2011
(recall)
Ran
Incumbent re-elected

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Not all totals add up to 100% due to scattering
  2. ^ Incumbent Rick Gudex (Rep.) died on October 12, 2016

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Marley, Patrick; Stein, Jason (November 9, 2016). "GOP strengthens hold on Legislature". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee, U.S.A. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2024.