2016 Election Results

In a shocking upset, Donald Trump reached 279 electoral votes early Wednesday morning and will become the 45^th  President of the United States. Trump was declared the winner of Wisconsin, 48%-47%. A Republican presidential candidate has not won Wisconsin since Ronald Reagan in 1984. 

Hillary Clinton publicly concede the race on Wednesday morning.  Republicans maintained control of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Official turnout numbers have not been released yet but it is estimated that a record number of Americans cast ballots in the presidential race.  Turnout in Wisconsin was estimated at 2.9 million voters on Tuesday. More than 821,000 Wisconsinites voted early, shattering the state’s previous record of 659,444.  

Turning to the local level, there were several surprising upsets.Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) lost her race against Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), and Representative Chris Danou (D-Trempealeau) lost to Treig Pronschinske (R-Mondovi).  One crucial race is still too close to call. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) is in a nail-biter in her rematch against former State Senator Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse). Shilling currently leads Kapanke by just 44 votes. She previously beat Kapanke in the 2011 Recall Election.

State Assembly Races

Going in to Election Day, Republicans controlled the Assembly with a 63-36 majority. Of the 99 Assembly seats, only 52 seats are up for grabs on Election Day.  Republicans will start the 2017-18 Legislative Session with a 64-35 majority.  

In the biggest surprise of the night, Representative Chris Danou (D-Trempealeau) lost his seat to Treig Pronschinske (R-Mondovi), 48%-52%.

Former State Representative Many Wright (D-Wausau) was not able to reclaim her Assembly Seat. She lost to Patrick Snyder (R-Schofield), 47%-53%, in the race to fill outgoing Representative Dave Heaton's (R-Wausau) open seat. 

Representatives Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville), Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City), Ed Brooks (R-Reedsburg) and Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) all held on to their seats despite projections that they were in close races. 

Shannon Zimmerman (R-River Falls) will fill outgoing Representative Dean Knudson's (R-Hudson) open seat in Assembly District 30. Ron Tusler (R-Appleton) will fill retiring Representative Al Ott's (R-Forest Junction) open seat in Assembly District 3. Jimmy Anderson (D-Fitchburg) will fill Robb Kahl's (D-Monona) open seat in Assembly District 47. Jason Fields (D-Milwaukee) will reclaim his seat in Assembly District 11 after he won the August Primary to fill Representative Barnes's open seat. Democratic Staff David Crowley (D-Milwaukee) will fill Senator-elect LaTonya Johnson's (D-Milwaukee) open seat in Assembly District 17. Don Vruwink (D-Milton) will fill Representative Andy Jorgensen's (D-Milton) open seat in Assembly District 43. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) will fill Senator-elect David Craig's (R-Big Bend) open seat in Assembly District 83.

State Senate Races

Republicans went into the Election with a 19-14 majority in the Senate. They will begin the 2017-18 legislative session with at least a 20 seat majority.  

In addition to the upset of Senator Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and the too-close-to-call race for Senator Shilling (D-La Crosse) discussed above, there were several key races to watch on Tuesday.  

Republican Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac) won the open Senate seat in Senate District 18. He beat Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris (D-Oshkosh), 57%-43%, to replace Senator Rick Gudex (R-Fond du Lac) who passed away earlier this fall.  

Despite reports that he was facing a tight race in Senate District 14, Senator Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) won re-election over Brian Smith (D-Waupaca), 57%-43%. Senators Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) and Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst), two seats previously identified as possible pick ups for Democrats, both won their elections by wide margins. 

After trailing for most of the night, Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) was able to hold on to his seat in Senate District 30. He beat Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay), 51%-49%. 

Two Senate races were previously decided by the August primary, Representative LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) will replace outgoing Senator Nikiya Harris Dodd (D-Milwaukee), and Representative David Craig (R-Big Bend) will replace outgoing Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin). 

U.S. Senate

Senator Ron Johnson (R-Oshkosh) won his re-match with Russ Feingold (D-Middleton), 50%-47%.  Johnson unseated former Senator Feingold in 2010.  

U.S. House of Representatives

Mike Gallagher (R-Green Bay) handily defeated Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson (D-Appleton), 63%-37%, in the race to fill U.S. Representative Reid Ribble’s (R-Sherwood) open seat in District 8.

All of Wisconsin's incumbent Representatives held on to their seats. 

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) easily beat Ryan Solen (D-Mount Pleasant), 66%-29%, in District 1. 

In District 2, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (D-Black Earth) beat challenger Peter Theron (R-Madison), 69%-31%. 

U.S. Representative Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) was uncontested in District 3.

U.S. Representative Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) beat her Libertarian challenger Robert Raymond, 75%-13%, in District 4.  

In District 5, U.S. Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-Menomonee Falls) beat Khary Penebaker (D-Hartland), 67%-29%, to hold on to his seat.

U.S. Representative Glenn Grothman (R- Glenbeulah) fended off a challenge by Sarah Lloyd (D-Wisconsin Dells), 58%-36%, in District 6.

U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (R-Wausau) beat Mary Hoeft (D-Rice Lake), 62%-38%, in District 7.