United States presidential election in Wisconsin, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 United States presidential election in Wisconsin took place on November 4, 2008 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election
. Voters chose 10 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President
and Vice President
.
Wisconsin
was won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama
by a 13.9% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise considered as a safe blue state, despite the extremely close margins of victory in the past two presidential elections. Polling throughout the state began to show a sizable and widening lead for Democrat Barack Obama
of neighboring Illinois
over Republican John McCain
of Arizona
. Obama carried Wisconsin with over 56% of the vote, significantly improving upon John Kerry
's margin of victory in 2004
.
and 2004
, Wisconsin was originally considered to be a swing state in 2008
. However, Obama took a wide lead in the polls in Wisconsin near the final weeks before the election and many pundits and news organizations labeled the state as a safe blue state.
On Election Day, Obama won Wisconsin by a comfortable 13.91-percent margin of victory. Obama carried the heavily Democratic cities of Milwaukee and Madison
by large margins, winning above two-thirds of the vote, along with some traditionally Republican cities like Green Bay
and Appleton
. This was consistent with Obama's pattern of strong performances in the states bordering Illinois. The state's Republican base essentially melted; John McCain only carried 13 of the state's 72 counties. McCain did best in the Milwaukee suburbs like Waukesha
and Ozaukee counties. The election confirmed Wisconsin's status as a Democratic-leaning Midwestern state; the last time Wisconsin voted for a Republican presidential nominee was in 1984
when Ronald Reagan
carried the Badger State in his landslide reelection. A Democrat can lose most of the rest of the state and still carry it by running up the votes in Milwaukee and Madison, as John Kerry
demonstrated in 2004.
During the same election, at the state level, Democrats picked up five seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly
which gave them control of the chamber and marked the first time since 1992 that Democrats controlled both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature
.
.
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 15, 2008 to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 10 were pledged to Barack Obama
and Joe Biden
:
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. Voters chose 10 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
was won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
by a 13.9% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise considered as a safe blue state, despite the extremely close margins of victory in the past two presidential elections. Polling throughout the state began to show a sizable and widening lead for Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
of neighboring Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
over Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Obama carried Wisconsin with over 56% of the vote, significantly improving upon John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's margin of victory in 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
.
Predictions
There were 17 news organizations who made state by state predictions of the election. Here are there last predictions before election day:- D.C. Political Report: Democrat
- Cook Political ReportCook Political ReportThe Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
: Leaning Democrat - Takeaway: Solid Obama
- Election Projection: Solid Obama
- Electoral-vote.comElectoral-vote.comElectoral-Vote.com is the website of computer scientist Andrew S. Tanenbaum. The site's primary content is poll analysis to project the outcome of U.S. elections. The site also includes commentary on related news stories. Well known for its color-coded electoral map of the United States, the...
: Strong Democrat - Washington Post: Solid Obama
- PoliticoPolitico (newspaper)The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
: Solid Obama - Real Clear Politics: Solid Obama
- FiveThirtyEight.comFiveThirtyEight.comFiveThirtyEight is a polling aggregation website with a blog created by Nate Silver. Sometimes colloquially referred to as 538 dot com or just 538, the website takes its name from the number of electors in the United States electoral college...
: Solid Obama - CQ Politics: Safe Democrat
- New York Times: Leaning Democrat
- CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
: Leaning Democrat - NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
: Solid Obama - MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
: Solid Obama - Fox News: Democrat
- Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
: Democrat - Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
: Safe Democrat
Polling
Pre-election polling early on showed a tight race. Since May 18, Obama swept every single poll. Since September 21, Obama won every poll with at least 49% of the vote. The final 3 polls averaged Obama leading 53% to 40%.Fundraising
John McCain raised a total of $1,728,185 in the state. Barack Obama raised $4,862,486.Advertising and visits
Obama and his interest groups spent $13,586,634. McCain and his interest groups spent $9,240,899. Each ticket visited the state 7 times.Analysis
Having voted for the Democratic presidential nominees by extremely narrow margins in 2000United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
and 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Wisconsin was originally considered to be a swing state in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. However, Obama took a wide lead in the polls in Wisconsin near the final weeks before the election and many pundits and news organizations labeled the state as a safe blue state.
On Election Day, Obama won Wisconsin by a comfortable 13.91-percent margin of victory. Obama carried the heavily Democratic cities of Milwaukee and Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
by large margins, winning above two-thirds of the vote, along with some traditionally Republican cities like Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
and Appleton
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
. This was consistent with Obama's pattern of strong performances in the states bordering Illinois. The state's Republican base essentially melted; John McCain only carried 13 of the state's 72 counties. McCain did best in the Milwaukee suburbs like Waukesha
Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Waukesha County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2008, the population was 380,629. Its county seat is Waukesha.-History:The part of Wisconsin that Waukesha County now occupies was a part of Michigan when Milwaukee County was organized in September 1834. On July 4, 1836, the...
and Ozaukee counties. The election confirmed Wisconsin's status as a Democratic-leaning Midwestern state; the last time Wisconsin voted for a Republican presidential nominee was in 1984
United States presidential election, 1984
The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
when Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
carried the Badger State in his landslide reelection. A Democrat can lose most of the rest of the state and still carry it by running up the votes in Milwaukee and Madison, as John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
demonstrated in 2004.
During the same election, at the state level, Democrats picked up five seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
which gave them control of the chamber and marked the first time since 1992 that Democrats controlled both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature
Wisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Wisconsin Senate and the lower Wisconsin Assembly...
.
Results
| United States presidential election in Wisconsin, 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
Joe Biden Joe Biden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama... |
1,677,211 | 56.22% | 10 | |
| Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
John McCain John McCain John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.... |
Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was... |
1,262,393 | 42.31% | 0 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Ralph Nader Ralph Nader Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government.... |
Matt Gonzalez Matt Gonzalez Matthew Edward Gonzalez is an American politician, lawyer, and activist prominent in San Francisco politics. He currently serves as chief attorney in the San Francisco Public Defender's office.... |
17,605 | 0.59% | 0 | |
| Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... |
Bob Barr Bob Barr Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr, Jr. is a former federal prosecutorand a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003. Barr attained national prominence as one of the leaders of the impeachment of... |
Wayne Allyn Root Wayne Allyn Root Wayne Allyn Root is an American politician, entrepreneur, television and radio personality, author and political commentator. He was the 2008 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee. In June 2009 Richard Winger wrote he was the front runner for the 2012 Libertarian Presidential nomination... |
8,858 | 0.30% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 6,521 | 0.22% | 0 | ||
| Constitution Constitution Party (United States) The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections... |
Chuck Baldwin Chuck Baldwin Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin is an American politician and founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. presidential election and had previously been its nominee for U.S. vice president in 2004... |
Darrell Castle Darrell Castle Darrell Castle is an American political figure, activist and attorney from Memphis, Tennessee, and was the vice presidential candidate of the Constitution Party in the 2008 United States presidential election.-Early life and education:... |
5,072 | 0.17% | 0 | |
| Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... |
Cynthia McKinney Cynthia McKinney Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States... |
Rosa Clemente Rosa Clemente Rosa Alicia Clemente is a United States community organizer, independent journalist and hip-hop activist. She was the vice presidential running mate of 2008 Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.Clemente was born and raised in South Bronx, New... |
4,216 | 0.14% | 0 | |
| Others | - | - | 1,541 | 0.05% | 0 | |
| Totals | 2,983,417 | 100.00% | 10 | |||
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 70.8% | |||||
By county
| County | Obama% | Obama# | McCain% | McCain# |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Adams County, Wisconsin Adams County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Sources differ as to whether its name is in honor of the second President of the United States, John Adams, or his son, the sixth President, John Quincy Adams. As of 2000, the population of Adams County was 18,643. Its county seat is... |
59.36% | 5808 | 40.64% | 3976 |
| Ashland | 69.44% | 5697 | 30.56% | 2507 |
| Barron | 53.59% | 12076 | 46.41% | 10456 |
| Bayfield | 64.32% | 5978 | 35.68% | 3316 |
| Brown | 54.64% | 67241 | 45.36% | 55827 |
| Buffalo Buffalo County, Wisconsin Buffalo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 13,804. Its county seat is Alma.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
57.46% | 3979 | 42.54% | 2946 |
| Burnett | 50.80% | 4337 | 49.20% | 4200 |
| Calumet Calumet County, Wisconsin Calumet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is included in the Appleton, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the county's population was 48,971. The county seat is Chilton.-History:... |
51.11% | 13296 | 48.89% | 12720 |
| Chippewa Chippewa County, Wisconsin Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County... |
54.62% | 16236 | 45.38% | 13489 |
| Clark | 54.04% | 7450 | 45.96% | 6337 |
| Columbia Columbia County, Wisconsin -Unincorporated communities:*Anacker*Belle Fountain*Durwards Glen*East Friesland*Harmony Grove*Ingle*Keyeser*Lake Wisconsin*Leeds*Lowville*Marcellon*North Leeds*Okee*Otsego-External links:***... |
57.75% | 16658 | 42.25% | 12189 |
| Crawford | 63.82% | 5124 | 36.18% | 2905 |
| Dane Dane County, Wisconsin As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile... |
73.85% | 202812 | 26.15% | 71829 |
| Dodge Dodge County, Wisconsin Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 88,759. Its county seat is Juneau.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
45.46% | 19178 | 54.54% | 23013 |
| Door Door County, Wisconsin Door County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 27,961. Its county seat is Sturgeon Bay. Door County is a popular vacation and tourist destination, especially for residents of Wisconsin and Illinois.... |
58.78% | 10142 | 41.22% | 7112 |
| Douglas | 66.89% | 15827 | 33.11% | 7833 |
| Dunn | 57.58% | 13055 | 42.42% | 9616 |
| Eau Claire Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population estimate was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire.... |
61.28% | 33143 | 38.72% | 20944 |
| Florence Florence County, Wisconsin Florence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 5,088. Its county seat is Florence.Florence County is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
42.86% | 1134 | 57.14% | 1512 |
| Fond du Lac Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin Fond du Lac County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 97,296. Its county seat is Fond du Lac. The United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Fond du Lac County. The county name is French for "bottom of the... |
45.45% | 23457 | 54.55% | 28155 |
| Forest Forest County, Wisconsin Forest County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,304. Its county seat is Crandon.-Indian Reservations:... |
57.68% | 2671 | 42.32% | 1960 |
| Grant Grant County, Wisconsin Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 49,597. Its county seat is Lancaster. Estimates for 2008 show a population of 49,238... |
62.08% | 14911 | 37.92% | 9109 |
| Green Green County, Wisconsin Green County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 33,647. Its county seat is Monroe.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
63.08% | 11499 | 36.92% | 6730 |
| Green Lake Green Lake County, Wisconsin Green Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 19,105. Its county seat is Green Lake. The center of population of Wisconsin is located in Green Lake County in the city of Markesan.-Geography:... |
42.58% | 3998 | 57.42% | 5392 |
| Iowa Iowa County, Wisconsin Iowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 22,780. Its county seat and largest city is Dodgeville.Iowa County is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
67.35% | 8076 | 32.65% | 3915 |
| Iron Iron County, Wisconsin Iron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 6,861. Its county seat is Hurley.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
56.57% | 1915 | 43.43% | 1470 |
| Jackson Jackson County, Wisconsin Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 19,886. Its county seat is Black River Falls. Jackson County was formed from Crawford County in 1853.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
61.08% | 5572 | 38.92% | 3550 |
| Jefferson Jefferson County, Wisconsin Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 74,021. Its county seat is Jefferson.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
50.41% | 21448 | 49.59% | 21095 |
| Juneau Juneau County, Wisconsin Juneau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the population was 24,316. Its county seat is Mauston. It should not, however, be confused with the city of Juneau, Wisconsin, to which it has no connection.-Geography:... |
54.48% | 6209 | 45.52% | 5187 |
| Kenosha Kenosha County, Wisconsin -Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 149,577 people, 56,057 households, and 38,455 families residing in the county. The population density was 548 people per square mile . There were 59,989 housing units at an average density of 220 per square mile... |
59.35% | 45615 | 40.65% | 31237 |
| Kewaunee Kewaunee County, Wisconsin Kewaunee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 20,187. Its county seat is Kewaunee. Kewaunee County is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
55.61% | 5902 | 44.39% | 4711 |
| La Crosse | 61.91% | 38514 | 38.09% | 23698 |
| Lafayette Lafayette County, Wisconsin Lafayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 16,137. Its county seat is Darlington.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
61.33% | 4732 | 38.67% | 2984 |
| Langlade Langlade County, Wisconsin Langlade County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 20,740. Its county seat is Antigo.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water... |
50.49% | 5182 | 49.51% | 5081 |
| Lincoln Lincoln County, Wisconsin Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 29,641. Its county seat is Merrill.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
56.39% | 8419 | 43.61% | 6510 |
| Manitowoc Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Manitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 82,887. Its county seat is Manitowoc. The United States Census Bureau's Manitowoc Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Manitowoc County.-Government:... |
53.83% | 22421 | 46.17% | 19231 |
| Marathon Marathon County, Wisconsin Marathon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is part of the Wausau, WI, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 134,063. Its county seat is Wausau.-Geography:... |
54.52% | 36363 | 45.48% | 30339 |
| Marinette Marinette County, Wisconsin Marinette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 43,384. Its county seat is Marinette.Marinette County is part of the Marinette, WI–MI Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
53.41% | 11124 | 46.59% | 9705 |
| Marquette Marquette County, Wisconsin Marquette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 15,832. Its county seat is Montello.-Geography:... |
52.77% | 4051 | 47.23% | 3625 |
| Menominee | 87.17% | 1257 | 12.83% | 185 |
| Milwaukee | 68.23% | 316916 | 31.77% | 147573 |
| Monroe Monroe County, Wisconsin Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 40,899. Its county seat is Sparta.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
54.04% | 10178 | 45.96% | 8657 |
| Oconto Oconto County, Wisconsin Oconto County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 35,634. Its county seat is Oconto.Oconto County is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was established in 1851.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
53.14% | 9926 | 46.86% | 8754 |
| Oneida Oneida County, Wisconsin Oneida County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 36,776. Its county seat is Rhinelander.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,236 square miles , of which 1,124 square miles is land and 111 square... |
55.29% | 11905 | 44.71% | 9627 |
| Outagamie Outagamie County, Wisconsin Outagamie is a county in the northeast region of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Its county seat is Appleton. As of the 2009 census estimate, its population was 177,155.... |
55.90% | 50255 | 44.10% | 39641 |
| Ozaukee | 39.01% | 20570 | 60.99% | 32160 |
| Pepin | 56.54% | 2101 | 43.46% | 1615 |
| Pierce Pierce County, Wisconsin Pierce County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 41,019. Its county seat is Ellsworth. Pierce County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area .-Geography:... |
54.62% | 11695 | 45.38% | 9715 |
| Polk | 49.08% | 10876 | 50.92% | 11282 |
| Portage Portage County, Wisconsin Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 67,182. Its county seat is Stevens Point. The United States Census Bureau's Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Portage County.-Geography:... |
64.25% | 24815 | 35.75% | 13807 |
| Price Price County, Wisconsin Price County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 15,822. Its county seat is Phillips.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water... |
56.87% | 4559 | 43.13% | 3458 |
| Racine | 53.76% | 53405 | 46.24% | 45941 |
| Richland | 60.24% | 5072 | 39.76% | 3348 |
| Rock Rock County, Wisconsin -Unincorporated communities:-Further reading:* . Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908.... |
64.87% | 50515 | 35.13% | 27356 |
| Rusk Rusk County, Wisconsin Rusk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 15,347. Its county seat is Ladysmith. Founded in 1901, Rusk County was originally named "Gates" County. It was formed out of the northern portion of Chippewa County.... |
54.23% | 3855 | 45.77% | 3253 |
| Sauk Sauk County, Wisconsin Sauk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,225. Its county seat and largest city is Baraboo. Sauk County is included in the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area and in the Madison Combined Statistical Area.... |
61.66% | 18606 | 38.34% | 11567 |
| Sawyer Sawyer County, Wisconsin Sawyer County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 16,196. Its county seat is Hayward.-History:The county is named for Philetus Sawyer, who represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in the 19th century.-Geography:According to... |
53.15% | 4763 | 46.85% | 4199 |
| Shawano Shawano County, Wisconsin Shawano County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 40,664. Its county seat is Shawano.-History:... |
52.07% | 10192 | 47.93% | 9381 |
| Sheboygan | 49.67% | 30392 | 50.33% | 30796 |
| St. Croix | 48.09% | 20989 | 51.91% | 22657 |
| Taylor Taylor County, Wisconsin Taylor County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 20,689. Its county seat is Medford.-History:The earliest recorded event in Taylor county probably occurred in 1661, when Wisconsin was part of New France... |
49.86% | 4560 | 50.14% | 4586 |
| Trempealeau Trempealeau County, Wisconsin Trempealeau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 27,754. Its county seat is Whitehall.-History:Patches of woodland are all that remain of the brush and light forest that once covered the county... |
63.38% | 8320 | 36.62% | 4807 |
| Vernon Vernon County, Wisconsin Vernon County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 29,324. Its county seat is Viroqua.-History:... |
61.19% | 8478 | 38.81% | 5377 |
| Vilas Vilas County, Wisconsin Vilas County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 21,033. Its county seat is Eagle River.-Settlement:Vilas County was set off from Oneida County on April 12, 1893 and named for William Freeman Vilas... |
47.92% | 6490 | 52.08% | 7054 |
| Walworth Walworth County, Wisconsin Walworth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 102,228. Its county seat is Elkhorn.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
48.69% | 24176 | 51.31% | 25482 |
| Washburn Washburn County, Wisconsin Washburn County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 16,036. Its county seat is Shell Lake.-Geography:According to the U.S... |
52.55% | 4716 | 47.45% | 4259 |
| Washington | 35.01% | 25713 | 64.99% | 47725 |
| Waukesha | 37.01% | 85248 | 62.99% | 145089 |
| Waupaca Waupaca County, Wisconsin -Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 51,731 people, 19,863 households, and 13,884 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 22,508 housing units at an average density of... |
51.64% | 12952 | 48.36% | 12131 |
| Waushara | 50.43% | 5868 | 49.57% | 5769 |
| Winnebago Winnebago County, Wisconsin Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 163,370. Its county seat is Oshkosh. Winnebago County is included in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin-Neenah, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
55.93% | 48156 | 44.07% | 37943 |
| Wood | 56.70% | 21705 | 43.30% | 16576 |
By congressional district
Barack Obama swept the state, carrying seven of the state’s eight congressional districts, including two districts held by Republicans.| District | McCain | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47.45% | 51.40% | Paul Ryan Paul Ryan (politician) Paul Davis Ryan is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party and has been ranked among the party's most influential voices on economic policy.... |
|
| 29.78% | 69.00% | Tammy Baldwin Tammy Baldwin Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin is the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, serving since 1999. She is a member of the Democratic Party. In September 2011, Baldwin announced she would be a candidate in the 2012 U.S... |
|
| 40.80% | 57.76% | Ron Kind Ron Kind Ronald James "Ron" Kind is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district is located in the western portion of the state and is anchored by La Crosse and Eau Claire and Platteville.... |
|
| 23.61% | 75.39% | Gwen Moore Gwen Moore Gwendolynne Sophia Moore is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in Milwaukee and also includes South Milwaukee, Cudahy and St. Francis, and part of West Allis. She is the first woman to represent the district... |
|
| 57.73% | 41.28% | Jim Sensenbrenner Jim Sensenbrenner Frank James Sensenbrenner, Jr. is an American politician who has been a member of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives since 1979, representing . The district, the state's richest, includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs, and extends into rural... |
|
| 48.72% | 49.91% | Tom Petri Tom Petri Thomas Evert Petri is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1979. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes most of the east-central part of the state.-Early life, education, and early career:... |
|
| 42.52% | 55.91% | David Obey Dave Obey David Ross "Dave" Obey is the former U.S. Representative for , serving 21 consecutive terms from 1969 until 2011. The district includes much of the northwestern portion of the state, including Wausau and Superior... |
|
| 45.12% | 53.59% | Steve Kagen Steve Kagen Steven Leslie Kagen, M.D. is a physician and was the U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party... |
Electors
Technically the voters of Wisconsin cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Wisconsin is allocated 10 electors because it has 8 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 10 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 10 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for President and Vice President. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless electorFaithless elector
In United States presidential elections, a faithless elector is a member of the Electoral College who does not vote for the candidate they have pledged to vote for...
.
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 15, 2008 to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 10 were pledged to Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
:
- Ray Rivera
- Fred Risser
- Rollie Hick
- Polly Williams
- Dean Palmer
- Gordon Hintz
- Christine Bremer-Muggli
- Donsia Strong Hill
- Jim DoyleJim DoyleJames Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was the 44th Governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. He defeated incumbent Governor Scott McCallum by a margin of 45 percent to 41 percent; the Libertarian Party candidate Ed...
- Joe Wineke