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The 1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1958. The Democratic nominee, state senator Gaylord A. Nelson, defeated the Republican incumbent governor, Vernon W. Thomson, receiving 53.59% of the vote.

This was the first Democratic victory in a Wisconsin gubernatorial election since 1932, and only the second since 1892. Nelson's share of the vote was the highest for a Democrat since 1873. As of 2024, this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Vilas County has voted for the Democratic candidate.[1]

Primary election

The primary election was held on September 9, 1958. Both major party candidates were unopposed in their respective primaries.

Republican party

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Vernon W. Thomson (incumbent) 241,816 100.00%
Total votes 241,816 100.00%

Democratic party

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gaylord A. Nelson 234,345 100.00%
Total votes 234,345 100.00%

General election

Candidates

  • Gaylord A. Nelson, Democrat
  • Vernon W. Thomson, Republican
  • Wayne Leverenz, Independent

Results

1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Gaylord A. Nelson 644,296 53.59% +5.48%
Republican Vernon W. Thomson (incumbent) 556,391 46.28% −5.61%
Independent Wayne Leverenz[a] 1,485 0.12%
Scattering[b] 47 0.00%
Majority 87,905 7.31%
Total votes 1,202,219 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing +11.09%

Results by county

By backing Thomson, Oconto County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1875, breaking a streak of 40 consecutive elections of backing the eventual winner. Additionally, Clark County, Green County, and Waupaca County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1892.

County[4][5] Gaylord A. Nelson
Democratic 		Vernon W. Thomson
Republican 		Wayne Leverenz
Independent 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Adams 1,540 56.37% 1,190 43.56% 0 0.00% 350 12.81% 2,732[c]
Ashland 3,773 59.14% 2,603 40.80% 4 0.06% 1,107 18.34% 6,380
Barron 4,928 51.05% 4,716 48.86% 9 0.09% 212 2.20% 9,653
Bayfield 2,739 59.18% 1,886 40.75% 3 0.06% 853 18.43% 4,628
Brown 16,747 44.30% 21,036 55.65% 19 0.05% -4,289 -11.35% 37,802
Buffalo 1,779 49.33% 1,824 50.58% 3 0.08% -45 -1.25% 3,606
Burnett 1,931 53.06% 1,703 46.80% 5 0.14% 228 6.27% 3,639
Calumet 2,596 40.22% 3,851 59.67% 0 0.00% -1,255 -19.45% 6,454[d]
Chippewa 7,055 58.29% 5,037 41.62% 11 0.09% 2,018 16.67% 12,103
Clark 4,809 49.33% 4,932 50.59% 7 0.07% -123 -1.26% 9,748
Columbia 5,576 48.50% 5,918 51.47% 3 0.03% -342 -2.97% 11,497
Crawford 2,548 47.18% 2,851 52.79% 2 0.04% -303 -5.61% 5,401
Dane 39,790 62.12% 2,4251 37.86% 6 0.01% 15,539 24.26% 64,050[e]
Dodge 8,013 45.76% 9,489 54.19% 8 0.05% -1,476 -8.43% 17,510
Door 2,639 37.92% 4,316 62.01% 5 0.07% -1,677 -24.09% 6,960
Douglas 11,016 64.38% 6,080 35.53% 15 0.09% 4,936 28.85% 17,111
Dunn 3,550 45.45% 4,258 54.51% 3 0.04% -708 -9.06% 7,811
Eau Claire 10,347 56.65% 7,896 43.23% 22 0.12% 2,451 13.42% 18,265
Florence 856 55.51% 683 44.29% 3 0.19% 173 11.22% 1,542
Fond du Lac 10,590 44.42% 13,222 55.46% 27 0.11% -2,632 -11.04% 23,841[c]
Forest 1,965 65.02% 1,050 34.75% 7 0.23% 915 30.28% 3,022
Grant 4,517 34.26% 8,637 65.50% 32 0.24% -4,120 -31.25% 13,186
Green 2,838 38.63% 4,506 61.34% 2 0.03% -1,668 -22.71% 7,346
Green Lake 2,016 31.89% 4,291 67.87% 15 0.24% -2,275 -35.99% 6,322
Iowa 2,663 45.20% 3,229 54.80% 0 0.00% -566 -9.61% 5,892
Iron 2,463 70.59% 1,020 29.23% 6 0.17% 1,443 41.36% 3,489
Jackson 2,643 55.64% 2,104 44.29% 2 0.04% 539 11.35% 4,750[f]
Jefferson 8,463 50.50% 8,285 49.43% 12 0.07% 178 1.06% 16,760
Juneau 3,002 46.53% 3,446 53.41% 4 0.06% -444 -6.88% 6,452
Kenosha 17,699 59.79% 11,871 40.10% 31 0.10% 5,828 19.69% 29,601
Kewaunee 2,833 47.48% 3,132 52.49% 2 0.03% -299 -5.01% 5,967
La Crosse 11,789 51.45% 11,035 48.16% 89 0.39% 754 3.29% 22,913
Lafayette 2,500 46.05% 2,929 53.95% 0 0.00% -429 -7.90% 5,429
Langlade 3,727 53.67% 3,210 46.23% 7 0.10% 517 7.45% 6,944
Lincoln 3,840 50.74% 3,719 49.14% 9 0.12% 121 1.60% 7,568
Manitowoc 12,281 53.92% 10,417 45.73% 79 0.35% 1,864 8.18% 22,777
Marathon 16,064 56.65% 12,267 43.26% 23 0.08% 3,797 13.39% 28,356[c]
Marinette 5,369 48.84% 5,618 51.11% 5 0.05% -249 -2.27% 10,992
Marquette 941 36.73% 1,620 63.23% 1 0.04% -679 -26.50% 2,562
Milwaukee 190,647 61.58% 118,310 38.22% 612 0.20% 72,337 23.37% 309,576[d]
Monroe 4,422 49.85% 4,445 50.11% 0 0.00% -23 -0.26% 8,871[g]
Oconto 4,029 48.81% 4,222 51.14% 4 0.05% -193 -2.34% 8,255
Oneida 5,090 57.34% 3,782 42.60% 5 0.06% 1,308 14.73% 8,877
Outagamie 10,611 39.19% 16,388 60.52% 78 0.29% -5,777 -21.34% 27,077
Ozaukee 5,448 47.76% 5,956 52.21% 4 0.04% -508 -4.45% 11,408
Pepin 838 48.33% 895 51.61% 1 0.06% -57 -3.29% 1,734
Pierce 2,656 46.31% 3,079 53.69% 0 0.00% -423 -7.38% 5,735
Polk 4,598 56.96% 3,470 42.98% 5 0.06% 1,128 13.97% 8,073
Portage 7,698 62.97% 4,510 36.89% 17 0.14% 3,188 26.08% 12,225
Price 3,043 56.10% 2,373 43.75% 8 0.15% 670 12.35% 5,424
Racine 26,423 60.49% 17,229 39.44% 32 0.07% 9,194 21.05% 43,684
Richland 2,756 43.64% 3,557 56.33% 2 0.03% -801 -12.68% 6,315
Rock 14,166 47.03% 15,913 52.83% 39 0.13% -1,747 -5.80% 30,119[f]
Rusk 2,813 57.02% 2,114 42.85% 6 0.12% 699 14.17% 4,933
Sauk 5,539 46.50% 6,366 53.44% 6 0.05% -827 -6.94% 11,912[f]
Sawyer 1,591 45.48% 1,900 54.32% 0 0.00% -309 -8.83% 3,498[d]
Shawano 3,884 43.17% 5,109 56.78% 5 0.06% -1,225 -13.61% 8,998
Sheboygan 15,777 51.56% 14,815 48.42% 0 0.00% 962 3.14% 30,599[d]
St. Croix 4,431 50.01% 4,426 49.95% 3 0.03% 5 0.06% 8,860
Taylor 3,362 59.30% 2,303 40.62% 4 0.07% 1,059 18.68% 5,669
Trempealeau 3,670 53.68% 3,166 46.31% 1 0.01% 504 7.37% 6,837
Vernon 4,885 56.10% 3,819 43.86% 4 0.05% 1,066 12.24% 8,708
Vilas 2,398 51.70% 2,232 48.12% 8 0.17% 166 3.58% 4,638
Walworth 5,753 38.67% 9,116 61.27% 9 0.06% -3,363 -22.60% 14,878
Washburn 1,784 49.04% 1,852 50.91% 2 0.05% -68 -1.87% 3,638
Washington 5,768 46.14% 6,728 53.82% 5 0.04% -960 -7.68% 12,502[f]
Waukesha 20,637 48.45% 21,902 51.42% 57 0.13% -1,265 -2.97% 42,596
Waupaca 3,972 37.09% 6,732 62.87% 4 0.04% -2,760 -25.78% 10,708
Waushara 1,446 36.00% 2,569 63.95% 0 0.00% -1,123 -27.96% 4,017[c]
Winnebago 15,494 46.21% 17,979 53.62% 59 0.18% -2,485 -7.41% 33,532
Wood 8,232 47.69% 9,006 52.17% 24 0.14% -774 -4.48% 17,262
Total 644,296 53.59% 556,391 46.28% 1,485 0.12% 87,905 7.31% 1,202,219

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

  1. ^ Not listed by county in the Blue Book but full results are listed in the Board of Canvassers report.
  2. ^ These are not listed in the Blue Book but are listed in the Board of Canvassers report.
  3. ^ a b c d Includes 2 Scattering votes
  4. ^ a b c d Includes 7 Scattering votes
  5. ^ Includes 3 Scattering votes
  6. ^ a b c d Includes 1 Scattering vote
  7. ^ Includes 4 Scattering votes

References

  1. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  2. ^ a b The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (1960). "Vote For State Officers, Wisconsin Primary Election". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1960. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 650.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ "Nelson, Gaylord A." Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of State Canvassers for State Officers - General Election - 1958
  5. ^ a b The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (1960). "Vote For State Officers By Counties, Wisconsin General Election, November 4, 1958". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1960. Madison, Wisconsin. pp. 692–693.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Wisconsin_gubernatorial_election
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