2016 United States Senate election in Wisconsin


The 2016 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Wisconsin, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries were held August 9, 2016.
Incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson was re-elected to a second term in office. Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, whom Johnson unseated in the 2010 midterm election, sought a rematch for a fourth non-consecutive term in office but was again defeated by Johnson, who became the first Republican to win a Senate election in Wisconsin in a presidential election year since Bob Kasten in 1980. Kasten was ultimately unseated by Feingold in 1992. Johnson's victory was considered an upset, as most polling had Feingold in the lead.

Background

In 2010, then-incumbent Democratic Senator Russ Feingold ran for re-election to a fourth term in 2010 but was defeated by Republican nominee Ron Johnson.
In March 2013, Johnson announced that he had begun fundraising for his campaign. At that time, he had just $1,529 remaining in his campaign account after raising $16.1 million for the 2010 election, over half of which he self-funded. Johnson said in November 2014 that he would not self-finance another campaign, saying: "I made my $9 million investment in this country. I gave it once, I don't think I should do it again." On May 14, 2015, Feingold announced he would run to win back his former Senate seat. Ultimately, Feingold spent over $24 million on the campaign and ended up with more remaining cash than Johnson, who spent only $20 million.
After the Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 Senate elections, the election in Wisconsin was seen by many as a top target for the Democrats, who hoped to retake their majority in the traditionally blue state. Politico pointed to Johnson's "worrisome" favorability ratings as one of the main reasons for his vulnerability. A March 2014 Marquette University Law School poll found that just 29% of voters had a favorable opinion of him.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Candidates

Declared

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Declared

Candidates

Endorsements

Predictions

Polling

^ Internal poll taken for Ron Johnson.

Hypothetical polling		------

;with Mary Burke

Results

By congressional district

Johnson won 6 of 8 congressional districts, including the Democratic held 3rd.
DistrictJohnsonFeingoldRepresentative
56%42%Paul Ryan
30%67%Mark Pocan
49%47%Ron Kind
26%71%Gwen Moore
63%35%Jim Sensenbrenner
58%38%Glenn Grothman
57%40%Sean Duffy
59%38%Reid Ribble
59%38%Mike Gallagher

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