1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
County resultsNelson : 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Thomson : 50–60% 60–70%
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[update] , 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
Democratic party
Candidates
Results
General election
Candidates
Gaylord A. Nelson, Democrat
Vernon W. Thomson, Republican
Wayne Leverenz, Independent
Results
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
^ Not listed by county in the Blue Book but full results are listed in the Board of Canvassers report.
^ These are not listed in the Blue Book but are listed in the Board of Canvassers report.
^ a b c d Includes 2 Scattering votes
^ a b c d Includes 7 Scattering votes
^ Includes 3 Scattering votes
^ a b c d Includes 1 Scattering vote
^ Includes 4 Scattering votes
References
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections" . uselectionatlas.org . Retrieved July 4, 2022 .
^ 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 )
^ "Nelson, Gaylord A." Our Campaigns . Retrieved May 23, 2020 .
^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of State Canvassers for State Officers - General Election - 1958
^ 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 )