2002 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

The 2002 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican Governor of Wisconsin Scott McCallum, who had assumed office upon the resignation of Tommy Thompson, ran for his first full term in office. McCallum won his party's nomination by defeating two minor candidates, and Attorney General of Wisconsin Jim Doyle won the Democratic primary with a little more than a third of the vote in a highly competitive primary election. In the general election, the presence of Ed Thompson, former Governor Tommy Thompson's younger brother, the Mayor of Tomah, and the Libertarian Party nominee, held both McCallum and Doyle to under fifty percent of the vote, enabling Doyle to win with 45% of the vote, defeating McCallum. As of 2022, this is the last gubernatorial election in which the Democratic candidate carried Taylor, Langlade, Marquette, Manitowoc, and Racine counties, and the last in which Juneau County did not vote for the Republican candidate, instead voting for Thompson.

Republican primary
McCallum, as the incumbent governor, did not face significant opposition in the primary. He was nominated with 86% of the primary vote.

Nominated

 * Scott McCallum, incumbent Governor of Wisconsin

Eliminated in primary

 * William Lorge, former State Representative
 * George Pobuda, teacher in Tomahawk, Wisconsin

Democratic primary
The primary election for the Democratic nomination was closely contested by three competitive candidates. The race was ultimately won by Jim Doyle with around 38% of the vote.

Nominee

 * Jim Doyle, three-term Attorney General of Wisconsin, former District Attorney of Dane County, Wisconsin.

Eliminated in primary

 * Tom Barrett, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, former state senator and state representative
 * Kathleen Falk, Dane County Executive, former Assistant Wisconsin Attorney General, general counsel for Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, Inc.

Libertarian party

 * Ed Thompson, former Mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin (2000–2002), brother of former Governor Tommy Thompson

Green party

 * Jim Young, City assessor for Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Reform party

 * Alan D. Eisenberg, lawyer and real estate dealer

Independent candidates

 * Ty A. Bollerud, of Janesville, Wisconsin
 * Mike Mangan, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
 * Aneb Jah Rasta, consultant and doctor of metaphysics

Counties that flipped Republican to Democratic

 * Barron (largest city: Rice Lake)
 * Iron (largest city: Hurley)
 * Jefferson (largest city: Watertown)
 * Langlade (largest city: Antigo)
 * Manitowoc (largest city: Manitowoc)
 * Marathon (largest city: Wausau)
 * Oneida (largest city: Rhinelander)
 * Rusk (largest city: Ladysmith)
 * Washburn (largest city: Spooner)
 * Buffalo (largest city: Mondovi)
 * Columbia (largest city: Portage)
 * Dunn (largest city: Menomonie)
 * Forest (largest city: Crandon)
 * Grant (largest city: Platteville)
 * Jackson (largest city: Black River Falls)
 * Kenosha (largest city: Kenosha)
 * Lafayette (largest city: Darlington)
 * Lincoln (largest city: Merrill)
 * Pepin (largest city: Durand)
 * Price (largest city: Park Falls)
 * Racine (largest city: Racine)
 * Richland (largest city: Richland Center)
 * Trempealeau (largest city: Arcadia)
 * Adams (largest city: Adams)
 * Polk (Largest city: Amery)
 * Taylor (Largest city: Medford)
 * Crawford (largest city: Prairie du Chien)
 * Eau Claire (largest city: Eau Claire)
 * Sauk (largest city: Baraboo)
 * Vernon (largest city: Viroqua)
 * Milwaukee (largest city: Milwaukee)
 * La Crosse (largest city: La Crosse)
 * Marquette (largest city: Montello)
 * Portage (largest city: Stevens Points)
 * Iowa (largest city: Dodgeville)
 * Green (largest city: Monore)
 * Rock (largest city: Janesville)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Libertarian

 * Monroe (largest city: Sparta)
 * Juneau (largest city: Mauston)