2006 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

The 2006 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jim Doyle ran for re-election to a second term in office. Doyle was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and he faced U.S. Representative Mark Green, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, in the general election. The campaign between Doyle and Green was competitive and hotly contested, but Doyle, whose approval ratings hovered around 50%, had the upper hand. In the end, Doyle defeated Green by a fairly comfortable margin, improving on his 2002 victory in the process.

This was the only Wisconsin gubernatorial election won by a Democrat with an outright majority of the vote between 1982 and 2022, and remains the largest winning margin garnered by a Democrat since 1982. As of 2024, this is the last gubernatorial election in which the Democratic candidate carried the counties of Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, Iron, Price, Lincoln, Oneida, Forest, Marathon, Wood, Clark, Chippewa, Rusk, Barron, Dunn, Polk, St. Croix, Pierce, Pepin, Buffalo, Jackson, Monroe, Adams, Lafayette, Outagamie, and Winnebago. This election was the first time since 1974 that an incumbent Democratic Governor was re-elected or won re-election.

Candidates

 * Jim Doyle, incumbent Governor of Wisconsin

Candidates

 * Mark Green, U.S. Representative

Withdrew

 * Scott Walker, Milwaukee County Executive and former State Representative

Candidates

 * Nelson Eisman

Counties that flipped Republican to Democratic

 * Burnett (largest village: Grantsburg)
 * Clark (largest city: Neillsville)
 * Outagamie (largest city: Appleton)
 * Door (largest city: Sturgeon Bay)
 * Sawyer (largest city: Hayward)
 * Winnebago (largest city: Oshkosh)
 * St. Croix (Largest city: Hudson)
 * Chippewa (largest city: Chippewa Falls)

Counties that flipped from Libertarian to Democratic

 * Monroe (largest city: Sparta)

Counties that flipped from Libertarian to Republican

 * Juneau (largest city: Mauston)

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Racine (largest city: Racine)
 * Langlade (largest city: Antigo)
 * Manitowoc (largest city: Manitowoc)
 * Taylor (Largest city: Medford)