2008 Wisconsin State Assembly election

The 2008 Wisconsin State Assembly election was held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. All 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly were up for election. Before the election, 51 Assembly seats were held by Republicans and 47 seats were held by Democrats. The primary was held on September 9, 2008.

Democrats flipped five Republican-held seats and took the Assembly majority for the first time since 1994. They entered the 98th Wisconsin Legislature with 52 of 99 Assembly seats.

Close races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:


 * 1) State Assembly district 47, 0.07%
 * 2) State Assembly district 34, 0.64%
 * 3) State Assembly district 67, 0.73%
 * 4) State Assembly district 68, 0.88% (gain)
 * 5) State Assembly district 87, 0.9%
 * 6) State Assembly district 43, 2.42%
 * 7) State Assembly district 1, 2.74%
 * 8) State Assembly district 96, 3.46%
 * 9) State Assembly district 36, 3.59%
 * 10) State Assembly district 2, 4.3% (gain)
 * 11) State Assembly district 21, 5%
 * 12) State Assembly district 4, 5.53%
 * 13) State Assembly district 92, 6.51% (gain)
 * 14) State Assembly district 89, 7.14%
 * 15) State Assembly district 90, 7.47%
 * 16) State Assembly district 55, 7.86%
 * 17) State Assembly district 49, 8.06%
 * 18) State Assembly district 94, 8.13%
 * 19) State Assembly district 97, 9.35%
 * 20) State Assembly district 30, 9.57%

Retiring

 * Sheryl Albers (R–Reedsburg), representing district 50 since 1991, retired.
 * Frank Boyle (D–Superior), representing district 73 since 1986, retired.
 * Barbara Gronemus (D–Whitehall), representing district 91 since 1984, retired.
 * Eugene Hahn (R–Cambria), representing district 47 since 1990, retired.
 * Suzanne Jeskewitz (R–Menomonee Falls), representing district 24 since 1996, retired.
 * Terry Musser (R–Black River Falls), representing district 92 since 1984, retired.
 * Carol Owens (R–Oshkosh), representing district 53 since 1992, retired.
 * David Travis (D–Waunakee), representing district 81 since 1985, retired.
 * Steve Wieckert (R–Appleton), representing district 57 since 1996, retired.

Seeking other office

 * James Kreuser (D–Kenosha), representing district 64 since 1993, retired to serve as County Executive of Kenosha County.
 * Sheldon Wasserman (D–Milwaukee), representing District 22 since 1994, unsuccessfully ran for State Senate.

Aftermath
With this election Democrats held a trifecta in the Wisconsin government for the first time since 1982, when Tony Earl was elected governor of Wisconsin.

As of 2024, this is the last time Democrats gained a trifecta in Wisconsin, as despite winning the popular vote several times in following elections, a Republican instituted gerrymander in 2011, in addition to low voter turnout, prevented Democrats from gaining a majority of seats.