2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

The 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Wisconsin. Incumbent Democratic Governor Tony Evers won re-election to a second term by a margin of 3.4%, defeating Republican nominee Tim Michels.

As Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes ran for the U.S. Senate in the concurrent election, a new Democratic running mate, state assemblywoman Sara Rodriguez, was nominated in the partisan primary. Barnes was the second lieutenant governor not to run with the incumbent governor since the state constitution was amended in 1967. The partisan primary was held on August 9, 2022, with businessman Tim Michels defeating former lieutenant governor Rebecca Kleefisch in the Republican primary. State senator Roger Roth received the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

This was the first gubernatorial election in Wisconsin since 2006 in which a Democrat won with an outright majority of the vote, the first since 1990 in which the winner was from the same party as the incumbent president, and the first since 1962 in which Wisconsin voted for a Democratic governor at the same time the party held the presidency. This was also the first gubernatorial election in the state since 1998 in which the winning candidate was of a different party than the winner of the concurrent U.S. Senate election. Evers' victory was labeled a slight upset, as Evers was initially elected back in 2018 by a meager 1.1%, despite 2018 being considered a much more favorable year for Democrats than 2022. In addition, many polls showed Michels in the lead in the weeks leading up to the election. According to Ron Brownstein of CNN in 2023, Evers won independent voters by 6–7 percentage points, which contributed to Michels's defeat.

Evers did substantially better than Mandela Barnes did against Ron Johnson in suburban areas of the state in this election as well as compared to his initial election in 2018, chiefly in the "WOW" counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington that form a ring around the north and west of Milwaukee, performing in line with Biden's 2020 margins. On the flip side, Michels did better in most rural areas than former governor Scott Walker had in 2018, winning the counties of Crawford, Grant, and Richland, three counties that Evers had previously won four years earlier. Michels also flipped the county of Kenosha. One exception to the trend toward Republicans in rural areas was Door County, which flipped to Evers after having voted for Walker in 2018. Notably, Evers carried the 3rd congressional district, which Republican Derrick Van Orden concurrently won after losing in 2020 to then-Representative Ron Kind; Evers also came within 0.2% of carrying the 1st congressional district.

Nominee

 * Tony Evers, incumbent governor (2019–present)

Disqualified

 * Job Edmond Hou-Seye, former alderman of Sheboygan (2015–2017)

Nominee

 * Sara Rodriguez, state assemblywoman from the 13th district (2021–2023)

Eliminated in primary

 * Peng Her, CEO of Hmong Institute

Withdrawn

 * David Bowen, state assemblyman from the 10th district (2015–2023)
 * Lena Taylor, state senator from the 4th district (2005–2024) and former state assemblywoman from the 18th district (2003–2005) (ran for mayor of Milwaukee)

Declined

 * Mandela Barnes, incumbent lieutenant governor (2019–2023) (ran for U.S. Senate)

Results
[[File:2022 Wisconsin lieutenant gubernatorial Democratic primary election results map by county.svg|thumb|Results by county: {{legend|#7996e2|Rodriguez}}

{{legend|#584cde|70–80%}}

{{legend|#3933e5|80–90%}} ]]

Nominee

 * Tim Michels, co-owner of the Michels Corporation and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2004

Eliminated in primary

 * Adam J. Fischer, former police officer and businessman
 * Rebecca Kleefisch, former lieutenant governor (2011–2019)
 * Timothy Ramthun, state assemblyman for the 59th district

Disqualified

 * James Kellen
 * Leonard Larson Jr.

Withdrawn

 * Kevin Nicholson, businessman, former member of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2018
 * Jonathan Wichmann, businessman (ran for lieutenant governor)

Declined

 * Sean Duffy, former U.S. representative for WI's 7th congressional district (2011–2019)
 * Paul Farrow, chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin (2021–present), Waukesha County Executive (2015–2022) and former state senator from the 33rd district (2013–2015)
 * Mike Gallagher, U.S. representative for WI's 8th congressional district (2017–present) (ran for re-election)
 * Eric Hovde, businessman and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
 * Ron Johnson, U.S. senator (2011–present) (ran for re-election)
 * Chris Kapenga, President of the Wisconsin Senate (2021–present) and state senator from the 33rd district (2015–present) (ran for re-election)
 * John Macco, state assemblyman for the 88th district (2015–present) (ran for re-election; endorsed Kleefisch)
 * Bill McCoshen, lobbyist
 * Reince Priebus, former White House Chief of Staff (2017), former chair of the Republican National Committee (2011–2017) and former chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin (2007–2011)
 * Tommy Thompson, former governor (1987–2001), former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (2001–2005) and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2012 (endorsed Michels)
 * Robin Vos, Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly (2013–present) and state assemblyman for the 63rd district (2005–present) (ran for re-election)
 * Scott Walker, former governor (2011–2019) (endorsed Kleefisch)

Polling

 * Graphical summary

Results
[[File:2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial Republican primary election results map by county.svg|thumb|Results by county: {{legend|#e27f7f|Michels}}

{{legend|#ffc8cd|30-40%}}

{{legend|#ffb2b2|40–50%}}

{{legend|#e27f7f|50–60%}}

{{legend|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend|#ff9955|Kleefisch}}

{{legend|#ffb380|40–50%}}

{{legend|#ff9955|50–60%}}]]

Nominee

 * Roger Roth, state senator from the 19th district (2015–2023)

Eliminated in primary

 * David D. King, businessman and perennial candidate
 * Will Martin, former Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development official
 * Patrick Testin, state senator from the 24th district (2017–present)
 * David Varnam, mayor of Lancaster (2016–present)
 * Cindy Werner, businesswoman and candidate for WI's 4th congressional district in 2018 and 2020
 * Jonathan Wichmann, businessman
 * Kyle Yudes, activist

Withdrawn

 * Ben Voelkel, former aide to U.S. Senator Ron Johnson

Results
[[File:2022 Wisconsin Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results map by county.svg|thumb|Results by county: {{legend|#e27f7f|Roth}}

{{legend|#fff0f5|10-20%}}

{{legend|#ffe0ea|20-30%}}

{{legend|#ffc8cd|30-40%}}

{{legend|#ffb2b2|40–50%}}

{{legend|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend|#4bb7c8|Testin}}

{{legend|#e9f6f8|10–20%}}

{{legend|#cfebf0|20–30%}}

{{legend|#b4e2e8|30–40%}}

{{legend|#86cfda|40–50%}}

{{legend|#4bb7c8|50–60%}}

{{legend|#13889b|60–70%}}

{{legend|#106e7d|70–80%}} {{legend|#4ab563|Werner}}

{{legend|#cfebd5|20–30%}} {{legend|#fd933a|Wichmann}}

{{legend|#fff5eb|10–20%}} {{legend|#8660cb|Yudes}}

{{legend|#e2d4f7|20–30%}} {{legend|#ffd556|Varnam}}

{{legend|#fffaea|10–20%}}

{{legend|#ffe38f|40–50%}}]]

Withdrawn

 * Joan Ellis Beglinger, retired nurse and hospital administrator (remained on ballot; endorsed Michels)
 * Running mate: N/A
 * Jess Hisel, engineer and Air Force veteran
 * Running mate: N/A

Polling

 * Aggregate polls
 * Graphical summary


 * Tony Evers vs. Rebecca Kleefisch


 * Tony Evers vs. Tim Ramthun
 * Tony Evers vs. Kevin Nicholson
 * Tony Evers vs. Jonathan Wichmann


 * Tony Evers vs. generic Republican

By county

 * Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
 * Door (largest municipality: Sturgeon Bay)


 * Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
 * Crawford (largest municipality: Prairie du Chien)
 * Grant (largest municipality: Platteville)
 * Kenosha (largest municipality: Kenosha)
 * Richland (largest municipality: Richland Center)

By congressional district
Evers won 3 of 8 congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.