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 County resultsKnowles: 50–60% 60–70% La Follette: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1968 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1968. Republican Warren P. Knowles won the election with 53% of the vote, winning his third term as Governor of Wisconsin and defeating Democrat Bronson C. La Follette. This was the last gubernatorial election in Wisconsin where the governor was elected to a two year term separately from the Lieutenant Governor.
Primary election
The primary election was held on September 10, 1968.
Republican party
Candidates
- Warren P. Knowles, incumbent governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Warren P. Knowles (incumbent) | 272,504 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 272,504 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic party
Candidates
- Bronson C. La Follette, Attorney General of Wisconsin
- Floyd L. Wille
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette | 173,458 | 84.52% | |
| Democratic | Floyd L. Wille | 31,778 | 15.48% | |
| Total votes | 205,236 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Warren P. Knowles, Republican
- Bronson C. La Follete, Democrat
- Adolf Wiggert, Independent
- Robert Wilkinson, Independent
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Warren P. Knowles (incumbent) | 893,463 | 52.88% | −0.62% | |
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette | 791,100 | 46.82% | +0.73% | |
| Independent | Adolf Wiggert | 3,225 | 0.19% | −0.21% | |
| Independent | Robert Wilkinson | 1,813 | 0.11% | ||
| Scattering | 137 | 0.01% | |||
| Majority | 102,363 | 6.06% | |||
| Total votes | 1,689,738 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | -1.36% | |||
Results by county
Knowles was the first Republican to win without carrying Clark County since William E. Smith in 1877. Forest County, Marathon County, Rusk County, and Wood County would not vote for the losing candidate again until 2018.
| County | Warren P. Knowles Republican |
Bronson C. La Follette Democratic |
All Others Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,613 | 44.63% | 1,990 | 55.06% | 11 | 0.30% | -377 | -10.43% | 3,614 |
| Ashland | 2,835 | 40.96% | 4,056 | 58.60% | 30 | 0.43% | -1,221 | -17.64% | 6,921 |
| Barron | 7,819 | 58.05% | 5,637 | 41.85% | 13 | 0.10% | 2,182 | 16.20% | 13,469 |
| Bayfield | 2,439 | 43.57% | 3,146 | 56.20% | 13 | 0.23% | -707 | -12.63% | 5,598 |
| Brown | 32,161 | 57.38% | 23,608 | 42.12% | 278 | 0.50% | 8,553 | 15.26% | 56,047 |
| Buffalo | 3,062 | 57.63% | 2,246 | 42.27% | 5 | 0.09% | 816 | 15.36% | 5,313 |
| Burnett | 2,380 | 55.16% | 1,929 | 44.70% | 6 | 0.14% | 451 | 10.45% | 4,315 |
| Calumet | 5,075 | 50.53% | 4,954 | 49.32% | 15 | 0.15% | 121 | 1.20% | 10,044 |
| Chippewa | 7,757 | 47.31% | 8,625 | 52.60% | 14 | 0.09% | -868 | -5.29% | 16,396 |
| Clark | 6,003 | 49.26% | 6,162 | 50.56% | 22 | 0.18% | -159 | -1.30% | 12,187 |
| Columbia | 9,065 | 56.32% | 7,001 | 43.50% | 30 | 0.19% | 2,064 | 12.82% | 16,096 |
| Crawford | 3,744 | 61.74% | 2,313 | 38.14% | 7 | 0.12% | 1,431 | 23.60% | 6,064 |
| Dane | 56,260 | 52.75% | 49,758 | 46.65% | 640 | 0.60% | 6,502 | 6.10% | 106,658 |
| Dodge | 14,492 | 56.29% | 11,234 | 43.64% | 18 | 0.07% | 3,258 | 12.66% | 25,744 |
| Door | 5,504 | 62.26% | 3,321 | 37.57% | 15 | 0.17% | 2,183 | 24.69% | 8,840 |
| Douglas | 7,572 | 41.98% | 10,414 | 57.73% | 53 | 0.29% | -2,842 | -15.75% | 18,039 |
| Dunn | 5,483 | 53.65% | 4,722 | 46.21% | 14 | 0.14% | 761 | 7.45% | 10,219 |
| Eau Claire | 13,007 | 51.87% | 12,020 | 47.93% | 51 | 0.20% | 987 | 3.94% | 25,078 |
| Florence | 852 | 51.45% | 798 | 48.19% | 6 | 0.36% | 54 | 3.26% | 1,656 |
| Fond du Lac | 17,916 | 55.24% | 14,432 | 44.50% | 86 | 0.27% | 3,484 | 10.74% | 32,434 |
| Forest | 1,292 | 42.71% | 1,727 | 57.09% | 6 | 0.20% | -435 | -14.38% | 3,025 |
| Grant | 11,265 | 67.07% | 5,515 | 32.83% | 17 | 0.10% | 5,750 | 34.23% | 16,797 |
| Green | 6,787 | 64.08% | 3,799 | 35.87% | 5 | 0.05% | 2,988 | 28.21% | 10,591 |
| Green Lake | 4,661 | 61.20% | 2,942 | 38.63% | 13 | 0.17% | 1,719 | 22.57% | 7,616 |
| Iowa | 3,920 | 55.73% | 3,102 | 44.10% | 12 | 0.17% | 818 | 11.63% | 7,034 |
| Iron | 1,462 | 45.63% | 1,735 | 54.15% | 7 | 0.22% | -273 | -8.52% | 3,204 |
| Jackson | 3,261 | 54.83% | 2,672 | 44.93% | 14 | 0.24% | 589 | 9.90% | 5,947 |
| Jefferson | 12,749 | 56.64% | 9,722 | 43.20% | 36 | 0.16% | 3,027 | 13.45% | 22,507 |
| Juneau | 3,957 | 56.39% | 3,045 | 43.39% | 15 | 0.21% | 912 | 13.00% | 7,017 |
| Kenosha | 19,243 | 45.75% | 22,701 | 53.97% | 121 | 0.29% | -3,458 | -8.22% | 42,065 |
| Kewaunee | 4,326 | 56.95% | 3,262 | 42.94% | 8 | 0.11% | 1,064 | 14.01% | 7,596 |
| La Crosse | 20,416 | 64.62% | 11,073 | 35.05% | 106 | 0.34% | 9,343 | 29.57% | 31,595 |
| Lafayette | 3,986 | 54.63% | 3,305 | 45.30% | 5 | 0.07% | 681 | 9.33% | 7,296 |
| Langlade | 3,523 | 49.82% | 3,535 | 49.99% | 13 | 0.18% | -12 | -0.17% | 7,071 |
| Lincoln | 4,603 | 49.83% | 4,619 | 50.00% | 16 | 0.17% | -16 | -0.17% | 9,238 |
| Manitowoc | 13,611 | 43.78% | 17,344 | 55.79% | 133 | 0.43% | -3,733 | -12.01% | 31,088 |
| Marathon | 16,430 | 43.41% | 21,297 | 56.27% | 118 | 0.31% | -4,867 | -12.86% | 37,845 |
| Marinette | 7,477 | 50.96% | 7,167 | 48.84% | 29 | 0.20% | 310 | 2.11% | 14,673 |
| Marquette | 2,290 | 60.39% | 1,495 | 39.43% | 7 | 0.18% | 795 | 20.97% | 3,792 |
| Menominee | 239 | 34.44% | 452 | 65.13% | 3 | 0.43% | -213 | -30.69% | 694 |
| Milwaukee | 195,502 | 47.35% | 214,717 | 52.28% | 1,518 | 0.37% | -20,515 | -4.92% | 410,737 |
| Monroe | 7,237 | 62.53% | 4,323 | 37.35% | 13 | 0.11% | 2,914 | 25.18% | 11,573 |
| Oconto | 5,469 | 52.41% | 4,951 | 47.45% | 15 | 0.14% | 518 | 4.96% | 10,435 |
| Oneida | 5,247 | 50.69% | 5,094 | 49.21% | 10 | 0.10% | 153 | 1.48% | 10,351 |
| Outagamie | 22,748 | 53.72% | 19,469 | 45.97% | 130 | 0.31% | 3,279 | 7.74% | 42,347 |
| Ozaukee | 13,437 | 64.99% | 7,185 | 34.75% | 55 | 0.27% | 6,252 | 30.24% | 20,677 |
| Pepin | 1,536 | 53.73% | 1,321 | 46.20% | 2 | 0.07% | 215 | 7.52% | 2,859 |
| Pierce | 6,045 | 60.35% | 3,955 | 39.48% | 17 | 0.17% | 2,090 | 20.86% | 10,017 |
| Polk | 6,467 | 57.58% | 4,757 | 42.36% | 7 | 0.06% | 1,710 | 15.23% | 11,231 |
| Portage | 6,921 | 40.29% | 10,194 | 59.34% | 64 | 0.37% | -3,273 | -19.05% | 17,179 |
| Price | 3,261 | 50.86% | 3,139 | 48.96% | 12 | 0.19% | 122 | 1.90% | 6,412 |
| Racine | 32,348 | 51.38% | 30,335 | 48.18% | 279 | 0.44% | 2,013 | 3.20% | 62,962 |
| Richland | 4,010 | 58.35% | 2,856 | 41.56% | 6 | 0.09% | 1,154 | 16.79% | 6,872 |
| Rock | 28,190 | 57.06% | 21,125 | 42.76% | 89 | 0.18% | 7,065 | 14.30% | 49,404 |
| Rusk | 2,731 | 46.76% | 3,095 | 52.99% | 15 | 0.26% | -364 | -6.23% | 5,841 |
| Sauk | 8,657 | 54.29% | 7,244 | 45.43% | 44 | 0.28% | 1,413 | 8.86% | 15,945 |
| Sawyer | 2,751 | 60.18% | 1,815 | 39.71% | 5 | 0.11% | 936 | 20.48% | 4,571 |
| Shawano | 7,625 | 58.13% | 5,479 | 41.77% | 14 | 0.11% | 2,146 | 16.36% | 13,118 |
| Sheboygan | 20,019 | 50.68% | 19,260 | 48.76% | 218 | 0.55% | 759 | 1.92% | 39,497 |
| St. Croix | 7,752 | 55.77% | 6,137 | 44.15% | 11 | 0.08% | 1,615 | 11.62% | 13,900 |
| Taylor | 2,642 | 39.15% | 4,091 | 60.63% | 15 | 0.22% | -1,449 | -21.47% | 6,748 |
| Trempealeau | 4,862 | 52.62% | 4,368 | 47.27% | 10 | 0.11% | 494 | 5.35% | 9,240 |
| Vernon | 6,136 | 60.23% | 4,045 | 39.71% | 6 | 0.06% | 2,091 | 20.53% | 10,187 |
| Vilas | 3,410 | 59.92% | 2,267 | 39.83% | 14 | 0.25% | 1,143 | 20.08% | 5,691 |
| Walworth | 15,941 | 66.06% | 8,155 | 33.79% | 35 | 0.15% | 7,786 | 32.27% | 24,131 |
| Washburn | 2,606 | 52.35% | 2,365 | 47.51% | 7 | 0.14% | 241 | 4.84% | 4,978 |
| Washington | 13,075 | 58.44% | 9,249 | 41.34% | 48 | 0.21% | 3,826 | 17.10% | 22,372 |
| Waukesha | 55,219 | 63.53% | 31,498 | 36.24% | 195 | 0.22% | 23,721 | 27.29% | 86,912 |
| Waupaca | 10,130 | 64.40% | 5,577 | 35.45% | 24 | 0.15% | 4,553 | 28.94% | 15,731 |
| Waushara | 4,266 | 67.88% | 2,019 | 32.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,247 | 35.75% | 6,285 |
| Winnebago | 25,713 | 56.25% | 19,776 | 43.26% | 224 | 0.49% | 5,937 | 12.99% | 45,713 |
| Wood | 11,973 | 49.07% | 12,364 | 50.67% | 62 | 0.25% | -391 | -1.60% | 24,399 |
| Total | 893,463 | 52.88% | 791,100 | 46.82% | 5,175 | 0.31% | 102,363 | 6.06% | 1,689,738 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Notes
- These are not listed in the Blue Book but are listed in the Board of Canvassers report.
References
- Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature (2015). Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Administration. pp. 699–701. ISBN 978-0-9752820-7-6.
- ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1969). "Vote For State Officers By County". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1969. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 153.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of State Canvassers for State Officers - General Election - 1968
- ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1969). "Vote For State Officers By County". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1969. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 168.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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