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2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin

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The 2010 congressional elections in Wisconsin were held on November 2, 2010, to determine who would represent the state of Wisconsin in the United States House of Representatives. It coincided with the state's senatorial and gubernatorial elections. Representatives were elected for two-year terms; those elected would serve in the 112th Congress from January 2011 until January 2013. Wisconsin has eight seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census.

2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin
← 2008 November 2, 2010 2012 →
All 8 Wisconsin seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 3 5
Seats won 5 3
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 2
Popular vote 1,165,761 938,690
Percentage 54.46% 43.85%
Swing Increase 8.52% Decrease 6.00%

Overview

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United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin, 2010[1]
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Republican 1,165,761 54.46% 5 +2
Democratic 938,690 43.85% 3 -2
Libertarian 4,311 0.20% 0 -
Independents 31,720 1.48% 0 -
Totals 2,140,482 100.00% 8 —

By district

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Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin by district:[2]

District Republican Democratic Others Total Result
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
District 1 179,819 68.24% 79,363 30.12% 4,311 1.64% 263,493 100.00% Republican hold
District 2 118,099 38.19% 191,164 61.81% 0 0.00% 309,263 100.00% Democratic hold
District 3 116,838 46.51% 126,380 50.31% 8,001 3.18% 251,219 100.00% Democratic hold
District 4 61,543 29.60% 143,559 69.05% 2,802 1.35% 207,904 100.00% Democratic hold
District 5 229,642 69.36% 90,634 27.37% 10,813 3.27% 331,089 100.00% Republican hold
District 6 183,271 70.71% 75,926 29.29% 0 0.00% 259,197 100.00% Republican hold
District 7 132,551 52.19% 113,018 44.50% 8,397 3.31% 253,966 100.00% Republican gain
District 8 143,998 54.83% 118,646 45.17% 0 0.00% 262,644 100.00% Republican gain
Total 1,165,761 54.49% 938,690 43.88% 34,924 1.63% 2,139,375 100.00%

District 1

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See also: Wisconsin's 1st congressional district

Incumbent Republican Congressman Paul Ryan ran for a seventh term in this marginally conservative[3] district based in southeastern Wisconsin. Congressman Ryan faced a nominal challenge from Democratic businessman John Heckenlively and Libertarian Joseph Kexel.

The Wisconsin State Journal sharply criticized Congressman Ryan, labeling him "a singularly ineffective representative" and lambasted his plans to privatize Social Security and Medicare, noting, "even the most anti-government extremists recognize that gambling America’s retirement security on the stock market is madness." The State Journal called for voters to vote for challenger Heckenlively, with the rationale that he "will fight for the interests of southeastern Wisconsin working families the incumbent has so neglected.[4]

Wisconsin's 1st congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Paul Ryan (inc.) 179,819 68.21
Democratic John Heckenlively 79,363 30.10
Libertarian Joseph Kexel 4,311 1.64
Write-ins 134 0.05
Total votes 263,627 100.00
Republican hold

District 2

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See also: Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district

Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, one of the few openly gay members of Congress, ran for a seventh term from this solidly liberal[3] district based around the city of Madison, and she faced Republican candidate Chad Lee in the general election.

The Capital Times gave Congresswoman Baldwin glowing praise, observing that she "has eschewed the celebrity circuit and focused on heavy lifting in Washington and tending to the needs of her constituents in south-central Wisconsin’s 2nd district," calling the results of her work "impressive." Ultimately, the Capital Times concluded, "Baldwin’s service merits an enthusiastic endorsement, and she has it from us."[4]

Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tammy Baldwin (inc.) 191,164 61.77
Republican Chad Lee 118,099 38.16
Write-ins 197 0.06
Total votes 309,460 100.00
Democratic hold

District 3

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2010 Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district election
 
← 2008
2012 →
     
Nominee Ron Kind Dan Kapanke
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 126,380 116,838
Percentage 50.3% 46.5%
 
Kind:      40–50%      50–60%
Kapanke:      50–60%
U.S. Representative before election

Ron Kind
Democratic

Elected U.S. Representative

Ron Kind
Democratic

See also: Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district

The 3rd district spans the Driftless Area in southwestern Wisconsin taking in cities such as Eau Claire and La Crosse. The incumbent was Democrat Ron Kind, who was reelected with 63.19% of the vote in 2008.

Democratic primary

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Nominee

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  • Ron Kind, incumbent U.S. Representative

Results

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Democratic primary results[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ron Kind (incumbent) 24,514 99.79
Write-in 51 0.21
Total votes 24,565 100.0

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Nominee
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Eliminated in primary
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  • Bruce F. Evers

Results

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Republican primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dan Kapanke 41,216 76.94
Republican Bruce F. Evers 12,312 22.98
Write-in 42 0.08
Total votes 53,570 100.0

General election

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Campaign

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Democratic Congressman Ron Kind faced Republican State Senator Dan Kapanke in his bid for an eighth term from this liberal-leaning congressional district based that includes much of western Wisconsin.[3] The campaign between Kapanke and Kind was brutal, with Kapanke and the National Republican Congressional Committee accusing Kind of charging two doctors in exchange for meeting with them to discuss a bill, a claim that Kind countered with allegations that Kapanke used $32,000 from a charity to improve a baseball stadium.[7] In their debate, Kapanke attacked Kind for having supported much of President Obama's agenda.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel endorsed Congressman Kind for re-election, noting, "Kind is a partisan with principles instead of someone who is principally, to the virtual exclusion of reasoned compromise, partisan."[8] The Wisconsin State Journal criticized both Kind and Kapanke, noting that while they were "unimpressed with...Ron Kind" and that Kapanke was "scandal-plagued," Kind "is preferable to his...challenger."[4]

Results

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Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ron Kind (inc.) 126,380 50.28
Republican Dan Kapanke 116,838 46.49
Independent Michael Krsiean 8,001 3.18
Write-ins 121 0.05
Total votes 251,340 100.00
Democratic hold

District 4

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See also: Wisconsin's 4th congressional district

Congresswoman Gwen Moore ran for a fourth term from this staunchly liberal[3] district based largely in the city of Milwaukee. This district tends to give Democrats solid margins of victory, so Moore did not face a credible challenge from Republican candidate Dan Sebring or independent candidate Eddie Ayyash.

The Wisconsin State Journal strongly endorsed Congresswoman Moore in her bid for re-election, calling her "a gem with a terrific voting record and an accessible style that will earn her easy re-election."[4]

Wisconsin's 4th congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gwen Moore (inc.) 143,559 68.98
Republican Dan Sebring 61,543 29.57
Independent Eddie Ahmad Ayyash 2,802 1.35
Write-ins 199 0.10
Total votes 208,103 100.00
Democratic hold

District 5

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See also: Wisconsin's 5th congressional district

This solidly conservative[3] district based in the northern and western suburbs of Milwaukee, has been represented by Republican Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner since he was first elected in 1978. Running for a seventeenth term, Sensenbrenner faced a nominal challenge from Democratic businessman Todd Kolosso and independent candidate Robert R. Raymond, who had run against the Congressman in previous elections.

The Wisconsin State Journal soured on Congressman Sensenbrenner, calling him "irascible" and announcing that he "has reached his 'sell-by' date." The State Journal endorsed Kolosso, who they claimed "would be a more engaged representative."[4]

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Sensenbrenner (inc.) 229,642 69.32
Democratic Todd P. Kolosso 90,634 27.36
Independent Robert R. Raymond 10,813 3.26
Write-ins 169 0.05
Total votes 331,258 100.00
Republican hold

District 6

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See also: Wisconsin's 6th congressional district

Incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Petri has represented this conservative-leaning[3] district based in east-central Wisconsin since he was first elected in a 1979 special election. Petri built a reputation as a moderate in Congress[9] and was well-liked by the constituents of his district. Though he faced a challenge from Democratic candidate Joseph Kallas, Petri was in no real danger of losing his seat.

The Wisconsin State Journal has high praise for Congressman Petri, referring to him as a "moderate...who builds bipartisan coalitions on education issues and brings a thoughtful take to foreign policy debates."[4]

Wisconsin's 6thcongressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tom Petri (inc.) 183,271 70.66
Democratic Joseph C. Kallas 75,926 29.27
Write-ins 170 0.07
Total votes 259,367 100.00
Republican hold

District 7

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2010 Wisconsin's 7th congressional district election
 
← 2008
2012 →
     
Nominee Sean Duffy Julie Lassa
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 132,551 113,018
Percentage 52.1% 44.4%
 
County results
Duffy:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Lassa:      50–60%
U.S. Representative before election

Dave Obey
Democratic

Elected U.S. Representative

Sean Duffy
Republican

See also: Wisconsin's 7th congressional district

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Nominee
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Eliminated in primary
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  • Don Raihala
Declined
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Results

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Democratic primary results[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Julie Lassa 28,585 85.27
Democratic Don Raihala 4,920 14.68
Write-in 16 0.05
Total votes 33,521 100.0

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Nominee
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Eliminated in primary
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  • Dan Mielke

Results

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Republican primary results[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Sean Duffy 41,032 66.04
Republican Dan Mielke 21,074 33.92
Write-in 25 0.04
Total votes 62,132 100.0

General election

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Campaign

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When long-serving Democratic Congressman Dave Obey, the dean of the Wisconsin congressional delegation and the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, declined to seek another term in this liberal-leaning district based in northwestern Wisconsin.[3] Democratic State Senator Julie Lassa emerged as her party's nominee, while Ashland County District Attorney Sean Duffy, who had starred on MTV’s The Real World: Boston became the Republican nominee. A contentious general election ensued, in which the candidates traded barbs and personal attacks against each other.

Duffy alleged that as a State Senator, Lassa accepted a $2,530 pay increase, even while the state was losing jobs and undergoing a budget deficit. Politifact, however, questioned the accuracy of this attack, noting that Lassa had given back half of the pay increase.[15] Lassa returned fire with a hard-hitting television advertisement alleging that Duffy skimped on his responsibilities as a District Attorney and the quality of his office’s services declined as a result. Politifact again investigated this claim and rated it as "Barely true."[16]

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel praised both candidates in the race, observing, "both...candidates are a good fit for the district and would make able representatives." They praised Lassa for her "good work on several issues in the legislature," but ultimately endorsed Duffy, calling him, "the kind of independent thinker who might just shake things up in Washington."[17] The Wisconsin State Journal, on the other hand, endorsed Lassa as a "more experienced and a more independent thinker than former MTV star Sean Duffy."[4]

Results

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Wisconsin's 7th congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Sean Duffy 132,551 52.11
Democratic Julie Lassa 113,018 44.43
Independent Gary Kauther 8,397 3.30
Write-ins 423 0.17
Total votes 254,389 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

District 8

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See also: Wisconsin's 8th congressional district
2010 Wisconsin's 8th congressional district election
 
← 2008
2012 →
     
Nominee Reid Ribble Steve Kagen
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 143,998 118,646
Percentage 54.77% 45.12%
 
County results
Ribble:      50–60%      60–70%
Kagen:      50–60%      80–90%
U.S. Representative before election

Steve Kagen
Democratic

Elected U.S. Representative

Reid Ribble
Republican

The 8th district is located in northeastern Wisconsin and includes Green Bay and Appleton. The incumbent was Democrat Steve Kagen, who was reelected with 54% of the vote in 2008.

Democratic primary

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Nominee

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Results

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Democratic primary results[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steve Kagen (incumbent) 23,307 99.81
Write-in 44 0.19
Total votes 23,351 100.0

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Nominee
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Eliminated in primary
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Withdrawn
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  • Marc Savard, farmer (remained on ballot; endorsed Ribble)[20]

Results

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Primary results by county:
  Ribble
  •   30-40%
  •   40-50%
  •   50-60%
  Roth
  •   40-50%
  •   50-60%
Republican primary results[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Reid Ribble 38,521 47.95
Republican Roger Roth 25,704 32.00
Republican Terri McCormick 14,107 17.56
Republican Marc Savard (withdrawn) 1,968 2.45
Write-in 36 0.04
Total votes 80,336 100.0

General election

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Campaign

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Seeking a third term in this marginally conservative[3] district based in northeastern Wisconsin and the Green Bay metropolitan area, incumbent Democratic Congressman Steve Kagen faced a stiff challenge from Republican Reid Ribble, a roofing contractor and former minister from Kaukauna. Kagen and Ribble engaged in a bitterly fought general election, with Kagen accusing Ribble of wanting to privatize Social Security[22] and Ribble responded by accusing Kagen of sending American jobs to China through his votes in Congress.[23]

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had praise for both the Democratic and Republican candidates, describing them as "pragmatic and able, well suited to a district that skews conservative," but ultimately endorsed Congressman Kagen for re-election, observing, "he has a reliably independent streak" and noting that Kagen "got it right" on many of the issues that Ribble attacked him over, "and that makes him the better pick."[24] The Wisconsin State Journal concurred, urging voters to "proudly re-elect" Congressman Kagen due to his opposition to the "bank bailout and bad trade deals" and his objections "to surging more troops into Afghanistan."[4] The Green Bay Press-Gazette, however, disagreed, endorsing Ribble as a person who "would approach the major challenges facing our country with a set of fresh eyes" and criticizing Congressman Kagen because "there are no significant pieces of legislation or contributions that stand out to convince us he deserves a third term."[25]

Results

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Wisconsin's 8th congressional district election, 2010[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Reid Ribble 143,998 54.77
Democratic Steve Kagen (incumbent) 118,646 45.12
Write-ins 294 0.11
Total votes 262,938 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010" (PDF). p. 53–55.
  2. ^ Haas, Karen L. (June 3, 2011). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 111th Congress." The Cook Political Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2011. <http://www.cookpolitical.com/sites/default/files/pvistate.pdf Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine>.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Keep Tammy Baldwin in House, dump Paul Ryan". October 12, 2010.
  5. ^ Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/14/2010 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. October 4, 2010. p. 9. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
  6. ^ Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/14/2010 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. October 4, 2010. p. 9. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
  7. ^ "NRCC forgets Dan Kapanke's past". Pretty Important. October 30, 2010. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012.
  8. ^ "Ron Kind: A good fit for his district".
  9. ^ Nichols, John (December 19, 2006). "Congressman Tom Petri ought to consider making a party switch from Republican to Democrat". Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  10. ^ Stein, Jason. "Lassa announces run for Obey's seat". JSOnline. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  11. ^ "Obey won't seek reelection". Politico. May 5, 2010.
  12. ^ Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/14/2010 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. October 4, 2010. p. 9. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
  13. ^ "Sean Duffy running for congress". WAOW. July 8, 2009. Archived from the original on May 12, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  14. ^ Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/14/2010 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. October 4, 2010. p. 9. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
  15. ^ "PolitiFact - Sean Duffy says Julie Lassa took a pay raise that other legislators gave back".
  16. ^ "PolitiFact - Congressional candidate Julie Lassa says GOP rival Sean Duffy was a "no show" on the job".
  17. ^ "A close call . . . But it's Duffy".
  18. ^ Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/14/2010 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. October 4, 2010. p. 9. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
  19. ^ Jacobs, Jeremy (July 9, 2009). "Political newcomer to take on Steve Kagen". The Hill. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Larry Sandler, 3 vying to take on Kagen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (August 27, 2010).
  21. ^ Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/14/2010 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. October 4, 2010. p. 9. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
  22. ^ "PolitiFact - U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen says opponent Reid Ribble wants to phase out Social Security".
  23. ^ "Reid Ribble Responds to Steve Kagen". Northwoods Patriots. October 25, 2010. Archived from the original on February 28, 2011.[user-generated source]
  24. ^ "Kagen has grown into the job".
  25. ^ http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20101020/GPG0602/10200706/1269/GPG06/Editorial--Ribble-brings-fresh-perspective-to-Congress [dead link‍]
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