2010 Wisconsin Senate election

none 2010 United States Senate election in Wisconsin March 2024 2010 Wisconsin State Senate election Wisconsin 250px legislative no 2008 Wisconsin Senate election 2008 2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections 2011 (recall) 17 of 33 seats in the Wisconsin State Senate 17 November 2, 2010 Sen. Fitzgerald (3523124714) (cropped).jpg x150px Scott L. Fitzgerald Republican Party of Wisconsin 13th–Juneau 8 seats, 45.53% 15 2 10 19 4 13.6 pp Percentage points 627,160 59.1% Russ Decker speaking at the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO 25th Biennial Convention in 2008 (CROPPED).jpg x150px Russ Decker(defeated) Democratic Party of Wisconsin 29th–Weston 8 seats, 54.09% 18 11 6 14 4 13.5 pp Percentage points 430,068 40.53% 260px#F48882 Republican hold #CA0120 Republican gain#92C5DE Democratic hold#CCCCCC No election Results by gains and holds 260px#e27f7f 50–60% #D75D5D 60–70% #D72F30 70–80% #a80000 >90%#7996E2 50–60% #6674de 60–70%#CCCCCC No election Results by winning party vote share President Fred Risser Democratic Party of Wisconsin Michael Ellis Republican Party of Wisconsin January 1, 2007 October 24, 2007 2012 (recall) 2012 Wisconsin Senate recall elections 2006 Wisconsin Senate election 2006 The 2010 Wisconsin Senate elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Seventeen of the 33 seats in the Wisconsin State Senate were up for election—the odd-numbered districts.2010-12-01 2010 Fall General Election http://gab.wi.gov/sites/default/files/percent%20results%20post%20recount_120710.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120521140507/http://gab.wi.gov/sites/default/files/percent%20results%20post%20recount_120710.pdf 2012-05-21 2015-03-30 State of Wisconsin Before the election, 18 Senate seats were held by Democrats and 15 seats were held by Republicans. 10 Democratic seats and 7 Republican seats were up in this election. The primary election took place on September 14, 2010. Republicans flipped four Democratic-held Senate seats and achieved a majority for the first time since 2004, entering the 100th Wisconsin Legislature with 19 of 33 State Senate seats.Stein Jason Johnson Annysa November 3, 2010 Republicans Take Over State Senate, Assembly https://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/106582898.html November 24, 2016 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Summary SeatsParty(majority caucus shading)TotalDemocraticRepublicanLast election (2008) 8 816Total after last election (2008)181533Total before this election181533Up for election10717of which:Incumbent retiring224VacatedUnopposed22This election61117Change from last electionTotal after this election141933Change in total 4 4 Close races Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%: blue State Senate district 31, 0.66% blue State Senate district 25, 2.58% red State Senate district 5, 4.46% (gain) red State Senate district 29, 4.64% (gain) red State Senate district 21, 5.09% (gain) red State Senate district 23, 8.47% (gain) Outgoing incumbents Retired Alan Lasee, (R–De Pere), representing District 1 since 1977, announced he would not seek re-election.Foley Ryan J. January 12, 2010 'Citizen Senator' to retire https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91549670/alan-lasee-retirement/ December 31, 2021 Wisconsin State Journal 5 Newspapers.com Judy Robson (D–Beloit), representing District 15 since 1999, announced she would not seek re-election.Sen. Robson: Grateful to have served http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=183436 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110716135721/http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=183436 2011-07-16 2010-01-28 Theodore Kanavas (R–Brookfield), representing District 33 since 2001, announced he would not seek re-election.State Sen. Kanavas will not seek re-election Lost renomination Jeffrey Plale (D–South Milwaukee), representing district 7 since 2003, lost renomination to Chris Larson (D–Milwaukee) Campaign Predictions SourceRankingAs of GoverningJacobson Louis November 1, 2010 Update: 2010 State Legislatures: A Challenging Environment for Democrats http://www.governing.com/blogs/politics/2010-state-legislatures.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20101205220201/http://www.governing.com/blogs/politics/2010-state-legislatures.html December 5, 2010 July 14, 2024 Governing | Lean R flip November 1, 2010 Candidates and results Dist.IncumbentThis raceMemberPartyFirst electedStatusGeneralResult01Alan LaseeRepublican1977(special)Not running* Frank Lasee (Rep.) 60.04% Monk Elmer (Dem.) 39.83%New member elected.Republican hold.03Tim CarpenterDemocratic2002Running* Tim Carpenter (Dem.) 61.09% Annette Miller Krznarich (Rep.) 38.63%Incumbent re-elected05Jim Sullivan Jim Sullivan (Wisconsin politician)Democratic2006Running* Leah Vukmir (Rep.) 52.15% Jim Sullivan (Dem.) 47.69%New member elected.Republican gain.07Jeffrey PlaleDemocratic2003(special)Running* Chris Larson (Dem.) 67.25% Peter Gilbert (Rep.) 32.64%New member elected.Democratic hold.09Joe LeibhamRepublican2002Running* Joe Leibham (Rep.) 73.11% Jason B. Borden (Dem.) 26.86%Incumbent re-elected11Neal KedzieRepublican2002Running* Neal Kedzie (Rep.) 75.37% L.D. Rockwell (Dem.) 24.55%Incumbent re-elected13Scott L. Fitzgerald Scott Fitzgerald (politician)Republican1994 Running* Scott L. Fitzgerald (Rep.) 67.61% Dwayne Block (Dem.) 29.20% Vittorio Spadaro (Ind.) 3.14%Incumbent re-elected15Judy RobsonDemocratic1998Not running* Timothy Cullen (Dem.) 58.98% Rick Richard (Rep.) 40.99%New member elected.Democratic hold.17Dale SchultzRepublican1990Running* Dale Schultz (Rep.) 62.56% Carol Beals (Dem.) 37.38%Incumbent re-elected19Michael Ellis Michael Ellis (American politician)Republican1982Running* Michael Ellis (Rep.) 99.04%Incumbent re-elected21John Lehman John Lehman (Wisconsin politician)Democratic2006Running* Van H. Wanggaard (Rep.) 52.52% John Lehman (Dem.) 47.43%New member elected.Republican gain.23Pat KreitlowDemocratic2006Running* Terry Moulton (Rep.) 54.20% Pat Kreitlow (Dem.) 45.73%New member elected.Republican gain.25Bob JauchDemocratic1986Running* Robert Jauch (Dem.) 51.27% Dane Deutsch (Rep.) 48.69%Incumbent re-elected27Jon ErpenbachDemocratic1998Running* Jon Erpenbach (Dem.) 61.84% Kurt Schlicht (Rep.) 38.13%Incumbent re-elected29Russ DeckerDemocratic1990Running* Pam Galloway (Rep.) 52.26% Russ Decker (Dem.) 47.62%New member elected.Republican gain.31Kathleen VinehoutDemocratic2006Running* Kathleen Vinehout (Dem.) 50.27% Ed Thompson (Rep.) 49.61%Incumbent re-elected33Theodore KanavasRepublican2001(special)Not running* Rich Zipperer (Rep.) 99.50%New member elected.Republican hold. Detailed results District 1 thumb|County results:#D75D5D Lasee—60–70%#FFCCAA Hutchison—40–50%#FFB380 Hutchison—50–60% Incumbent Republican Alan Lasee declined to seek re-election.District 9 Republican primaryCanvass Results for 2010 Partisan Primary - 9/14/2010 https://whs.access.preservica.com/download/file/IO_f94ca66c-1037-49d3-970a-0061dc04055c https://web.archive.org/web/20221004004703/https://whs.access.preservica.com/download/file/IO_f94ca66c-1037-49d3-970a-0061dc04055c October 4, 2022 Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Wayback Machine October 4, 2010 Republican Party (United States) Frank Lasee 12,523 56.77 Republican Party (United States) David E. Hutchison 7,726 35.02 Republican Party (United States) Jon Soyring 1,800 8.16 11 0.05 22,060 100.0 District 1 general electionCanvass Results for 2010 General Election - 11/2/2010 https://whs.access.preservica.com/download/file/IO_be643609-c3c6-4892-83fa-89695a980af3 https://web.archive.org/web/20221212220901/https://whs.access.preservica.com/download/file/IO_be643609-c3c6-4892-83fa-89695a980af3 December 12, 2022 Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Wayback Machine December 8, 2010 Republican Party (United States) Frank Lasee 43,415 60.04 Democratic Party (United States) Monk Elmer 28,800 39.83 98 0.14 72,313 100.0 District 3 Incumbent Democrat Tim Carpenter ran for re-election. District 5 Incumbent Democrat Jim Sullivan ran for re-election. He faced Republican state representative Leah Vukmir in what was described as the most vulnerable seat for Democrats that cycle. Going into the election, the 5th district was rated as a tossup, with Vukmir outraising Sullivan in the first six months of the campaign and outside campaign spending flooding into the district.Stein Jason August 2, 2010 Political battle for the future https://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/99813319.html July 19, 2026 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Due to outside spending, the 5th district proved to be the most expensive race in the chamber.March 7, 2011 Press Release - Legislative Races Top $19 Million in 2010 https://www.wisdc.org/news/press-releases/72-press-release-2011/3679-legislative-races-top-19-million-in-2010 July 19, 2026 Wisconsin Democracy Campaign During the campaign, Sullivan made attempts to distance himself from incumbent governor Jim Doyle, who saw his poll numbers collapsing going into the election year.Stein Jason October 18, 2010 As Doyle's polls plunge, state Democrats try to stand clear https://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/105229798.html July 19, 2026 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel While Democratic strategists viewed any competitive margin from Sullivan as a sign of a well fought campaign, arguing that Vukmir was too extreme for the moderately conservative suburban district.Craver Jack October 29, 2010 The Sconz - Close battle for control of Wisconsin Senate https://isthmus.com/archive/the-sconz/close-battle-for-control-of-wisconsin-senate/ July 20, 2026 Isthmus Vukmir defeated Sullivan by a five-point margin.District 5 general election Republican Party (United States) Leah Vukmir 36,852 52.15 Democratic Party (United States) Jim Sullivan (incumbent) 33,702 47.69 109 0.15 70,663 100.0 District 7 Incumbent Democrat Jeffrey Plale ran for re-election. He faced Democratic county supervisor Chris Larson in the primary election. In previous cycles, Plale had faced challengers from the left in 2003 and 2006, both of whom he had defeated soundly.Hissom Doug August 20, 2010 Opinion - Progressives get politics as usual in Senate race https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/statesenateattackads July 20, 2026 OnMilwaukee.com Going into the 2010 cycle, however, Plale faced a stronger challenger in Milwaukee County board member Chris Larson. During the campaign, Plale faced criticism for his stances as a conservative Democrat, as well as blocking a key environmental bill he had previously supported.July 20, 2010 Is State Sen. Jeff Plale in Trouble? https://www.milwaukeemag.com/IsStateSen_JeffPlaleinTrouble1/ July 20, 2026 Milwaukee Magazine Due to his part in killing the climate bill, Plale lost the support of governor Jim Doyle, who had supported the legislation.Craver Jack July 2, 2010 The Sconz - Will Doyle oppose Dem Sen. Jeff Plale? https://isthmus.com/archive/the-sconz/will-doyle-oppose-dem-sen-jeff-plale/ July 20, 2026 Isthmus Despite this loss of support, Plale still had the support of majority leader Russ Decker, himself locked in a close re-election, and endorsements from state representatives Christine Sinicki and Jon Richards as well as WEAC.Craver Jack July 7, 2010 The Sconz - Liberals, unions to target Sen. Jeff Plale https://isthmus.com/archive/the-sconz/liberals-unions-to-target-sen-jeff-plale/ July 20, 2026 Isthmus The campaign also took on a regional tone, as Plale's base was in Cudahy, St. Francis, and South Milwaukee, while Larson's base centered around the south and east sides of Milwaukee. Seeking to defeat Plale, progressives had hoped the competitive Republican gubernatorial primary would sap away conservative Democrats who would have otherwise voted for Plale. Larson defeated Plale in an upset, winning by a 21-point margin.Sandler Larry September 14, 2010 Larson ousts Plale in state Senate upset https://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/102925954.html/ July 20, 2026 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Larson went on to defeat Republican Jess Ripp by a 15-point margin. District 7 Democratic primary Democratic Party (United States) Chris Larson 7,962 60.61 Democratic Party (United States) Jeffrey Plale (incumbent) 5,148 39.19 27 0.21 13,137 100.0 District 7 general election Democratic Party (United States) Chris Larson 37,165 57.11 Republican Party (United States) Jess Ripp 27,772 42.68 140 0.22 65,077 100.0 District 9 Incumbent Republican Joe Leibham ran for re-election. District 11 Incumbent Republican Neal Kedzie ran for re-election. District 13 Incumbent Republican Scott Fitzgerald ran for re-election. District 15 Incumbent Democrat Judy Robson declined to seek re-election. District 17 Incumbent Republican Dale Schultz ran for re-election District 19 Incumbent Republican Michael Ellis ran for re-election unopposed. District 19 general election Republican Party (United States) Michael Ellis (incumbent) 49,179 99.04 476 0.96 49,655 100.0 District 21 Incumbent Democrat John Lehman ran for re-election. Two Republicans announced campaigns to face the Racine Democrat, being county board member Van H. Wanggaard and Bob Gulan, in what was projected to be a tight race for Lehman. Lehman had been initially elected in 2006 amid a national backlash to the administration of George W. Bush. Lehman was predicted to face a tough re-election, due to the faltering economy in Racine, as well as an unenergized base and energized opposition. Due to these circumstances, the district was seen as a tossup, with some political commentators viewing the seat as most likely to flip into the Republican column.Craver Jack September 23, 2010 The Sconz - Lehman becomes top GOP target in Wisconsin Senate https://isthmus.com/archive/the-sconz/lehman-becomes-top-gop-target-in-wisconsin-senate/ July 20, 2026 Isthmus Wanggaard defeated Lehman by a five-point margin. District 21 Republican primary Republican Party (United States) Van H. Wanggaard 13,864 79.89 Republican Party (United States) Bob Gulan 3,475 20.03 14 0.08 17,353 100.0 District 21 general election Republican Party (United States) Van H. Wanggaard 32,036 52.52 Democratic Party (United States) John Lehman (incumbent) 28,930 47.43 29 0.05 60,995 100.0 District 23 Incumbent Democrat Pat Kreitlow ran for re-election. He was defeated by former Republican state representative Terry Moulton by an eight-point margin. District 25 Incumbent Democrat Robert Jauch ran for re-election. He defeated Republican business owner Dane Deutsch by a three-point margin. During the campaign, Deutsch sparked controversy due to social media posts he made where he compared Adolf Hitler and Abraham Lincoln, calling both strong leaders.October 24, 2010 Wisconsin Democrats blast Republican for Twitter post about Hitler https://www.twincities.com/2010/10/24/wisconsin-democrats-blast-republican-for-twitter-post-about-hitler/ July 19, 2026 Pioneer Press District 27 Incumbent Democrat Jon Erpenbach ran for re-election. Three Republicans filed for the nomination, Kurt Schlicht, home-builder Tom Lamberson, and Tony Wickersham. Schlicht won the primary by a wide margin and faced Erpenbach in the general election. He was defeated by a wide margin. District 29 thumb|County results:#E27F7F Galloway—50–60%#D75D5D Galloway—60–70%#D72F30 Galloway—70–80%#C21B18 Galloway—80–90%#FFB380 Edming—50–60%#FF7F2A Edming—70–80% Incumbent Democrat Russ Decker ran for re-election. In what was initially viewed as a longshot bid, two Republicans business owner Pam Galloway and 2006 nominee Jimmy Boy Edming ran for the nomination. Galloway won the nomination by a wide margin and went on to face Decker. Initially deemed a safe seat for Decker, he was eventually locked in a tight race with Galloway, which attracted high amounts of outside spending.Craver Jack November 3, 2010 The Sconz - Wisconsin Democrats massacred https://isthmus.com/archive/the-sconz/wisconsin-democrats-massacred/ July 20, 2026 Isthmus Decker was defeated by Galloway by a five-point margin. District 29 Republican primary Republican Party (United States) Pam Galloway 10,351 70.45 Republican Party (United States) Jimmy Boy Edming 4,332 29.49 9 0.06 14,692 100.0 thumb|County results:#E27F7F Galloway—50–60%#7996E2 Decker—50–60% District 29 general election Republican Party (United States) Pam Galloway 32,640 52.26 Democratic Party (United States) Russ Decker (incumbent) 29,742 47.62 70 0.11 60,298 100.0 District 31 Incumbent Democrat Kathleen Vinehout ran for re-election. She faced former Tomah mayor and 2002 Libertarian nominee for governor Ed Thompson. In September, Thompson was diagnosed with cancer, which hindered his ability to campaign.Binversie Kevin October 25, 2011 Ed Thompson and the greatest 'what if' of Wisconsin politics https://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/opinion/ed-thompson-and-the-greatest-what-if-of-wisconsin-politics/article_71751360-0405-56dd-82be-b58fa0b82415.html July 31, 2026 Sun Prairie Star Throughout the campaign, some Republican strategists feared that Thompson's Libertarian views could frustrate the Republican goal of a senate majority, and that if he were elected, he could serve as a de facto majority leader in the state senate.Craver Jack August 18, 2010 The Sconz - Ed Thompson: The problem child of the Wisconsin GOP https://isthmus.com/archive/the-sconz/ed-thompson-the-problem-child-of-the-wisconsin-gop/ July 31, 2026 Isthmus The district was, however, seen as a long-shot for Republicans, and was rated by WisPolitics as "lean Democratic", with his eccentric political beliefs and familial ties to former governor Tommy Thompson providing a mixed image of his electability in the district. District 31 general election Democratic Party (United States) Kathleen Vinehout (incumbent) 30,314 50.27 Republican Party (United States) Ed Thompson 29,911 49.61 73 0.12 60,298 100.0 District 33 Incumbent Republican Theodore Kanavas declined to seek re-election. Republican Rich Zipperer defeated candidate Tim Dietrich by a wide margin in the primary. In the general election, Zipperer was elected unopposed. See also Electoral history of the Tea Party movement 2010 Wisconsin elections 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election 2010 Wisconsin State Assembly election 2010 United States Senate election in Wisconsin 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin References Category:Wisconsin Senate elections Category:2010 Wisconsin elections Wisconsin Senate election Category:Long stubs with short prose Category:November 2010 in the United States