1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

The 1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Governor Tommy Thompson won re-election for his fourth term with 59.66% of the vote. As of 2022, this is most recent gubernatorial election in which Milwaukee, Rock, Portage, and Iowa counties voted for the Republican candidate; the most recent where the winner garnered a double-digit margin of victory; and, as of 2025, the last time a governor in the United States was reelected to a fourth consecutive four-year term. == Primary election == The primary election was held on September 8, 1998. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were selected in separate primaries before running on a joint ticket in the general election. === Republican party === ==== Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Jeffrey A. Hyslop Tommy G. Thompson, incumbent governor ===== Results ===== ==== Lieutenant Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Scott McCallum, incumbent lieutenant governor ===== Results ===== === Democratic party === ==== Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Ed Garvey, former executive director of the NFLPA and candidate for US Senate in 1986 Gary R. George, member of Wisconsin Senate ===== Results ===== ==== Lieutenant Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Barbara Lawton, businesswoman ===== Results ===== === Libertarian party === ==== Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Jim Mueller ===== Results ===== ==== Lieutenant Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== James Dean ===== Results ===== === US Taxpayers' party === ==== Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Edward J. Frami ===== Results ===== ==== Lieutenant Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Thomas R. Rivers ===== Results ===== === Green party === ==== Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Jeffrey Lane Smith ===== Results ===== === Independent nominations === ==== Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Mike Mangan A-Ja-mu Muhammad ===== Results ===== ==== Lieutenant Governor ==== ===== Candidates ===== Vida Harley Bridges ===== Results ===== == General election == === Candidates === Ed Garvey & Barbara Lawton, Democrat Tommy G. Thompson & Scott McCallum, Republican Jim Mueller & James Dean, Libertarian Edward J. Frami & Thomas R. Rivers, US Taxpayers' Jeffrey Lane Smith, Green Mike Mangan, Independent A-Ja-mu Muhammad & Vida Harley Bridges, Independent === Polling === === Results === === Results by county === ==== Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic ==== Ashland Bayfield Dane Douglas == See also == 1998 United States Senate election in Wisconsin 1998 United States gubernatorial elections == Notes == Partisan clients == References ==