The 1982 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1982. Democrat Anthony S. Earl won the election with 56.75% of the vote, defeating Republican Terry J. Kohler.

As of 2024, this is the most recent Wisconsin gubernatorial election where the Democratic candidate won by a double-digit margin. Additionally, this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which a Democrat has carried Brown County, Fond Du Lac County, Jefferson County, Kewaunee County, and Sheboygan County.

Primary election The primary election was held on September 14, 1982. 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 Lowell B. Jackson, Secretary of Wisconsin Department of Transportation Terry J. Kohler, businessman

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Russell A. Olson, incumbent lieutenant governor

Results

Democratic party Governor Candidates Anthony S. Earl, former Secretary of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Martin J. Schreiber, former governor James B. Wood

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates James T. Flynn, member of Wisconsin Senate Wayne P. Frank Jack H. Gleason

Results

Libertarian party Governor Candidates Larry Smiley

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Gerald Shidell

Results

Constitution party Governor Candidates James P. Wickstrom, Constitution nominee for United States Senate in 1980

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Diana K. Simonson

Results

Independent nominations Governor Candidates Peter Seidman

Results

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Margo Storsteen

Results

General election Candidates Anthony S. Earl & James T. Flynn, Democrat Terry J. Kohler & Russell A. Olson, Republican Larry Smiley & Gerald Shidell, Libertarian James P. Wickstrom & Diana K. Simonson, Constitution Peter Seidman & Margo Storsteen, Independent

Results

Results by county Earl was the first Democrat since Albert G. Schmedeman in 1934 to win Fond du Lac County and Winnebago County and no Democrat has won the former since this election. Grant County and Richland County would not vote for the losing candidate again until 2022. County Anthony S. EarlDemocratic Terry J. KohlerRepublican All OthersVarious Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Adams2,51451.82%2,24946.36%881.81%2655.46%4,851Ashland3,94959.84%2,55838.76%921.39%1,39121.08%6,599Barron6,35550.56%6,13648.81%790.63%2191.74%12,570Bayfield3,76160.01%2,44839.06%580.93%1,31320.95%6,267Brown31,37553.46%26,60545.33%7061.20%4,7708.13%58,686Buffalo2,77253.99%2,31445.07%480.93%4588.92%5,134Burnett4,17960.03%2,66038.21%1221.75%1,51921.82%6,961Calumet4,95347.36%5,24650.16%2602.49%-293-2.80%10,459Chippewa9,12859.35%6,02139.15%2321.51%3,10720.20%15,381Clark5,05646.54%5,61051.64%1981.82%-554-5.10%10,864Columbia7,05648.98%7,15849.69%1921.33%-102-0.71%14,406Crawford2,91344.70%3,54354.37%610.94%-630-9.67%6,517Dane86,28870.48%34,63128.29%1,5131.24%51,65742.19%122,432Dodge10,42546.38%11,74552.25%3091.37%-1,320-5.87%22,479Door4,29242.29%5,79057.06%660.65%-1,498-14.76%10,148Douglas11,16073.24%3,96126.00%1160.76%7,19947.25%15,237Dunn6,58857.09%4,77841.41%1731.50%1,81015.69%11,539Eau Claire16,52061.41%10,02537.26%3581.33%6,49524.14%26,903Florence66745.59%76652.36%302.05%-99-6.77%1,463Fond du Lac16,30251.34%14,92146.99%5321.68%1,3814.35%31,755Forest1,99855.47%1,50941.89%952.64%48913.58%3,602Grant5,96041.59%8,26857.69%1030.72%-2,308-16.10%14,331Green4,42345.90%5,11853.11%961.00%-695-7.21%9,637Green Lake2,29235.32%4,09963.16%991.53%-1,807-27.84%6,490Iowa2,75944.59%3,36154.31%681.10%-602-9.73%6,188Iron2,10563.87%1,13634.47%551.67%96929.40%3,296Jackson3,71051.24%3,42647.31%1051.45%2843.92%7,241Jefferson9,86249.81%9,62948.63%3091.56%2331.18%19,800Juneau2,95440.44%4,23057.91%1211.66%-1,276-17.47%7,305Kenosha24,31568.30%11,01530.94%2710.76%13,30037.36%35,601Kewaunee3,69549.83%3,64049.09%801.08%550.74%7,415La Crosse17,96256.89%13,19141.78%4201.33%4,77115.11%31,573Lafayette2,88941.80%3,98757.69%350.51%-1,098-15.89%6,911Langlade3,66752.67%3,19945.95%961.38%4686.72%6,962Lincoln4,76848.08%4,93249.73%2172.19%-164-1.65%9,917Manitowoc17,06959.78%10,44736.59%1,0383.64%6,62223.19%28,554Marathon19,45149.87%18,60247.69%9502.44%8492.18%39,003Marinette6,75748.70%6,98550.34%1340.97%-228-1.64%13,876Marquette1,86844.71%2,21553.02%952.27%-347-8.31%4,178Menominee43978.96%11320.32%40.72%32658.63%556Milwaukee210,14267.34%98,92531.70%2,9880.96%111,21735.64%312,055Monroe4,15641.42%5,75257.32%1271.27%-1,596-15.90%10,035Oconto4,99143.67%6,30555.17%1331.16%-1,314-11.50%11,429Oneida6,52550.82%5,99646.70%3192.48%5294.12%12,840Outagamie21,65552.84%18,74145.73%5881.43%2,9147.11%40,984Ozaukee9,85242.54%13,14756.77%1610.70%-3,295-14.23%23,160Pepin1,29759.04%88540.28%150.68%41218.75%2,197Pierce5,76857.88%4,11841.32%790.79%1,65016.56%9,965Polk5,93357.03%4,34441.76%1261.21%1,58915.27%10,403Portage12,70467.79%5,69030.36%3471.85%7,01437.43%18,741Price2,76446.49%3,03351.01%1492.51%-269-4.52%5,946Racine33,07960.48%20,91438.24%7001.28%12,16522.24%54,693Richland2,25035.75%3,97163.10%721.14%-1,721-27.35%6,293Rock26,13062.10%15,43236.68%5151.22%10,69825.42%42,077Rusk2,87551.41%2,59846.46%1192.13%2774.95%5,592Sauk6,43046.10%7,40353.08%1150.82%-973-6.98%13,948Sawyer2,28649.03%2,32149.79%551.18%-35-0.75%4,662Shawano4,86340.99%6,70856.54%2942.48%-1,845-15.55%11,865Sheboygan21,21156.62%15,76942.09%4821.29%5,44214.53%37,462St. Croix8,55758.00%6,09741.32%1000.68%2,46016.67%14,754Taylor3,23748.85%3,25549.12%1342.02%-18-0.27%6,626Trempealeau4,95956.41%3,75342.69%790.90%1,20613.72%8,791Vernon4,12442.98%5,32855.52%1441.50%-1,204-12.55%9,596Vilas3,02841.48%4,05455.53%2182.99%-1,026-14.05%7,300Walworth9,60343.66%12,22955.59%1650.75%-2,626-11.94%21,997Washburn2,81752.22%2,52846.86%500.93%2895.36%5,395Washington12,11446.59%13,50551.93%3851.48%-1,391-5.35%26,004Waukesha43,12846.82%47,86051.96%1,1191.21%-4,732-5.14%92,107Waupaca5,30740.90%7,49757.78%1711.32%-2,190-16.88%12,975Waushara2,43241.42%3,36057.23%791.35%-928-15.81%5,871Winnebago24,37552.23%21,64946.39%6411.37%2,7265.84%46,665Wood13,08452.78%11,30445.60%4011.62%1,7807.18%24,789Total896,87256.75%662,73841.94%20,6941.31%234,13414.82%1,580,304

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Adams Brown Chippewa Dane Eau Claire Fond du Lac Forest Jackson Jefferson Kewaunee La Crosse Langlade Marathon Oneida Outagamie Portage Racine Rock Rusk Sheboygan Trempealeau Winnebago Wood

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Florence

References