2022 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
 | |||||||||||||||||
November 8, 2022
| |||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 56.7%  | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||
   Johnson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Barnes: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
| Elections in Wisconsin |
|---|
 |
The 2022 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate from Wisconsin. The party primaries were held on August 9, 2022. Incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson won election to a third term, defeating Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes[1] by 26,718 votes—a one-point margin of victory. In this election, Johnson won 5 counties he lost in 2016, while his overall victory margin decreased from both 2010 and 2016.
In 2016, Johnson had pledged to serve only two terms in the Senate. He reversed this decision in 2022.[2] The race was one of the most competitive of the cycle, and it followed considerable Democratic success in recent statewide elections. In 2018, Democrats won every statewide contest on the ballot, including the election for the state's other Senate seat. This was one of the two Republican-held Senate seats up for election in a state that Joe Biden won in the 2020 presidential election.[3]
Barnes led in most polls during the summer of 2022. In the final weeks prior to the election, Johnson took a lead of more than three points in the polling average. Though Johnson ultimately prevailed, this election was the closest of his three Senate victories. This was the first Senate election in Wisconsin since 1998 in which the winning candidate was of a different party than the winner of the concurrent gubernatorial election.
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Ron Johnson, incumbent U.S. senator[4]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- David Schroeder, former educator
Disqualified
[edit]Withdrawn
[edit]Declined
[edit]- David Beth, Kenosha County sheriff[9]
- Sean Duffy, former U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 7th congressional district[10][11]
- Mike Gallagher, U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 8th congressional district (ran for re-election; endorsed Johnson)[12]
- Eric Hovde, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2012
- Rebecca Kleefisch, former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin (ran for governor; endorsed Johnson)[12][13][14]
- Kevin Nicholson, businessman, former member of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018 (ran for governor)[12]
- Bryan Steil, U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district (ran for re-election; endorsed Johnson)[12]
- Scott Walker, former governor of Wisconsin[15]
Endorsements
[edit]U.S. executive branch officials
- John Bolton, United States National Security Advisor (2018–2019), United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2005–2006)[16]
- Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2017–2018)[17]
- Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)[18]
Organizations
Results
[edit]
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Johnson (incumbent) | 563,871 | 83.7 | |
| Republican | David Schroeder | 109,917 | 16.3 | |
| Total votes | 673,788 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Kou Lee, restaurant owner[27]
- Adam Murphy, business owner[28]
- Steven Olikara, founder and CEO of Millennial Action Project[29][30]
- Peter Peckarsky, attorney and candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2017[28]
- Darrell Williams, Wisconsin Emergency Management administrator[31]
Did not file
[edit]- Chantia Lewis, Milwaukee Common Councillor[32]
Withdrew
[edit]- Gillian Battino, radiologist[33] (ran for state treasurer)[34]
- Sarah Godlewski, state treasurer of Wisconsin (endorsed Barnes; remained on ballot)[35][36]
- Chris Larson, state senator from the 7th district (endorsed Barnes)[37][38]
- Alex Lasry, senior vice president of the Milwaukee Bucks and former intern in the Obama administration (endorsed Barnes; remained on ballot)[39][40]
- Tom Nelson, Outagamie County executive, former Majority Leader of the Wisconsin Assembly, and nominee for lieutenant governor of Wisconsin in 2010 and for Wisconsin's 8th congressional district in 2016 (endorsed Barnes; remained on ballot)[41]
- Jeff Rumbaugh, disability rights activist and candidate for governor in 2018 (endorsed Nelson)[42]
Declined
[edit]- Tony Evers, governor of Wisconsin (ran for re-election)[43]
- Josh Kaul, attorney general of Wisconsin (ran for re-election)[44]
- Ron Kind, U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district[45]
- Mark Pocan, U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district (ran for re-election)[46]
Fundraising
[edit]| Candidate | Unitemized (<$200) individual contributions | Itemized (>$200) individual contributions | Self funding | Coverage ending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandela Barnes | $2,668,973.10 | $3,305,480.72 | $0.00 | Coverage ending: 06/30/2022[47] |
Endorsements
[edit]U.S. senators
- Tammy Baldwin, U.S. senator from Wisconsin (2013–present)[48]
- Cory Booker, U.S. senator from New Jersey (2013–present)[49]
- Alex Padilla, U.S. senator from California (2021–present)[50]
- Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont (2007–present)[51]
- Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts (2013–present)[52]
U.S. representatives
- Jim Clyburn, U.S. representative from SC-06 (1993–present), House Majority Whip (2019–2023, 2007–2011), House Assistant Democratic Leader (2011–2019), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (1999–2001)