2012 Wisconsin Senate election

Not to be confused with 2012 United States Senate election in Wisconsin.

The 2012 Wisconsin Senate elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Sixteen of the 33 seats in the Wisconsin Senate were up for election—the even-numbered districts. This was the first Senate general election to take place after redistricting following the 2010 United States census. Before the election, 17 Senate seats were held by Democrats and 16 seats were held by Republicans. 10 Democratic seats and 6 Republican seats were up in this election. The primary election took place on August 13, 2012.^[1]

2012 Wisconsin Senate election

← 2010 November 6, 2012 2014 →
← 2012 (recall)
16 of 33 seats in the Wisconsin Senate 16 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Scott Fitzgerald Mark F. Miller (retired as leader) Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat 13th–Juneau 16th–Monona Last election 11 seats, 59.11% 6 seats, 40.54% Seats before 16 17 Seats won 8 8 Seats after 18 15 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 593,893 696,773 Percentage 45.28% 53.13% Swing 13.8 pp 12.6 pp
Results of the elections:      Republican hold      Republican gain      Democratic hold      No election
President before election Fred Risser Democratic Elected President Michael G. Ellis Republican

Republicans flipped two Democratic-held Senate seat and won the chamber majority, entering the 101st Wisconsin Legislature with 18 of 33 State Senate seats.

Results summary

Seats		Party (majority caucus shading)		Total
		Democratic	Republican
Last election (2010)		6	11	17
Total after last election (2010)		14	19	33
Total before this election		17	16	33
Up for election		10	6	16
of which:	Incumbent retiring	2	0	2
	Vacated	0	0	0
	Unopposed	3	1	4
This election		8	8	16
Change from last election		2	2
Total after this election		15	18	33
Change in total		2	2

Popular vote Democratic   53.13% Republican   45.28% Other   1.59%

Senate seats won Democratic   50% Republican   50%

Close races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

1. State Senate district 18, 0.7% (gain)
2. State Senate district 30, 8.55%

Outgoing incumbents

Retiring

• Jim Holperin (D–Conover), representing district 12 since 2008, announced that he would not run for re-election.^[2]

Seeking other office

• Spencer Coggs (D–Milwaukee), representing district 6 since 2003, was elected Milwaukee Treasurer at the April 2012 election, and then did not seek re-election to the Senate in the fall.^[3]

Candidates and results

Dist.	Incumbent			This race[4]
	Member	Party	First elected	Primary election candidates	General election candidates	Result
2	Robert Cowles	Republican	1987 (special)	Robert Cowles (Rep.)	Y Robert Cowles (Rep.) 98.54%	Incumbent re-elected.
4	Lena Taylor	Democratic	2004	Lena Taylor (Dem.)	Y Lena Taylor (Dem.) 86.62% David D. King (Ind.) 13.11%	Incumbent re-elected.
6	Spencer Coggs	Democratic	2003 (recall)	Nikiya Harris (Dem.) Michael Mayo (Dem.) Allyn Monroe Swan (Dem.) Elizabeth M. Coggs (Dem.) Delta L. Triplett (Dem.)	Y Nikiya Harris (Dem.) 98.72%	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.
8	Alberta Darling	Republican	1992	Alberta Darling (Rep.)	Y Alberta Darling (Rep.) 95.58% Beth L. Lueck (Dem. write-in)	Incumbent re-elected.
10	Sheila Harsdorf	Republican	2000	Sheila Harsdorf (Rep.) Daniel C. Olson (Dem.)	Y Sheila Harsdorf (Rep.) 59.17% Daniel C. Olson (Dem.) 40.72%	Incumbent re-elected.
12	Jim Holperin	Democratic	2008	Tom Tiffany (Rep.) Susan Sommer (Dem.) Lisa Theo (Dem.)	Y Tom Tiffany (Rep.) 56.24% Susan Sommer (Dem.) 40.45% Paul O. Ehlers (Ind.) 3.26%	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain.
14	Luther Olsen	Republican	2004	Luther Olsen (Rep.) David Wayne Eiler (Rep.) Margarete Worthington (Dem.)	Y Luther Olsen (Rep.) 57.53% Margarete Worthington (Dem.) 42.4%	Incumbent re-elected.
16	Mark F. Miller	Democratic	2004	Mark F. Miller (Dem.)	Y Mark F. Miller (Dem.) 98.73%	Incumbent re-elected.
18	Jessica King	Democratic	2011 (recall)	Rick Gudex (Rep.) Jessica King (Dem.)	Y Rick Gudex (Rep.) 50.3% Jessica King (Dem.) 49.6%	Incumbent lost. New member elected. Republican gain.
20	Glenn Grothman	Republican	2004	Glenn Grothman (Rep.) Tanya Lohr (Dem.)	Y Glenn Grothman (Rep.) 68.63% Tanya Lohr (Dem.) 31.3%	Incumbent re-elected.
22	Robert Wirch	Democratic	1996	Robert Wirch (Dem.) Pam Stevens (Rep.)	Y Robert Wirch (Dem.) 69.57% Pam Stevens (Rep.) 30.29%	Incumbent re-elected.
24	Julie Lassa	Democratic	2003 (special)	Julie Lassa (Dem.) Scott Kenneth Noble (Rep.) Steve Abrahamson (Rep.)	Y Julie Lassa (Dem.) 56.59% Scott Kenneth Noble (Rep.) 43.31%	Incumbent re-elected.
26	Fred Risser	Democratic	1962	Fred Risser (Dem.)	Y Fred Risser (Dem.)	Incumbent re-elected.
28	Mary Lazich	Republican	1998	Mary Lazich (Rep.) Jim Ward (Dem.)	Y Mary Lazich (Rep.) 63.38% Jim Ward (Dem.) 36.51%	Incumbent re-elected.
30	Dave Hansen	Democratic	2000	Dave Hansen (Dem.) John Macco (Rep.) Ray Suennen (Rep.)	Y Dave Hansen (Dem.) 54.23% John Macco (Rep.) 45.68%	Incumbent re-elected.
32	Jennifer Shilling	Democratic	2011 (recall)	Jennifer Shilling (Dem.) Bill Feehan (Rep.)	Y Jennifer Shilling (Dem.) 58.28% Bill Feehan (Rep.) 41.64%	Incumbent re-elected.

See also

• 2012 Wisconsin elections
  • 2012 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
  • 2012 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
  • 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin
  • 2012 Wisconsin State Assembly election
• 2012 United States elections
• Wisconsin Senate
• Elections in Wisconsin
• Redistricting in Wisconsin

References

1. Canvass Results for 2012 Partisan Primary - 8/14/2012 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. August 28, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
2. State Senator Jim Holperin Will Not Seek Reelection
3. WTMJ News. "Spencer Coggs to finish out Senate term while he's Milwaukee City Treasurer" Archived 2013-01-17 at the Wayback Machine, WTMJ-TV April 18, 2012.
4. Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential and General Election - 11/6/2012 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 26, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.

External links

• Wisconsin Elections Commission
• Wisconsin at Ballotpedia
• Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Wisconsin", Voting & Elections Toolkits
• "Wisconsin: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
• "League of Women Voters of Wisconsin". September 7, 2017. (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)