United States Senate election in Wisconsin, 2016

United States Senate election in Wisconsin, 2016

November 8, 2016

Nominee Ron Johnson Russ Feingold Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent U.S. senator Ron Johnson Republican

The 2016 United States Senate election in Wisconsin will take place on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Wisconsin, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries will be held on August 9.

Incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson is running for re-election to a second term in office. Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, who Johnson narrowly unseated in the 2010 midterm Tea Party wave, is seeking a rematch for a fourth non-consecutive term in office.

Background

Incumbent Democratic Senator Russ Feingold ran for re-election to a fourth term in 2010 but was defeated by Republican nominee Ron Johnson. Feingold hinted that he might seek a re-match with Johnson.

In March 2013, Johnson announced that he was running for re-election and had begun fundraising. He had just $1,529 in his campaign account but he raised $16.1 million for the 2010 election, over half of which he self-funded. Johnson said in November 2014 that he would not self-finance another campaign, saying: "I made my $9 million investment in this country. I gave it once, I don't think I should do it again."

After the Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 Senate elections, the election in Wisconsin is seen by many as a top target for the Democrats, who hope to regain their majority. Politico has pointed to Johnson's "worrisome" favorability ratings as one of the main reasons for his vulnerability. A March 2014 Marquette University Law School poll found that just 29% of voters had a favorable opinion of him.

On May 14, 2015, Feingold announced he would run to win the Senate seat back.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

• Ron Johnson, incumbent U.S. Senator

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Russ Feingold, former U.S. Senator

Declined

• Mary Burke, businesswoman, member of the Madison school district board, former Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce and nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in 2014
• Chris Larson, State Senator, candidate for Milwaukee County Executive in April 2016
• Ron Kind, U.S. Representative
• Gwen Moore, U.S. Representative
• Mark Pocan, U.S. Representative

Endorsements

Russ Feingold

Presidents Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States Vice Presidents Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States U.S. Cabinet members and Cabinet-level officials Chuck Hagel, 24th Secretary of Defense U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Bernie Sanders, Vermont Jon Tester, Montana Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan, Wisconsin Wisconsin State Senators Chris Larson Labor unions AFSCME - American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees AFT - American Federation of Teachers LIUNA - Laborers' International Union of North America PFFW - Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin SEIU - Service Employees International Union USW - United Steelworkers WEAC - Wisconsin Education Association Council Organizations Blue America Daily Kos Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee League of Conservation Voters National Organization for Women Planned Parenthood Action Fund Sierra Club

Democratic primary results
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Russ Feingold	0	0.00
Total votes			0	0.00

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Declared

• Phil Anderson, chair of the Dane County, Wisconsin Libertarian Party and 2014 candidate for Wisconsin's 47th State Assembly district

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report	Tossup	March 25, 2016
Daily Kos	Lean D	March 30, 2016
Roll Call	Tossup	March 30, 2016
Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean D	March 21, 2016

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Ron Johnson (R)	Russ Feingold (D)	Other/Neither	Undecided
Wisconsin Public Radio/St. Norbert	April 12–15, 2016	616	± 4.0%	41%	51%	—	8%
Emerson College	March 30–April 3, 2016	1,198	± 2.8%	44%	48%	8%	—
Public Policy Polling	March 28–29, 2016	1,397	± 2.6%	39%	46%	—	15%
Loras College	March 28–29, 2016	1,000	± 3.1%	39%	48%	1%	12%
Marquette University	March 24–28, 2016	1,405	± 3.3%	42%	47%	3%	5%
Marquette University	February 18–21, 2016	802	± 4.5%	37%	49%	—	14%
Marquette University	January 21–24, 2016	806	± 4.0%	37%	50%	—	13%
Let America Work^	November 16–18, 2015	900	± 3.3%	44%	45%	—	11%
Marquette University	November 12–15, 2015	803	± 4.2%	38%	49%	—	13%
Democracy Corps	October 24–28, 2015	400	± 4.9%	46%	51%	—	3%
Wisconsin Public Radio/St. Norbert	October 14–17, 2015	603	± 4.0%	40%	51%	2%	7%
Marquette University	September 24–28, 2015	803	± 4.1%	36%	50%	6.5%	7.5%
End Citizens United	September 10–14, 2015	775	± 3.6%	39%	47%	—	14%
Marquette University	August 13–16, 2015	802	± 3.5%	42%	47%	—	12%
Marquette University	April 7–10, 2015	803	± 3.5%	38%	54%	—	9%
Public Policy Polling	March 6–8, 2015	1,071	± 3%	41%	50%	—	9%
Public Policy Polling	April 17–20, 2014	1,144	± 2.9%	41%	47%	—	12%
Public Policy Polling	September 13–16, 2013	1,180	± 2.9%	42%	49%	—	9%
Public Policy Polling	February 21–24, 2013	807	± 2.3%	42%	52%	—	6%

^ Internal poll from Let America Work, a Super Pac for Ron Johnson

External links

Official campaign websites

• Ron Johnson (R) for Senate
• Russ Feingold (D) for Senate
• Phil Anderson (L) for Senate