1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election explained

The 1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. Democrat Patrick J. Lucey won the election with 54.23% of the vote, winning his first term as Governor of Wisconsin and defeating incumbent lieutenant governor, Republican Jack B. Olson.^[1] Roman R. Blenski unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination. As of 2024, this is the last time the Democratic gubernatorial candidate carried Oconto County.

This was the first gubernatorial election in Wisconsin where the governor was elected to a four year term on the same ticket as the Lieutenant Governor.

Primary election

The primary election was held on September 8, 1970. 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

• Roman Richard Blenski, former member of Wisconsin Senate (1949-1955) and Wisconsin State Assembly (1945-1947)
• Jack B. Olson, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin

Results

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates

• David O. Martin, member of Wisconsin State Assembly

Results

Democratic party

Governor

Candidates

• Edward Ihlenfeldt
• Patrick J. Lucey, former Lieutenant Governor and nominee for governor in 1966
• Donald O. Peterson

Results

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates

• Harry Halloway
• Frank Nikolay, member of Wisconsin State Assembly
• John F. O'Malley
• Martin J. Schreiber, member of Wisconsin State Senate
• Jay G. Sykes

Results

American party

Governor

Candidates

• Leo James McDonald

Results

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates

• Theodore G. Kothe

Results

General election

Candidates

• Patrick J. Lucey & Martin J. Schreiber, Democrat
• Jack B. Olson & David O. Martin, Republican
• Leo James McDonald & Theodore Kothe, American
• Georgia Cozzini & Denis Kitchen, Independent
• Samuel K. Hunt & Peter J. Kohlenberg, Independent
• Myrtle Kastner & Russell Chabot, Independent

Results by county

Lucey was the first Democrat since William A. Barstow in 1855 to win Dunn County.

County	Patrick J. Lucey Democratic		Jack B. Olson Republican		All Others Various		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%
	Adams		1,560		53.12%		1,358		46.24%		19		0.65%		202		6.88%		2,937
	Ashland		3,541		66.72%		1,708		32.18%		58		1.09%		1,833		34.54%		5,307
	Barron		5,052		49.83%		5,045		49.76%		42		0.41%		7		0.07%		10,139
	Bayfield		2,977		64.38%		1,623		35.10%		24		0.52%		1,354		29.28%		4,624
	Brown		23,869		52.00%		21,395		46.61%		636		1.39%		2,474		5.39%		45,900
	Buffalo		1,890		52.66%		1,693		47.17%		6		0.17%		197		5.49%		3,589
	Burnett		1,999		58.42%		1,413		41.29%		10		0.29%		586		17.12%		3,422
	Calumet		4,295		50.49%		4,174		49.07%		37		0.43%		121		1.42%		8,506
	Chippewa		7,523		60.37%		4,863		39.03%		75		0.60%		2,660		21.35%		12,461
	Clark		5,017		53.17%		4,345		46.05%		73		0.77%		672		7.12%		9,435
	Columbia		5,592		42.26%		7,542		57.00%		98		0.74%		-1,950		-14.74%		13,232
	Crawford		2,298		43.43%		2,517		47.57%		476		9.00%		-219		-4.14%		5,291
	Dane		49,868		55.89%		38,078		42.68%		1,272		1.43%		11,790		13.21%		89,218
	Dodge		9,510		46.81%		10,683		52.58%		124		0.61%		-1,173		-5.77%		20,317
	Door		3,014		41.88%		4,153		57.70%		30		0.42%		-1,139		-15.83%		7,197
	Douglas		10,608		70.92%		4,255		28.45%		94		0.63%		6,353		42.48%		14,957
	Dunn		3,963		51.03%		3,770		48.54%		33		0.42%		193		2.49%		7,766
	Eau Claire		11,252		55.85%		8,787		43.61%		109		0.54%		2,465		12.23%		20,148
	Florence		696		49.89%		695		49.82%		4		0.29%		1		0.07%		1,395
	Fond du Lac		12,434		48.68%		12,872		50.39%		237		0.93%		-438		-1.71%		25,543
	Forest		1,724		62.04%		1,043		37.53%		12		0.43%		681		24.51%		2,779
	Grant		4,621		39.58%		6,846		58.64%		207		1.77%		-2,225		-19.06%		11,674
	Green		2,894		37.59%		4,772		61.99%		32		0.42%		-1,878		-24.40%		7,698
	Green Lake		2,343		40.06%		3,461		59.18%		44		0.75%		-1,118		-19.12%		5,848
	Iowa		2,403		43.05%		3,141		56.27%		38		0.68%		-738		-13.22%		5,582
	Iron		1,741		67.35%		832		32.19%		12		0.46%		909		35.16%		2,585
	Jackson		2,592		54.88%		2,117		44.82%		14		0.30%		475		10.06%		4,723
	Jefferson		9,034		47.08%		10,047		52.36%		108		0.56%		-1,013		-5.28%		19,189
	Juneau		2,483		46.42%		2,825		52.81%		41		0.77%		-342		-6.39%		5,349
	Kenosha		22,136		64.53%		11,944		34.82%		223		0.65%		10,192		29.71%		34,303
	Kewaunee		3,100		52.38%		2,795		47.23%		23		0.39%		305		5.15%		5,918
	La Crosse		11,639		46.04%		13,335		52.75%		305		1.21%		-1,696		-6.71%		25,279
	Lafayette		2,414		42.39%		3,255		57.16%		26		0.46%		-841		-14.77%		5,695
	Langlade		3,110		55.26%		2,488		44.21%		30		0.53%		622		11.05%		5,628
	Lincoln		3,860		50.90%		3,667		48.36%		56		0.74%		193		2.55%		7,583
	Manitowoc		15,975		59.24%		10,577		39.22%		414		1.54%		5,398		20.02%		26,966
	Marathon		17,665		55.30%		13,903		43.52%		376		1.18%		3,762		11.78%		31,944
	Marinette		6,358		51.66%		5,871		47.70%		78		0.63%		487		3.96%		12,307
	Marquette		1,203		40.67%		1,735		58.65%		20		0.68%		-532		-17.99%		2,958
	Menominee		485		73.48%		169		25.61%		6		0.91%		316		47.88%		660
	Milwaukee		196,941		63.55%		110,436		35.64%		2,518		0.81%		86,505		27.91%		309,895
	Monroe		3,694		45.31%		4,403		54.01%		55		0.67%		-709		-8.70%		8,152
	Oconto		4,321		50.99%		4,101		48.39%		53		0.63%		220		2.60%		8,475
	Oneida		4,401		50.69%		4,224		48.65%		58		0.67%		177		2.04%		8,683
	Outagamie		15,855		47.37%		17,318		51.74%		295		0.88%		-1,463		-4.37%		33,468
	Ozaukee		6,830		39.78%		10,184		59.31%		156		0.91%		-3,354		-19.53%		17,170
	Pepin		1,126		54.66%		924		44.85%		10		0.49%		202		9.81%		2,060
	Pierce		3,769		52.91%		3,344		46.95%		10		0.14%		425		5.97%		7,123
	Polk		4,616		52.33%		4,180		47.39%		25		0.28%		436		4.94%		8,821
	Portage		9,580		66.02%		4,797		33.06%		134		0.92%		4,783		32.96%		14,511
	Price		3,137		55.38%		2,500		44.14%		27		0.48%		637		11.25%		5,664
	Racine		30,086		57.79%		21,573		41.44%		399		0.77%		8,513		16.35%		52,058
	Richland		2,368		39.80%		3,444		57.88%		138		2.32%		-1,076		-18.08%		5,950
	Rock		20,358		51.77%		18,689		47.53%		275		0.70%		1,669		4.24%		39,322
	Rusk		2,540		57.87%		1,819		41.44%		30		0.68%		721		16.43%		4,389
	Sauk		5,601		43.85%		7,036		55.09%		135		1.06%		-1,435		-11.24%		12,772
	Sawyer		1,703		49.52%		1,716		49.90%		20		0.58%		-13		-0.38%		3,439
	Shawano		4,696		43.59%		6,027		55.95%		49		0.45%		-1,331		-12.36%		10,772
	Sheboygan		17,697		51.87%		16,077		47.12%		344		1.01%		1,620		4.75%		34,118
	St. Croix		5,045		52.56%		4,534		47.24%		19		0.20%		511		5.32%		9,598
	Taylor		2,019		50.83%		1,896		47.73%		57		1.44%		123		3.10%		3,972
	Trempealeau		4,038		55.13%		3,266		44.59%		20		0.27%		772		10.54%		7,324
	Vernon		3,688		45.87%		4,251		52.87%		101		1.26%		-563		-7.00%		8,040
	Vilas		2,185		43.62%		2,795		55.80%		29		0.58%		-610		-12.18%		5,009
	Walworth		7,789		41.52%		10,903		58.12%		66		0.35%		-3,114		-16.60%		18,758
	Washburn		2,319		54.78%		1,896		44.79%		18		0.43%		423		9.99%		4,233
	Washington		9,686		49.78%		9,636		49.53%		134		0.69%		50		0.26%		19,456
	Waukesha		32,969		46.77%		36,828		52.25%		689		0.98%		-3,859		-5.47%		70,486
	Waupaca		4,302		38.84%		6,726		60.73%		47		0.42%		-2,424		-21.89%		11,075
	Waushara		1,824		38.14%		2,933		61.32%		26		0.54%		-1,109		-23.19%		4,783
	Winnebago		17,507		46.89%		19,286		51.66%		540		1.45%		-1,779		-4.77%		37,333
	Wood		10,975		54.33%		9,083		44.97%		141		0.70%		1,892		9.37%		20,199
Total	728,403	54.23%	602,617	44.87%	12,140	0.90%	125,786	9.36%	1,343,160

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Barron
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Dane
• Dunn
• Eau Claire
• Florence
• Jackson
• Kewaunee
• Marinette
• Oconto
• Oneida
• Pepin
• Pierce
• Polk
• Price
• Racine
• Rock
• Sheboygan
• St. Croix
• Trempealeau
• Washburn
• Washington

Notes and References

1. Book: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature . 2015 . Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016 . Madison, Wisconsin . Wisconsin Department of Administration . 699–701 . 978-0-9752820-7-6.