2012 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
The 2012 United States Senate election in Wisconsin took place on November 6, 2012, alongside a U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Herb Kohl retired instead of running for re-election to a fifth term. This was the first open Senate seat in Wisconsin since 1988, when Kohl won his first term.
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| Turnout | 72.5% (voting eligible) | ||||||||||||||||
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Baldwin: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Thompson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie No data | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Wisconsin |
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Primary elections were held on August 14, 2012. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The Republican nominee was former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, who won with a plurality in a four-way primary race. In the general election, Baldwin defeated Thompson and won the open seat. She became the first woman elected to represent Wisconsin in the Senate and the first openly gay U.S. senator in history. This is also the only time Thompson lost a statewide race.