THC Science

2012 Wisconsin Senate election
← 2012 (recall)
16 of 33 seats in the Wisconsin Senate; 16 seats needed for a majority
	Results of the elections:; Republican hold Republican gain; Democratic hold ; No election
President before election; Fred Risser; Democratic	Elected President ; Michael G. Ellis; Republican

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]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

State Senate district 18, 0.7%
State Senate district 30, 8.55%

Outgoing incumbents[edit]

Retiring[edit]

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

Seeking other office[edit]

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[edit]

Dist.	Incumbent			This race^[4]
Dist.	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.

References[edit]

^ 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.
^ State Senator Jim Holperin Will Not Seek Reelection
^ 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.
^ 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[edit]

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)

[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.

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