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.
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 first time Thompson lost a statewide race.
Background
Incumbent Democratic senator Herb Kohl was re-elected to a fourth term in 2006, beating Republican attorney Robert Lorge by 67% to 30%. Kohl's lack of fundraising suggested his potential retirement. There was speculation that Kohl might decide to retire to allow Russ Feingold, who lost his re-election bid in 2010, to run again, although Mike Tate, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, dismissed speculation about Kohl's potential retirement. Ultimately, Kohl announced in May 2011 that he would not run for re-election in 2012.
Democratic primary
Despite speculation that Kohl would retire to make way for his former Senate colleague Russ Feingold, who had been unseated in 2010, Feingold chose not to enter the race. Other potential candidates also declined to run, so Baldwin was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Candidates
Declared
Tammy Baldwin, U.S. representative
Declined
Tom Barrett, mayor of Milwaukee
Kathleen Falk, former Dane County executive
Russ Feingold, former U.S. senator
Steve Kagen, former U.S. representative
Ron Kind, U.S. representative
Herb Kohl, incumbent U.S. senator
Gwen Moore, U.S. representative
Tim Sullivan, businessman
Polling
Results
Republican primary
Congressman and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan stated he would not run if Kohl sought reelection, but would contemplate a run if Kohl retired. Ryan later stated that he was "95 percent sure" that he would not run. He was later chosen as the Republican nominee for vice president by presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
Six candidates declared for the seat, although two later withdrew. The contest turned out to be a four-way fight and although a large majority of Republican primary voters consistently expressed a preference for a nominee "more conservative" than Tommy Thompson, Eric Hovde and Mark Neumann split the conservative vote, allowing Thompson to narrowly prevail with a plurality of the vote.
Candidates
Declared
Jeff Fitzgerald, Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Eric Hovde, businessman
Mark Neumann, former U.S. representative, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1998, and candidate for Governor in 2010 Tommy Thompson, former governor of Wisconsin and former secretary of Health and Human Services
Withdrew
Frank Lasee, state senator (endorsed Eric Hovde) Kip Smith, physical therapist
Declined
Mark Andrew Green, former U.S. representative and former United States ambassador to Tanzania Theodore Kanavas, former state senator Paul Ryan, U.S. representative Tim Sullivan, businessman J. B. Van Hollen, Wisconsin attorney general
Polling
Commissioned by Eric Hovde
Endorsements
Results
General election
Candidates
Tammy Baldwin (Democratic), U.S. Representative
Tommy Thompson (Republican), former governor and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Joseph Kexel (Libertarian), IT consultant Nimrod Allen III (Independent), consultant and former Marine
Debates
Baldwin and Thompson agreed to three debates: September 28, October 18 and 26, all broadcast statewide, and nationwide through C-SPAN.
The first debate originated from the studios of Milwaukee Public Television and was coordinated by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. It aired on MPTV, Wisconsin Public Television, Wisconsin Public Radio and several commercial stations throughout the state.