The 2002 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Scott McCallum James Scott McCallum (born May 2, 1950) is an American businessman and former politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 43rd governor of Wisconsin, ascending from the Lieutenant Governorship when Tommy Thompson resigned in 2001 ...

, who had assumed office upon the resignation of

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served a ...

, ran for his first full term in office. McCallum won his party's nomination by defeating two minor candidates, and

Attorney General of Wisconsin The Attorney General of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Forty-five individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Josh Kaul, ...

Jim Doyle James Edward Doyle, Jr., (born November 23, 1945) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. In his first election to the governorship, he defeated incum ...

won the Democratic primary with a little more than a third of the vote in a highly competitive primary election. In the general election, the presence of

Ed Thompson Edward Thompson or variants may refer to: Politicians * Edward Thompson (of Sheriff Hutton) (c. 1639–1701), English landowner and politician * Edward Thompson (1697–1742), British MP and Lord of the Admiralty * Edward Thompson (FDNY Commissi ...

, former Governor

's younger brother, the Mayor of Tomah, and the

Libertarian Party Active parties by country Defunct parties by country Organizations associated with Libertarian parties See also * Liberal parties by country * List of libertarian organizations * Lists of political parties Lists of political part ...

nominee, held both McCallum and Doyle to under fifty percent of the vote, enabling Doyle to win with 45% of the vote, defeating McCallum.

Democratic primary

The primary election for the Democratic nomination was closely contested by three competitive candidates. The race was ultimately won by Jim Doyle with around 38% of the vote.

Candidates

Nominated

, three-term

, former District Attorney of Dane County, Wisconsin.

Eliminated in primary

* Tom Barrett, five-term

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district Wisconsin's 5th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, covering most of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs. It presently covers all of Washington and Jefferson count ...

, former state senator and state representative *

Kathleen Falk Kathleen Falk (born June 26, 1951) is an American attorney, politician, and policymaker from Wisconsin who served as Dane County Executive from 1997 until 2011. In 2013, she was appointed Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and H ...

, Dane

County Executive A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county. The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...

, former Assistant Wisconsin Attorney General, general counsel for Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, Inc.

Polling

Results

Republican primary

McCallum, as the incumbent governor, did not face significant opposition in the primary. He was nominated with 86% of the primary vote.

Candidates

Nominated

, incumbent Governor of Wisconsin

Eliminated in primary

* William Lorge, former State Representative *George Pobuda, teacher in

Tomahawk, Wisconsin Tomahawk is a city in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,346 at the 2010 census. The city is located to the northeast of the Town of Tomahawk and is not contiguous with it. History Before 1837, the land where Tomaha ...

Results

Libertarian party

, former Mayor of

Tomah, Wisconsin Tomah is a city in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,570 as of the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Tomah and the Town of La Grange. History Tomah was founded by Robert E. Gillett in 1855 and incor ...

, brother of former Governor

Green party

*Jim Young, City assessor for Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Reform party

*Alan D. Eisenberg, lawyer and real estate dealer

Independent candidates

*Ty A. Bollerud, of

Janesville, Wisconsin Janesville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat and largest city in the county. It is a principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Madison–Jan ...

*Mike Mangan, of

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Oconomowoc ( ) is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Potawatomi language, Potawatomi term for "waterfall." The population was 15,712 at the 2010 census. The city is partially adjacen ...

*Aneb Jah Rasta, consultant and doctor of

metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...

General election

Predictions

Polling

Results

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 2002 2002

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

2002 United States gubernatorial elections