Latest election shows Wisconsin voters move away from “splitting ticket”
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — Lawrence University professor Arnold Shober offered expert analysis on election night for Local 5 News.
He provided key takeaways from the 2024 election, including a minor shift in Democratic strongholds in Wisconsin.
On The Scene: Republican challenger Eric Hovde's election headquarters
"Trump is performing better than his polls indicated," Shober noted. "Milwaukee and Dane County are three points more Republican than in 2020."
He also observed that while fellow Republican Tony Weid continues GOP representation of the 8th Congressional District, his margin of victory was smaller than his predecessor's.
"Mike Gallagher won 70-30 in 2022. Weid is pulling less support. Sixty-forty is nothing to laugh at, but it does say there is a base of about 40% for Democrats in our area, and it will be very hard to overcome that, even with an open seat like we had this time."
Shober said what's striking about the U.S. Senate race is that Republican Eric Hovde tracked better than expected along with former President Trump.
"Hovde is much less well known (compared to Trump), and it shows there's less ticket-splitting."
On The Scene: Democrat incumbent Tammy Baldwin's election headquarters
He added that Wisconsin is becoming more like other states with more voters choosing straight-party voting.
"In the '90s and early 2000s, it was not unusual for voters to split tickets. Post-Scott Walker (former Republican governor of Wisconsin), voters have leaned more toward straight-ticket voting."
