1992 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
{{short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1992 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
| country = Wisconsin
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1986 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
| previous_year = 1986
| next_election = 1998 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
| next_year = 1998
| election_date = November 3, 1992
| image_size = x150px
| image1 = Russ Feingold official photo.jpg
| nominee1 = Russ Feingold
| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 1,290,662
| percentage1 = 52.58%
| image2 = BobKasten (1).jpg
| nominee2 = Bob Kasten
| party2 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 1,129,599
| percentage2 = 46.02%
| map_image = {{switcher |260px |County results |260px |Precinct results |default=1}}
| map_caption = Feingold: {{legend0|#A5B0FF|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}} {{legend0|#0D0596|>90%}}
Kasten: {{legend0|#FFB2B2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#E27F7F|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#D72F30|70–80%}} {{legend0|#C21B18|80–90%}} {{legend0|#A80000|>90%}}
Tie: {{legend0|#D2B1D9}}
| title = U.S. Senator
| before_election = Bob Kasten
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = Russ Feingold
| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{ElectionsWI}}
The 1992 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1992. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Bob Kasten ran for re-election to a third term but was defeated by Democrat Russ Feingold.
Republican primary
=Candidates=
- Roger W. Faulkner
- Bob Kasten, incumbent U.S. Senator
=Results=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Republican primary results{{cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=245096|title=WI US Senate - R Primary|access-date=January 2, 2020|work=Our Campaigns}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Bob Kasten (incumbent)
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 197,488
| percentage = 80.49%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Roger W. Faulkner
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 47,804
| percentage = 19.48%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Write ins
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 79
| percentage = 0.03%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 245,371
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
Democratic primary
=Candidates=
- Joseph Checota, businessman
- Russ Feingold, State Senator
- Edmond C. Hou-Seye, perennial candidate
- Thomas Keller
- Jim Moody, U.S. Representative
=Campaign=
Feingold, who had little name recognition in the state and was campaigning in a primary against a pair of millionaire opponents, U.S. Congressman Jim Moody and Milwaukee businessman Joe Checota, adopted several proposals to gain the electorate's attention. The most memorable of these was a series of five promises written on Feingold's garage door in the form of a contract.{{Cite web|title = Promises Made, Promises Kept |url=http://www.russfeingold.org/promiseskept.php |access-date=June 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061229095747/http://www.russfeingold.org/promiseskept.php |archive-date=December 29, 2006 |url-status=dead }} Also noted was Feingold's advertising campaign, which was widely compared to that used by progressive candidate Paul Wellstone in his victorious Senate campaign in Minnesota. Shot in the form of home movies, the ads attempted to portray Feingold, who always referred to himself as "the underdog running for U.S. senate," as a down-to-earth, Capra-esque figure, taking the audience on a guided tour of the candidate's home and introducing them to his children, all of whom were enrolled in public school.{{Cite web|title = Russ Feingold for United States Senate Multimedia |url=http://www.russfeingold.org/multimedia.php#vintage |access-date=June 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061229095811/http://www.russfeingold.org/multimedia.php |archive-date=December 29, 2006 |url-status=dead }}
The ads also contained a significant amount of humor. One featured Feingold meeting with an Elvis Presley impersonator, who offered Feingold his endorsement.{{Cite news | title = Wisconsin Senate: The Candidates | work = The Washington Post | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/keyraces98/wisen/candidates.htm | access-date = June 5, 2007 | date=September 9, 1998}} (Bob Kasten responded to the Elvis endorsement with an advertisement featuring an Elvis impersonator attacking Feingold's record.{{Cite news|last=Marcus |first=Greil |title = The Elvis Test |work=San Francisco Examiner |publisher=Eye Candy Promotions |date=January 17, 1993 |url=http://eyecandypromo.com/GM/Elvistest.html |access-date=June 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405205820/http://eyecandypromo.com/GM/Elvistest.html |archive-date=April 5, 2007 |url-status=dead }}) Another showed Feingold standing next to a pair of half-sized cardboard cut-outs of his opponents, refusing to "stoop to their level" as the two were shown literally slinging mud at one another.
During the primary campaign, Feingold unveiled an 82-point plan that aimed to eliminate the deficit by the end of his first term.{{Cite news|last=Odegard |first=Sue |title = Feingold tackles health care, capital punishment, COPS grants at River Falls Listening Session |publisher=River Falls Journal |year=1999 |url=http://rivertowns.net/news1999/rfjrival/week46/frontpage/np/LOCAB06.HTM |access-date=June 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010530133115/http://www.rivertowns.net/news1999/rfjrival/week46/frontpage/np/LOCAB06.HTM |archive-date=May 30, 2001 |url-status=dead }} The plan, which called for, among other things, a raise in taxes and cuts in the defense budget, was derided as "extremist" by Republicans and "too liberal" by his Democratic opponents. Feingold also announced his support for strict campaign finance reform and a national health care system and voiced his opposition to term limits and new tax cuts.{{Cite news | last = Sykes | first = Charles J. | title = The next Bill Proxmire? — US Senate race between Democrat Russ Feingold and Republican Robert W. Kasten in Wisconsin | publisher = National Review | date = November 2, 1992 | url = http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n21_v44/ai_12936559 | access-date = June 6, 2007 }}
Feingold won by positioning himself as a quirky underdog who offered voters an alternative to what was seen by many as negative campaigning of opponents Jim Moody and Joe Checota.{{Cite web|last=Wagner |first=Jeff |title = A Republican Senator from Wisconsin in 2004? |publisher=WTMJ-AM |date=September 17, 2004 |url=http://www.620wtmj.com/_content/talk/jeffwagner/index.asp?id=14&entry=4202 |access-date=June 6, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060103021529/http://www.620wtmj.com/_content/talk/jeffwagner/index.asp?id=14&entry=4202 |archive-date=January 3, 2006 }} On primary day, Feingold, whose support had shown in the single digits throughout much of the campaign, surged to victory with 70 percent of the vote.
=Results=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic primary results{{cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=210028|title=WI US Senate - D Primary|access-date=January 2, 2020|work=Our Campaigns}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Russ Feingold
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 367,746
| percentage = 69.67%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jim Moody
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 74,472
| percentage = 14.11%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Joe Checota
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 71,570
| percentage = 13.56%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Thomas Keller
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 8,678
| percentage = 1.64%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Edmond C. Hou-Seye
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 5,019
| percentage = 0.95%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Write-ins
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 359
| percentage = 0.07%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 527,844
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
General election
=Results=
While Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Ross Perot split the Wisconsin presidential vote 41% to 37% to 21%, Feingold beat Kasten by a margin of 53% to 46%.
{{Election box begin no change
| title = General election results}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Russ Feingold
| votes = 1,290,662
| percentage = 52.58%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Bob Kasten (incumbent)
| votes = 1,129,599
| percentage = 46.02%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Independent (United States)
| candidate = Patrick Johnson
| votes = 16,513
| percentage = 0.67%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Libertarian Party (United States)
| candidate = William Bittner
| votes = 9,147
| percentage = 0.37%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Independent (United States)
| candidate = Mervin A. Hanson, Sr.
| votes = 3,264
| percentage = 0.13%
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
| party = Grassroots
| candidate = Robert L. Kundert
| votes = 2,747
| percentage = 0.11%
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
| party = Independent Populist
| candidate = Joseph Selliken
| votes = 2,733
| percentage = 0.11%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 2,454,665
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box gain with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
| loser = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{United States elections, 1992}}
{{United States Senate elections}}