2016 Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary

As Wisconsin held an open primary, residents could choose freely which party's primary they wished to participate in, when showing up at the polls on election day, regardless of their official registration with either party or none. Polling stations were opened between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Central Time.{{cite web |author=Michele Gorman |title=How to follow voting results in Wisconsin |publisher=Newsweek |url=http://europe.newsweek.com/how-follow-voting-results-wisconsin-443917 |date=April 5, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2016}}

The two parties' primaries were held in conjunction with this year's spring elections that included the election of the Wisconsin Supreme Court justice.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin pledges only 86 out of 96 delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention based on the popular vote at the primary election on the basis of proportional apportion. However, only the 18 at-large delegates and 10 pledged "Party Leaders and Elected Officials" (PLEOs) are apportioned according to the statewide vote, while the 57 district delegates are apportioned according to the vote within each of the state's eight congressional districts. The remaining ten Wisconsin delegates are unpledged "Party Leaders and Elected Officials" (PLEOs), or "Superdelegates", who may vote for whomever they wish at the party's upcoming National Convention.{{cite web |title=Wisconsin Democratic primary, 2016 |work=The Green Papers |url=http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/WI-D |access-date=April 6, 2016}}

While three candidates appeared on the Democratic primary ballot,{{cite web |title=Candidates on ballot: 2016 spring election and presidential preference vote |publisher=Wisconsin Government Accountability Board |url=http://www.gab.wi.gov/sites/default/files/page/candidates_on_ballot_4_5_2016_spring_election_3_2_20281.pdf |date=March 29, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415023905/http://www.gab.wi.gov/sites/default/files/page/candidates_on_ballot_4_5_2016_spring_election_3_2_20281.pdf |archive-date=April 15, 2016 |url-status=dead }} only Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton actively campaigned for the Wisconsin contest, after Martin O'Malley had already suspended his campaign.

{{main|Sixth Democratic Party presidential debate, February 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin}}

The Democratic Party held its sixth presidential debate on February 11, 2016 in Milwaukee, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Moderated by PBS NewsHour anchors Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff, the debate aired on PBS and was simulcast by CNN. Participants were Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

{{see also|Statewide opinion polling for the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries}}

{{Wisconsin Democratic primary polls, 2016}}

{{see also|Results of the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries}}

{{2016WIDem}}

File:Liberals & Conservatives Line Up for Bernie Sanders’ Wisconsin Rally - THE CIRCUS - SHOWTIME.webm

Bernie Sanders scored a large victory in Wisconsin, a largely liberal and big manufacturing state. He was bolstered by a 73-26 showing among younger voters, a 64-35 showing among men, a 72-28 showing among self-identified Independents, and a 59-40 showing among white voters who comprised 83% of the electorate in the Cheese State. Sanders also won women 50–49, but lost African American voters to Clinton, 69–31. Sanders swept all income and educational attainment levels in Wisconsin.

Sanders won unions 54–46, a key demographic in the industrial Rust Belt.

Sanders swept all counties in Wisconsin but one. He was victorious in the southeast 55–45, in the southwest 62–38, and in rural northeastern and northwestern Wisconsin 57–42. He carried the major cities of Madison, which has a younger electorate, as well as Eau Claire, Green Bay, Oshkosh, and Kenosha. Clinton won in Milwaukee 51–48, likely thanks to her ardent African-American support.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/election/primaries/polls/wi/Dem|title=2016 Election Center|website=CNN|access-date=2016-10-18}}

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{{2016 Democratic primaries}}

Wisconsin

Democratic primary

2016