1992 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
November 3, 1992
 
Nominee Russ Feingold Bob Kasten
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,290,662 1,129,599
Percentage 52.58% 46.02%
Feingold:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Kasten:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      
No data:     
U.S. senator before election

Bob Kasten
Republican

 Elected U.S. Senator

Russ Feingold
Democratic

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

Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Kasten (incumbent) 197,488 80.49%
Republican Roger W. Faulkner 47,804 19.48%
Republican Write ins 79 0.03%
Total votes 245,371 100.00%

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.[2] 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.[3]

The ads also contained a significant amount of humor. One featured Feingold meeting with an Elvis Presley impersonator, who offered Feingold his endorsement.[4] (Bob Kasten responded to the Elvis endorsement with an advertisement featuring an Elvis impersonator attacking Feingold's record.[5]) 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.[3]

During the primary campaign, Feingold unveiled an 82-point plan that aimed to eliminate the deficit by the end of his first term.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8] 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.[7]

Results

Democratic primary results[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Russ Feingold 367,746 69.67%
Democratic Jim Moody 74,472 14.11%
Democratic Joe Checota 71,570 13.56%
Democratic Thomas Keller 8,678 1.64%
Democratic Edmond C. Hou-Seye 5,019 0.95%
Democratic Write-ins 359 0.07%
Total votes 527,844 100.00%

General election

Results

While Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Ross Perot split the Wisconsin presidential vote 41%-37%-21%, Feingold beat Kasten by a margin of 53 percent to 46 percent.[8]

General election results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Russ Feingold 1,290,662 52.58%
Republican Bob Kasten (incumbent) 1,129,599 46.02%
Independent Patrick Johnson 16,513 0.67%
Libertarian William Bittner 9,147 0.37%
Independent Mervin A. Hanson, Sr. 3,264 0.13%
Grassroots Robert L. Kundert 2,747 0.11%
Independent Populist Joseph Selliken 2,733 0.11%
Total votes 2,454,665 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

See also

References

  1. ↑ "WI US Senate - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Promises Made, Promises Kept". Archived from the original on December 29, 2006. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
  3. 1 2 "Russ Feingold for United States Senate Multimedia". Archived from the original on December 29, 2006. Retrieved June 5, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Wisconsin Senate: The Candidates". The Washington Post. September 9, 1998. Retrieved June 5, 2007.
  5. ↑ Marcus, Greil (January 17, 1993). "The Elvis Test". San Francisco Examiner. Eye Candy Promotions. Archived from the original on April 5, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
  6. ↑ Odegard, Sue (1999). "Feingold tackles health care, capital punishment, COPS grants at River Falls Listening Session". River Falls Journal. Archived from the original on May 30, 2001. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
  7. 1 2 Sykes, Charles J. (November 2, 1992). "The next Bill Proxmire? — US Senate race between Democrat Russ Feingold and Republican Robert W. Kasten in Wisconsin". National Review. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
  8. 1 2 Wagner, Jeff (September 17, 2004). "A Republican Senator from Wisconsin in 2004?". WTMJ-AM. Archived from the original on January 3, 2006. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
  9. ↑ "WI US Senate - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
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