Thompson Declares Wisconsin a Blue State After GOP Gubernatorial Loss
The former four-term governor cites an 8-point defeat and consistent judicial losses to argue the state has shifted permanently to the Democrats.
By Samantha Reed ·
Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson said Wednesday that the Badger State is now firmly blue, a declaration that followed his party's loss in the recent gubernatorial election. Thompson, speaking to Wisconsin Public Radio, emphasized that the shift is not temporary but a return to historical norms.
Thompson served as governor for four terms starting in 1986, a record for longevity in the state. While he won those contests by large margins, the political tide has turned in the interim. In the 2026 election, Republican Representative Tom Tiffany lost the governor's race to Democrat David Crowley by eight points on election night.
The last time a conservative-aligned candidate won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was in 2019. Since then, liberal-aligned candidates have secured victories in 2020, 2023, 2025, and 2026. The most recent race in 2026 saw a liberal candidate win by 20 points. These judicial defeats are part of a pattern Thompson uses to support his claim that the state is no longer purple.
Thompson dismissed the Republican wins in presidential races in 2016 and 2018 as an anomaly driven by Donald Trump. He noted that Trump and Senator Ron Johnson also won in 2022, but argued those results did not reflect the state's underlying political leanings.
"Trump was an aberration, but Wisconsin is still a blue state," Thompson said. "You guys have got to realize that. And nobody can convince me this is a purple state anymore when you lose the supreme court justices by 15, 20 percent … and you lose the governorship by 8 points."
The former governor pointed to specific geographic failures in the state's most populous counties. He noted that Republicans have largely ignored Dane County, which contains the state capital of Madison, and Milwaukee County. Thompson stated he is likely the only Republican to have won both counties during his tenure, attributing those wins to his time spent campaigning in those areas.
"If you want to overlook these counties you’re never gonna win," Thompson said. "Simple as that."
