The 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Wisconsin. The primary elections on September 14 determined which candidates advanced to the general election.
Incumbent Democratic governor Jim Doyle did not seek re-election in 2010, making for the first open gubernatorial election in Wisconsin since 1982. Republican nominee Scott Walker, the Milwaukee County executive, defeated Democratic nominee Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee. As of 2022, this was the last gubernatorial election in which a Republican gubernatorial candidate carried La Crosse and Columbia counties, and the last in which a Democratic candidate carried Trempealeau County.
Democratic primary
Governor
Candidates
- Tom Barrett, mayor of Milwaukee and former U.S. representative and candidate in 2002
- Tim John
Failed to qualify
- Jared Gary Christiansen
- Dominic Reinwand
Withdrawn
- Barbara Lawton, incumbent lieutenant governor (2003–2011)
Declined
- Jim Doyle, incumbent governor (2003–2011)
- Ron Kind, U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district
Lieutenant governor
Candidates
- Tom Nelson, assembly majority leader (2009–2011) from the 5th district.
- Spencer Coggs, state senator from the 6th district (2003–2011) and former state representative (1983–2003)
- Henry Sanders
- James L. Schneider
- Barbara Lawton, incumbent lieutenant governor (2003–2011)
Republican primary
Governor
Candidates
- Scott Walker, Milwaukee County executive and candidate in 2006
- Mark Neumann, former U.S. representative and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1998
- Scott S. Paterick
Failed to qualify
- William "Bill" Ingram, truck driver and write-in candidate for president of the United States in 2008
- John Schless
Lieutenant governor
Candidates
- Rebecca Kleefisch, former WISN-TV morning anchor.
- Brett Davis, state representative from the 80th district.
- Robert Gerald Lorge, perennial candidate
- Dave Ross, mayor of Superior, Wisconsin
- Nick Voegeli
Libertarian primary
Governor
There were no qualified candidates in the Libertarian gubernatorial primary.
Lieutenant governor
Candidates
Independent nominations
Candidates
- Jim Langer (Independent)
- James James (Common Sense)
Failed to qualify
General election
Candidates
Seven candidates appeared on the primary election ballot: two Democrats, three Republicans and two other candidates. After Walker and Barrett won their respective primaries, they faced each other and independent candidates using the "Independent" and "Common Sense" labels in the November general election.
Results
By county
- Adams (largest city: Adams)
- Barron (largest city: Rice Lake)
- Buffalo (largest city: Mondovi)
- Burnett (largest village: Grantsburg)
- Chippewa (largest city: Chippewa Falls)
- Clark (largest city: Neillsville)
- Columbia (largest city: Portage)
- Door (largest city: Sturgeon Bay)
- Dunn (largest city: Menomonie)
- Forest (largest city: Crandon)
- Grant (largest city: Platteville)
- Iron (largest city: Hurley)
- Jackson (largest city: Black River Falls)
- Kenosha (largest city: Kenosha)
- La Crosse (largest city: La Crosse)
- Lafayette (largest city: Darlington)
- Lincoln (largest city: Merrill)
- Marathon (largest city: Wausau)
- Monroe (largest city: Sparta)
- Oneida (largest city: Rhinelander)
- Outagamie (largest city: Appleton)
- Pepin (largest city: Durand)
- Pierce (largest city: River Falls)
- Polk (largest city: Amery)
- Price (largest city: Park Falls)
- Richland (largest city: Richland Center)
- Rusk (largest city: Ladysmith)
- Sauk (largest city: Baraboo)
- Sawyer (largest city: Hayward)
- St. Croix (largest city: Hudson)
- Vernon (largest city: Viroqua)
- Washburn (largest city: Spooner)
- Winnebago (largest city: Oshkosh)
- Wood (largest city: Wisconsin Rapids)