1980 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
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The 1980 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson ran for re-election to a fourth term but was defeated by Bob Kasten, a Republican.[1]
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November 4, 1980
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 County results Kasten: 50–60% 60–70% Nelson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary
Candidates
- Doug Cofrin, publisher of Milwaukee Magazine
- Bob Kasten, former U.S. Representative
- Terry Kohler, businessman
- Russell Olson, Lieutenant Governor
Results
Kasten
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Kohler
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Cofrin
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Olson
- 40–50%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Kasten | 134,586 | 36.77% | |
| Republican | Terry Kohler | 106,270 | 29.03% | |
| Republican | Doug Cofrin | 84,355 | 23.05% | |
| Republican | Russell Olson | 40,823 | 11.15% | |
| Total votes | 366,034 | 100.00% | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Kasten | 1,106,311 | 50.19% | |
| Democratic | Gaylord Nelson (incumbent) | 1,065,487 | 48.34% | |
| Constitution | James P. Wickstrom | 16,156 | 0.73% | |
| Libertarian | Bervin J. Larson | 9,679 | 0.44% | |
| Socialist Workers | Susan Hagen | 6,502 | 0.30% | |
| Total votes | 2,204,135 | 100.00% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||