1978 Wisconsin Secretary of State election
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 Phillips: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% Seefeldt: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Wisconsin |
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The 1978 Wisconsin Secretary of State election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the Secretary of State of Wisconsin. Incumbent Democrat Doug La Follette declined to seek re-election, instead running in the primary for Lieutenant Governor. Milwaukee Alderwoman and civil rights activist Vel Phillips was nominated in a field of 9 candidates and defeated Republican Frederic A. Seefeldt. Her election made her the first African American to be elected to a statewide office in Wisconsin.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Vel Phillips, former Milwaukee Alderwoman and civil rights activist
Eliminated in primary
- Harvey J. Cooper
- Ada Deer, Native American activist and scholar
- Michael Jaliman
- Janet Soergel Mielke, former state representative and union officer
- Jan A. Olson
- Thomas F. St. John
- Benjamin Southwick
- Rita Wlodarczyk, former staffer for Frank Zeidler's mayoral campaign
Results
Phillips
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
Deer
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 70–80%
Southwick
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 40–50%
Wlodarczyk
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
Mielke
- 10–20%
- 50–60%
Phillips–Deer Tie
- 10-20%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Vel Phillips | 78,797 | 25.58% | |
| Democratic | Ada Deer | 46,696 | 15.16% | |
| Democratic | Benjamin Southwick | 37,791 | 12.27% | |
| Democratic | Harvey J. Cooper | 31,444 | 10.21% | |
| Democratic | Jan A. Olson | 31,027 | 10.07% | |
| Democratic | Rita Wlodarczyk | 30,473 | 9.89% | |
| Democratic | Janet Soergel Mielke | 25,251 | 8.20% | |
| Democratic | Thomas F. St. John | 14,182 | 4.60% | |
| Democratic | Michael Jaliman | 12,315 | 3.40% | |
| Total votes | 307,976 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
- Frederic A. Seefeldt ran unopposed in the primary
Constitution primary
- George A. Myers ran unopposed in the primary
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Vel Phillips | 697,945 | 50.37% | % | |
| Republican | Frederic A. Seefeldt | 663,474 | 47.88% | % | |
| Constitution | George A. Meyers | 24,272 | 1.75% | % | |
| Plurality | 34,471 | 2.49% | -% | ||
| Total votes | 1,385,691 | 100.0% | -% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- ^ "Vote for State Officers by County - primary". University of Wisconsin Madison - Libraries.
- ^ "Vote for State Officers by County - general". University of Wisconsin Madison - Libraries.