Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, a Republican who served four terms, delivered a blunt assessment of his party's standing in the Badger State on Wednesday, asserting that Wisconsin has shifted decisively to the Democratic column.
In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, Thompson said, "Wisconsin is no longer a purple state. We haven't won a statewide race for a long time. Wisconsin is a blue state, and it was before I got elected governor. And it's gone back to that."
Thompson, who first won the governorship in 1986 and remains the state's longest-serving chief executive, pointed to the recent gubernatorial contest, where Republican Representative Tom Tiffany lost to Democrat David Crowley by eight points. He also highlighted the state's supreme court races, where conservative-aligned candidates have suffered double-digit losses.
"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."
Indeed, the last conservative-aligned justice to win a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was in 2019. Since then, liberal-aligned candidates have claimed victories in 2020, 2023, 2025, and most recently in 2026 by a 20-point margin. That 2025 race drew national attention when Elon Musk poured $25 million into supporting conservative candidates, yet liberal-backed Susan Crawford still won by ten points.
While presidential contests in Wisconsin have remained razor-thin—no candidate has won the state by more than a point since 2012—Thompson argues that down-ballot trends reveal a fundamental realignment. He noted that Republicans have occasionally triumphed statewide, including President Trump's wins in 2016 and 2020 and Senator Ron Johnson's victories in 2016 and 2022, but he dismissed those as exceptions rather than the rule.
Looking ahead, Thompson urged the GOP to "rebuild" and to stop neglecting the state's most populous and Democratic-leaning counties: Dane County, home to Madison, and Milwaukee County. He noted that he was likely the only Republican to ever carry Dane County and that he won Milwaukee County twice by investing significant time there.
"If you want to overlook these counties you're never gonna win," Thompson said. "Simple as that."
The former governor's comments come as Democrats have swept statehouses across the country, including securing trifectas in five states, a trend that may further complicate Republican efforts in Wisconsin. Thompson's warning echoes a broader Democratic strategy to reshape the electoral map, focusing on state-level gains that could have long-term implications.
For Republicans in Wisconsin, Thompson's message is a stark reminder that the path back to statewide success requires a more inclusive approach—one that engages with the urban and college-town voters who have increasingly turned away from the GOP.
