Five primaries are contested in Wisconsin this year—the fewest in the last 10 years

This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Wisconsin was June 3, 2024.

Twenty-three candidates are running for Wisconsin’s eight U.S. House districts, including 11 Democrats and 12 Republicans. That’s an average of 2.88 candidates per district. There were 2.75 candidates per district in 2022, 2.88 candidates per district in 2020, and 3.13 candidates per district in 2018.

Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:

• The 8th Congressional District is the only open district in Wisconsin this year. Since 2014, there has been one open district in Wisconsin in every election year.
• The 8th Congressional District became vacant after former Rep. Mike Gallagher (R) resigned from Congress on April 19. A special election to fill the seat will happen on November 5.
• Two congressional districts—the 3rd and the 8th—are tied for the most candidates running for a district in Wisconsin this year. Four candidates are running in each district.
• Five primaries—two Democratic and three Republican—are contested this year, the fewest in Wisconsin in the last 10 years. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 6.8 primaries were contested each election year.
• No incumbents are in contested primaries this year, the fewest in Wisconsin in the last 10 years. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 2.6 incumbents ran in contested primaries each election year.
• Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all eight districts, meaning no seats are guaranteed to either party.

Wisconsin and three other states—Connecticut, Minnesota, and Vermont—are holding primary elections on August 13.

In Wisconsin, the winner of a primary election is the candidate who receives the highest number of votes cast even if they do not win an outright majority.