Will retire at end of current term (announced May 13, 2011)
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)
- District: Senior Senator from Wisconsin
- Residence: Milwaukee
- Born: February 7, 1935; Milwaukee, Wis.
- Religion: Jewish
- Family: Single
- Education: U. of Wisconsin, B.A. 1956; Harvard U., M.B.A. 1958
- Military Service: Army Reserve 1958-64
- Political Highlights: Wis. Democratic Party chairman, 1975-77; U.S. Senate, 1989-2013
- Elected: Elected: 1988 (4th term)
- Committee Assignments: Appropriations (Agriculture - Chairman; Commerce-Justice-Science; Defense; Interior-Environment; Labor-HHS-Education; Transportation-HUD); Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs (Financial Institutions & Consumer Protection; Housing, Transportation & Community Development; Securities, Insurance & Investment); Judiciary (Administrative Oversight & the Courts; Antitrust, Competition Policy & Consumer Rights - Chairman; Crime & Terrorism); Special Aging - Chairman
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State Information: Wisconsin
Election History
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
| 2012 | general | Tammy Baldwin (D) | 1,547,104 | 51.4% |
| Tommy Thompson (R) | 1,380,126 | 45.9% |
| Joseph Kexel (LIBERT) | 62,240 | 2.1% |
| Nimrod Allen (IDE) | 16,455 | 0.5% |
| Riley Hood (CNSTP) | 70 | |
| Diane Lorbiecki (I) | 43 | |
| 2006 | general | Herb Kohl (D) | 1,439,214 | 67.3% |
| Robert Lorge (R) | 630,299 | 29.5% |
| Rae Vogeler (WG) | 42,434 | 2% |
| Ben Glatzel (I) | 25,096 | 1.2% |
| 2000 | general | Herb Kohl (D) | 1,563,238 | 61.5% |
| John Gillespie (R) | 940,744 | 37% |
| Tim Peterson (LIBERT) | 21,348 | 0.8% |
| Eugene Hem (I) | 9,555 | 0.4% |
| Robert Raymond (CNSTP) | 4,296 | 0.2% |
| 1994 | general | Herb Kohl (D) | 912,662 | 58.3% |
| Robert T. Welch (R) | 636,989 | 40.7% |
| James Dean (LIBERT) | 15,439 | 1% |
| 1988 | general | Herb Kohl (D) | 1,128,625 | 52% |
| Susan Engeleiter (R) | 1,030,440 | 48% |
Vote For President
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
| 2012 | : 52.78% | : 45.94% | |
| 2008 | Barack Obama: 56.22% | John McCain: 42.31% | |
| 2004 | John Kerry: 50% | George W. Bush: 49% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 48% | George W. Bush: 48% | |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton: 49% | Robert Dole: 39% | |
| 1992 | Bill Clinton: 41% | George H. W. Bush: 37% | |
| 1988 | Michael Dukakis: 51% | George H. W. Bush: 48% | |
| 1984 | Walter F. Mondale: 45% | : | |
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