Wisconsin, a state that has become a battleground in presidential elections, joined the Union in May 1848. The state was a strong supporter of the Republican Party until 1928. However, during the Great Depression (1929-1939) and World War II (1939-1945), Wisconsin voted for Democratic candidates.
From the mid-1940s to 1984, the state generally supported Republican candidates. The Democrats won seven elections in Wisconsin from 1988 to 2012, with the 2000 and 2004 elections being particularly close.
The Democrats could not maintain their streak in 2016 when Hillary Clinton lost the state to Republican Donald Trump. Wisconsin returned to the Democratic column in 2020, when Joe Biden defeated Trump.