Smith was the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to win Milwaukee County.

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Over a decade before his successful run for Wisconsin Governor in 2002, Democrat Jim Doyle was first elected as Wisconsin's Attorney General. Despite Republican Governor Tommy Thompson winning a second term in a landslide on the same ticket, Doyle managed to narrowly defeat incumbent Attorney General Don Hanaway (R) by less than 4%. Doyle's victory was fueled by his margins in northwestern Wisconsin, Madison, and Milwaukee, as well as narrower victories in the Sheboygan area, Kenosha, Racine, & the Driftless Area. Meanwhile, Hanaway was able to keep the race close through his strong showing in Brown County, the Fox Cities, and the WOW* Counties, although it was not enough to deliver him a second term in office. Following his defeat, Hanaway went on to serve as a Brown County Circuit Judge for four years before passing away from cancer in 1995.  In contrast, Doyle saw the beginning of a 16 year-long statewide winning streak, as he won re-election by a more comfortable 6.2% in 1994 and a landslide 31.9% in 1998 before winning two terms as Governor. As of 2025, Doyle is the last Attorney General to be elected Governor of Wisconsin, and with the current Attorney General, Josh Kaul (D), running for re-election in 2026, Doyle will likely remain the last for the time being.