Wisconsin Recalls

Wisconsin Dems To Deliver Walker Recall Petitions Next Week

Eric Kleefeld | January 12, 2012, 11:52AM

Protesters inside the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 10, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Democrats have announced they will submit the petition signatures in their effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker next Tuesday, January 17 -- with a massive drop-off of boxes at the state's election administration agency, the Government Accountability Board:

Julie Wells, the Janesville grandmother and factory worker who triggered the recall, will be joined by volunteers from Wisconsin's 72 counties, who will load scores of boxes from a truck dubbed the "Forward Flyer" into GAB offices.

Also present and available to the media will be representatives from the recall efforts against four Republican senators.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Recall Papers Officially Filed Against Scott Walker

Eric Kleefeld | November 15, 2011, 2:32PM

The Wisconsin recall drive (Part II), targeting Gov. Scott Walker and other Republican officials, is now in full swing.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the Dems kicked off the recall drive at midnight, as they had scheduled earlier, with a celebration of sorts:

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin hosted a petition pickup party Monday night, and more than 40 recall supporters wore party hats and blew kazoos as they counted down the final seconds before 12:01 a.m.

The first completed petition was then turned in at the Dem office, at 12:42 a.m. CT, and the recall committee itself was formally filed this morning:

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wis Dems And Unions To Kick Off Walker Recall Effort At Midnight

Eric Kleefeld | November 14, 2011, 4:38PM

The Democratic effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, in a backlash against his anti-public employee union legislation and the state budget, isn't just set to begin tomorrow -- the kickoff will now happen right after midnight!

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

"We are going to be filing online (with the state) just after midnight that will allow us to start collecting the signatures," Meagan Mahaffey, executive director of United Wisconsin, said. "There are some midnight collection events around the state. People are ready to go and want to start as soon as possible. There's a lot of excitement about it."

United Wisconsin, which is helping lead the recall efforts against Walker, will also make a paper filing with elections officials at the state Government Accountability Board in Madison Tuesday morning, Mahaffey said.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wisconsin Dems Kicking Off Walker Recall Effort Tuesday

Eric Kleefeld | November 14, 2011, 10:42AM

Wisconsin Protests

This is a big week in Wisconsin -- with the state Democrats officially kicking off their effort to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Under the Dems' official game-plan, the effort to recall Walker will begin on Tuesday, November 15. For the last few weeks, the Dems have been holding a series of training events and kickoff rallies, with even more happening today and tomorrow. They will need all that effort and preparation they can muster.

In order to trigger a recall, the Dems must meet a strong threshold: Signatures of at least 25 percent of the number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election must be collected in a 60-day window. That means the Dems must get over 540,000 signatures -- over 9,000 per day, statewide -- plus some significant buffer that campaigns routinely collect in order to protect against signatures being disqualified over one imperfection or another.

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Wisconsin State Legislature

Wisconsin State Assembly Votes For Concealed Guns On The Floor, And In Public Gallery

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2011, 2:42PM

The Wisconsin State Assembly Thursday passed a new policy on concealed weapons, allowing for both concealed weapons on the floor, and for members of the public to have concealed guns in the viewing gallery.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Assembly's organization committee approved the policy on a party-line vote of 5-3. At the same time, the committee amended the proposed language to disallow any open carrying of weapons such as rifles.

The Assembly policy differs from that of the state Senate, passed earlier this week in its respective committee. The other chamber allowed lawmakers and others to have guns on the floor, but not visitors in the public gallery.

For both chambers, individual lawmakers who do not want guns in their own offices will be able to post signs notifying citizens that weapons will not be allowed. Elsewhere in the state Capitol, guns will not be allowed in the state Supreme Court hearing room or the Capitol Police station.

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Wisconsin State Legislature

Wisconsin Senate Approves Guns On Floor, But Not In Gallery

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2011, 6:13PM

The Wisconsin state Senate on Monday approved, through its internal Committee on Senate Organization, a policy that will allow senators and others to carry firearms on the floor -- but in a hint of compromise, spectators will not be able to bring guns into the Senate gallery during floor sessions.

Also, individual lawmakers who do not want guns in their own offices will be able to post signs notifying citizens that weapons will not be allowed.

The rules were passed on Monday, on a party-line 3-2 vote, and then took effect today.

As TPM has previously posted, the policy is a result of the state's new law, passed by the Republican legislature and signed by Gov. Scott Walker, allowing residents to obtain concealed-carry permits.

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The Colbert Report

Colbert: Allow Concealed Guns In WI Capitol! (VIDEO)

David Taintor | November 1, 2011, 10:28AM

Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert on Monday tipped his hat to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) "for bringing a new freedom to America's dairy land": Guns in the state Capitol.

"Damn straight," Colbert said. "We have a right to bear arms in this country, and, like it or not, Wisconsin is still part of this country."

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Wisconsin Recalls

Key Wisconsin Republican Opposes Change To Recall Law

Eric Kleefeld | October 31, 2011, 11:24AM

An effort by Wisconsin Republicans to make things harder for Democrats in any potential new state Senate recalls in the coming year appears to be out of the running -- with state Sen. Dale Schultz, a moderate Republican who holds a key swing vote in the 17-16 chamber, announcing that he will vote against the measure.

The Associated Press reports that Schultz will vote against a bill that would make new recalls apply under the newly-redrawn districts -- which were passed as part of a Republican-friendly map, following a GOP takeover of state government in 2010 -- instead of the older districts:

Schultz says he opposes it because he feels voters who elected him should have the say on whether he is recalled.

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Wisconsin

Next On The Wisconsin Agenda: Concealed Guns In The Capitol

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2011, 3:28PM

The Wisconsin legislature is divided once again, on a new hot-button topic: Whether citizens should be able to carry guns in the state Capitol, into legislators' offices, and into the Assembly and Senate chambers themselves.

The state Capitol has, of course, been the site of massive protests against Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union legislation. Amazingly, tens of thousands of people swamped the Capitol at various times in passionate, and very loud demonstrations -- but without any major disturbances of the peace.

But would an armed state Capitol also be a polite state Capitol?

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wisconsin Republicans Eye Change To Recall Law

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2011, 11:40AM

There's new controversy in the push to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Which district maps will be used it, and for any further state Senate recalls.

Under Wisconsin's recall law, elected officials must have served at least one year of their current term before being recalled. And because half of the state Senate is up each two years, this exempted earlier this year the half of the Senate that was just elected in 2010. However, with that ceiling now lifted going into next year, the state Dems are aiming to launch more state Senate recalls, in addition to their goal of recalling Walker.

The next wrinkle, then, is the fact that 2012 is a redistricting cycle -- and the state Republicans, who gained control of both legislative chambers and the governorship in 2010, passed a very GOP-friendly redistricting map earlier this year.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wis. Dems To Launch New Round Of State Senate Recalls

Eric Kleefeld | October 14, 2011, 10:43AM

Wisconsin Democrats just recently announced their official campaign to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker, following their near-miss earlier this year to recall their way to a majority in the state Senate. But that's not all: The recall-Walker campaign will also include another bite at recalls for the state Senate.

Under Wisconsin's recall law, elected officials must have served at least one year of their current term before being recalled -- thus exempting earlier this year the half of the Senate that was just elected in 2010. With half of the state Senate up for election every two years, this meant that only those senators who were last elected in 2008 could be targeted for recalls during this past year (and also that the attempt to recall Walker would have to wait). But now, headed into 2012, that ceiling has been lifted.

"There is an opportunity here, given the large-scale effort under way, to target some of the senators who stood by Walker," state Dem spokesman Graeme Zielinski told the Wisconsin State Journal. "You will know in time who we're targeting."

On the other side, Republicans are in turn eyeing recall counter-efforts against Dems. "At this point, no decisions have been made, but all options are on the table. We will wait and see what the Democrats decide to do, and then weigh our options and move forward," said Dan Romportl, executive director of the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate.

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Wisconsin State Legislature

Wis. Election Officials: Waukesha County Clerk Failed To Follow Election Laws -- But Did Not Tamper With Court Race

Eric Kleefeld | September 28, 2011, 3:40PM

Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus (R), April 7, 2011.

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections in the state, has released its report on the controversial April election for state Supreme Court -- where vote-counting problems in Waukesha County resulted in the announced discovery of un-tabulated votes, putting incumbent conservative Justice David Prosser ahead in the state Supreme Court race against his liberal-backed opponent JoAnne Kloppenburg. The report finds probable cause to believe that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus (R) violated the laws and procedures for administering the count -- but that her actions were not willful, criminal misconduct.

Notably, the report concludes that Nickolaus could not have possibly manipulated vote totals, as some members of the public came to believe -- because the City of Brookfield, the center of the vote-counting controversy, had in fact independently reported its correct vote totals to local media sources on election night. However, Nickolaus may have violated the law requiring county clerks to post all detailed results that night, when she made the mistake in calculating the county's spreadsheet.

From the GAB's publicly released report:

As a result of the investigation, the G.A.B. has issued an order requiring Clerk Nickolaus to conform her conduct to law and take certain steps to ensure accountability and transparency in her Election Night reporting practices prior to the February 2012 spring primary. Those steps include releasing detailed results on Election Night, instead of only county-wide figures. Had Clerk Nickolaus reported all results separately on Election Night, her failure to include numbers from the City of Brookfield would have been apparent immediately, rather than the next morning when she discovered the problem.

"Your actions following the April 5, 2011 Spring election did not conform to the legal requirements imposed on county clerks," G.A.B. Chairperson Thomas H. Barland said in a letter to Clerk Nickolaus. "When one election official fails to act consistent with those responsibilities, steps must be taken to correct the failure in order to prevent it from recurring, and to restore public confidence and trust in the administration of elections."

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WI-SEN

Wis. GOP Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald Running For Senate

Eric Kleefeld | August 30, 2011, 10:25AM

Assemblyman Jeff Fitzgerald (R-WI)

Another Republican has thrown his hat into the ring for the Wisconsin Senate seat being opened up by the retirement of Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl. And the latest candidate has a big name: State Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald -- who along with his brother, state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, and Gov. Scott Walker, has been instrumental in passing the anti-public employee union legislation that sparked the wave of protests, recall elections, and other big controversies in Wisconsin.

Fitzgerald confirmed his candidacy to the Wausau Daily Herald on Monday:

He said he would apply his experience in the Wisconsin Legislature to the Senate.

"We have the same problems here (in Wisconsin) as we have in D.C.," he said, citing excessive taxation as an example. He said the national debt must be brought under control and that "we need to start making stuff in this country."

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Wisconsin Recalls

Dem Incumbents Win Last Two Wisconsin Recalls, GOP Holds Slim Senate Majority

Eric Kleefeld | August 16, 2011, 11:01PM

The Wisconsin state Senate recalls of 2011 -- in which tens of millions of dollars and countless man-hours were spent, almost resembling Congressional races -- are officially over. Tuesday night, Democratic incumbents Jim Holperin and Robert Wirch fended off their Republican challengers, for a final state Senate margin of 17 Republicans to 16 Democrats, just shy of the Dems' original goal of taking control of the chamber via recalls.

The Associated Press has projected both Holperin and Wirch as the winners in their respective races. With 78% of precincts reporting in Holperin's race, he led Republican opponent Kim Simac by 54%-46%. With 99% reporting in Wirch's race, he won by a margin of 57%-43%.

Holperin was always considered the most vulnerable Democrat. As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's rankings of the state Senate districts shows, Holperin represents the most Republican-leaning district that is currently held by a Democrat. It voted 57.4%-40.8% for Scott Walker in the Republican wave of 2010, though before that Barack Obama carried it 52.7%-45.7% during the 2008 Democratic wave. But in the end, he pulled through the challenge, and by a wider margin than his original 51%-49% election to the seat in 2008.

Another fun fact: This was Holperin's second recall of his political career. Back in 1990, then-state Rep. Holperin faced a recall election in a backlash over the more local issue of newly-reinstated Native American spearfishing rights. Holperin won that election, later went on to be state Tourism Secretary, and in 2008 was narrowly elected to the state Senate by 51%-49% in an open-seat race, to succeed a retiring Democrat.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Poll: Wis. Voters Unsure On Walker Recall

Eric Kleefeld | August 16, 2011, 12:41PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Is it still possible for Wisconsin Democrats to recall Gov. Scott Walker, following their narrow failure last week to take control of the state Senate via recall elections? New survey numbers from Public Policy Polling (D) suggests that the answer is unclear -- and a lot would seemingly depend on whether they can recruit a top candidate, such as former Sen. Russ Feingold.

Walker's approval rating is still underwater, with 45% approval to 53% disapproval. However, a later question asked: "Would you support or oppose recalling Scott Walker from office before his term is up?" The answer was 47% support, to 50% oppose -- down slightly from a 50%-47% support margin in a PPP survey from late May, though both are within the margin of error.

However, Wisconsin recalls do not function as an up-or-down vote on the incumbent. Instead, if a number of people equal to 25% of the number of votes in the last gubernatorial election were to sign petitions (plus a buffer for disqualified signatures), then the election would be called. At that point, it would effectively become a special election, with the incumbent challenged by other candidates.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Poll: Incumbent Dems Lead In Final Two Wisconsin Recalls

Eric Kleefeld | August 15, 2011, 12:11PM

The Wisconsin recalls -- in which Dems narrowly failed in their ambitious uphill effort to win control of the state Senate by targeting GOP incumbents -- aren't over just yet, with two more races on Tuesday targeting Democratic incumbents. And in the latest polling from Public Policy Polling (D), commissioned by Daily Kos, the two Dems are favored to win their races.

Of course, in a way these races have much lower stakes than last week's contests, in which Democrats gained two seats, short of the magic three needed to take control. But the question tomorrow is whether Dems will consolidate those gains, for a new Republican majority of just 17-16, or be busted back down to the 19-14 margin that existed at the start of the year.

In the 12th district, Democratic state Sen. Jim Holperin leads Republican Kim Simac by 55%-41%, with a ±2.6% margin of error. In the 22nd district, Democratic state Sen. Robert Wirch leads Republican Jonathan Steitz by 55%-42%, with a ±2.9% margin of error.

An obvious caveat is that these recall elections have been very unusual, lacking a normal statistical model to make projections, and are thus difficult to poll. With that said, PPP's pre-election polls for last week's races were within a few points of the actual results.

Wisconsin Recalls

Walker Says Wisconsin Doesn't Want More Recalls (Against Him)

Eric Kleefeld | August 10, 2011, 4:39PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Coming off of Tuesday's state Senate recall elections, Democrats remain determined to recall Gov. Scott Walker next year, though they were unsuccessful in their ambitious goal of taking a majority in the state Senate. But for his part, the prospective recallee Walker says the people of Wisconsin don't want yet another election.

"I think setting aside me, if you went around and talk to the average voter, the best thing they like about today is the ads are gone, at least outside of these two remaining Senate districts," Walker said, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

"I've heard repeatedly from people who are just disgusted at all the ads, disgusted at all the money. They're tired of seemingly year-round campaigning, and whether it's a gubernatorial recall, any other recall, I don't think there's a whole lot of enthusiasm for having a whole 'nother wave of ads and money come into the state of Wisconsin."

Democrats had hoped to flip the Republicans' 19-14 state Senate majority by gaining at least three seats. When the votes were counted in the six Republican incumbents' districts, though, the Dems gained two seats for a 17-16 GOP majority, with two remaining recalls next week in districts held by Democratic incumbents.

Wisconsin Recalls

Priebus Toasts Wis. Recalls: 'We Need To Have A Country Of Makers, And Not A Country Of Takers' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 10, 2011, 2:14PM

Republican National Committee chairman and Wisconsin native Reince Priebus is very upbeat about the results of Tuesday's state Senate recalls, in which Republicans were able to retain their majority. And what's more, he says it presents a valuable lesson -- and a pocket-sized John Galt speech -- for the whole nation.

MSNBC host Contessa Brewer asked Priebus what message could be 'extrapolated' from the recalls, which were launched by the Democrats and organized labor in a backlash against Gov. Scott Walker's new law eliminating most collective bargaining rights that public employee unions had previously enjoyed. Democrats picked up two seats, just short of the three that they needed in order to flip control of the chamber.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wis. Dems: The Recalls Were A Win For Us!

Eric Kleefeld | August 10, 2011, 1:38PM

Wisconsin Democrats are proclaiming great news from Tuesday night's state Senate recalls -- in which they were unable to pick up the needed three seats to gain control of the chamber, instead picking up two seats. And moreover, they are still bullish in their pledge to launch another recall -- this one against Gov. Scott Walker next year.

"Last night's recall elections were tremendously historic," state Dem chair Mike Tate said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday afternoon. "I think they show how vulnerable the Republicans are going into 2012, and how vulnerable Governor Walker is going into a potential recall himself."

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2011 Elections

Wisconsin Recall Turnout: How High Can It Go?

Eric Kleefeld | August 9, 2011, 1:10PM

So far, so good in the Wisconsin state Senate recalls, which as of midday have, according to reports, been proceeding smoothly.

Reid Magney, spokesman for the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections in the state, said that the GAB has not yet received any calls about incidents at any polling places, nor updates about turnout. The overall call volume to the GAB's central office has been only low to medium -- and coming from an interesting source for problems.

"We've had calls from people who want to know where they vote, and it turns out they don't live in one of the Senate districts, so they're unhappy about that," said Magney. "And that's what happens when you've got elections that happen in certain districts, but people in the media markets are seeing ads about it and not realizing who their senator is."

As WisPolitics reports, city clerks in some municipalities say that turnout could be near the level of a presidential election -- though this is not true across the board, with other being closer to the hotly-contested state Supreme Court election this past April.

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Wisconsin Recalls

The Wisconsin Recalls: Voting Now Underway

Eric Kleefeld | August 9, 2011, 9:51AM

The polls are now open in Wisconsin for the big event: Six recall elections targeting incumbent Republican state senators, in a backlash against Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union law and other budget decisions, with the potential for control of the state Senate to be flipped to the Democrats after just seven months of one-party GOP government.

The polls opened at 7 a.m. CT, and will close at 8 p.m. CT. Under Wisconsin's recall laws, these elections are effectively special elections, with the incumbents each facing a Democratic challenger in a head-to-head race. And given the unusual nature of these races, it is nearly impossible to predict who will win, with everything riding on turnout.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Polls: Wisconsin State Senate Recalls Down To The Wire

Eric Kleefeld | August 8, 2011, 1:19PM

Updated at 3 p.m. ET.

A new round of Daily Kos/Public Policy Polling (D) numbers for the Wisconsin recalls, conducted over the past weekend in four out of the six Republican-held seats on the ballot Tuesday, show these contests headed down to the wire. Democrats have a clear lead in one race, Republicans in another, and the other two in statistical dead heats.

However, there is a very important caveat to any polls of these races: There is simply no standard statistical model or frame of reference for these very unusual mass recalls. As such, no prediction is really safe, and election-watchers just have to wait until the votes are counted Tuesday night. Everything will ride on the parties' turnout operations.

In the 32nd district, Democratic challenger Jennifer Shilling leads GOP state Sen. Dan Kapanke by 54%-43%, beyond the ±3.4% margin of error. Meanwhile in the 10 district, GOP state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf leads Democrat Shelly Moore by 54%-42%, outside the 2.7% margin of error.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Fitzgerald: Wisconsin Recalls Have Become A 'Referendum' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 8, 2011, 11:40AM

Wisconsin state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R)

Wisconsin state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) appeared Monday morning on Fox News, ahead of Tuesday's recall elections targeting six GOP state Senators -- and cast the contest as a referendum on Gov. Scott Walker's policies rolling back collective bargaining for public employees, and whether other states would follow the same path.

Fox host Bill Hemmer asked whether Democrats, if successful in gaining control of the chamber, would be able to reverse the state's budget policies targeting public employee unions and their ability to collectively bargain.

"No, I mean, the Republican Assembly remains in place, as well as obviously Governor Walker," said Fitzgerald. "But I think, you know, what this has become is more of a referendum on whether or not what happened in Wisconsin in February and in March should be the way the state moves forward.

"We have a balanced budget, we certainly have had great success in eliminating the deficit, of which many other states throughout the nation are facing right now. And the unions are trying to send a signal that if they can recall this Republican state Senate, then this was the wrong direction for us.

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Wisconsin Recalls

This Week: The Moment Of Truth For The Wisconsin State Senate Recalls

Eric Kleefeld | August 8, 2011, 6:00AM

This is a big week in Wisconsin -- the culmination of months of protests, campaigning, legislative battling and litigation, since Republican Gov. Scott Walker began an ultimately successful push to strip public employee unions of their collective bargaining rights. On Tuesday, voters will head to polls in six state Senate recalls, where Republican incumbents are all facing stiff Democratic challenges, with the possibility that Dems could flip control of the chamber and end one-party GOP rule after just seven months. And the vote will be closely watched nationally, read as a referendum on the wider anti-union push that other GOP governors have also undertaken.

The state Senate currently has a 19-14 Republican majority, with Democrats needing to gain at least a net three seats to gain control on the senate. (And even this would not be the end of it -- they hope to recall Walker some time next year.) All in all, this is the closest this country's system of government can get to a snap parliamentary election, with control of the chamber up for grabs.

Back in July, Democratic state Sen. Dave Hansen easily won re-election in his recall race against a very flawed GOP challenger, after the party's originally recruited candidate failed to collect enough valid petition signatures to get onto the ballot. Next week, two Democratic incumbents will be on the ballot in their own recalls, so even if Democrats pick up as many as four seats Tuesday, it would not be known for certain whether they have gained the chamber until after another week.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Walker On The Recalls: 'If Given The Facts They're Going To Make Good Decisions'

Eric Kleefeld | August 5, 2011, 10:50AM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

This Tuesday six state Senate recalls will be held in Wisconsin against Republican incumbents, launched in a backlash against Gov. Scott Walker's policies against public employee unions, with the potential for control of the chamber to flip to the Democrats. And for his part, WisPolitics reports, Walker now says that result is "out of our hands" and with the voters.

"I believe if given the facts they're going to make good decisions," Walker told reporters, after a ceremony opening the State Fair in Milwaukee. "Sometimes they're going to be decisions that side with me, sometimes they're going to be with others, but I'm going to respect their decision."

However, Walker stood by his predictions that voters would realize the benefits of his legislation: "I think slowly they will see, and overall the school programs have gotten better."

Wisconsin Recalls

Wis. GOPer: If You Don't Like What We Did, Wait For 2012 Instead Of Recalling Me

Eric Kleefeld | August 4, 2011, 3:20PM

State Sen. Alberta Darling (R-WI)

One of the targeted Republican state Senators in this Tuesday's Wisconsin recalls, Alberta Darling, is headed into the home stretch with an interesting message: That the recall should not even be happening, and voters who don't like the policies that have been enacted under Gov. Scott Walker should wait for the 2012 legislative races.

"We have elections. Elections have consequences. If you don't like what's happening, make a change in the next election," Darling said at a debate on Wednesday, WisPolitics reports. "We did. The (2010) election said, 'make a change,' and we did. We flipped the Assembly, the Senate and the governor's house. And you know what? If you don't like what we're doing, go vote in the 2012 elections. We listened to the people in 2010."

Whatever one's attitude is about recalls as an idea, one thing is still certain: The state constitution provides for recalls under a process that was triggered through sufficient signatures, so the election is on. As such, it is unclear whether such an argument will do much to attract voters in a race that will rely heavily on both parties turning out their base.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Liberal Groups' Wisconsin Ad: 'I've Voted Republican In The Past' But Not Now (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 4, 2011, 10:35AM

Ad from Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy For America Wisconsin, and MoveOn

The liberal groups Progressive Change Campaign Committee, the Wisconsin division of Democracy For America, and MoveOn have a new ad up in the state Senate recalls, going after one of the higher-value targets, state Joint Finance Committee co-chair Alberta Darling.

The ad features a local resident, introducing himself as a teacher. "To me, nothing is more important than education," the man says. "But Alberta Darling voted for budget cuts that hurt our community schools, all to give tax cuts to the rich and big corporations."

"I've voted Republican in the past. I've voted for Ronald Reagan, George Bush and George W. Bush. And I've voted for Alberta Darling. But we need someone on our side -- I'm voting for Sandy Pasch for State Senate."

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Wisconsin Recalls

Badger State Bucks: Lots Of Money Spent On The Wisconsin Recalls

Eric Kleefeld | August 4, 2011, 6:00AM

It is now the home stretch of the Wisconsin state Senate recalls, with six elections this Tuesday targeting incumbent Republicans -- which could potentially flip control of the chamber to the Democrats -- to be followed by two more elections targeting Democrats the week after. And the usually obscure world of state legislative races has seen a lot of money flooding into the state.

As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports, the labor-backed group We Are Wisconsin announced that it raised a total of $9.7 million for the recalls. The numbers are not as clear on the other side, but the paper reports that conservative groups are estimated to have actually spent slightly more than the liberals on the elections, though not by a huge margin.

For example, the Capital Times reports that the Club For Growth's Wisconsin division has spent an estimated $3 million to $4 million on issue ads in the races -- compared to just $1 million they had previously spent in the state in the last four years.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wis. Dems: Internal Polls Show Us Winning The State Senate

Eric Kleefeld | August 2, 2011, 12:20PM

A volunteer waits to gather signatures for a recall petition against Sen. Alberta Darling (R) outside of a polling station at Village Center in Shorewood, Wisconsin, Tuesday, April 5, 2011.

Going into the home stretch of the Wisconsin state Senate recalls, state Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate outlined the party's get-out-the-vote efforts on a conference call with reporters Tuesday -- and claimed that the party's internal polling of the eight races up for grabs shows the Dems favored to win the majority.

The state Senate currently has a 19-14 Republican majority, with Democrats needing to gain at least a net three seats in a backlash against Gov. Scott Walker. (And after that, they hope to recall Walker some time next year.) For next Tuesday, six Republicans will be on the ballot against Democratic challengers, followed the next Tuesday by two more recalls targeting Democratic incumbents.

On the call, in response to a question from Greg Sargent, Tate said of next week's races: "I don't know that I would say that we are going to sweep all six races, but our polling tells that we have leads in three of these races and we are dead tied in three."

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wis. Labor Group Local Office Destroyed In Area Fire

Eric Kleefeld | August 1, 2011, 3:21PM

A fire this past weekend in La Crosse, Wisconsin, destroyed several buildings, including six apartments and a warehouse -- plus the local office of the labor-backed group We Are Wisconsin, a major player in the state Senate recalls taking place next week.

The La Crosse Tribune reported that multiple buildings were seriously damaged by the fire, with We Are Wisconsin's office being one of several entities who were affected.

When contacted by TPM, the La Crosse Fire Department said that the investigation is still ongoing, with no determination yet as to the cause or place of origin for the fire.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Koch Group Mails Suspicious Absentee Ballot Letters In Wisconsin

Eric Kleefeld | August 1, 2011, 2:08PM

Updated: August 1, 2011, 4:40PM

Is the Koch-backed conservative group Americans For Prosperity up to no good in the Wisconsin state Senate recalls?

As Politico reports, mailers have now turned up from Americans For Prosperity Wisconsin, addressed to voters in two of the Republican-held recall districts, where the elections will be held on August 9. The mailers ask recipients to fill out an absentee ballot application, and send it in -- by August 11, after Election Day for the majority of these races.

"These are people who are our 1's [solid Democrats] in the voterfile who we already knew," a Democratic source told Politico. "They ain't AFP members, that's for damn sure."

There are two other recall elections being held on August 16, targeting two Democratic incumbents, but they are both a distance away from the recipients of these particular mailers.

Furthermore, a close look at the mailer shows a continuation of irregularities that have already involved conservative groups and absentee ballots in the state.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Club For Growth Pumps Money Into WI Recalls

David Taintor | July 26, 2011, 5:55AM

As the Wisconsin state Senate recalls heat up, big money is flowing into the races.

A recent development comes from the Washington Post's Greg Sargent, who reports that the Wisconsin chapter of Club for Growth has spent at least $1.5 million so far.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Hmm... Labor-Backed Ad Says Scandal-Plagued GOPer Has 'Left Behind' Wis. Families

Eric Kleefeld | July 25, 2011, 6:15AM

We Are Wisconsin PAC TV Ad

The labor-backed group We Are Wisconsin has a new round of ads in the state Senate recalls - including one spot that might raise some eyebrows, targeting Republican state Sen. Randy Hopper.

In addition to the backlash against Gov. Scott Walker's ultra-conservative policies, Hopper is also facing his own political headaches due to a messy divorce -- and claims by his estranged wife that he "now lives mostly in Madison" after having an affair.

"When it comes to standing up for Wisconsin families, Randy Hopper is leaving us behind," the announcer says. "Hopper supported Governor Walker's budget that slashed nearly 800 million from our schools. He supported devastating cuts to seniors' health care. And Hopper voted to raise taxes on middle-class families.

"But who didn't get left behind by Senator Hopper? Big corporations and the super-rich, who got 200 million in tax breaks.

"Put middle-class families first, and send Hopper home."

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Scott Walker

Recalling Scott Walker -- The Other Big Story For 2012?

Eric Kleefeld | July 21, 2011, 6:05AM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Wisconsin has been in the grips of one political battle after another, ever since the Republican wave of 2010 was followed up by Gov. Scott Walker's legislation to eliminate most rights for public employee unions. The state Senate could potentially flip from Republican to Democrat in August, due to the recall elections called in response. But after that, it will be far from over -- with the state Democratic Party's public vow to recall Walker himself at some point next year.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Madison Comes to D.C: Protesters Swarm Lobby of GOP Fundraiser]

As of right now, the state Senate recalls are headed into the home stretch. Last week, Democratic primaries were held for races targeting six incumbent Republicans, with the official Democratic candidates all winning against fake Dem opponents -- who were in fact Republican activists planted in the races by the state GOP in order to delay the general elections. And on Tuesday, in the first general election of the batch, Democratic state Sen. Dave Hansen won in a landslide against a politically and personally damaged Republican opponent, after the GOP had failed to collect a sufficient number of valid petition signatures for their recruited candidate.

This leaves eight races to go. On August 9, general elections will be held in six races targeting incumbent Republicans. Then on August 16, two more races will be held targeting incumbent Democrats.

But after that -- and lurking underneath the surface of the campaigning this year -- has been the Dems' main recall threat, against Walker himself.

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Wisconsin Recalls

VanderLeest: My 34% Vote 'Shows How Well My Message Was Received'

Eric Kleefeld | July 20, 2011, 10:12AM

State Senate candidate David VanderLeest (R-WI)

Republican candidate David VanderLeest, who lost Tuesday's recall election for the Wisconsin state Senate against Democratic incumbent Dave Hansen, doesn't think his nearly two-to-one result was all that bad -- considering how he had almost no money against the well-financed Hansen. And he also wishes the state GOP, who effectively dropped him due to his financial and legal problems, could have helped him out a bit.

With 99% of precincts reporting, Hansen has won by 66%-34%, a raw-vote margin of 20,653-10,604. But Tuesday night, VanderLeest was looking on the bright side.

"We were outspent 1,500 to 1 and lost 2 to 1," VanderLeest told WisPolitics, also adding that he wished the state GOP would have helped his campaign: "I think the support could have been much greater, given that we were the first one out of the chute."

"I'm actually feeling pretty good considering how much I was outspent," VanderLeest also told the Associated Press. "It shows how well my message was received."

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Wisconsin Recalls

PCCC And DFA Launch $100K Ad Buy For Wisconsin State Senate Seat (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | July 20, 2011, 9:42AM

National Democratic money is flowing into the Wisconsin state Senate recalls, with a new $100,000 ad buy from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy For America, in just a single targeted race.

Republicans currently control the chamber by a majority of 19-14. Democrats hope to gain a net three seats and win a majority in a backlash against GOP Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union legislation. In other words, control of the chamber is up for grabs.

The ad features a local family in the central Wisconsin district of GOP Sen. Luther Olsen, who is facing Democratic state Rep. Fred Clark in an August 9 recall election, complaining of budget cuts that will result in the closure of the elementary school where their children have gone -- and where Olsen's children previously went to school.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wis. Dem State Senator Wins Recall In Landslide -- Eight Races To Go

Eric Kleefeld | July 19, 2011, 9:54PM

State Sen. Dave Hansen (D-WI)

Wisconsin Democrats have now won a round in the state Senate recalls, with Dem incumbent state Sen. Dave Hansen easily winning against a politically weak and seemingly troubled challenger, GOP activist and recall organizer David VanderLeest.

With 65% percent of precincts reporting, Hansen is winning by 69%-31%, and has been projected as the winner by the Associated Press.

In two other races, where Republican primaries were being held, the votes are still being counted to determine who will face Democratic state Sens. Robert Wirch and Jim Holperin.

This leaves eight races to go. On August 9, general elections will be held in six races targeting incumbent Republicans. Then on August 16, two more races will be held targeting incumbent Democrats. Republicans currently control the chamber by a majority of 19-14. Democrats hope to gain a net three seats and win a majority in a backlash against GOP Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union legislation. In other words, control of the chamber is up for grabs.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wisconsin State Senate Races Getting Hotter

Eric Kleefeld | July 19, 2011, 5:50AM

Tuesday is election day in one of the Wisconsin state Senate recalls, with Democratic incumbent Dave Hansen heavily favored to defeat his Republican challenger, David VanderLeest. But this is hardly the end, with recalls on August 9 for six Republican state Senators, and on August 16 for two Democrats -- with a lot of campaign spending, and get-out-the-vote operations, yet to be seen.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Wis. GOPer VanderLeest: I'll Sue Dems For 'False Slander Chicago Style Mob Politics'

Eric Kleefeld | July 18, 2011, 2:34PM

State Senate candidate David VanderLeest (R-WI)

David VanderLeest, the Republican candidate in Tuesday's Wisconsin recall election against Democratic state Sen. Dave Hansen, is clearly irritated about press coverage regarding revelations about his personal finances and reports of domestic violence (which included a plea of no-contest to two charges of disorderly conduct). So much so, that VanderLeest has announced that he intends to sue Democrats for slander.

As the Green Bay Press Gazette reports: "While VanderLeest said he planned to sue for slander, the alleged violations -- including airing TV ads and sending mailers that defame him -- would constitute as libel, not slander."

VanderLeest made a statement to the press, and released a document entitled "Transcript" from the event, though it contains shorthand that one might make in a rush transcription before reformatting with the full words. Key quote:

False accusations have plagued this campaign. False slander Chicago style mob politics must stop in WI. The buck stops here. We are not going to allow these tactics to destroy tangible debates on real issues which face WI. The people will stand not for it, and neither will I. I truth is I was never found guilt of Domestic Violence in the State of WI. I was given primary care of my child in a messy divorce, and was never found guilty of abusing anyone. For these reasons I will be filling a slander lawsuit against Friends of Dave Hansen, DLCC, Greater WI Political Fund, We are WI, Politiscoop, The Green Bay Progressive, and One WI Now.

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Wisconsin Recalls

Poll: Incumbent Wis. Dem Set To Smoke GOPer In Tuesday's Recall

Eric Kleefeld | July 18, 2011, 1:19PM

State Senate candidate David VanderLeest (R-WI)

Tuesday is the general election for one race in the Wisconsin state Senate recalls. And now a new Daily Kos/Public Policy Polling (D) survey shows Democratic incumbent Dave Hansen set to steamroll his Republican opponent -- thanks at least in part to some Republican blunders in the nomination of that particular candidate.

The numbers: Dave Hansen 62%, Republican nominee David VanderLeest 34%. The poll of 1,301 likely voters was conducted from July 15-17, and has a ±2.7% margin of error.

As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's district rankings show, this district voted for Scott Walker for governor in 2010 by a margin of 53.5%-44.9% -- but before that, it voted for Barack Obama for president by 56.5%-42.1%. So this area does have the potential swing around, depending on turnout.

In a way, VanderLeest's showing in this poll seems like an impressive, automatic Republican vote for a candidate who has been plagued by questions about his fitness for office, after revelations about his personal finances and reports of domestic violence (which included a plea of no-contest to two charges of disorderly conduct). VanderLeest also recently distinguished himself with the quote: "None of it's true. I don't smoke rocks, and that's the truth."

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