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Multiple candidates preparing for Wisconsin recall in all 9 senate districts
This article covering 2011 recall elections was written outside the scope of Ballotpedia's encyclopedic coverage and does not fall under our neutrality policy or style guidelines. It is preserved as it was originally written.
June 10, 2011
By Geoff Pallay and Greg Janetka
MADISON, Wisconsin: As of yesterday, all six recalls against Republican incumbents have now seen multiple candidates declare an intent to run in the race.
The filing deadline for candidates to submit their required 400 signatures to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board is Tuesday, June 14.
If the candidates for the campaigns are certified, then a primary will occur on July 12 with the eventual recall to take place on August 9.
Democratic officials have criticized the intent of supposedly Republican-leaning individuals to run in a Democratic primary.[1] Republican officials meanwhile have publicly supported the candidacies of “fake” candidates.[2]
There are currently six individuals who have been called “fake” candidates. They are:
- Otto Junkermann, District 2
- Gladys Huber, District 8
- Isaac Weix, District 10
- Rol Church, District 14
- John Buckstaff, District 18
- James Smith, District 32
Assemblywoman Sandy Pasch (D), who is also running in district 8 against Alberta Darling, criticized the fake candidate, saying "It's a little appalling to me that they are running a fake Democrat."[3] Similar sentiments came from other Democratic candidates. Nancy Nusbaum -- who has declared in District 2 -- called the move "a mockery of the democratic process," and "a sign of desperation,"[4] while Shelly Moore -- who has declared in District 10 -- released a statement, saying, "the Republican Party must immediately shut down this partisan, coordinated attack on democracy that wastes taxpayer dollars."[5]
The “fake” candidates, which include a former Republican state assemblyman and a recent member of the La Crosse County Republican Committee, have been upfront about their motives. Junkermann, when asked if he was a "spoiler candidate," replied, “I don’t know how I could avoid being considered that,”[4] while Smith said, "I consider myself more of a protest candidate than a spoiler candidate. I think light really needs to be shed onto the recall process.”[6]
Meanwhile, all three Democratic incumbent races have seen multiple candidates file as opponents as well. However, there has been no criticism publicly regarding the nature of these opponents. If the two Republican candidates running in Wirch, Hansen, and Holperin recalls each obtain sufficient numbers of signatures, then that will trigger primaries on July 19 and a recall election on August 16.
| 2011 Wisconsin Recall Campaigns | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | State senator | Winning % in 2008 | Recall papers filed | Recall signatures required | Recall signatures submitted | Recall signatures validated | Percentage of signatures validated | Opponent | Recall primary date | Recall election date |
| Jim Holperin | 51.2% | February 19 | 15,960 | 23,300[7] | 19,255[8] | 82.63% | Kim Simac[9] | July 19 | August 16 | |
| Robert Wirch | 66.7% | February 24 | 13,537 | 18,300[10] | 17,138[8] | 93.65% | Jonathan Steitz[11] | July 19 | August 16 | |
| Dave Hansen | 66.1% | February 25 | 13,852 | 18,872[12] | 15,540[8] | 82.34% | David VanderLeest[13] | N/A | July 19 | |
| Robert Cowles | Unopposed | March 2 | 15,960 | 26,000[14] | 23,959[15] | 92.15% | Nancy Nusbaum[16] | July 12 | August 9 | |
| Alberta Darling | 50.5% | March 2 | 20,343 | 30,000[17] | 22,243[15] | 74.14% | Assemblywoman Sandy Pasch[18] | July 12 | August 9 | |
| Sheila Harsdorf | 56.4% | March 2 | 18,816 | 23,000[19] | 23,685[15] | 102.97% | Shelly Moore[20] | July 12 | August 9 | |
| Luther Olsen | Unopposed | March 2 | 14,733 | 24,000[21] | 22,207[15] | 92.52% | Assemblyman Fred Clark[22] | July 12 | August 9 | |
| Randy Hopper | 50.05% | March 2 | 15,269 | 22,500[23] | 22,953[15] | 102.01% | Jessica King[24] | July 12 | August 9 | |
| Dan Kapanke | 51.4% | March 2 | 15,588 | 30,000[25] | 21,776[15] | 72.58% | Assebmlywoman Jennifer Shilling[26] | July 12 | August 9 | |
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Twin Cities, "Wisconsin Republicans accused of dirty tricks in recall elections," June 6, 2011
- ↑ Daily Journal, "Wisconsin Republican Party encourages spoiler candidates to run in recalls to force primaries," June 6, 2011
- ↑ WISN, "'Fake Democrat' Enters Wisconsin Recall Race," June 9, 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Green Bay Press Gazette, "Former GOP lawmaker to run as Democrat in Cowles' recall race," June 8, 2011
- ↑ ‘’Hudson Patch, “Republican Isaac Weix to Run as Democrat in Harsdorf Recall Primary Election,” June 6, 2011
- ↑ WEAU, "Former Republican leader to run as Democrat in recall race," June 8, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Jim Holperin Recall Committee," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 WisPolitics, "Dem recalls certified," June 8, 2011
- ↑ Simac defeated Robert Lussow in a primary on July 19
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Taxpayers to Recall Robert Wirch," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ Steitz defeated Fred Ekornaas in a primary on July 19
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Recall Dave Hansen," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ John Nygren was removed from the ballot by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board for insufficient signatures, on June 27, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Committee to Recall Cowles," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Chart detailing recall signatures, accessed on May 23, 2011
- ↑ Nusbaum defeated Otto Junkermann in a primary on July 12
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Committee to Recall Darling," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ Pasch defeated Gladys Huber in a primary on July 12
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Committee to Recall Harsdorf," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ Moore defeated Isaac Weix in a primary on July 12
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Committee to Recall Olsen," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ Clark defeated Rol Church in a primary on July 12
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Committee to Recall Hopper," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ King defeated John Buckstaff in a primary on July 12
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Committee to Recall Kapanke," accessed June 9, 2011
- ↑ Shilling defeated James Smith in a primary on July 12
