Tony Evers recall, Governor of Wisconsin (2020)
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| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in Wisconsin Wisconsin recall laws State executive recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) was launched on August 28, 2020. Supporters of the recall had up to 60 days—or no later than October 27, 2020—to collect the 668,327 signatures needed to require a recall election. Chief organizer Misty Polewczynski announced on October 26, 2020, that no signatures would be submitted in the recall effort.[1]
Recall supporters criticized Evers over his response to the coronavirus pandemic and over the violence and protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.[2][3]
Evers was elected as Wisconsin's governor in 2018 with 49.5% of the vote. Scott Walker (R) served as governor from 2011 to 2019.
To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here.
Recall supporters
The recall effort was organized by Misty Polewczynski. In addition, Polewczynski also filed a recall effort against Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D). According to the recall petition, Evers was targeted for recall for the following reasons:
| “ |
Tony Evers has proven to be unfit for office. His gross negligence and incompetence in all matters pertaining to the duties of governor regarding the health, safety, and economic well being of the citizens of Wisconsin. The unconstitutional mandates and lockdowns have cost citizens their businesses, homes, jobs and livelihood. His tolerance of violence and giving into irrational demands along with issuance of premature statements has not only put the safety of the citizens and their property in danger, but also placed the lives of law enforcement and reliability of the justice system in danger.[4] |
” |
| —Tony Evers Recall Petition Language[5] | ||
Polewczynski wrote in a Facebook post about the failed recall effort on October 26, "It is with a heavy heart we announce that after proofing and what came in over the weekend we have fallen short. We do not have enough signatures to turn in."[3]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort, Courtney Beyer, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin said the following:[6]
| “ | Trying to recall a governor with a 57% job approval rating in the midst of a global pandemic and civil unrest is irresponsible and absurd.[4] | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Wisconsin
The number of valid signatures required for a recall election is 25% of the number of persons that voted in the last preceding election for the office of governor within the electoral district of the officer sought to be recalled. Each signer must be a qualified voter within the district represented by the officeholder being recalled, and the address of each signer must be located within that district.
Anyone who wants to circulate a recall petition is allowed to request from the appropriate filing officer the exact number of signatures required in the relevant political jurisdiction. When a filing officer receives such a request, they are required to make that determination and provide it to the person who requested the information.
Circulation of the recall petition must be completed within 60 days after registration. The completed petition must be returned to the original filing officer no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 60th day from the date of registration. Any signature dated before this 60 day period is invalid.
Within 31 days after the petition (with signatures) is submitted to the filing officer, he or she has 31 days to determine the sufficiency of the petition and also that it meets all necessary requirements. Following this review, the filing officer must attach to the petition either a certificate of sufficiency or of insufficiency, allowing at least 10 days for the officeholder being recalled to file any challenge.
If the petition is considered sufficient, the filing officer will submit it to the appropriate local governing body, which will then immediately call a recall election to be held on the Tuesday of the 6th week after the date on which the clerk issued the certificate of sufficiency.
Ballotpedia covered 35 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 94 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials.
The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Election history
2018
General election
General election for Governor of Wisconsin
The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Wisconsin on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tony Evers (D) | 49.5 | 1,324,307 |
 | Scott Walker (R) | 48.4 | 1,295,080 | |
 | Phillip Anderson (L) | 0.8 | 20,225 | |
 | Maggie Turnbull (Independent) | 0.7 | 18,884 | |
 | Michael White (G) | 0.4 | 11,087 | |
 | Arnie Enz (The Wisconsin Party) | 0.1 | 2,745 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 980 | ||
| Total votes: 2,673,308 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tony Evers | 41.8 | 225,082 |
 | Mahlon Mitchell | 16.3 | 87,926 | |
 | Kelda Roys | 12.8 | 69,086 | |
 | Kathleen Vinehout | 8.2 | 44,168 | |
 | Michael McCabe | 7.4 | 39,885 | |
 | Matthew Flynn | 5.9 | 31,580 | |
 | Paul Soglin | 5.2 | 28,158 | |
 | Andy Gronik | 1.2 | 6,627 | |
 | Dana Wachs | 0.8 | 4,216 | |
 | Josh Pade | 0.4 | 1,908 | |
| Total votes: 538,636 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bob Harlow (D)
- Michele Doolan (D)
- Andrew Lust (D)
- Jeff Rumbaugh (D)
- Ramona Whiteaker (D)
- Mike Crute (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin
Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Robert Meyer in the Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Walker | 91.6 | 417,276 |
| Robert Meyer | 8.4 | 38,269 | ||
| Total votes: 455,545 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ryan Cason (R)
Green primary election
Green primary for Governor of Wisconsin
Michael White advanced from the Green primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michael White | 100.0 | 817 |
| Total votes: 817 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Governor of Wisconsin
Phillip Anderson advanced from the Libertarian primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phillip Anderson | 100.0 | 1,673 |
| Total votes: 1,673 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Historical governor recalls
From 2003 to 2019, Ballotpedia tracked 58 gubernatorial recall efforts against 16 different governors. During that time, two recalls made the ballot and one governor was successfully recalled. Former California Gov. Gray Davis (D) was recalled by voters in 2003. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) was chosen as Davis' replacement. The only other governor to ever be successfully recalled was former North Dakota Gov. Lynn Frazier (R) in 1921. In 2012, Wisconsin voted to retain former Gov. Scott Walker (R) in the recall election. He received 53.1% of the vote.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Effort to force a recall election of Gov. Tony Evers fails to gather enough signatures," October 26, 2020
- ↑ The Recall Elections Blog, "Wisconsin: Petitions taken out against Governor/Lieutenant Governor," August 30, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A Wisconsin resident upset by Kenosha violence has launched an effort to recall Gov. Tony Evers," August 28, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Facebook, "Misty Polewczynski," accessed August 27, 2020
- ↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "Recall Effort Launched Against Evers," August 29, 2020
