A Summer of Intense Politics

Photo taken July 17, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene.

You’ve had a busy summer and may need a summary of the political machinations in Wisconsin since June. It’s been quite a summer with more to come over the next nine weeks.

The nonstop visits by presidential and vice presidential candidates and their surrogates of both parties will continue, since Wisconsin is one of the few states that will determine who is the next president. Drive carefully; the person in that crosswalk may be a cabinet secretary, ex-cabinet secretary or a U.S. senator stumping for their party’s candidates.

And, many school districts and communities have put referendums that could raise your property taxes on the Nov. 5 ballots.

Now, let’s catch up on the summer’s political developments:

Aug. 27: The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) puts the names of eight presidential candidates on the Nov. 5 ballot: Republican Donald Trump, Democrat Kamala Harris, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, Constitutional Party candidate Randall Terry, Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver and Party for Socialism and Liberation Party candidate Claudia De la Cruz.

Democratic Party officials tries to force Stein off the ballot, but the state Supreme Court refuses to consider that challenge. A 5-1 vote by the WEC board keeps the name of Kennedy, who suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump, on the ballot.

Aug. 27: The last of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ original cabinet secretaries, Child and Family Services Secretary Emilie Amundson, resigns. Amundson and Transportation Department Secretary Craig Thompson, who said on Aug. 16 that he was taking a UW-Madison position, were among the appointees when the governor took office in January 2019.

Aug. 13: Seven incumbent legislators lose their seats in partisan primary elections. They were Republican Assembly members Janel Brandtjen, Peter Schmidt, Michael Schraa and Donna Rozar and Democrats Jimmy Anderson, Samba Baldeh and LaKeshia Myers. Legislators are running in new districts drawn by a compromise between Democratic Gov. Evers and Republicans who have controlled the Legislature since 2011.

An eighth legislator, Rep. Katrina Shankland, loses in a primary for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District to Rebecca Cooke. Cooke will challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in November.

Aug. 13: Primary voters pick two other candidates in U.S. House districts. Democrats chose Kyle Kilbourn to face incumbent Republican Tom Tiffany in northern Wisconsin’s 7th District and Republicans chose Tony Wied in northeast Wisconsin’s 8th District to face Democrat Kristin Lyerly. The 8th District seat has been vacant since the April resignation of Republican Mike Gallagher.

Aug. 13: Voters overwhelmingly defeat two proposed constitutional amendments put on the partisan primary ballot by Republican legislators. The changes would have given legislators much stronger control — and governor less control — over federal funds and the state budget process.

July 5: In Madison, Democratic President Joe Biden makes one of his final promises to stay in the presidential race against Trump. “They’re trying to push me out of the race,” Biden said at Sherman Middle School. “Well, let me say as clearly as I can — I’m staying in the race.” He withdrew on July 21.

July 5: A four-justice majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court reinstates the use of drop boxes where voters can return ballots in the August primary and November general elections. The decision reverses a 2022 ruling by the court, which then had a conservative majority.

June 5: Nine employees of the maximum-security Waupun prison, including former Warden Randall Hepp, are charged with misconduct in office or felony inmate abuse. The charges followed the deaths of five inmates at the institution that has had staff vacancy rates of more than 50%.

June 27: A 4-2 vote of the WEC dismisses a second effort to recall Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, finding that it did not include enough valid signatures to require a recall election. Weeks later, the state Supreme Court refused to consider a request to review WEC’s decision.

The longest-serving speaker in Wisconsin history, Vos is seeking an 11th two-year term in a new southeast Wisconsin district on Nov. 5.

June 4: Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul files felony charges against three Trump supporters who helped submit paperwork falsely saying that Trump won Wisconsin’s November 2020 election. Charged were Jim Troupis, Trump’s attorney in the state and a former Dane County District Court judge; attorney and campaign adviser Kenneth Chesebro, and Mike Roman, Trump’s director of election day operations.

And, the Republican National Convention was held in Milwaukee July 15-18. Will that help them win the crucial state of Wisconsin in November? We’ll see.

Steven Walters started covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com.