Dems try to seize Wis. Senate in recall undercard
MADISON, Wis. — Democrats worked to seize control of the state Senate in Tuesday's recall elections, banking on anger over Republican Gov. Scott Walker's polarizing policies to spur voters to send at least one GOP incumbent packing.
Democrats are furious with Walker and GOP legislators for passing a host of contentious policies, chief among them a measure stripping most public union workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights, deep cuts to public schools and a law requiring voters to show photo identification. Hungry for payback, they've spent the last year and a half forcing Republican officeholders into recall elections.
They ousted two GOP state senators in recall elections last summer and this winter gathered enough signatures from the public to force Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three Republican senators, including veteran Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald, into recall elections.
They forced a fourth GOP senator, Pam Galloway of Wausau, into a recall too, but she quit rather than defend her job. The election to fill her open seat also was set to go on Tuesday.
The Senate currently stands divided at 16-16. Democrats need to win one seat to gain the majority. Republicans need to win all four races to take control.
Taking control of the Senate would be a huge moral victory for the Democrats, but they wouldn't be able to do much with it, at least for a while.
The Legislature isn't scheduled to convene again until January. Walker's recall opponent, Democrat Tom Barrett, has vowed to call a special legislative session this summer to restore public workers' collective bargaining rights if he becomes governor, but that plan wouldn't work because Republicans still control the state Assembly and likely would block any Senate action.
Democrats also would have to turn around and defend their majority in November's elections. Multiple victories Tuesday would give them momentum heading into those races. If they maintained control in the fall they could block any more GOP initiatives when the Legislature returns next year and begins deliberations on the next state budget.
If Republicans retake the chamber in November, though, the recalls would have amounted to little aside from putting some GOP incumbents out of work.
Tuesday's contests set up like this:
—Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, faces photographer Lori Compas, D-Fort Atkinson, in the 13th Senate District, which includes parts of Dodge, Waukesha, Jefferson and Dane counties in southern Wisconsin. Democratic leaders have portrayed the race as a “David versus Goliath” match-up. Fitzgerald has served in the Senate since 1994; Compas has never held a political office.
—Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, faces former state Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine in the 21st Senate District, which includes parts of the city of Racine and the surrounding area in far southeastern Wisconsin. Wanggaard took Lehman's seat in 2010.
—Sen. Terry Moulton, R-Chippewa Falls, faces former state Rep. Kristin Dexter, D-Eau Claire, in the 23rd Senate District, which includes parts of Dunn, Chippewa, Eau Claire and Clark counties in northwestern Wisconsin.
—Rep. Donna Seidel, D-Wausau, and Rep. Jerry Petrowski, R-Marathon, square off for Galloway's seat in the 29th Senate District, which includes parts of Marathon, Taylor, Price and Rusk counties in the north-central section of the state.