Wisconsin voters will head to the polls on April 3rd to vote in the Presidential Preference primary and in various judicial elections. The national media are eagerly awaiting the Wisconsin primary, which could play a pivotal role in this year’s Presidential nomination process, but in Wisconsin the focus of the electorate has been drawn toward the recall elections rather than the Presidential race.
At stake in the Presidential primary are 42 of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the Republican nomination. The statewide winner will get 18 delegates and the rest will be awarded winner-take-all based on the outcome in each of Wisconsin’s 8 congressional districts.1
Despite all the national attention Wisconsin’s primary is generating, the Government Accountability Board is predicting only 35% of the population will turn out to vote on the 3rd.
Barring an extraordinary change in circumstances, no voter identification will be required for electors to cast their ballots during this election. The voter id law, which was in place for the judicial primaries in February, was enjoined and is awaiting further consideration by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The GAB is advising voters to “pay attention to news reports on Election Day in the event of a change.”
The candidates, and candidates’ websites where available, in contested races are listed below:
Presidential Primary
Newt Gingrich – R
Mitt Romney – R
Ron Paul – R
Rick Santorum – R
Calumet County Circuit Court Judge
Wayne Fulleylove-Krause
Jeffrey S. Froehlich, Incumbent
Dane County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 11
Roger A. Allen, Incumbent
Ellen K. Berz
Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
Jason A. Rossell, Incumbent
Edward Richard Antaramian
Manitowoc County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
Gary Bendix, Incumbent
Bob Dewane
Menominee-Shawano County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
William F. Kussel, Incumbent (No website available.)
David R. Winter
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 17
Nelson Wesley Phillips, III, Incumbent
Carolina Maria Stark
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 23
Hannah C. Dugan
Lindsey Grady
Oneida County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
Michael H. Bloom
John F. O’Melia
Portage County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 1
Thomas B. Eagon
Michael McKenna
Racine County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 5
Michael E. Nieskes
Mike Piontek
Racine County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 10
Timothy D. Boyle
Mark Nielsen
Rock County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 7
Jack C. Hoag
Barbara W. McCrory
1The Legislative Reference Bureau recently published Wisconsin’s Role in Electing the President an interesting overview of Wisconsin’s current Presidential selection process that details the awarding of Wisconsin’s delegates, and a treasure trove of historical data on Wisconsin voter preferences going back to 1848.