6th Congressional Canvass
On election night, Glenn Grothman was named the Republican candidate for the 6th Congressional District; however the following day the Associated Press and other news sources rescinded the call that Grothman had easily won, as he was only up 215 votes from Joe Leibham early Wednesday morning. In the end, after a complete and final canvass of absentee votes, Grothman was named the Republican candidate, again. The 6th Congressional seat was filled by Republican Tom Petri for nearly four decades, which could point to Grotham’s ability to succeed in being voted into the seat in January.
17th Senate District: Bomhack Wins Recount
Over Labor Day Weekend, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board announced Pat Bomhack (D-Spring Green) as the 17th Senate District recount winner.
During the August 12th primary election, Ernie Wittwer was leading Pat Bomhack by two votes for Democratic primary in the 17th Senate District, a seat covering the Southwest area of the state. After an initial canvass, Wittwer had won the race officially with seven votes, but Bomhack asked for a recount. After 110 missing ballots in Green County were added to the recount, Bomhack came out in front with 3,837 votes, just 33 votes ahead of Wittwer.
The race is open, after Senator Dale Schultz (R) retired this past spring. The November 4 election for the 17th Senate seat will be between Representative Howard Marklein (R) and Bomhack, unless Wittwer submits a court challenge to contest the recount by September 8.
Primary Election Results
Did you miss the primary election results? We have all of the candidates, their websites, and social media complied for you, and Hamilton Consulting will keep you posted on what is happening in election news from now until November 4th.
Unofficial new state legislators for 2015-2017, based on uncontested races:
- Assembly District 10 – David Bowen (D)
- Assembly District 45 – Mark Spreitzer (D)
- Assembly District 58 – Bob Gannon (R)
- Assembly District 59 – Jesse Kremer (R)
- Assembly District 60 – Robert Brooks (R)
- Assembly District 78 – Lisa Subeck (D)
- Assembly District 97 – Scott Allen (R)
State Senate – Key Races
Senate District 9 – Martha Laning (D) v. Devin LeMahieu (R): Sheboygan area open-seat formerly held by Joe Leibham (R).
Senate District 11 – Dan Kilkenny (D) v. Steve Nass (R): Dodge/Jefferson County area open-seat formerly held by Neal Kedzie (R).
Senate District 15 – Janis Ringhand (D) v. Brian Fitzgerald (R): Janesville area open-seat formerly held by Tim Cullen (D).
Senate District 17 – Pat Bomhack (D) v. Howard Marklein (R): Southwest area open-seat formerly held by Dale Schultz (R).
Senate District 19 – Penny Bernard Schaber (D) v. Roger Roth (R): Fox Valley area open-seat formerly held by Mike Ellis (R).
Senate District 21 – Randy Bryce (D) v. Van Wanggaard (R): Racine area open-seat formerly held by John Lehman (D). Van Wanggaard lost the seat in a recall election in 2012 and is now poised to regain the seat, which has since been reconfigured through redistricting to lean more Republican in nature.
Senate District 25 – Janet Bewley (D) v. Dane Deutsch (R): Northwest area open-seat formerly held by Bob Jauch.
State Assembly- Key Races
Assembly District 1 – Joe Majeski (D) v. Joel Kitchens (R): Door County area open-seat formerly held by Garey Bies (R).
Assembly District 51 – Dick Cates Jr. (D) v.Todd Novak (R): Spring Green area seat formerly held by Howard Marklein (R).
Assembly District 68 – Incumbent Kathy Bernier (R) v. Jeff Peck (D): Chippewa Falls contested seat.
Assembly District 70 – Incumbent Amy Sue Vruwink (D) v. Nancy Vander Meer (R): Rural Stevens Point area contested seat.
Assembly District 72 – Incumbent Scott Krug (R) v. Dana Duncan (D): Nekoosa area contested seat.
Assembly District 75 – Incumbent Stephen Smith (D) v. Romaine Quinn (R): Shell Lake area contested race.
Assembly District 85 – Incumbent Mandy Wright (D) v. Dave Heaton (R): Wausau contested race.
Assembly District 88 – Dan Robinson (D) v. John Macco (R): Green Bay open-seat formerly held by John Klenke.
Assembly District 96 – Incumbent Lee Nerison (R) v. Peter Flesch (D): Southwest area contested race.
Ballot Referendums
A non-binding referendum regarding minimum wage will appear on 41 percent of ballots in Wisconsin this November, according to Wisconsin Election Watch. The referendum will ask to raise the minimum wage in Wisconsin to $10.10 per hour, from the current $7.25 per hour.
The advocacy group Wisconsin Jobs Now worked to get the referendum on the ballot, and qualified in Dane, Douglas, Eau Claire, Kenosha, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Portage, Rock, and Wood counties, and the cities of Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, and Racine.
Also on the ballot will be a referendum regarding the transportation fund. The referendum will ask voters to decide on a constitutional amendment that would stop officials from using transportation fund money (sourced by the gas tax, liscensing fees, titles, etc.) for other non-transportation programs.
For a constitutional amendment to be added to the Wisconsin constitution, the amendment must be passed by two subsequent legislatures, and agreed upon by the public via voting referendum.
Hamilton Consulting previously reported on the issue when the State Assembly passed the second, required passage of the amendment in March 2013.