Wisconsin Elections Commission picks Republican tax attorney as its new chair

The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Friday tapped Don Millis, a Republican tax attorney appointed to the board Wednesday, to lead the state's body in charge of administering elections in Wisconsin.

The commission rejected a bid from Robert Spindell, another Republican member who became a controversial figure after posing as a fake presidential elector following the 2020 election.

Millis, an original member of the commission, was confirmed as chair on a 5-1 vote from the bipartisan panel. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos appointed Millis to the commission following the resignation of GOP former state Rep. Dean Knudson.

Knudson stepped down from his post amid backlash from other conservatives over his refusal to back former President Donald Trump's false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Millis and Spindell were the only eligible commissioners to be elected chairman for the next two years due to state rules requiring Republican and Democratic members to take turns being chair. 

While Spindell was one of 10 Wisconsin Republicans who in 2020 posed as a presidential elector for Trump, Millis has not taken a public position on whether the 2020 election was manipulated by voter fraud. 

The commission has come under fire as a symbol of those false claims, which have been embraced by prominent Wisconsin Republicans — spurred, in part, by accusations from former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman as he reviews the 2020 election for Vos. 

Gableman has criticized the commission due to guidance related to voting during the coronavirus pandemic. Still, Gableman has expressed support for Millis' appointment to the commission, saying he will bring "intellectual firepower and courageous resolve" to the group.

Millis said his goal is to increase confidence in Wisconsin election results. He said state election laws need to be changed.

“I think I have the skills and the temperament to do what’s necessary to make sure changes in election law and administration are rational and will put the people of the state of Wisconsin first,” Millis said.

Vos earlier said Millis backed using paper ballots, opposed using touch-screen voting and supported the state's requirement for voters to show photo identification. 

Molly Beck of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Contact Lawrence Andrea at landrea@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @lawrencegandrea.