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Capitol Notes
WI: Weekly Political and Legislative Update |
TO: Clients/Friends of Capitol Consultants, Inc./Wimmer & Company, S.C.
FROM: Capitol Consultants, Inc.
& Wimmer Company, S.C.
DATE: March 30, 2012
SUBJECT: Recall Election Update
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Recall Election Certified
The Government Accountability Board (GAB) certified this morning recall elections against Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. The GAB also ordered recall elections against four GOP Senators - Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls), Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and Pam Galloway (R-Wausau). Galloway, however, resigned her seat two weeks, but a recall election in the Republican-held district will still occur.
The date of the recall elections of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor will all be on the same two dates - May 8 for a primary election and June 5 for the general election.
The GAB found 900,939 valid signatures were collected on petitions seeking to recall Walker, and about 808,990 were gathered on those seeking to recall Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. The minimum needed to trigger a recall was 540,208 signatures for each of them (www.madison.com). |
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Recent Poll Shows Close Race for Governor
This week, Marquette University Law School released a state-wide poll that shows a very close race for Governor in the upcoming recall election. The poll of 707 registered voters had Governor Scott Walker holding a 47 percent to 45 percent margin over Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who has not announced if he is running, and a 49 percent to 45 percent edge over former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. These matchups have tightened since January, when Walker led Barrett by 6 percentage points and Falk by 7 percentage points. State Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) trails Walker 41 percent to 49 percent and Democratic Secretary of State Doug La Follette trails 42 percent to 49 percent (www.marquette.edu).
Of the 370 voters in the poll who said that they would vote in a potential Democratic recall primary for Governor, Barrett had the support of 36 percent to Falk's 29 percent, with Vinehout and La Follette each at 8 percent. A substantial 17 percent say they remain undecided. If Barrett is not a candidate, Falk holds a wide lead among Democratic primary voters, with 54 percent to 15 percent for La Follette and 12 percent for Vinehout, with 18 percent undecided ( www.marqette.edu). The polls showed an uptick in Walker's favorable to unfavorable rating in March from 50 percent to 45 percent, up from 46 percent to 48 percent in February and matching his January standing. Walker's job approval rating also improved in March, to 50 percent approve and 47 percent disapprove, from 47 percent to 47 percent tie in February. |
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Recall Process Timeline
The Government Accountability Board (GAB) laid out this week the timeline for the upcoming recall elections for the four GOP state Senators, Lieutenant Governor, and Governor as follows:
- Friday, March 30 - Candidates can start circulating nomination papers
- Friday, March 30 - Contribution limits for recall petitioners and officeholders returns
- Monday, April 30 - First Campaign Finance reports due (Jan. 1 - Apr. 23)
- Tuesday, May 8 - Recall Primary
- Tuesday, May 29 - Second Campaign Finance reports due (Apr. 24 - May 21)
- Tuesday, June 5 - Recall General Election
Any new candidates winning in a recall election would take office 10 days after a certification of election is issued. The certification process timeline depends on canvassing and if a recount is ordered (www.thewheelerreport.com). |
