Welcome to this special live coverage of Wisconsin's fall primary election on your local civic media radio station.
You cast your ballot. Now news director Terry Bell along with local reporters around the state are tracking the results.
You'll also get inside into those numbers. You won't find anywhere else.
Special fall primary election coverage live on your local civic media radio station and streaming on the civic media app.
Now here's news director Terry Bell.
Good evening. After months of anticipation, the first act of the big election of 2024 is upon us.
The primary election night here in Wisconsin. The polls closed just a few minutes ago and over the course of the next couple of hours or so.
We will be bringing you the results as they come with us. So we have three major things we're keeping track of tonight and a lot of very other interesting, very other interesting races and ballot items.
First of all, would be the rate the referendum that is constitutional amendments proposed constitutional amendments in Wisconsin to amend the Constitution.
A proposal has to pass the legislature in two separate sessions. Then it goes to voters and this is what's happening today in Wisconsin where voters are being asked to amend the Constitution.
Which would essentially allow the state legislature, not the governor to allocate money that comes to Wisconsin from Washington.
Also, we're keeping an eye on two U.S. House primaries. One in the third district where three Democrats are running for the right to oppose the Republican incumbent that Derek Van Orden.
And then in Northeastern Wisconsin, three Republicans are running in Mike Gallagher's former seat. It's an open seat and the winner of tonight's primary will face Kristen Liarley in the general election in November.
I'm news director Terry Bell, civic media and I'm joined by Todd Alba, the Todd Alba show and by Dr. Murray Shepard, political scientist at Madison College. Good evening, gentlemen.
Good evening, Terry. Good evening.
Well, let's first of all kind of give a breakdown on what we will be following tonight, the big picture.
Terry, this is exciting night. The polls are closed. Now it's now gone just on eight minutes past the hour of eight o'clock.
And for so many people, I worked in Republican politics for a number of years before leaving the party in 2011.
I've run a lot of campaigns from almost dog catcher, but Donald Alderman, all the way up through a congressional candidate.
And for all these people and primaries tonight, well, Republicans and Democrats, they're staff, they're volunteers, they're family.
Tonight is what it's all about. They put their blood, sweat and tears into this and tonight's the night for a lot of these people.
There are also primaries of our listeners out there that you're going to hear particularly say in Dame County, some places in Milwaukee County on the Democratic side.
Maybe a couple of Republican primaries where there is no challenger in the general election.
So basically tonight is for all the marbles because they're not going to face a challenger in the fall.
So it's a very exciting night for them and also for the parties.
You've seen the change at the top of the ticket for Democrats, Kamala Harris, now the standard bearer for the Democratic party.
It is enthused. Democrats on this state tonight are Republicans who make it through the primary.
Are they going to be able to match that going into the general election?
Maurice Shepard, you follow these things for a living. What are you keeping an eye on tonight?
Well, it's the follow Todd's point. It isn't the sexiest thing, but election administration with the new maps.
I know.
No one saw that coming.
But I mean with the new maps we have once again, new polling places.
People have to make sure they know where those are.
The drop boxes are back, new polling workers and also new voters.
So there's a lot of sort of behind the scene things that have to take place.
But they're all very important.
Maurice, you watch these things as Terry said so very closely.
One thing I'm interested in tonight to see what your take on this.
These constitutional amendments tonight.
Many people on the Democratic side or encouraging voters to vote no today at the polls.
More conservative, Republican folks are saying vote yes tonight.
To me, a lot of this is going to depend.
It's a Dane County where there's a big a primary for the state Senate and state assembly and county executive.
Does that drive up votes in particularly democratic areas by the same token in places like the Fox Valley,
Green Bay and the eighth district where there's a big congressional primary.
Does that drive up more conservative voters in that part of the state?
Maurice, do you think these constitutional amendments will come down to where turnout is the highest based on partisan primaries?
The short response to that is yes.
But I also think with these proposed amendments, just word of mouth and even sort of walking around neighborhood.
You see lawn signs sort of, you know, alerting people to these amendments.
And I think for the amendments, and I know we'll talk about it later at some point.
For most regular citizens and voters, they're confused by them quite frankly.
In some cases, in some cases, it isn't that they're pro or con the amendments.
It's simply that they're very vague and they don't really understand what they're voting on.
So turnout will be a factor, but also I think sort of the clarity or unclarity of the amendments will play a role also.
Want to bring Melissa Kaye in from double from civic media news.
She is following this particular ballot item for us tonight.
And one thing that occurred to me, Melissa, is it's much has been made about the point that Maurice just made and taught that the wording of these questions are very confusing.
And that's probably no accident.
No, in fact, officials are saying that it's done on purpose.
You know, our Wisconsin Constitution was drafted in 1848.
And the executive branch has had sole power to execute all the federal funds that come to our state for the last 94 years since 1930.
Now, the legislature tried to pass a bill that what you saw on the Wisconsin ballots today as a bill in 2023, but Governor Evers vetoed it.
Now, the legislature purposely chose to include these.
Their failed bill as constitutional amendment questions on this August ballot because there's usually a much lower turnout during partisan primary election.
So therefore a very small portion of the Wisconsin voters will be deciding to make this change to our constitution.
They estimate mid teens to upper 20% of turnout for for these types of elections that take place in August.
And if these constitutional amendments pass, the state legislature will have the power to delay or deny federal funds to Wisconsin based on their partisan interest or partisan gridlock.
We're all aware of how often the legislature meets.
They were in session from January 13th to March 14th of this year, which is 43 days.
And, and if we have a moment, Terry, can I briefly mention the partisan state funds that are still being held up or recently were just let go in the legislature opioid funds increases in state aid for special education compensation for executive branch employees.
And then the federal hospital service grants to western Wisconsin to help with the recent closure of all those hospitals, 125 million dollars for PFAS funding and other major environmental issues.
The government had to sue to have those funds recently released.
So if these amendments pass, our legislature is going to have the power to hold those funds.
They're purposely ambiguous, like they're very confusing.
Honestly, when I went to vote today, I was already planning to vote no, but I read them and I second guest myself.
And I already knew how I was voting, but I read them and then I was like, what did I just read?
Yeah, and that's that may be in and Tata Maurice, you can tell me if this might be the case, but it's my understanding that roughly constitutional amendments pass 75% of the time.
I think give or take a few points. I'll defer to the professor of this statistics.
Well, what I will say, I don't know about that particular statistic, but this is a rarity in terms of having at least for this election cycle, this number of constitutional amendments.
I think doing some research before the show back in 1978 and also 1982, those were sort of the high watermarks of again, sort of constitutional proposed constitutional amendments.
And it's only back in 1993 that we had four within one, once again, sort of election cycle here. So this is this is a rarity.
We don't usually have this many again, amendment amendments put before the people.
Well, and one thought that occurred to me, you know, the confusing language of the questions and the fact that voters approve constitutional amendments somewhere in the 70% tile at the time.
I guess my point is is that we're perhaps, you know, lawmakers that put this on the ballot, counting on the fact or counting on the notion that voters would vote yes because they are inclined to do that when this, when these questions appear on the ballot.
And it's just a follow up to Todd's point earlier, though, you made a great point about, again, that the for the Republicans, this is a strategic move for part.
They may have felt that, you know, with the special primary election, if you were in the third district that that would turn out more Republicans, hopefully, but that could be countered as Todd pointed out with maybe the turnout in the Madison area.
We've seen these constitutional amendments be proposed more and more often as seen as the term is end run around the governor.
If there's a proposal that lawmakers know, Governor Evers Olvito, then they'll, you know, take their chances with the voters and try to get an initiative, you know, enacted that way.
Yeah, I can certainly tell you again, somebody who left the Republican Party in 2011 spent most of my time in the legislature in the state senate.
I can tell you even then, and now we're over 10 years ago from that point, Republicans were looking at the state of Wisconsin and say, look, our platform is, we're having a tougher time connecting with 50% plus one of the electorate in a statewide election.
And that's why you have the so-called voter ID bills, which in my opinion were nothing more than voter suppression bills is quite frankly why I love the Republican Party.
But they were making it more difficult for folks, particularly black and brown folks in Milwaukee, college campuses and Madison to get to the polling places.
That was because to your point, Terry, they were having a harder time winning these statewide elections.
And now we have these constitutional amendments to try to take, in my opinion, based on past performance, Republicans trying to take power away from a governor or the executive because they're having a tougher time winning that statewide election and putting it in the hands, even with new maps,
which some of these people already know for the first time tonight, chances are Republicans will probably hang on to at least one of the houses of the legislature after November.
And that's where Republicans are putting their marbles.
Yeah, it actually makes make sense that aligns with everything that I've been observing after covering the last pool session of the state legislature.
That seems to be the strategy.
Dr. Shepherd.
Terry, if I could also the way that question one is worded, I mean, it says the Constitution be created to provide that the legislature may not delegate its sole power to determine how monies will be appropriated.
It doesn't specify what monies so it seems that if this passes and it becomes part of our constitution inevitably things are going to end up going to court.
Because it will be questioned, well, what monies are we talking about, you know, after they use this the first time they're going to have to look into and it's going to tie up things even more.
Yeah, that no excellent point.
So we're going to be keeping a close eye on that. Melissa will be keeping us up to date on the results on that coming up.
We're going to hear about the congressional primaries happening the eighth, the third and the seventh.
You're listening to civic media election. I coverage the fall primary in Wisconsin. Thanks so much for joining us.
Sorry, excuse me.
I'll take over for just a second. Terry, Terry, the elections coming so fast and furious Terry lost his breath. It's an exciting night here at primary election headquarters.
World Headquarters of civic media high atop state street block off the capital square giving a couple of results. Terry already in these are very, very early with less than 1% of the vote in right now.
He actually has a Republican side, believe it or not, a Republican primary for the United States Senate.
He leading Charles Barman right now 91% of 5.2%.
Again, just a couple of percentage points in thus far. Tammy Baldwin, the Democratic incumbent, she has declared the winner because she's
opposed also Brian style Republican Congressman in the first has no opposition. He has been declared the picture there and Peter Barker on making a comeback bid here.
He has unopposed the Democratic primary and he has already been declared the winner because the right ends believe they're not Terry didn't knock him off.
Hard to believe that.
Hard to believe it. Thanks for thanks for pitching in their form.
So let's move on to the congressional primaries happening in Wisconsin today.
We'll start with Brittany Merlot, who's keeping an eye on the Democrats running in northern Wisconsin's seventh congressional district.
Hey, Brittany.
So yeah, the seventh congressional district right is the largest in the state.
I mean, geographically, it covers 20 counties in northwest in central Wisconsin.
And we've got the Democrats buying right now. So Elsa.
So from there is trying to face Kyle Kilborn of harsh off.
And basically what's going on there is they're going to be taking on Republican Tom Tiffany and whoever wins that, but he's been holding the seat for quite some time since 2020.
After that, prior Republican Sean Duffy held five terms.
Very good. So Brittany, thank you so much for keeping an eye on that on those races on that race in particular.
What else are you following tonight?
So I'm also following the 35th assembly where we have incumbent Calvin Callahan facing off Todd mayor of Antigo.
And of course, in November, that'll take on Elizabeth McCrank, who's a democratic from Merrill.
But the interesting one is the 87th assembly district, right?
So incumbent Pat Snyder was redrawn out of his district by just a mile and a half.
He has now since moved to the 85th district.
So now we have Frank Jacobson, Republican and Corey Sillers, a Republican taking on either whoever wins from that would be taking on William, swatala as well.
So very good. Thank you very much. Brittany, we're low keeping an eye on the seventh US house race on the Democratic side and a few other state house races.
We want to bring in Lisa Hale now. She is covering the Republicans running in Northeastern Wisconsin.
This is a seat that Mike Gallagher gave up when he resigned from the US House.
And it's an open seats. We will have a brand new US representative from the eighth district on November, no matter who wins.
And Lisa, this race is interesting for a number of reasons, but let you tell us more.
There's a couple of reasons, but I think the most important thing about this race is that it's actually on the ballot twice.
The first time it's on the ballot is to complete the term of Mike Gallagher, because he originally said, I'm not running for re-election.
And we knew that that term would be open from the 2025 to 2027.
But then he said, you know what? I'm leaving early. I'm resigning. And that left the remainder of this current term open.
And that's what the first part of the ballot is. It's to replace him or to fill the remainder of his term.
And then they're voting for the same candidates to fill the term.
So I think that's probably the most interesting part of the eighth congressional district races.
Lisa, I think you bring up such an important part, point, brother.
This has been debated because right now there's been a couple of deaths in Congress that was basically tied even Republicans now have a couple of seat majority again.
But this is important. This point you just brought up because let's say that it's it's a one-seat margin either way by what?
By Gallagher doing what he did and Governor Evers calling that dual election to to your point, Lisa.
Let's say that Kristen Leierley would knock off and the unexpected win for Democrats and pick up that seat.
She would not have to wait nor would the Republican for that matter until the term coming up in January to be seen it.
They would be seated immediately. And that could have major consequences. Guess when January 6, 2025?
Absolutely.
Another interesting thing about this race, I think, Galisa is that this might be a good litmus test as to Donald Trump's power with Republicans.
In Wisconsin, we saw him lose about 20% of the Republican vote in the primary last last spring.
20% of Republicans voted for somebody else in that primary other than Donald Trump.
Now, he is endorsed one of the candidates in this race. And a lot of people are interested to see whether the Trump endorsements carries a lot of weight or not.
He did. He endorsed Tony Weid, who is a Green Bay area businessman. He owned a couple of convenience stores, the Dinomarts.
And he endorsed Tony Weid, who has been standing on that platform of the Trump endorsement throughout this campaign.
But he's also facing state Senator Andre Jacques and former state Senator Roger Roth.
Neither of those have the Trump endorsements, but they are very conservative legislators.
And I understand, Roth probably has been spending a lot more on television and that Andre Jacques has been really working hard doing the old fashioned door to door campaign.
And that's one of the things that he has said to set himself apart that he is of the old school, the going forth and the shaking hands and the kissing, the babies kind of thing.
That's the type of of groundwork that Andre Jacques is doing.
Lisa, give us the lay of the land. Somebody who really is in the community up there because my dad and stepmom live in Sean.
I spent quite a bit of time up in the eighth of that part of the eighth congressional district.
I've been up there. I mean, these ads by Roger Roth are just so hard line.
You think that Green Bay was in the border of Mexico with the anti immigration talk.
Then you got Andre Jacques, which you said Terry.
This guy has a TV ad being Andre the giant, a professional wrestler.
I mean, you compare that to Kristen Lierley. I'll use the word Republicans in this race just seem weird.
Well, I don't know about calling them weird.
I do know that they're trying to differentiate themselves among the Republicans, which is hard because all three of them are very conservative and have, you know, very strong opinions on the conservative side.
And I think that they're trying to differentiate themselves between themselves right now.
They'll take on Kristen after this primary.
Thank you very much, Alisa Maurice Shepard, any reflections on the eighth US House Republican primary?
Just a quick comment on Todd's comment about the ads that are running.
I think across the board, we're seeing particularly in terms of conservative or Republican candidates.
They're using fear.
It's a tried and true once again strategy to use in terms of campaigning.
It works, but it may be exhausting to many voters to men, even again moderate Republican.
We will see how that works.
We want to bring James Kelly. And now he's following the third district democratic primary.
And that has been notable for mainly the rhetoric that has really turned up between the two front runners on the Democratic side.
James.
Yeah, definitely interesting. You know, this is a competitive primary in line for a competitive general election against Congressman Derek Van Orden, who a lot of people around here say his seat isn't particularly safe.
So really between Rebecca Cook and Katrina Shankland, that's been most of the the back and forth as far as who's raising more money where that money is coming from.
Shankland leaning on her experience in the state legislature and the bipartisan work that she's done there.
I actually do have a bit of extra news.
Okay, you know, that's not we will come right back to you. James, we have to do some business and we'll be right back.
The election I coverage continues on your civic media radio station and online at civicmedia.us.
Welcome back to civic media primary election I coverage of Wisconsin's fall primary just to get you up to date with 17% of the votes counted.
We have the no leading yes on the constitutional amendment questions.
We'll have more with Melissa Kay in a bit. But we're talking right now to James Kelly.
He's based in Chippewa Falls and he's following the a third district Democratic primary and James had a couple of interesting new items to pass along.
Yeah, I know earlier in the show we mentioned we wanted to keep an eye on election administration here in Oh Claire on the north side.
Apparently they ran out of paper ballots at some polling locations.
So now voters who are in line have kind of been reduced to using just the one electronic machine that they have at at this polling place in particular.
So a little bit of a mishap there and we spoke earlier in the 74th assembly district about the town of summit which had the incorrect assembly district on the ballot in the town of summit.
So that was 700 registered voters who were not able to vote and we'll have to figure out you know where we're going to go with that in the near future.
We do have some results from the third congressional district right now Rebecca Cook with an over 50% lead Katrina Shanklin trailing at 38 and Eric Wilson at 9% that's 14% of the precincts reporting in so far.
Terry to pick up on that James I'm looking at the results here on on my computer.
This is this is very interesting right now lacrosse County the two biggest municipalities.
Of course, the third are Oh Claire lacrosse lacrosse County with 99% of the vote in so essentially the voting is votes by counting lacrosse County and Rebecca Cook as leading to Katrina Shanklin.
And 49% of 41.7% Cook out 6,104 votes in lacrosse County Shanklin 5,191 Eric Wilson had 9.3% of the votes.
So there's not a lot of votes to get obviously in lacrosse and Cook is one there.
Then you go up to Oh Claire County 78% 78% of the vote in Oh Claire County right now in the third congressional district of Democratic primary Rebecca Cook 57.6% to Shanklin 32.6.
Cook's beating Shanklin over 2 to 1 in Oh Claire County now look Katrina Shanklin represents Steven's point area in the in the assembly.
She gave up that seat to run for Congress Portage County.
We don't have anything in Terry and James from from Shanklin's own congressional district.
But I know that district pretty well having been bored and raised there.
If if Cook is winning that big in Oh Claire and there's not much more votes to get lacrosse County.
Shanklin's could have to absolutely clean up the rest of the way if she has any any chance.
Yeah, we may see a projection here before too long.
One thing that was interesting to me, Maurice Shepard is that you had Rebecca Cook who's basically been spending two years campaigning and raising a lot of money where you have Katrina Shanklin who got into the race relatively late.
But seem to have the party machinery behind her and the kind of the kind of operations that kind of support that usually gets out the vote for candidates that get that kind of support.
Yeah, I think Rebecca Cook is showing that sort of the the old style politics they call it in the literature home style, you know, getting out there talking to people and not relying on.
And even though you may need it sort of that organizational once again money and support, but, you know, nothing really beats getting out there and talking to the voters.
So again, once the election is done and we count the ballots and that sort we, you know, we can do sort of an autopsy sort of afterward.
But I I'm just assuming that is part of Cook's plan for success tonight that she was able to get out there and just meet with voters.
James Kelly, you joined us up in Eau Claire. We were up there last week when Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walls, Minnesota had their big rally just north of Eau Claire there.
And we talked about this a little bit last week. And to Maurice's point, how big has this healthcare crisis losing a major hospital in Eau Claire has Rebecca Cook been a part of trying to find this lucid issue been visible of that.
Has she taken I don't want to say the opportunity, but she's taking the opportunity to make political a with this.
You know, I think all three of them have really there is really no bigger issue facing the Eau Claire area right now than access to healthcare because of the loss of the two hospitals.
And all three candidates have really leaned into that and really Eric Wilson, especially as a guy who comes from the healthcare field has worked in that field has really leaned into that as part of his campaign.
As far as voting goes, it seems like his expertise in healthcare is not going to really do much for him, but all three have really been big on access to affordable healthcare.
And that's a major topic for people out here in Eau Claire right now as is affordable housing and PFAS contamination.
There's a lot of problems out here right now that need fixing and all three of the candidates have been pretty unified in how they want to go about fixing it.
Update just very quickly, Terry Bell, 84% of the vote now in Eau Claire County has been counted.
Cook leading shankland 57% to 33% district wide.
Cook is up 53% 37% with 40% of the overall vote count is so far in the third district congressional primary for Democrats.
All right. Thank you. Thank you, Todd. And thank you, James.
Let's bring Stuart J. Waddles into the conversation. He is based in Racine and he's keeping an eye on some particularly interesting assembly races.
These are identified by our friends at Wisconsin watches for races to watch and Stuart's keeping an eye on those.
Stuart.
We can't have him.
You can unmute yourself, Stuart.
All the preparation in the world, right guys?
I was going to run through these numerically, but we got some numbers coming into the 24th. So we'll start there.
This is the Germantown Monomony Falls area, and it includes a name a lot of people in politics know about Janelle branching.
She's up against state Senator Dan Canotal. Now we got 41% of the vote in Canotal up 58 to 42 at this point.
So these two previously went at it in previous elections and again branching a name that most politicos will will know in the state.
There are some other numbers, but we'll keep it to the interesting ones that we don't have numbers in yet, but the ones that were watching the sixth assembly district is in Sean O to incumbents running there.
There's been some redistricting changes, solidly Republican area, but representative Peter Schmidt is in a primary against Elijah Banky, also a representative.
And interesting one in Milwaukee, the 19th assembly district, the winner here is likely to like win that race come November, because it's a democratic stronghold incumbent representative Ryan Clancy is facing a democratic primary challenge from Jared Anderson.
Again, kind of spicy got to get Democrats going at it right there. And then we talked about the 24th. I don't see new numbers there yet.
So the first of the ones that we're looking at are the 78th is in Madison, representative Sheila Stubbs is being challenged by a Madison school board vice president, Maya Peterson.
So that's one we're looking at. I do have some other numbers in and I think, you know, and I'm trying to scroll down here. I think the race that Bob Donovan was involved with has been called by the AP, but I'm trying to pull that one up right now.
There's a number of numbers coming in out of 65th district in Kenosha, Todd onstead has a pretty good lead. I'm sorry, Todd onstead has retired. He hung it up bend to Smith has a pretty sizable lead over Kyle flood at the moment.
The 82nd assembly district has some numbers coming in Riley up over Domeco 25% so some of those walk a show numbers are coming in. And I want to say 61st looks like the AP with 66% of the vote in is calling Bob God of the winning that seat against Martin Gomez.
He'll go up against Lou Ann bird in November. So some numbers coming in the assembly races. Again, we got some the four big ones are watching, but again, these numbers are coming in and like you guys let off the show with that's an exciting night here at civic media.
So I really love this race. I'm actually I love it as a person to creature of politics. I just find it fascinating this race that you highlighted. Again, I spent a lot of time in Sean County in the sixth assembly district there.
So you got Peter Schmidt of a bond well. This is like a little contentious guy, as you said, because the only one is the primary by 63 votes.
The Republican party of Sean County basically withdrew their support after he had a 2019 criminal conviction. And this has been a big hubbub up there. And there are full page ads and the shadow even leader colored photo ads against this guy and four Elijah Banky.
This is a barn burner up there between kind of the the base three Republican party and this guy who kind of snuck through any any sense on what's going to happen tonight.
I don't, but you did mention the conviction, but there is a little more of a salacious nature to kind of some of the smith's background and what what you write up about what's happened there. And again, very interesting to see the redistricting kind of having this impact about putting the two Republicans up against each other.
There are a couple of these other races where you have two incumbents going up. I believe there's a there's two in the Milwaukee area. And I don't have it in front of me, but yeah, it's interesting to see these two incumbents going up against each other.
I find it interesting. I heard a couple of names. People of characters might say figures who have kind of alienated some of their own base.
Janelle branching. It would seem Janelle branching and Dan Kenotal are running, you know, for a battle for for the right in their race.
Janelle branching is somebody who with her election is nihilism and with her conspiracy theories has turned off, you know, even, you know, strong Republicans who kicked her out of the caucus.
And so it's interesting to see her fighting and Sheila Stubbs and Madison has been someone she lost an appointment in Dane County because of lack support from her fellow County board members.
A quick update on election results. Our old mother's work the election desk behind the scenes giving us this from Daniel Bice from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tonight.
Now it's 78% of the vote in and you talked about this Stewart this race with representative Ryan Clancy was 78% of the vote in Clancy up 58% to 42 over Anderson that does not according to Bice's reporting include absentee ballots.
Ryan Clancy who has been on the left hand side on this in terms of of issues, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has recruited this guy.
They've kind of gone against where they're owned. He hasn't been real popular tonight with 78% of the vote in Clancy looking pretty good.
Maurice Shepard you were so go ahead go ahead. No, no, go ahead. Please now I didn't have anything that interesting.
I thought it probably would have been, but I was interested knowing Maurice Shepard's thoughts on the fact that we are now setting the table for races in November.
Democrats with these new maps they want to make some gains in the state house and some Democrats even gone as far to say that they could even take the majority in the assembly this fall even though other observers say that will probably take longer.
How do you see things shaping up a tonight heading into November and what could happen after that?
I agree with the sentiment that we have the fall before we walk walk before we run.
So I think this is the beginning of having I think fair elections in Wisconsin, the new maps I think have once again leveled the playing field.
They've created election districts that are more once again in line with standards of good election districts, contiguous compact.
They don't split once again political units and that sort so it has leveled the playing field and the other thing too is it will prevent I think in the near future at least.
Super majorities and either chamber of the state legislature so Republicans have been able to sort of have that recently and I think with the new maps it will prevent that.
Very good we want to bring Savannah to may Olsen into the conversation.
Dane County is Wisconsin's fastest growing county and there is a primary tonight to pick two people who will go on to the November election.
To be the next Dane County executive and it's going to be one of the most important elected jobs in all Wisconsin Savannah welcome to the show.
Well tomorrow a phrase from Todd earlier these are a couple of the ones that are for all the marbles tonight where there's no Republican who's running in November and one of them is really fun right now.
We're talking about the 47th assembly district. Rindy Udel is a Dane County board member and Joe Maldonado is a Fitchburg alder we have 65% of precincts reporting and they are 50 50 right now totally even how often do you hear that.
Yeah that'll be so that'll be interesting to watch especially when we have that many of the precincts reporting to another one for all the marbles is the 77th assembly district.
This was really heavily redrawn under our new maps Renuka Maya Dev who works in the UW Madison School of Medicine in public health is currently leading with about 54% of the vote.
And the challenger who's coming in second is that Schumacher who's a pharmacist who owns Fitchburg family pharmacy so we have two people really heavily involved in health care.
They're really in the top two spots but I would say the big one that everybody in Dane County is watching is for Dane County executive simply because at least in this area the executive holds even more power than the mayor does our counties really have a big our county really has a big role in operations.
But we'll talk about that in a bit. That's will the music tells us it's time to do some business Savannah if you can stick with us we'll have you join us right after the break you're listening to primary election I coverage on civic media.
Civic media of primary election I coverage continues. Tanaba you have some some numbers coming in interesting race tonight we haven't got a lot of the state Senate yet we will I know but in the 20th Senate district on the on the eastern side of the state over on to boygan in that area.
There's been a five alarm bell fire politically that's what J. R. Austin was politics called it well tonight Terry it looks like everything's just fine as it turns out state senator Dan fine Republican a fondal act who is the assistant majority leader is has a has a contest against Tim ran them kind of the right way mega guy who is in the assembly who got his old assembly district got drawn into this new Senate district.
But tonight J. R. Austin reporting that with 28% of the vote in it is fine up 68.2% to Rampton 31.8% still ways to go only 21 or only 20% of the vote in but if that continues it looks like
devil let me you may not have to worry about a vote for his majority leadership and in a result that will surprise nobody Eric hubby has been declared the winner of the Republican U.S. Senate primary he had some nominal competition for that job but it was a race that he got into relatively late some minor candidates stepped in.
There was a long time where there was speculation that Tammy Waldoon might not even face major opposition but now we have Eric hubby who is very well financed and looks to be the nominee for the Republicans in the U.S. Senate race.
What very quick other update on election results Terry we do now have some more election results in the third congressional democratic primary with 45% of the overall vote in Rebecca Cook now leads Katrina shankland 53% to 37% Eric Wilson has 9.7% but good news for shankland as a wood County which is in at least partly in her assembly district just over 3% of the vote it would have been.
But shankland leads that 61.9 to 34.5% okay we want to bring Savannah to me also back into the conversation we're talking about the race for Dane County executive and how important that job is now with Dane County growing in population and it's always had a lot of status among Wisconsin counties but it is really you know becoming a huge population center.
It really is and I think more than anything Joe Parisi has really left a legacy for Dane County this is somebody who was kind of for a lot of the time in office was kindness sitting in the background getting stuff done and every time leading up to his retirement I would talk to staffers or people in other county offices that was the sentiment that they had that this is somebody who knows how to do things and doesn't have to be flashy or even overly political about a lot of it.
It just wants to actually do the work to make life better for people in Dane County so that will easily be something that the candidate who wins will need to focus on how do we make life better especially as it grows and we have challenges as it grows for sure.
How can we do that for Dane County so alphabetical order we have Melissa A guard who just gave up her seat in the Senate to run for this role Dana Pelabon she's the executive director of the rape crisis center what sparkman is Dane County's director of equity and inclusion and then Madison Alder Regina Vittiver and as of right now Melissa A guard is up in that race and that's honestly unsurprising simply because of the fact that she has the most name recognition here in Madison and throughout Dane County and just she has held the highest office.
I saw a headline the other day that said it's a four candidate race but can Melissa A guard be stopped so that'll be the interesting thing to watch tonight especially I'm curious who comes in second to be honest.
Well I said the top two vocators move on so it might be a race for second place to go ahead with that November election.
So quick election results from the results desk here at civic media tonight on primary election night Matt Smith from W ISN channel 12 in Milwaukee reporting with 48% of Wisconsin's 24th assembly district area touched on this earlier the Trump endorse candidate Janelle brandage and trails Dan Canota but it's close 49 well I shouldn't say close anymore.
Change 59 to 41% so Canota leading a branch in 59 to 41% with about half of the votes counted thus far in the 24th assembly district.
Very good we are keeping track of some other races too if we could bring Joanne crew lots in from the Driftless region Southwest Wisconsin and Richland Center Joanne welcome to the program.
I think Joanne your mic is muted if I'm looking correctly there we need to unmute yeah then we can hear you.
Well work on that okay a little bit here.
Well it's okay by have some numbers for us.
Hi Joanne.
Hi sorry about that.
The 40th assembly district which is you know Central Wisconsin covers Northern Columbia County and Eastern and Southern soft counties and there's a three Democrats running and that's carrying the Santa Barbara and she leads with 57% of the vote.
I'll connect he has a mere Matt has 27% and Brad cook of party bill trails with 15% and the district actually is 55% democratic.
So and then the 96th assembly district is which is represented by Lauren Olvenberg of the well for who's a Republican.
She's running he's running on a post and those 96th assembly is covers Western Wisconsin and the comprises all of her in County a part of Southwest across County and in the primary there are two Democrats facing up.
She is performing the cross county board chair to her Johnson Shelby.
She currently leads with 44% of precincts in 81% to Steve Campbell of the rope was 19%.
Both candidates support legalization of marijuana and evers vetoes of GOP efforts to do three lemonade diversity equity and inclusion positions and state government.
Thank you very much. Joanne will check a few in a bit. Melissa Cade you have some new numbers for us on the constitutional amendment question.
You know Terry this is actually really encouraging where at 47% of the votes counted according to AP and 59.4% are voting no.
And Wisconsinites are talking speaking out against the imbalance of power that the legislature is trying to seize here.
They responded well to the mailings that went out to said we want checks and balances in our constitution.
And that's encouraging.
Thank you, Melissa. We're getting closer to the top of the hour taught a lot.
You have any results to share with us.
It's kind of refreshing this again. It's looking like my different sources I'm following tonight.
It appears that there it's not officially been called yet, but they're saying that looks pretty good for Clancy that that more progressive candidate down there in the Democratic primary in Southeast Wisconsin.
That would be a loss for the Democratic party because they came out against the challenger.
Okay, very good civic media primary election.
I coverage continues on your civic media radio station and civic media.
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