Posted on 07/03/2012 3:47:46 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Madison - As Democrats celebrate a recount that reaffirmed state Senate candidate John Lehman's recall victory Monday, the campaign for Republican Sen. Van Wanggaard is considering a court challenge.
Republicans hold a 17-16 majority in the Senate, but the Racine County victory will put control in Democrats' hands once Lehman is sworn in. A legal challenge would be unlikely to change the results, but would delay the transfer of power until the court rules.
The Wanggaard campaign initially called for the recount after Democratic challenger Lehman netted an 834-vote victory in the 21st Senate District's June 5 recall election. Monday's final tally from the Racine County clerk's office reaffirmed that victory with 35,539 votes for Wanggaard and 36,358 for Lehman - a slightly tighter, 819-vote difference. Both candidates gained votes in the recount, in many cases because improperly filled out ballots that could not be recognized by voting machines were added by canvassers when they recounted the votes by hand.
Wanggaard has yet to concede.
"Unfortunately, rather than clarify the myriad of issues that surfaced on June 5, the recount uncovered even more suspicious activity," Wanggaard said Monday in a statement. "As with my decision to pursue the recount, I will spend the next couple of days reviewing the evidence, speaking with voters, supporters and my family before deciding my next step."
Last week, the Wanggaard campaign raised the possibility of a lawsuit, identifying issues with voters falling to sign or signing the incorrect poll book. Since then, questions have been raised about improperly sealed ballot bags, as well as allegations of absentee ballots that were pre-signed by local election officials in violation of state law.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
Wisconsin ping: Wanggaard recount
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Yeah, they ought to challenge it in court. And if it takes a quorum in the Senate to have him sworn in, the GOP senators should relocate to Illinois.
LOLOLO! Good one!
I’d demand a RE-CALL. It works for the dems.....!
Typical wishy-washy tentative Republican. Does anyone think a Democrat in the same position wouldn’t file a lawsuit immediately and do everything in his power to change the result?
Wouldn't the Demwits howl then! Poor Bill Maher would stroke out!
Turn-about is fair play! Take it to ‘em.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Under ‘normal’ “R” circumstances, the R Gov would probably have all the R no shows arrested and banned etc...and, as an act of ‘faith’ and fairness, name “D”’s to replace them.
Normally, yes. But not in Gov Walker’s case.
Reppublicans **never** win close election recounts.
They had to complete the recount before he could sue. The recount was completed yesterday.
They had to complete the recount before he could sue. The recount was completed yesterday.
The election was only for the remaining portion of the office term which is, IIRC, up in November.
In addition, hasn’t the regular session ended and, unless recalled by the governor, isn’t the legislature in recess for the remainder of the year?
Finally, I seem to recall a comment at the time of the recall election that there was a new redistricting plan taking effect with the November election that would make the senatorial district less “safe” for a Democrat.
If these things are so, it’s not much of a victory.
THe recount cut the winning difference from 834 to 819. They should keep recounting until the GOP wins! Follow the Alinsky-Soros playbook.
The 21st CD race was stolen. From the misappropriation of taxpayer resources - using the Racine public schools as a platform for political activism in a one-sided get out the vote effort - to the intentionally bungled election by the city of Racine which facilitated the chaos necessary for the left to steal the race.
No, Van Wanggaard was elected in 2010, which is why the union stooges had to wait until this year to recall him. The term runs until 2014.
However, there are multiple grounds for a challenge. One is the long list of irregularities that have already been documented, and the subsequent investigation which is going on now.
The other is the disenfranchisement of much of the district. The boundaries were redrawn last year, but the Democrat-controlled GAB decided that the recall election would take place in the old district. The new district is much more favorable to Wanggaard than the old swing district, and he would have won there. The recall election, however, disenfranchised those voters in the new district, which is now in effect, who did not get to vote for their senator.
The purported victor, convicted felon John Lehman, was often called “nobody’s senator but WEAC’s” during his last term, before he was defeated by Wanggaard.
So? What happens next?
Thanks for untangling my tangled recollections.
So, after all is said and done, if Lehman is affirmed as winner, does the area he represents encompass both the old and new districts?
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