Name: Democrats' fight to save Tony Evers' veto begins with primary
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Democrats' fight to save Tony Evers' veto begins with primary

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Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. You can cancel at any time!Loading&amp;hellp;{{title}}{{description}}{{banner}}(renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax){{tagline}}{{special_title}}{{html}}You have permission to edit this article.© 2022 Lee EnterprisesShare ThisDemocrats' fight to save Tony Evers' veto begins with primaryShare thisWisconsin Democrats’ effort to “Save the Veto” begins with Tuesday’s legislative primaries, races that will set the stage for November contests that will determine whether Republicans gain enough seats that they can override Gov. Tony Evers’ vetoes and largely remove the governor from the political equation for at least the next two years.Also on tap are two closely watched Republican primaries for congressional races, including one to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who has represented the reliably conservative suburban Milwaukee 5th District since 1979.Republicans in the Legislature head into the fall elections with comfortable majorities in both the Assembly and Senate, thanks largely to favorable district boundaries the GOP drew up in 2011. The GOP’s goal now is to flip three Democratic seats in each chamber, giving them veto-proof majorities for redistricting next year that will establish maps for the next decade and the ability to write state law without worrying about Evers blocking them.But first, the primaries. There are 28 legislative primaries on Tuesday, including eight in the Senate and 20 in the Assembly. Fifteen primaries will determine or almost certainly determine the winner either because there is no challenger from the other party in November or because the district is so heavily skewed for the controlling party.Six Senate primaries are for open seats, including two that have been held by Republicans and four by Democrats. The GOP wants to flip two of those seats.One of them is on the western side of the state, where former state Agriculture Secretary Brad Pfaff is locked in a three-way Democratic primary for former Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling’s seat in the 32nd District. Pfaff decided to run for the Legislature after the Republican-controlled Senate fired him from his job as agriculture secretary last year.Republican Dan Kapanke is waiting to take on the Democratic candidate in November. Kapanke defeated Pfaff to win the seat in 2004, but lost it to Shilling in a 2011 recall spurred by anger over former Gov. Scott Walker’s Act 10 union law. He ran again in 2016, only to lose to Shilling in a recount.The other open seat in the GOP’s crosshairs is in northeastern Wisconsin’s 30th Senate District. Sandra Ewald of Green Bay and Jonathon Hansen of De Pere are vying for the Democratic nomination. Hansen’s uncle, Dave Hansen, retired this year after holding the seat for 19 years. Waiting to take on the Democratic nominee in November is Green Bay lawyer Eric Wimberger. Republicans like his chances; the district leans conservative and Dave Hansen was often seen as vulnerable.The third Senate seat Republicans want to take from Democrats is the 10th District in northwestern Wisconsin. Incumbent Democrat Patty Schachtner won the traditionally Republican district in a 2018 special election and the GOP wants it back. State Rep. Rob Stafsholt and boutique store owner Cherie Link of Somerset are vying for the Republican nomination.Five Republicans are vying for the right to replace David Craig in southeastern Wisconsin’s heavily conservative 28th Senate District. Craig, a hard-line Republican, decided to retire in May, saying he needed a break from public life. Democrat Adam Murphy will take on the GOP nominee in November, but the district is so heavily red the GOP primary will for all practical purposes determine who gets the seat.Republicans also are looking to retain an open seat in south-central Wisconsin’s 14th Senate District after moderate incumbent Luther Olsen announced his retirement in February after serving 16 years. State Rep. Joan Ballweg and restaurant owner Ken Van Dyke are in the GOP primary. The winner will face Democrat Joni Anderson. Every county in the district voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, an ominous sign for Anderson.One of the safest Democratic seats in the state, covering the heart of liberal Madison, is open for the first time since 1956. Seven Democrats are running, including two Muslim women and three African Americans, with no Republican candidates. That means the winner of the primary will take the seat, which World War II veteran Fred Risser first won in a 1962 special election. He is retiring at age 93 as the longest-serving legislator in the country.Other notable primaries include:The Wisconsin State Journal asked area candidates in the Aug. 11 partisan primary why they deserve your vote. Read their responses.The GOP’s goal is to flip three Democratic seats in each chamber of the Wisconsin Legislature, giving them veto-proof majorities.The GOP's goal is to flip three Democratic seats in each chamber of the Wisconsin Legislature, giving them veto-proof majorities.Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Former Wisconsin state senators, Tim Cullen, a Democrat, and Dale Schultz, a Republican, couldn't have picked a better time to write their col…{{title}}{{summary}}You don't have any notifications.Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.Topics

Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. You can cancel at any time!Loading&amp;hellp;{{title}}{{description}}{{banner}}(renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax){{tagline}}{{special_title}}{{html}}You have permission to edit this article.© 2022 Lee EnterprisesShare ThisDemocrats' fight to save Tony Evers' veto begins with primaryShare thisWisconsin Democrats’ effort to “Save the Veto” begins with Tuesday’s legislative primaries, races that...

Democrats' fight to save Tony Evers' veto begins with primary

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