Two Democrats kept their seats in the Wisconsin State Senate on Tuesday, drawing an end to an unprecedented series of recall elections that had distracted the state all summer.
Jim Holperin and Bob Wirch had been among the senators — the entire Democratic caucus — who left Wisconsin for weeks in an effort to block a measure to curtail collective bargaining rights for public workers.
The fight over the measure, which ultimately passed the Republican-dominated Capitol, led to nine recall efforts against senators on both sides. In the end, seven of the nine kept their jobs, and Republicans maintained their control of that chamber, though by a significantly slimmed margin — 17 Republicans to 16 Democrats.
On Tuesday, Mr. Holperin survived a challenge from Kim Simic, in the state’s northern section, and Mr. Wirch, of Pleasant Prairie, defeated Jonathan Steitz.
This leaves us with Wisconsin as a virutely deadlocked state, with a single Republican lead over the Democrats. The results of millions upon millions of out of state money pouring in seems to have been making the incumbents of both parties bullet proof as out of the 9 only 2 lost their seats.
Which leads to a question. In state and local elections should we take steps to prevent outside groups and individuals from getting involved?
"it takes two sides to end a war but only one to start one. And those who do not have swords may still die upon them." Tolken
frigidmagi wrote:Which leads to a question. In state and local elections should we take steps to prevent outside groups and individuals from getting involved?
I'd say "yes, totally", keeping in mind Prop 8 in California and similar initiatives where outside lobby groups skewed the results.
I'd be happy to see similar rules in federal elections, but you've got to start somewhere, and it might as well be in local and state elections as in federal elections. The sooner someone (anyone) begins changing this, the better.
