Turnout in Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary could indicate which way voters in the battleground state intend to swing in November.
Republican state lawmakers are hoping to galvanize their base by putting two constitutional amendments to the ballot to curb Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ power to spend federal funds.
Meanwhile, business developer Eric Hovde won handily in the Republican primary for Senate and is expected to challenge Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in November.
There are also two major House primary elections: a hotly contested Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District, which Democrats hope to win in November, and a Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional District.
Voters already went to cast their ballots in the presidential primary in April, and only the most interested Wisconsin voters are likely to head to the polls.
That means Tuesday’s turnout in a state where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by just 20,000 votes will give an indication of which party is doing well ahead of the November vote.
A local Marquette Law School poll last week showed a close race between Trump and Harris, with Trump leading by just 1 percentage point among Wisconsin voters.
The most significant items on the primary ballot are two proposed constitutional amendments that would require Congress to approve the allocation of federal funds such as COVID-19 relief funds, highlighting tensions in divided government in a traditionally Democratic state.
“While it may be an inconvenience for Tony Evers and his out-of-state donors, Wisconsinites have a right to demand transparency and accountability in how their government spends their hard-earned money,” Matt Fischer, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Republican Party, told The Washington Post.
Evers, an ally of Harris and Walz, was accused of using his power to unilaterally spend $5 billion in federal pandemic relief funds to misappropriate distributions in his 2022 reelection bid, making payments to liberal allies in “oral conversations” rather than written documents. Bipartisan audit finds.
External Expenditures The amendment is widely supported Those who have taken a “no” stance on the amendment say it amounts to an undemocratic power grab.
“Governor Evers spent $9.3 million in COVID relief funds to build a soccer stadium in downtown Milwaukee,” Kyle Koenen, policy director at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), told The Post.
WILL is one of two conservative groups with six-figure funding supporting the amendment.
“It’s ironic to see the governor’s spokesperson say this bill would destroy checks and balances,” Koenen said. “This amendment is a pro-democracy proposal.”
Business developer Eric Hovde won handily in the Republican primary for Senate and is expected to challenge Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in November.
Three Democrats are vying for a chance to take on Republican Rep. Derrick Van Alden, who is endorsed by President Trump, in November. Van Alden’s race was the closest of the 2022 midterm elections, and Democrats are hoping to flip it.
Former fundraiser and strategist Rebecca Cook is the overwhelming leader in fundraising and is seen as a stronger challenger, but many state Democratic leaders are backing state Rep. Katrina Shankland, 20. Eric Wilson, who has worked in real estate and health care, is also in the race.
In the 8th Congressional District, Trump carries the ball. Tony Weed is The two candidates are state senator Andrew Jack, an anti-abortion supporter, and former state senator Roger Ross, who calls himself a “Trump conservative” despite being denied by President Trump.
The outcome of the primary, aimed at filling the seat vacated by Mike Gallagher earlier this year, will be a gauge of Trump’s influence in northern Wisconsin.
