Voters in Wisconsin go the polls for recall primaries today. The marquee race is between four Democrats vying for a chance to challenge Republican Governor Scott Walker in the June recall. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is the frontrunner according to most polling, but he faces strong challenge from former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. Secretary of State Doug La Follette and state Senator Kathleen Vinehout are both expected to poll in the single digits.
Walker faces a challenge of sorts as well: Arthur Kohl-Riggs, a persistent protestor and Capitol gadfly, is on the Republican ballot.
Madison firefighter Mahlon Mitchell and Milwaukee private investigator Ira Robins are the Democrats seeking to run against Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch.
There are also Democratic primaries in four state Senate districts. As in the Democratic primaries for governor and lieutenant governor, there are Republicans running as ‘placeholder’ candidates, in order to give the GOP senators more time to campaign.
In the 13th District, Lori Compas, who organized the recall against Republican state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, is on the ballot with placeholder Gary Ellerman. In the 21st District, former state Senator John Lehman, who’s hoping to take back the seat he lost to Senator Van Waangard, is on the ballot with Tamra Varebrook . In the 23rd District of GOP Senator Terry Moulton former state Representative Kristen Dexter is on the ballot with placeholder James Engel. And in the 29th District where GOP state Senator Pam Galloway resigned, state Representative Donna Seidel is on the ballot with Jim Buckley.
Recall ballot (PDF)