Biden, Trump advance in Wisconsin presidential primaries (UNDATED)
Wisconsin’s choices for presidential candidates are in. Donald Trump and President Joe Biden will be the Republican and Democratic nominees for president. With no close rivals in either party, the two races were a near lock ahead of the Tuesday election. Trump beat rival Nikki Haley with 78 percent of the vote. Over 8 percent of Democratic ballots came in “uninstructed”, as part of a protest against President Biden’s handling of the Gaza crisis. As of 11 pm Thursday night, that was over 46 thousand votes which is more than double Biden’s margin of victory in 2020. –
Two Wisconsin constitutional amendments approved (UNDATED)
A pair of amendments to the Wisconsin constitution passed Tuesday night. The two measures change how local clerks can accept outside support during elections. They ban local clerks from taking private funding to support election efforts, and prevent anyone from third parties from assisting in the voting process. The Republican authored measures were a response to complaints by former President Trump over the handling of the 2020 presidential election. Democrats say those measures didn’t need to be amendments but rather could have gone through the normal law making process. –
Local Milwaukee votes in Tuesday night elections (MILWAUKEE)
Two key votes in Milwaukee in the Tuesday night elections. A massive 252 million dollar school spending referendum in Milwaukee has been approved by a narrow margin, 51 to 49 percent. The district is facing a 200 million dollar deficit, and said if the spending measure didn’t pass, there would be more cuts in the district. Milwaukee city attorney Tearman Spencer has lost to former Democratic State Representative Evan Goyke. Goyke dropped out of the Assembly to run against Spencer, who faced criticism after his deputy was caught doing work for his personal firm on city time.
Biden back in Wisconsin next week (WASHINGTON DC)
President Joe Biden will be back in Wisconsin next week. Biden will be in Madison on Monday to talk about lowering costs for Americans. The White House announced the upcoming visit as Wisconsin voters headed to the polls for primary Election Day Tuesday, and hours before Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Green Bay. The event will be Biden’s third trip this year to Wisconsin and his 10th as president. Last month, Biden was in Milwaukee to announce new federal funding for transportation infrastructure. In February he was in Superior to announce federal funding for a major bridge project.
Evers vetoes trans sports ban bill (MADISON) Governor Tony Evers vetoes Republican legislation that would prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports. Evers in his veto message on Tuesday said the bill “would embolden anti-LGBTQ harassment, bullying, and violence, and threaten the safety and dignity of LGBTQ kids.” He’d previously promised to veto any such legislation. The author, Representative Barbara Dittrich of Oconomowoc, issued a statement in which she called Evers’ veto “disgusting” and argued he has a “misogynistic and hateful position toward actual females.” She promised to reintroduce the bill.
Absentee voting down from pandemic high (MADISON) The number of Wisconsin voters casting absentee ballots is declining. According to data released Tuesday by the Wisconsin Elections Commission, absentee voting continues to decrease from the high seen four years ago. The latest update showed 358,180 absentee ballot requests for Tuesday’s spring election. That’s down from the 908,444 absentee ballots clerks sent out for the 2020 presidential primary as requests spiked at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.