The state’s Presidential Preference Selection Committee has certified candidates for the April 3rd primary. The committee, which has convened every four years since 1968, met in the state Capitol and approved the candidates from lists submitted by representatives of the two political parties. President Barack Obama for the Democrats, and seven candidates for the Republicans: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachman and Jon Huntsman.
Kevin Kennedy, Wisconsin’s chief elections officer, says the annual meeting of this Presidential Preference Selection Committee is usually pretty noncontroversial, but not always. “Harold Stasson sued us when we didn’t put him on one time,” noted Kennedy. “David Duke was put on the ballot one time. That was very controversial at the time, because the Republicans did not want him on the ballot, the Democrats did. He was kept off the ballot, but sued to get on.”
As for candidates who may still wish to get on the ballot for the state’s primary, they have four weeks to gather a minimum of 8,000 signatures – 1,000 from each of the state’s congressional districts.