Democrat Wins Wisconsin's First Recall Election

By Steve Contorno, Green Bay Press-Gazette

20 July 11

Wisconsin Democrat Dave Hansen defeats David VanderLeest in Senate recall election.

ne down, eight to go.

The summer of recalls had its first definitive outcome Tuesday night when Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, handily defeated Republican David VanderLeest with 66 percent of the vote.

Hansen's victory over a controversial candidate wasn't a shocker. VanderLeest's legal and financial troubles became the focus of his campaign, dragging down his bid even after he vowed not to discuss them anymore.

But the margin of victory and the turnout by voters were a first-round demonstration of the Democratic Party's ground game going into August, when six Republicans and two more Democrats face recall elections with control of state government hanging in the balance. If Democrats can net three seats, they will win back the Senate and provide a check to Republican Gov. Scott Walker's virtually unchallenged agenda. Republicans are fighting to guarantee control of the state through 2012.

"We win here big and move it forward to the next eight races. It's only the beginning," Hansen said at the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay as a raucous crowd cheered loudly, echoing chants heard during Madison protests earlier this year.

Recall committees targeting Democrats first materialized in February after Senate Democrats left the state in a failed attempt to block a vote on Walker's bill to end collective bargaining powers for most public employees. Similar groups organized against Senate Republicans formed shortly after they voted in favor of the legislation.

Democrats are hoping to build off the momentum from Hansen's race heading into the next elections. There's little doubt the stakes are high.

"Obviously, we are preparing for what will be the largest get-out-of-the-vote operation since Barack Obama was elected," said Mike Tate, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

"We live in a state where both bases are very, very engaged and energized."

The GOP is confident they have the forces to counter those efforts. Turnout was relatively high for Republicans running as protest candidates in Democratic primaries last week, and VanderLeest garnered 34 percent of the vote despite his tumultuous past.

"The Republican majority in our state Senate remains unchanged after tonight's results, and it will remain strong after the recall elections are completed next month," Republican Party of Wisconsin spokeswoman Katie McCallum said in a statement.

Hansen's victory may not be indicative of the rest of Wisconsin, where the eight remaining recall races are the first opportunity for voters to take decisive action for or against the direction Walker and Republicans have taken the state since January. That test will come Aug. 9 when six GOP senators face Democratic challengers followed by the Aug. 16 recall elections of Sens. Jim Holperin, D-Conover, and Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie.

Holperin and Wirch go up against Republicans Kim Simac and Jonathan Steitz, respectively, the winners in primary races Tuesday night.

Republicans remain insistent that the recalls are inappropriate and unnecessary. Still, they must take them seriously or risk losing their seat during such a politically charged time, said Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Allouez.

"The typical reaction I get from people I meet is, ‘Why are you going through this? How can they do this?'" said Cowles, who is running against Democrat Nancy Nusbaum of De Pere. "I'm doing what (voters) want me to do. I'll stick with my record."

Republicans labeled Hansen's right-leaning 30th District seat - representing much of Green Bay and parts of Brown, Oconto and Marinette counties - as very winnable after VanderLeest led a recall drive that collected 13,852 valid signatures to oust the three-term Democrat from office. But Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, the party favorite to win nomination, failed to make the ballot, leaving VanderLeest as the only Republican to challenge Hansen.

Regardless of the opponent, Hansen said the victory sets the tone moving forward.

"The motivation here in this room and in this state is incredible," Hansen said. "They see this as a defining moment."