Wisconsin GOP Leader Faces Potential Recall Election as Commission Counts Valid Signatures
As per the latest development, supporters of ex-President Donald Trump, have crossed a major hurdle in the possible recall election of Wisconsin’s top Republican leader – Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. The recall campaign has reportedly garnered a minimum of 16 valid signatures more than the required amount. This information is based on a review by the state’s elections commission, which was revealed on Tuesday.
Pending Decision of the Commission
The Wisconsin Elections Commission plans to meet on Thursday to determine whether to order a recall election targeting Vos. The central query for the commission, however, relates to the region from which the signatures for the mandatory recall should have been sourced. They are yet to establish whether the signatures should have come from Vos’s original district, where he was elected to represent in the 2022 election, or the district drawn up under new mappings for the 2024 election.
An interesting twist to the story is the fact that if they consider the old maps as the base for their decision, the petition circulators have just managed to collect enough signatures to force a recall. However, if new maps are considered, the effort fails short by over 3,000 signatures. Importantly, the commission’s staff has refrained from taking any stance on which maps should be used in this process. Once the commission makes its decision, it can be further appealed in the circuit court.
Backdrop of the Recall Effort
Trump backers initiated the recall effort against Vos, a figure recognized as the longest-serving Assembly speaker in Wisconsin’s history, after he declined their calls to decertify President Joe Biden’s tight triumph in the state. Biden’s victory margin, which was approximately 21,000 votes, has survived two partial recounts, multiple lawsuits, an independent audit, and a review by a conservative law firm.
Vos spurred further discontent among Trump’s supporters when he declined to support a proposal to impeach Meagan Wolfe, the state’s leading elections official. In spite of this, Vos has dismissed the recall efforts, labeling those behind it as “whack jobs and morons”. He conveyed strong faith that the petitioners have not gathered a sufficient number of legal signatures. He is expected to present this argument before the commission on Thursday.
Future Implications
If the commission greenlights the recall election, it would be scheduled for August 6. If more than two candidates participate in the recall election, the date for the primaries will be the same, with the actual recall election held on September 3. Vos is also slated to be on the ballot for the state’s regular fall primary election on August 13, seeking another two-year term.
If Vos were to lose in the potential recall election, he would only be out of office for the remainder of the year. If successful in the general election, he would then resume office in January. The Legislature is not scheduled to reconvene until January.
