Wisconsin’s
2018 Partisan Primary is Tuesday, August 14.
There are several statewide races on the ballot. Primaries are also required
for some State Assembly, State Senate and U.S. House races. The winners of
these primaries will be on the general election ballot on November 6.
Governor
An
eight-person Democratic primary field is vying for a chance to challenge
Governor Walker, who is running for his third term. Democratic candidates
include State Senator Kathleen Vinehout, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, State
Superintendent Tony Evers, former State Representative Kelda Roys, attorney
Matt Flynn, political activist Mike McCabe, President of the Professional Fire
Fighters of Wisconsin Mahlon Mitchell, and attorney Josh Pade. Governor Walker
has a Republican primary election against software publisher Robert Meyer.
Education
has become a top issue in the race as Governor Walker is campaigning as the
“pro-education” governor. He has featured his investments in education in his campaign
ads and has said that he will continue the UW System Tuition Freeze if
re-elected. Walker’s Republican primary
opponent, Robert Meyer, says he will work to improve education outcomes for all
students. Every Democratic candidate calls for increased K-12 education funding
in their education proposals. Roys, Soglin and Vinehout all reference the need
to make changes to the school funding formula on their campaign websites while
Evers has released a proposal to change the formula as part of his 2019-21
state budget request. In addition, all of the candidates have gone to the
record saying that they support the repeal
of Act 10. Flynn, Evers, Mitchell and Roys say on their campaign websites that
they support creating a way to re-finance student loans. Flynn says on his
campaign website that he will stop expansion of the school choice program, Vinehout
has links to several columns she’s written expressing concerns about expansion
and funding of the choice program, and McCabe and Roys say that they will phase
it out.
Josh Pade Campaign Website (does
not have dedicated issues section)
Lt.
Governor
There
is also a Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor. Former state
representative Mandela Barnes is running against entrepreneur Kurt Kober. Kober
says that education will be his top priority if elected, and lays out proposals
to change the school funding formula, reduce standardized testing and
streamline education to promote lifelong learning on his campaign website.
Barnes also lists education as a top priority and supports modifying the school
funding formula, community schools, free two-year college and debt-free four
year college.
Current
Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch does not have a primary challenger.
Lt. Governor
Kleefisch (does not appear to have an active campaign website yet, but is featured
on Governor Walker’s site).
State
Treasurer and Secretary of State
There
are both Republican and Democratic primaries in the race to fill the open State
Treasurer seat. A key issue in the campaign has been the future of the office
now that voters have rejected the idea of eliminating the office. There are also
Republican and Democratic primaries for Secretary of State. Both of these
offices serve on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which oversees the
Common School Fund. To see where the
candidates for the two offices stand on issues important to WEMTA, check out our
voter guide or older posts that we've done on this blog about the races.
U.S.
Senate
A
tough Republican primary is taking place for one of Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate
seats. State Senator Leah Vukmir is squaring off against retired Marine Kevin
Nicholson for a chance to challenge Senator Tammy Baldwin.
Current
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin does not have a primary challenger.
Wisconsin Primary
Election Information
Primary: August
14, 2018
Polls Open: 7 a.m.
to 8 p.m.
One-Party Primary
Voting: You can only participate in one party’s primary.
You will need to decide whether you want to vote in the Republican, Democratic,
Libertarian, Wisconsin Green, or Constitution party primary.
In-Person Early
Voting: Check with your local clerk about early voting
hours in your municipality: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/MyMunicipalClerk.
Absentee Ballots: The deadline to request an
absentee ballot be sent to you is 5 p.m. on August 9. You must provide a photocopy of your photo ID
when requesting an absentee ballot. Your completed absentee ballot must be delivered
no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day. It is recommended that you place
your completed absentee ballot in the mail one week before Election Day to
ensure that it arrives in time.
Registering to
Vote: You can register to vote at the polls on Election Day. You
will need to bring proof of residence, such as a valid driver’s license or
state ID card, a bank statement, paycheck, or recent gas, electric or telephone
bill. NOTE: This is not a complete list of acceptable proof of residence
documents.
Photo ID: A
photo ID is required to vote. Visit www.bringitwisconsin.com to see
a list of acceptable IDs.
General Election: November 6, 2018. The winner
of each party’s primary will advance to the General Election ballot.
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