Wisconsin
Wisconsin Elections Commission approves third-party candidates for the ballot
RFK Jr. drops out of presidential race, endorses Donald Trump
Kennedy’s decision came amid speculation that he’s looking to be involved in a second Trump administration.
A day after the state Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to remove Green Party candidate Jill Stein from the ballot in Wisconsin, the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission confirmed she will appear on November ballots in the battleground state.
The commission on Tuesday also kept independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the ballot, though he has suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump. While he has tried to remove his name from the ballot in battleground states, Wisconsin law does not allow for Kennedy to retract his nomination at this point.
Wisconsin election commissioners also approved independent candidate Cornel West for the ballot after rejecting a challenge that argued his declarations of candidacy were not properly filed due to notarization issues. A Democratic National Committee employee filed that challenge, and another against Stein.
More: How Democrats are seeking to block 3rd party candidates from Wisconsin’s ballot
In the latest Marquette University Law School poll released in early August and before Kennedy dropped out, Vice President Kamala Harris had a two-point lead over Trump when third-party candidates were factored in. Polling for Kennedy has declined to 8% from double digits earlier in the year, and other third-party candidates are polling at 1% or less in Wisconsin.
Here’s what to know about WEC’s action, and why third-party candidates will appear on the ballot in Wisconsin.
Will Jill Stein be on the ballot in Wisconsin?
The Wisconsin Elections Commission approved Stein for the ballot on Tuesday. Back in February, the commission cleared the way for allowing candidates from the Green Party to appear on Wisconsin’s ballot.
On Monday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also declined to hear a challenge to Stein’s inclusion on the ballot. But WEC chairwoman Ann Jacobs anticipated there would be further lawsuits over the inclusion of the Green Party on the ballot.
“This is a big win against the anti-Democratic Party’s war on democracy and voter choice,” Stein said in a statement Monday. “The Democrats constantly preach about ‘saving democracy,’ when in reality they’ve been doing everything they can to crush democracy by trying to remove the Green Party and others from the ballot.”
The Republican Party of Wisconsin also viewed the court’s decision as a win. “If Democrats hope to win over voters, they will have to do so through earnest persuasion instead of disqualification,” state party chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement.
Will RFK Jr. be on the ballot in Wisconsin?
Kennedy’s name will remain on Wisconsin’s ballot, though he is no longer running for president as an independent and has thrown his support behind Trump. That means votes could still be cast for him in Wisconsin.
After his exit from the race, Kennedy has moved to remove his name from ballots in several battleground states, such as Arizona, where he believes his “presence would be a spoiler.” Kennedy also filed that request with Wisconsin election commissioners.
But Wisconsin law says that anyone who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot — which Kennedy did — cannot decline nomination. That person will appear on the ballot “except in case of death of the person.”
Multiple commissioners raised questions about Kennedy’s request and noted the ballot had not yet been set — it was the point of the meeting. But the commission voted 5-1 to keep Kennedy on the ballot, with Republican appointee Bob Spindell casting the only “no” vote.
Don Millis, a Republican appointee to the commission, said the statute was “troubling for me.”
“Before we set the ballot, it seems to me that it makes sense to allow a candidate to withdraw, and that’s what I’m struggling with,” Millis said.
But other commissioners said there was no room for discretion with the statute. “The only way he gets to not be on the ballot is to up and die, which I’m assuming he has no plans on doing,” Jacobs said. “The statute is absolutely clear on this.”
“I think we got to follow the law on this. We get sued enough. This one is clearly an invitation to get sued again,” Mark Thomsen, a Democratic appointee to the commission, said.
More: What to know about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid to get on Wisconsin’s presidential ballot
Will Cornel West be on the ballot in Wisconsin?
The commission also approved independent candidate Cornel West to appear on Wisconsin’s ballot.
Earlier in the meeting, the commission heard a challenge to his inclusion on the ballot related to his and running mate Melina Abdullah’s declarations of candidacy and disputes over notarizing the documents.
WEC commissioners rejected that challenge 5-1, with Jacobs casting the only “no” vote and explaining she thought West should appear on the ballot but not Abdullah due to notary issues with her forms.
West’s candidacy was boosted in Wisconsin by Trump allies who believe third-party candidates could help the former president’s chances in November. Four individuals employed at a Republican-aligned political canvasing firm worked as circulators to gather signatures in support of West in Wisconsin, USA TODAY reported.
More: Cornel West boosted by Trump allies to get name on Wisconsin ballot
Who are the presidential candidates on the Wisconsin ballot?
After the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s actions Tuesday, the following presidential and vice presidential names will appear on the ballot in the Nov. 5 election:
Major party candidates
- Kamala D. Harris and Tim Walz, Democratic party
- Donald J. Trump and JD Vance, Republican party
- Randall Terry and Stephen Broden, Constitution party
- Chase Russell Oliver and Mike ter Maat, Libertarian party
- Jill Stein and Butch Ware, Wisconsin Green party
Independent candidates
- Cornel West and Melina Abdullah, Justice For All party
- Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia, Party for Socialism and Liberation
- Robert F. Kennedy and Nicole Shanahan, We The People party
President Joe Biden was able to be replaced on the ballot after dropping out of the presidential race in July, because the deadline to place him on the ballot had not yet passed. The deadline for parties to certify their candidates’ names with WEC is Sept. 3.
Some voters in Wisconsin will receive ballots with the names soon: The deadline for clerks to send absentee ballots to voters with requests on file is Sept. 19.
More: The deadline has not passed in Wisconsin to replace Biden on the ballot. Here’s why.
What do polls show about third-party candidates in Wisconsin?
In the Marquette University Law School poll released earlier this month, Kennedy stood at 8% among registered voters, a drop from 13% and 16% in earlier months. Stein polled at 1% in that poll, and West at less than 0.5%. Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver also polled at 1%.
Poll director Charles Franklin this week noted more Republicans than Democrats supported Kennedy and said Kennedy’s decision to endorse Trump would “probably” bring those Republicans back behind the former president.
The survey earlier this month found 21% of independents support Kennedy, Franklin noted, and the tendencies of third-party voters are difficult to predict.
“We find that they don’t go 100% to sort of their natural affinity group,” Franklin said of Kennedy voters potentially supporting Trump. “And part of that is because the reason they’re voting for Kennedy in the first place is they don’t like Donald Trump. If they liked Donald Trump, they would have been voting for him to begin with.”
“Some of them will drop out,” Franklin said. “Some of them might switch to another third-party candidate, some might not vote at all because, as a group, they’re pretty disaffected with government.”
Franklin added of the third-party influence in Wisconsin: “Bottom line is I’m not expecting a big shift.” He said Stein and West’s presence on the ballot would likely draw votes from Harris.
Stein last appeared on Wisconsin’s ballot in 2016, receiving more than 31,000 votes in Wisconsin, which many believe could have helped Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. A couple thousand votes can determine elections in battleground Wisconsin: In 2020, Biden won the state by just over 20,000 votes, similar to Trump’s margin over Clinton four years earlier.
Franklin plans to put a new poll into the field on Wednesday without Kennedy’s name mentioned in the multi-candidate race.
He said the poll would ask a separate question about support for Kennedy if he had remained in the race.
“It’s complicated when somebody has said he’s no longer a candidate but his name is still there,” Franklin said.
Wisconsin
Tranfser Portal Predcition: Wisconsin trasnfer John Blackwell likely to land with contender
John Blackwell is one of the more sought-after players still available in the NCAA transfer portal. Big-time programs are coming after the former Wisconsin Badgers guard. And now, On3’s Joe Tipton is calling his shot on where Blackwell will end up.
Tipton has put in an RPM for Blackwell to commit and sign with the Duke Blue Devils. His level of confidence sits at 60%. If Duke head coach Jon Scheyer can get this one over the finish line, it could prove to be a massive addition.
“Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell is one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal,” Tipton said. “The 6-foot-4 shooting guard took an official visit to Duke on Monday and the Blue Devils are carrying the momentum in this recruitment. I’ve officially placed an RPM prediction in favor of Duke to ultimately land the star transfer.”
The On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings have Blackwell slotted as the No. 5 overall player to enter this cycle. Just looking at shooting guards, only one guy is ahead of him — Wake Forest‘s Juke Harris.
Blackwell spent three seasons in Madison before entering the transfer portal. He was in double figures over the last two years, averaging 19.1 points during the 2025-2026 campaign. Duke will enjoy his efficiency as well, shooting 43% from the field and 38.9% behind the three-point line.
There is more to what Blackwell can do than just shoot, though. He snagged just over five rebounds and dished out 2.3 assists per game.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Before the RPM pick from Tipton, the latest update on where things stood with Blackwell came on Saturday. Tipton laid out who else is still considered to be in the running, including a visit schedule for the Wisconsin transfer. You can check out the full piece of intel here.
Duke has turned into one of the more consistent programs in college basketball, playing at a high level under Scheyer. The last three seasons have resulted in at least an Elite Eight appearance, even making the Final Four in 2025. Still, the expectations in Durham are to win a national championship. Maybe Blackwell is the guy who can help them take the next step forward.
Wisconsin
Rubber bullet carnage as 1,000 animal welfare activists storm beagle breeding lab in Wisconsin | Fortune
About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
“I just feel defeated,” activist Julie Vrzeski told the newspaper about three hours into the operation after no dogs had been successfully seized.
Activists later moved from the Ridglan facility to protest outside the jail in downtown Madison.
The group Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs had publicized plans to seize the dogs Sunday but launched its operation a day earlier. The X account of the group’s leader, Wayne Hsiung, posted a picture of him being arrested.
The sheriff’s department said a person who “recklessly” drove a pickup through the front gate of the property was arrested, “preventing a potentially deadly outcome.”
Protesters broke into the facility in March and took 30 dogs. Twenty-seven people were arrested on trespassing and other charges.
Ridglan has denied mistreating animals but agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.
On its website it says “no credible evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, mistreatment or neglect at Ridglan Farms has ever been presented or substantiated.”
Wisconsin
Wisconsin authorities put total arrests from clashes at beagle breeding facility at about 25
MADISON (AP) — Around 25 protesters were arrested as around 1,000 animal welfare activists tried to gain entry to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin and were met by officers firing pepper spray and rubber bullets, authorities said Sunday.
Saturday’s protest was the second attempt in as many months by demonstrators to take beagles from Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison. They were turned back by officers who arrested the group’s leader.
Owen Ziliak/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office said the situation was “significantly calmer and more peaceful” on Sunday, when around 200 people assembled outside the farm. They dispersed after around two hours, it said.
“We’re pleased with the group’s cooperation today, and their willingness to remain peaceful, while still sending their message of concern for the dogs at Ridglan Farms,” Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a statement. “We are happy to support anyone who wants to exercise the right to protest, as long as they do so lawfully.”
Owen Ziliak/The Wisconsin State Journal via AP
The sheriff had said in a video statement Saturday that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property.” They tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence.
Owen Ziliak/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
Some got through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
Those arrested included the leader of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, Wayne Hsiung, 44, of New York, who was being held on a tentative felony charge of conspiracy to commit burglary. But most arrestees were just booked and released, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.
“No one should be assaulted for giving aid to a dog, even if damage to property is part of that rescue effort,” Hsuing said in a statement from jail Sunday that also accused authorities of using excessive force. “The animals of this Earth are not “things.” They’re sentient beings. And we have the right to rescue them from abuse,” he concluded.
Protesters took 30 dogs when they broke into the facility in March, when authorities arrested 27 people.
Ridglan denies mistreating animals but agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 in a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.
On its website, the company says “no credible evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, mistreatment or neglect at Ridglan Farms has ever been presented or substantiated.”
Let’s talk:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
Report a typo or error
-
Technology11 minutes agoThe Vergecast Vergecast, 2026 edition
-
World17 minutes agoMexico pyramid shooter who took hostages and killed 1 is identified
-
Politics23 minutes agoByron Donalds cracks down on persistent border blind spot leaving US vulnerable to overstays
-
Health29 minutes agoHealthy diets spark lung cancer risk in non-smokers as pesticides loom
-
Sports35 minutes agoPGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule
-
Technology41 minutes agoAlexa+ lets you order food like a real conversation
-
Business47 minutes agoNew lawsuit alleges Uber is violating drivers’ rights. Here’s how
-
Entertainment53 minutes agoReview: Trigger warning? ‘For Want of a Horse’ gives new meaning to the term ‘animal lover’