Wisconsin

Wisconsin election leader ousted 6 months before election in swing state

Published

8 months ago

May 7, 2024

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Wisconsin election leader ousted 6 months before election in swing state

Trump campaigns in Wisconsin and Michigan

Trump campaigns in key swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan

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Milwaukee’s election leader has been ousted by the mayor, just months before Wisconsin’s largest city will be in the spotlight in a presidential swing state.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced Monday that he would be replacing Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall with her deputy, Paulina Gutierrez.

Milwaukee has been at the center of attention in Wisconsin, a state known for close elections and where four of the past six presidential contests have been decided by less than a percentage point.

In 2020, former President Donald Trump and others were quick to cry fraud after late-arriving results from Democratic-dominated Milwaukee helped President Biden narrowly carry the state by just under 21,000 votes. Recounts demanded by Trump confirmed Mr. Biden’s victory.

A recent swing state poll by CBS News showed that the 2024 presidential race between the candidates remains extremely tight, with both Mr. Biden and Trump eliciting feelings of worry and anger. With inflation looming large, many voters don’t say there’s been improvement in their state’s economy post-pandemic, and about half said they believe it has actually gotten worse in the pandemic’s aftermath.

Why was Claire Woodall ousted?

The change has nothing to do with how Woodall ran elections, but instead had to do with “other issues internal to the election commission office and to city government that raised concern,” said the mayor’s spokesperson Jeff Fleming. He declined to say what those issues were.

“People see one side on this side of the camera, but there are other things on the other side of the camera that I also have to deal with and that’s exactly what I did with my decision,” Johnson told WISN-TV. He declined to elaborate.

Woodall did not return messages seeking comment. Her replacement, Gutierrez, also did not return messages.

Woodall has been outspoken about the challenges she and other election officials have felt in recent years.

She has described being harassed and threatened after the 2020 election via email, phone calls and letters to her home — threats serious enough that she has an assigned FBI agent to forward them to.

The change came a week after Woodall’s former deputy, Kimberly Zapata, was sentenced to probation and fined $3,000 after being convicted of misconduct in office and fraud for obtaining fake absentee ballots. Zapata argued that she was acting as a whistleblower, exposing vulnerabilities in the state’s election system.

Johnson and others who work in elections stressed that the change would not affect how elections are run in Milwaukee.

“Paulina’s integrity and capabilities are ideally suited to this position,” Johnson said in a statement announcing the change. “She will lead the office at an important juncture when public scrutiny of the work of the department will be extremely high. I have confidence in her, and I will make certain the department has the resources it needs to fulfill its duties.”

Gutierrez has only been a staff member at the city election commission for a little over a year. Neil Albrecht, who led the office for 15 years before retiring in May 2020, has offered his assistance as a volunteer, Fleming said. Woodall took over for Albrecht in 2020 and had been leading the office until now.

Following his reelection in April, Johnson had to renominate all of his Cabinet-level positions for city council approval. That is why he decided to make the change at this time, Fleming said.

None of the city’s three election commissioners returned messages seeking comment. But Ann Jacobs, a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission from Milwaukee, said she was surprised by the move.

“Changes like this are always challenging, but given how many elections Wisconsin has there’s no ‘good time’ for these sort of changes to happen,” Jacobs said. “I expect the office to be professional and to continue their work and that the election will be run smoothly and properly.”

Jacobs stressed that elections are run by teams of people.

“The administration of elections isn’t something that is dependent on one person,” she said. “It is dependent on the workflow, the task flows and the operations of an entire office.”

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Wisconsin

Where does Wisconsin fit in the latest Big Ten men’s basketball power rankings?

Published

3 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Where does Wisconsin fit in the latest Big Ten men’s basketball power rankings?

It really is anybody’s race in the Big Ten Conference with just over a month to play, as several teams are all within striking distance of one another.

That makes putting together the latest power rankings tough, as it is a pool of a lot of quality teams without really a defacto No. 1.

For now, Illinois sits atop things thanks to four key victories throughout the year. Oregon is second followed by Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan. Red-hot Wisconsin, winners of five in a row, comes in at No. 6.

Below is the latest Big Ten Conference men’s basketball power rankings:

1. Illinois (12-4)

2. Oregon (15-2)

3. Michigan State (14-2)

4. Purdue (13-4)

5. Michigan (13-3)

6. Wisconsin (13-3)

7. Maryland (12-4)

8. UCLA (11-5)

9. Ohio State (10-6)

10. Nebraska (12-4)

11. Iowa (12-4)

12. Penn State (12-5)

13. Northwestern (10-6)

14. Indiana (13-4)

15. Southern Cal (10-6)

16. Washington (9-7)

17. Rutgers (8-8)

18. Minnesota (8-8)

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Wisconsin

Ad wars begin in closely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Published

11 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Press Room

Ad wars begin in closely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court race

It marks the first spending on TV ads in the closely watched race in the presidential swing state.

MADISON, Wisconsin — Ad wars in the hotly contested race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court are beginning.

Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel is launching a $1.1 million television ad buy statewide on Tuesday, marking the first spending on TV ads in the closely watched race in the presidential swing state.

Schimel, a Waukesha County judge, faces Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford in the race for an open seat on the state’s highest court. The election is April 1.

If Crawford wins, liberals will maintain their 4-3 majority until at least 2028. If Schimel wins, conservatives will win back the majority they lost in 2023.

The race that year shattered national spending records in a judicial contest, with more than $51 million spent on both sides, based on a tally by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The group, which tracks spending on campaigns, is estimating that a new record will be set this year.

The two candidates in this year’s race have raised more money so far than at the same point in the 2023 campaign.

Crawford last week reported raising $2.8 million from individual donors since getting into the race, compared with $2.2 million for Schimel.

Spending by outside groups, including the Democratic and Republican parties, is expected to far exceed what the candidates spend.

Races for Wisconsin Supreme Court are officially nonpartisan, but partisan interests line up behind their preferred candidates. The Wisconsin Democratic Party has endorsed Crawford, and Schimel is a former Republican attorney general who supports President-elect Donald Trump. Schimel served one term from 2015 to 2019.

The liberal-controlled court delivered a major win to Democrats in 2023 by striking down Republican-drawn legislative maps. Pending cases backed by liberals seek to protect abortion access in the state and impede Republican attempts to oust the state’s nonpartisan elections leader. A looming fight over the future of public sector union rights also has intensified interest in the Supreme Court race.

Schimel’s ad that launches on Tuesday will run on broadcast and cable TV in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, La Crosse and Wausau, his campaign said Monday.

The winner of the April 1 election will serve a 10-year term.

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Wisconsin

A look at the record, top wins of Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard as he closes in on win No. 200

Published

19 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Press Room

A look at the record, top wins of Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard as he closes in on win No. 200

MADISON – Bo Ryan, Harold “Bud” Foster, Walter “Doc” Meanwell and …. Greg Gard.

The Wisconsin men’s basketball program has been around since 1898 and during 127 seasons only three coaches have had enough success and longevity to win 200 games.

Gard is on the cusp of joining the fraternity.

The Badgers’ coach holds a 199-110 record heading into the team’s game against Ohio State on Tuesday night (8 p.m., Peacock). Reaching win No. 200 would not only put him in rare company at UW but also in the Big Ten, where only four other coaches have won 200 games at their current school.

Here is more about the Badgers’ coach.

How old is Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Greg Gard?

Gard is 54 years old. He was born on Dec. 3, 1970.

Has Greg Gard won a Big Ten title?

The Badgers have won two Big Ten championships under Gard’s leadership. The 2019-20 team finished with a 14-6 record and tied Maryland and Michigan State for the conference title. Two years later Wisconsin went 15-5 and shared the league championship with Illinois.

How much is Greg Gard’s salary?

According to USA Today, Gard had a yearly salary of $3,765,875 last season, which ranked fifth in the Big Ten. His contract runs through the 2028-29 season.

Who are Wisconsin’s men’s basketball coaching leaders

Bo Ryan, 2002-15: 364-130, .737

Harold “Bud” Foster, 1935-59: 265-267, .498

Walter “Doc” Meanwell, 1912-17, 21-34: 246-99, .712

GREG GARD, 2015-present: 199-110, .664

Steve Yoder, 1983-92: 128-165, .437

John Erickson, 1960-68: 100-114, .467

Dick Bennett, 1996-2000: 94-68, .580

John Powless, 1969-76: 88-108, .449

Bill Cofield, 1977-82: 63-101, .384

Emmett Angell, 1905-08: 43-15, .741

Where does Greg Gard’s record stand among Big Ten coaches

Gard ranks fifth in victories among Big Ten coaches at their current school and ranks sixth in longest tenure. Here is the list. Records are through Sunday.

Tom Izzo, Michigan State: 721-297, 30^th season

Matt Painter, Purdue: 460-207, 20^th season

Dan Altman, Oregon: 360-154-, 15^th season

Fran McCaffery, Iowa: 292-195, 15^th season

GREG GARD, WISCONSIN: 199-110, 10^th season

Chris Collins, Northwestern: 187-180, 12^th season

Brad Underwood, Illinois: 155-92, eighth season

Steve Pikiell, Rutgers: 140-130, ninth season

Mick Cronin, UCLA: 126-58, sixth season

Mike Woodson, Indiana: 76-44, fourth season

Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska: 75-98, sixth season

Kevin Willard, Maryland: 50-34, third season

Ben Johnson, Minnesota: 49-62, fourth season

Mike Rhoades, Penn State: 28-22, second season

Jake Diebler, Ohio State: 18-8, second season

Dusty May, Michigan: 13-3, first season

Eric Musselman, USC: 10-6, first season

Danny Sprinkle, Washington: 10-7, first season

What is Greg Gard’s year-by-year record?

Year	Rec.	Pct.	Conf.	Rec.	Finish	Postseason
2015-16	15-8	.652	Big Ten	12-6	T3rd	NCAA Sweet 16
2016-17	27-10	.730	Big Ten	12-6	T2nd	NCAA Sweet 16
2017-18	15-18	.455	Big Ten	7-11	9th
2018-19	23-11	.676	Big Ten	14-6	4th	NCAA Tour. (1st round)
2019-20	21-10	.677	Big Ten	14-6	T1st	NCAA Tour.*
2020-21	18-13	.581	Big Ten	10-10	T-6th	NCAA Tour. (2nd round)
2021-22	25-8	.758	Big Ten	15-5	T-1st	NCAA Tour. (2nd round)
2022-23	20-15	.571	Big Ten	9-11	T-11th	NIT semifinals
2023-24	22-14	.611	Big Ten	11-9	5th	NCAA Tour. (1st round)
2024-25	13-3	.813	Big Ten	3-2
Totals	199-110	.664	Big Ten	107-72

*auto bid – NCAA tournament canceled.

Top wins of the Greg Gard era

No. 1: Wisconsin beat UW-Green Bay, 84-79, Dec. 23, 2015

Gard’s first victory almost wasn’t. Wisconsin lost all but three points of a 30-point second-half lead before closing out the game with a crucial blocked shot by junior Vitto Brown and 8-for-9 shooting from the free throw line. Junior Nigel Hayes finished with 24 points. Redshirt freshman Ethan Happ posted 16 points and eight boards. Brown finished the night with 15 points and team highs in rebounds (nine) and blocks (three).

No. 15: Wisconsin beats Xavier, 66-63, March 20, 2016

This is one of the most iconic victories of the Gard era and it gave the Badgers a spot in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. Junior Bronson Koenig is remembered for his last-second three-pointer from the corner. It was part of a breakout performance from a prolonged shooting slump. The La Crosse native drilled 6 three-pointers, including the bucket that tied the game with 14 seconds left.

No. 42: Wisconsin stuns No. 1 Villanova, March 17, 2017

The Badgers rallied from a seven-point deficit with 5½ minutes to play to defeat a Wildcats squad loaded with future NBA players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo. Bronson Koenig hit 2 threes and score eight points during the comeback. Nigel Hayes had two buckets, including the go-ahead score with 11.4 seconds left. This victory sent the Badgers to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season to tie a Big Ten record shared with four other programs.

No. 101: Wisconsin beats Indiana, clinches Big Ten title share, March 7, 2020

The Badgers finished the season in a three-way tie for the Big Ten title with Maryland and Michigan State, but they won their share first, rallying from a seven-point deficit with 7 minutes to play to win their eighth straight game. Junior Nate Reuvers finished with 17 points for UW, Junior Micah Potter posted 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Brad Davison, also a junior, sealed the win with two free throws with 7.1 seconds to play.

No. 143: Wisconsin beats Purdue to gain Big Ten title share, March 1, 2022

Chucky Hepburn banked in a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds to play to lift Wisconsin to a victory that assured it of a share of the Big Ten crown. The points capped what was at the time a career-high 17 points for the freshman point guard. Junior Tyler Wahl led Wisconsin in points (19) and steals (five). Hepburn went 4 for 6 from three-point range and sophomore guard Johnny Davis flirted with a double-double (16 points, eight rebounds).

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