Wisconsin

Wisconsin Elections Commission approves third-party candidates for the ballot

Published

1 year ago

August 27, 2024

Wisconsin Elections Commission approves third-party candidates for the ballot

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.

Source link

Click to comment

Wisconsin

22-year-old college student Zachary Roper runs for Wisconsin governor

Published

17 hours ago

October 21, 2025

Press Room

22-year-old college student Zachary Roper runs for Wisconsin governor

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The youngest candidate in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race is a 22-year-old college student who says he wants to represent people tired of career politicians.

Zachary Roper, a political science major at Carthage College, is running for governor after an unsuccessful bid for Assembly in 2024. He says his professors encouraged him to seek the state’s top executive position.

Vanessa Kjeldsen: Why do you want to be governor?

Zachary Roper: I want to be governor because I want to represent the people of Wisconsin. I feel that the people have just had career politicians their entire life and we really need to get new leadership in the office.

VK: What would be your top priority as governor?

ZR: I have kind of two top priorities, but the top one would be education. I want to get more money into the schools… And then the other one is bipartisanship. We need to work together with the other side, reach across the aisle.

VK: You are the youngest candidate in this race. What perspective does that bring?

ZR: It brings a new perspective. I think many people overlook me for being a 22-year-old college student but it brings a new perspective to the young people.

VK: You previously ran unsuccessfully for Assembly. Now you’re running for the top executive position in this state. Why not run for something smaller first?

ZR: I have been asked that a lot, actually. I’ve been asked that numerous amount of times. My opponent, when I lost in 2024, actually said, you know, maybe run for city council. But my professors at the end of last year, sat me down and said, you have a vision for the state that most others do not at this time. We think you should try running for governor.

VK: So it was your professors at college that inspired you to run?

ZR: Yes, it was.

VK: How is balancing campaign season with your college classes?

ZR: It’s actually quite fun. My professors think it’s like a fun thing, though. They sometimes call me out. They’re like, hey, Zach, you know, you can use this for your campaign. I’m like, oh, I’ll think about it. I’ll think about it.

VK: What specifically would you change from the Evers administration?

ZR: The Evers administration has been focusing too hard on what Republicans want to do… The Republicans have controlled the new budget, and that to me was not a good thing.

VK: It is a Republican-controlled legislature. That makes it difficult for budget negotiations for a Democratic governor. How would you have worked through that differently than Evers did?

ZR: I would have asked them what concessions can they give. And if they came back to me with a list of concessions that they can give, I can come back with the concessions I can give.

VK: Do you expect to stay in the primary through August? Or is there a time that you would maybe drop out, endorse another Democrat?

ZR: I have thought about maybe dropping out and endorsing another candidate… I just haven’t seen a candidate that really stands out to me at this point.

VK: What’s your dream job?

ZR: Dream job? President, aiming for the top, as my parents always say.

Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.

Source link

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Oct. 20, 2025

Published

2 days ago

October 21, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Oct. 20, 2025

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 20, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

32-38-66-67-69, Powerball: 19, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

Midday: 0-2-9

Evening: 6-0-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

Midday: 5-7-7-8

Evening: 9-3-8-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

Midday: 01-05-07-09-13-15-16-17-18-20-21

Evening: 04-05-08-09-10-13-14-16-17-20-21

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

01-02-09-14-31

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Oct. 20 drawing

05-08-14-20-22-24, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Wisconsin

Wisconsin hatchery owner sees seasonal avian flu as the ‘new normal’

Published

2 days ago

October 20, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin hatchery owner sees seasonal avian flu as the ‘new normal’

Birds from a backyard chicken flock in Racine were recent casualties in a string of bird flu cases in Wisconsin this year. The birds were killed to prevent spreading the disease further.

Dr. Darlene Konkle, state veterinarian from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, is expected to spread more as wild birds continue migrating through the fall.

“Right now, we’re not at the peaks we were last year,” Konkle said. “We’ve seen an uptick in cases across the country, particularly in the northern tier of states, in the past few weeks. And of course, we’re going into the fall season, which is peak migration for a lot of wild waterfowl.”

News with a little more humanity

WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.

Konkle said avian influenza can be fatal to all birds and spreads rapidly. Cows are also susceptible to avian flu, although so far this year, no cows in Wisconsin have tested positive, as has happened in 18 other states.

Konkle said keeping cows and other animals safe from bird flu in Wisconsin requires strict adherence to biosecurity measures and heightened awareness of the risks of the disease.

“We’re really encouraging flock and livestock owners in general to keep good biosecurity practices in place,” Konkle said. “Steps can be really simple, like washing hands and keeping equipment clean, or more complicated, like having an employee shower in and out.”

Konkle said backyard flock owners should pay attention to bird flu symptoms in their flock like sneezing, a drop in egg production, a drop in feed and water intake, and sudden death. Other signs and precautions can be found on the DATCP website.

Nick Levendoski, owner of Sunnyside Hatchery in Beaver Dam and president of the Wisconsin Poultry and Egg Industries Association, also joined “Wisconsin Today” to explain how avian flu has affected the hatchery industry.

The following was edited for clarity and brevity.

Rob Ferrett: How does your work differ from what someone might think of as a typical chicken farm?

Nick Levendoski: Well, there’s a lot of things different at the hatchery versus a typical chicken farm. For one: We’re a very seasonal operation. We hatch chicks 52 weeks a year, but right now is certainly the lowest amount of volume that we’re hatching out. But we’ve got our sights set on the spring when we really get to start ramping up for the folks that want to get their baby chicks for Easter time, and their traditional meat birds for next spring.

RF: On a practical level, what does “biosecurity” mean? What kind of measures are you taking above and beyond what you usually do?

NL: A lot of farmers that work with us are Amish folks. It’s not advised to visit your neighbor’s chicken operation. Certainly there’s no exchanging of birds between one premise to another. And also, our (workers) are not to have backyard poultry of their own. There’s just too much vulnerability there, having backyard birds, and then doing the daily chores in the breeder flocks.

So it’s just about increasing the awareness for people. And then higher numbers of dip pans, bleach at doorways and stuff like that. All those precaution areas certainly are heightened more so than they have in the past, especially the last five or six years when avian influenza became a real issue versus a theoretical one.

But we also do all-in, all-out on these flocks. So birds stay in production for a little over a year, and then we get rid of that flock, and we start with a brand new flock every year. So we don’t have older birds communicating with younger birds or transmitting any types of diseases.

RF: We saw at least one positive bird flu case in a Racine backyard flock. There’s concerns that wild birds might spread the disease to domestic birds. What do you tell your customers who are newer to keeping poultry?

NL: The main thing is just to keep the interaction between wild birds and their domestic birds at a minimum. That’s the biggest one. And then also understand that birds seasonally have mild colds. They do have some mild respiratory issues associated with backyard flocks. But if you see your birds not eating, egg production falling off the wagon, and especially unexpected or higher than normal mortality, get on the phone with DATCP. Call your veterinarian. Let’s get the wheels in motion because it’s important to get that communicated so you’re not putting anybody else’s flocks at risk.

RF: As the president of the Wisconsin Poultry and Egg Industries Association, what are you hearing from members of that organization?

NL: We’ve grown a bit accustomed to these flare-ups. It always seems to coincide with birds migrating. So it’s becoming more of a concern. Before, it was more theoretical; “Let’s try to keep that out of our flocks.” And now, even with these increased biosecurity measures, there still are commercial flocks that are vulnerable. You still have employees that can bring in the virus on their boots, or through air ducts. There’s a lot of different vectors that you have minimal control over. I guess we’re just growing accustomed to reacting when it hits, but I think it’s becoming the new normal.

Source link