So, is it Chris Larson or Jess Ripp? Mark Honadel or Tom Michalski? Gwen Moore or Dan Sebring? And how did Scott Walker, Tom Barrett, Ron Johnson and Russ Feingold do in South Milwaukee?
Check back later tonight for complete local election coverage … and post your comments below!
I’m also interested in who you voted for for governor. Vote in the poll on the right-hand side of this page.
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Democrat or Republican, I hope all my blog readers get out and vote today.
Here are some particulars …
Learn more at the city’s election information page here.
See you at the polls!
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Can’t make it to the polls on Tuesday? There is another option.
Any city resident can vote prior to election day by filling out an absentee ballot at City Hall through 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 1. Those ballots will then be set aside and run through the voting machines at local polling places on Tuesday, election day.
City Hall hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Of course, most people will vote on Tuesday (including me). You can get all of your election information, including a map of polling places, here.
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The teachers like Chris Larson. Police officers like Jess Ripp.
Both candidates in the 7th Senate District race — Larson, the Democrat, and Ripp, the Republican — are landing their share of endorsements.
Most recently, it was the Wisconsin Education Association Council for Larson and the Milwaukee Police Association for Ripp.
Larson has also landed endorsements from a variety of unions, as well as a couple of supervisor colleagues, two Milwaukee aldermen and Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton. Ripp, meanwhile, has the backing of state Rep. Mark Honadel (R-South Milwaukee) and Milwaukee County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker, as well as the mayors of Oak Creek and South Milwaukee.
See a complete listing of all endorsements for Ripp and Larson on their campaign websites.
Don’t forget to vote on Nov. 2. All 4th District residents cast their ballots at Rawson Elementary School. Learn more on the city’s election information page.
Who do you plan on voting for? Vote in the poll on the right side of this page.
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Republican State Senate candidate Jess Ripp has garnered another key South Shore endorsement: Oak Creek Mayor Dick Bolender.
Read the press release here. From it:
“Jess is the best candidate to represent the citizens of this district in Madison,” Bolender said. “His pledge to lower taxes and promote fiscal responsibility will help bring much needed jobs back to Wisconsin. Jess will be a true leader in Madison and I proudly endorse his campaign to represent our district in the State Senate.”
Bolender’s backing follows Saturday’s announcement that South Milwaukee Mayor Tom Zepecki would endorse Ripp (see below).
Check out Ripp’s full list of endorsements on his campaign website. They include South Milwaukee Rep. Mark Honadel and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, both Republicans, of course.
And check out these other headlines of interest from around the South Shore:
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South Milwaukee Mayor Tom Zepecki has endorsed Jess Ripp, the Republican candidate vying to replace Jeff Plale in the state Senate’s 7th District.
You can read the release here. From it:
“With his background in small business and law, Jess is the perfect candidate to represent this district,” Zepecki said. “Our citizens have real concerns about rising government spending, tax increases, and vanishing jobs. Jess has the same concerns and understands what it will take to repair our economy and keep jobs in Wisconsin.”
For Ripp, an attorney and relative unknown politically, this endorsement is a nice win.
For Larson, a Milwaukee County supervisor, this will only further hurt his chances in South Milwaukee … although his prospects here seemed pretty bleak anyway. Keep in mind that voters backed Plale nearly two to one in South Milwaukee in the September primary, even as Larson rolled to victory elsewhere, winning 60 percent to 40 percent overall. This endorsement certainly won’t help turn those numbers around.
Still, a local endorsement in this race surprises me some because neither candidate, to my knowledge, has campaigned much in South Milwaukee.
I know I’ve never met either one of them, and I hope that changes. I want to feel confident that both candidates will stand up for our city in Madison come January … and alleviate the real concerns locally that South Milwaukee will be a forgotten part of the 7th District after the election.
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So, what happened?
That’s on a lot of people’s minds following Chris Larson’s surprisingly big victory state Sen. Jeff Plale Tuesday.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a good follow-up story on the race online today, with interviews from both candidates. From the story:
A crossover of Democrats voting in the GOP primary for governor set state Sen. Jeff Plale up for a devastating 61% to 39% primary loss to Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson, both candidates agree.
“There was a huge turnout in the Republican primary and that coupled with the Democratic version of the tea party, I don’t know if it’s any more complicated than that,” Plale said of his loss. “The folks who have traditionally supported me through thick and thin were faced yesterday with a very difficult decision.”
Here is some additional perspective from various blogs and other media outlets:
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Update: See the full local results here.
South Milwaukeeans turned out in huge numbers to vote in Tuesday’s primary.
Turnout was 35.3 percent, as 4,664 of the city’s 13,196 registered voters came out to the polls, according to totals from the South Milwaukee city clerk’s office.
That is a pretty amazing number for a primary election, and it’s clearly a reflection of the bitterly contested 7th Senate District race between incumbent Jeff Plale and challenger Chris Larson, among others.
Plale easily beat Larson in the city (see post below).
So, how did South Milwaukeeans vote in the other races?
I’ll post more details on the election as I get them. Check out voting totals on the Journal Sentinel website.
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Update: Here is the Journal Sentinel story.
South Milwaukee will have new representation in the state Senate.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson rolled past incumbent Jeff Plale, a 4th District resident, in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Larson had 7,607 votes (60 percent) to Plale’s 5,033 (40 percent).
As expected, Plale did well in South Milwaukee, topping Larson 1,157 to 658 — a huge margin that shows just how wide the gap was in the rest of the 7th Senate District.
Larson will face Republican Jess Ripp in November and be a heavy favorite.
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Today promises to be one of the more interesting primary election days in recent history, and I hope you get out and vote.
You won’t be alone, according to this story in the Journal Sentinel.
Learn more about all the races on this page on JSOnline, and click here for city election information. You can also learn more in our online city newsletter here.
Remember that all 4th District residents vote at Rawson Elementary. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Check back later tonight, when I’ll post election results. I’ll also post city-specific results when I get them, so you can find out how South Milwaukeeans voted in the key races.
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Tuesday is primary election day, and the city website has a page with more information for would-be voters.
Click here to learn more about polling places, registration information and instructions on how to fill out the ballot.
Keep in mind that all 4th District residents now vote at Rawson Elementary, 1401 Rawson Ave. Voting is no longer held at South Milwaukee Middle School, as part of an effort to condense city polling places from eight to four.
No matter who you vote for, I hope you cast a ballot on Tuesday. It’s your chance to have your voice heard in our democracy … a chance to shape the future of your county, state and nation. Make your voice heard.
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Update: The Journal Sentinel also has a nicely done summary of the race here.
State Sen. Jeff Plale’s tough re-election campaign got a nice lift with an endorsement from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
From the article:
On the whole, Plale has earned another term for his independence and commitment to common-sense solutions.
Click here to read the full endorsement.
Plate faces Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.
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State. Sen. Jeff Plale, a 4th District resident, is facing a strong challenge from Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary.
Learn more about both candidates on Thursday, Sept. 2, at a debate presented by the Bay View Neighborhood Association. The event starts at 7 p.m. at the Humboldt Park Pavilion, 3000 S. Howell Ave.
Learn more in the Bay View Compass.
Blogging Blue has a good recap of the debate Wednesday between State Sen. Jeff Plale and challenger Chris Larson, a Milwaukee County Supervisor.
Click here to see the post. From it:
“… One thing is abundantly clear: there was no clear winner. Both Plale and Larson were effective in stating their positions on the issues discussed at the debate, with each candidate at times effectively attacking the other.”
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