There will likely be primary elections in recall races targeting Republican Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and four GOP state senators.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin says it has lined up “fake” Democrats to run in primaries, against the real Democrats who hope to challenge the six Republican incumbents.
The fake Democrats, like genuine candidates, will need to obtain enough valid signatures to get on the ballot. The Republican party says it would not spend money on the fake Democrats’ campaigns.
The party says the move is meant to force primaries in the race, thus creating firm dates for upcoming recall elections.
The state Government Accountability Board has set May 8 as recall election day. If there are primaries, May 8 becomes the date for the primary election, and the general election moves to June 5.
Last summer, Republicans ran fake Democrats in Senate recall elections targeting GOP incumbents. Republicans said the move was meant to stretch out the election process, giving incumbents more time to campaign.
Critics of the strategy say it confuses voters and needlessly drives up the cost of elections.
