Madison, Wisconsin – The Wisconsin bipartisan elections commission made the decision on Thursday to reject a petition aimed at initiating a recall election against the state’s prominent elected Republican official. This official has been at odds with former President Donald Trump, leading to Trump supporters launching the recall effort against Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Their frustration stems from Vos’ refusal to decertify President Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin in 2020, along with his lack of support for a plan to impeach the state’s top elections official, Meagan Wolfe.
After a recommendation by the Wisconsin Elections Commission staff denoting insufficient valid signatures, the commission decisively voted 5-0 to dismiss the recall effort the following day. The rejection was based on a clear deficit in the number of necessary signatures for the recall petition. “It really boils down to an arithmetic problem,” explained Republican commissioner Bob Spindell. “Commission staff examined it from every possible angle, and it was evident that the petitions fell far short.”
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who was retained by Vos to investigate the 2020 election but was later terminated due to the quality of his work, represented the petition circulators. Gableman, echoing Trump’s sentiments, has been a vocal critic of Vos. Despite Gableman’s claims that the recall effort was deliberately undermined by individuals seeking its failure, Vos has dismissed the organizers as “whack jobs and morons,” and has previously discredited the effort after challenging numerous signatures.
Vos, the most influential Republican in the GOP-controlled Legislature and the state’s longest-serving Assembly speaker since 2013, continues to face challenges. Recognizing their initial recall campaign may have lacked the requisite signatures, organizers launched a second recall attempt last month. This new effort is currently ongoing and awaits submission to the elections commission for further evaluation. The ongoing saga highlights the tension and dissent within the Wisconsin political landscape.