Results are in from yesterday’s February primary, and there are a few clues about the April 5th election, with one big uncertainty.
First, the obvious uncertainty. The Republican and Democratic presidential races have offered surprises, and will likely offer more. One or both major-party contests may still be raging by 4.5.16. Ongoing interest in either, or both, of those races will affect turnout for Wisconsin contests, including of course the Supreme Court race between Justice Bradley and Judge Kloppenberg.
Second, of the Supreme Court race results from yesterday, there were no surprises: Bradley and Kloppenberg finished close together, with Judge Donald far back. They were better funded and better known; he was at a significant disadvantage throughout. (Unofficial results: Rebecca G. Bradley (inc) 251,826 45%, Joanne F. Kloppenburg 243,190 43 %, Joe Donald 68,373 12 %.)
Third, the Walworth County Circuit Court race results were revealing. Commissioner Dan Johnson finished first, with D.A. Dan Necci and Attorney Shannon Wynn farther back, but close to each other. (Unofficial results: Daniel S. Johnson 3,356 37 %, Dan Necci 2,922 32 %, and Shannon Wynn 2,799 31 %.) (Disclaimer: I don’t support Necci.)
Necci has been District Attorney for over three years, with all the publicity that affords, and he could only garner 32% of the vote. This was not an ordinary three-person contest: it was a notable incumbent facing two less-known opponents. Along with the Walworth County sheriff, the Walworth County district attorney is the only well-known position in the entire county. (By comparison, about twelve people in Walworth County know who County Administrator David Bretl is, and that’s including his family members.) I can’t think of a recent county race where an existing officeholder did this poorly.
Attorney Shannon Wynn, who has never held office, came within just 1% (122 votes out of 9,102 cast, including 25 write-ins, of sending Necci home.)
Neeci claimed the support of Supreme County Justice Rebecca Bradley, but he ran far below her vote total in the county. Out of 9,246 votes for in the county for our high court, Justice Bradley received 5,303. In his race, Necci received just 2,922.
Necci ran 2,381 votes behind the top-of-the-ticket candidate whose support he trumpeted. Thousands of Bradley supporters voted for either Johnson or Wynn.
The press won’t cover this race insightfully. Already, news about the race is how Candidate A and Candidate B are happy to move on to April, from those who must know that a huge issue here is how officials and law enforcement personnel who have dealt with Necci truly don’t want him around. Huge numbers of Walworth County’s Rebecca Bradley supporters didn’t want him – that’s how odd this situation is.
For the press, including a reporter who certainly knows better, it’s safer to cover this as A v. B heading into April. No advertisers will be offended while shying from the implications of one’s own past stories. Presenting this as list of candidates, pictures, and website links doesn’t begin to explain how odd Necci’s position is.
Necci could win in April, but he’ll need lots of unaware voters, lots of money, and probably a hyper-ideological tone that brands everyone else – including obviously conservative officials who work in Elkhorn – as insufficiently zealous.
Interesting times ahead.