Dem wins first Wis. legislative recall

MADISON, Wis., July 19 (UPI) -- The first of nine state Senate recall elections in Wisconsin ended with a Democratic incumbent holding his seat by a wide margin, election returns show.

With most of the vote in late Tuesday, Dave Hansen of Green Bay had 64 percent of the vote, and Republican challenger David VanderLeest 36 percent, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

The recalls are part of the fallout from the bitter battle over Gov. Scott Walker's effort to strip public employees of most collective bargaining rights. Hansen was one of 13 Democratic state senators who left the state in an unsuccessful effort to block a vote.

Walker cannot be subjected to a recall until next year but the two parties are already maneuvering for position.

The April 3, 2012, Republican primary is when GOP voter turnout is highest. Democrats are angling to have the likely recall vote held Nov. 6, the day of the general election, when Democratic voter turnout expected to be is highest, The Washington Post reported.

Six Republicans and two more Democrats face recall votes in coming weeks. A change of three Senate seats would give the Democrats a majority in the chamber -- currently controlled by Republicans -- which analysts say could ruin Walker's drive to press his ambitious legislative agenda. Republicans took control of both legislative chambers and the governor's seat in November's general election.

Democratic challengers who won primaries last week will take on six Republican senators Aug. 9. The two Republicans who won Tuesday's primaries are to square off against two Democrats Aug. 16.

As for Walker's possible recall, "Democrats have privately spoken with top Republicans who think triggering a spring recall election is their best path to protecting Scott Walker and preserving his agenda," Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski told the Post's Plum Line blog.

So they will encourage Democratic activists to start collecting Walker-recall signatures soon after the current elections conclude, which would point to an April 3 recall vote, Zielinski said.

Republicans may even start their own drive to recall Walker to force an April 3 vote, the Post said.

Top Democrats will push to start the Walker-recall petitioning next spring or later to ensure the election takes place Nov. 6, the Post said.

"The best shot at beating Walker is November 2012, when President [Barack] Obama and competitive congressional races are also on the ballot," a source familiar with the discussions told The Plum Line. "We play right into Scott Walker's hands by doing this recall sooner. That's exactly what he wants. It's a death trap."

The Republican Party says it does not advocate one recall-election date over another.