Labor Day weekend marks two months until the general election, so starting this week we'll be rounding up election news that's relevant to Wisconsinites. This week we look at the Republican National Convention, the Senate race, and the races for Congressional Districts 1 and 7.

To Tampa

Wisconsin goes to Tampa this week and Wisconsin is leading the march. Writing for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Craig Gilbert outlines how Wisconsin has become the “center-of-the-Universe” thanks to strong financial backing from the Bradley Foundation and rising conservative stars like Rep. Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker.

The Green Bay Gazette spoke to delegates who will be attending the Republican National Convention to cast the mostly ceremonial vote for that party’s nominee. A number of states did offer an opportunity to shake up the traditional pomp of what have become overly scripted conventions with Texas Rep. Ron Paul delegates mounting a challenge from the floor. However, last minute maneuvering by the party, including stripping Maine and Louisiana of delegates to prevent a Paul disruption, have mostly ensured that the show will go on without improv.

WI-SEN: Republican Tommy Thompson vs. Democrat Rep. Tammy Baldwin

RealClearPolitics polling average: Thompson +7.8

Pushing Thompson to release more than two years of tax returns has become one of the primary tactics chosen by the Baldwin campaign. The focus is on the public wanting to know exactly how the Republican candidate benefited from his years serving as a lobbyist.


Thompson had a very public flip-flop this week in the controversy surrounding Missouri Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment. Originally, Thompson said it was up for Akin to make that decision, but after Walker and Sen. Ron Johnson both came out against Akin staying in the race Thompson realigned his position to be in step with the rest of the party.

Questions are being raised about Wisconsin’s Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen choosing to wait until after Thompson was victorious in the Republican primary to ask the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take up the issue of Voter I.D. Van Hollen is the honorary co-chair of the Thompson campaign, so he technically has a vested interest in the outcome of the race. Two Wisconsin judges have struck down the Republican Voter I.D. plan as being unconstitutional.

Think Progress has examined Thompson’s record of taking anti-LGBT positions.

The Daily Beast highlights the historical significance of Baldwin possibly being the first openly elected lesbian in the Senate.

WI - District 1: Republican Rep. Paul Ryan (incumbent) vs. Democrat Rob Zerban

The campaign of Zerban vs. Ryan has been boosted to the national stage since the incumbent was tapped to share Romney’s ticket as Vice Presidential candidate. The Associated Press took a look at how that race could be impacted by Ryan as a VP candidate.

Zerban has also started to receive attention from media in state. Channel 3000,  Isthmus, and Milwaukee Magazine profiled the Democrat last week (dane101 spoke with Zerban in January).

WI - District 7: Republican Rep. Sean Duffy (incumbent) vs. Democrat Pat Kreitlow

Duffy was one the Wisconsin Republicans who’d been offered a speaking slot at the convention to address delegates. However, on Saturday it was announced that Monday’s events would be canceled due to the impending threat of Tropical Storm Isaac.

Opponents of Duffy sought to drum up criticism of the representative last week when he made an analogy that buying health insurance should be like buying a lawn mower. Kreitlow addressed his opponents' comments during an interview on The People’s Mic with Doug Cunningham Wednesday.

Jesse Russell

Co-Editor

Jesse was born and raised in Connecticut, began blogging in 1997, and moved to Madison in 2003. In 2005, he co-founded dane101 along with Kristian Knutson and Shane Wealti. In addition to helping nearly a dozen contributors run this website he's helped launch various events in the city including What's Your Damage?!, the MadPubQuiz of Awesomeness, the Fire Ball Masquerade, Dane101's Freakin' Halloweekend, and more.