Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin (2011-2012)

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Wisconsin Governor recall

Officeholders
Scott Walker
Recall status
Recall defeated
Recall election date
June 5, 2012
See also
Recall overview
Political recall efforts, 2012
Recalls in Wisconsin
Wisconsin recall laws
State executive recalls
Recall reports

An unsuccessful effort to recall Scott Walker (R) from his position as Governor of Wisconsin was launched in November 2011. Walker was first elected to the office in November 2010.[1]

Democrats reportedly targeted Walker for recall due to his efforts to limit the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions through Wisconsin Assembly Bill 11, also known as the "Scott Walker Budget Repair Bill," which the governor introduced in February 2011. The bill was immediately met with widescale protests. The effort to unseat Walker might have started sooner, but under Wisconsin law incumbents are not eligible for recall until they have been in office for a year.[2]

Supporters of the recall submitted more than one million signatures on January 17, 2012. In order to qualify the question for the ballot, recall proponents needed at least 540,208 valid signatures.[3][4] The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) certified just over 900,000 signatures on March 30.[5][6]

A special primary election took place on May 8, 2012. Walker defeated his sole GOP opponent, Arthur Kohl-Riggs. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett prevailed in a field of five named Democrats.[7] In the June 5 run-off election, Walker defeated Barrett and independent candidate Hariprasad "Hari" Trivedi.[8] According to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, candidates and outside groups spent $80.9 million on the race. The previous record for a governor's race, set in 2010, was $37.4 million.[9][10]

As of this election, only two governors in U.S. history had been recalled: North Dakota Governor Lynn Frazier (R) in 1921 and California Governor Gray Davis (D) in 2003.[11][12]

## Contents

* 1 Path to the ballot
* 1.1 Signature verification
* 1.2 Petitions posted online
* 2 Opponents
* 2.1 Republicans
* 2.2 Democrats
* 2.3 Independent
* 2.4 Did not run
* 3 Legal issues
* 3.1 Joint recall for governor and lieutenant governor
* 3.2 Walker lawsuit
* 4 Cost of recall
* 5 Polling
* 5.1 Pre-primary
* 5.2 Post-primary
* 6 Money in the race
* 6.1 Campaign contributions
* 6.2 Union involvement
* 7 Ads relating to the campaign
* 8 Noteworthy events
* 8.1 Lack of civility
* 9 Additional reading
* 9.1 PolitiFact stories
* 9.2 Official documents
* 10 See also
* 11 External links
* 12 Footnotes

## Path to the ballot[edit]

David Brandt, a Walker supporter, submitted the first recall petition on November 4, 2011, on behalf of the "Close Friends to Recall Walker" committee. Democrats denounced the move as a Republican tactic. Once the petition was filed, Walker could legally begin collecting unlimited campaign donations for the recall election.[13] United Wisconsin, under the name the Committee to Recall Walker, filed their petition on November 15.[14] Brandt terminated the registration of his group prior to the January 3, 2012 deadline to turn in petitions.[15]

United Wisconsin spokeswoman Meagan Mahaffey said organizers collected 50,000 signatures in the first 48 hours of the campaign.[16] The group said they collected 105,000 signatures in the first four days.[17] On November 28, organizers said they reached 300,000 signatures -- more than half the number necessary.[18]

A third recall petition was filed against Walker by a group calling itself "Wisconsin Common Sense Citizens for Accountability and Recall" (also known as the "Recall Walker Political Action Committee") on November 18, 2011.[19] Randy Bryce, treasurer of the Walker Recall PAC, said they were specifically targeting Republicans and independents, and hoped to work with United Wisconsin. "If they don't have enough and they need some more, well, here you go. It's kind of like an insurance policy," he said.[20]

Walker's campaign was in full swing once the effort began. At a meeting of the Republican Governors Association in late November 2011, he said, "Do I take the recall seriously? Absolutely. Unions spent $40 million on six state Senate recall elections in my state. I spent $13 million running for governor. So if there's that much outside influence, I'm going to take that seriously no matter what."[21]

On December 15, organizers announced they had collected over 507,000 signatures and had a new goal of 720,277 signatures, one-third of the votes cast in the 2010 gubernatorial election.[22]

Organizers said they submitted more than one million signatures on January 17, 2012. The process to validate the signatures was expected to take several months.[23] Finally, on March 30, the GAB officially scheduled the recall, unanimously certifying over 900,000 of the signatures.[24]

### Signature verification[edit]

Under state law, the GAB initially had 31 days to determine if enough valid signatures were submitted to force a recall. However, with 1.9 million signatures to review for six recalls, they asked a judge for extra time on January 20, 2012. Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess granted the extension on January 25, giving the board an additional 30 days and a deadline of March 19.[25]

The state purchased software from Artsyl Technologies to help with the process. Workers scanned the petitions into computers and the software read the names and converted them into type. A human operator verified each name, correcting any errors before it was entered into a database. The database could then be used to check for duplicate signatures.[26]

The petitions were processed in a secret location, but a webcam was set up to provide a live feed of the work.[27]

Under state law, Walker had only 10 days to challenge the validity of the petitions starting on January 18. However, as GAB officials were not able to readily provide Walker with the signatures against him, Judge Niess extended the period to 30 days from when Walker received the full petitions. This decision gave Walker until February 27 to file a challenge. The GAB delivered the petitions to Walker on January 27 and the 30-day window to challenge began the next day.[28][29]

On February 13, Walker's campaign said they would be unable to evaluate the signatures in time and asked the court for another two weeks. The court filing stated, "The time needed to search for duplicates, as well as to provide a factual basis for objections to more than 100,000 signatures, cannot be met within the existing time limits." If approved, the deadline for Walker to submit a challenge would have moved from February 27 to March 12, which Democrats said would delay a recall election.[30] On February 17, the request was denied, leaving the deadline as February 27.[31] On the day of the deadline, Walker campaign spokeswoman Ciara Matthews said they were only able to evaluate about 400,000 of the signatures and that they would be unable to file a challenge.[32]

Walker asked the GAB to review a challenge of the signatures conducted by two tea party groups; however, GAB officials said state law did not allow them to consider challenges by third parties. GAB spokesman Reid Magney did say they would look at such challenges "for any potential fraud they uncover. But we cannot consider it as a challenge under state law."[33]

### Petitions posted online[edit]

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) had originally announced it would post the scanned petitions to its website on January 30, but delayed that action after hearing concerns from a stalking victim and others who did not want their names released. In the past, the GAB had treated petitions as public records. Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said the GAB should simply block the names of people with genuine safety concerns, such as victims of domestic violence, from the public, rather than blocking all the signatures.[34]

The Board issued a statement saying, “GAB staff is evaluating the privacy concerns of individuals who have contacted us about posting the petitions online.” It did not say when a decision would be made, but ultimately posted all petitions to its website late on January 31.[35] GAB Director Kevin Kennedy issued an analysis, saying, "No expectation of privacy is implied or justified under the statutes when an individual chooses to sign a public recall petition rather than simply expressing that conviction in the privacy of the voting booth."[36]

## Opponents[edit]

Walker defeated Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) and independent candidate Hariprasad "Hari" Trivedi in the recall on June 5, 2012.

Recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Scott Walker Incumbent | 53.1% | 1,335,585
| Democratic  |  Tom Barrett | 46.3% | 1,164,480
| Independent  |  Hari Trivedi | 0.6% | 14,463
| Scattering |  \-  | 0.1% | 1,537
Total Votes | 2,516,065
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

### Republicans[edit]

* Arthur Kohl-Riggs ran as a Republican in order to force Walker into a primary, which Walker easily won.[37]

Wisconsin Governor Recall - Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Scott Walker Incumbent | 96.9% | 626,962
Arthur Kohl-Riggs  | 3.1% | 19,939
Patrick J. O'Brien (Write-In)  | 0% | 17
Scattering | 0% | 204
Total Votes | 647,122
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.

### Democrats[edit]

* Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk (D) officially announced her campaign on January 18, 2012, the day after the recall petitions were submitted.[38]
* State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D) officially announced that she would run on February 8, 2012.[39][40]
* Secretary of State Doug La Follette said in late December that he was considering running, noting his statewide position gave him name recognition.[41] He filed paperwork to run on February 23, 2012, and officially declared his campaign on March 28.[42][43]
* Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett officially entered the race March 30, 2012.[44] Barrett lost to Walker in the 2010 race for governor. Leaders from the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the Wisconsin State Employees Union reportedly sought to discourage Barrett from running in late 2011.[45] Following the exchange, it appeared that Barrett was more likely to run, with two sources close to the mayor saying that he was "seriously considering" a run.[46]
* Gladys Huber was actually a Republican but ran as a Democrat as a "protest" candidate.[47]

Wisconsin Governor Recall - Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Tom Barrett | 58.1% | 390,191
Kathleen Falk  | 34.1% | 229,236
Kathleen Vinehout  | 4% | 26,967
Doug La Follette  | 2.9% | 19,497
Gladys Huber  | 0.7% | 4,847
Scattering | 0.1% | 864
Total Votes | 671,602
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.

### Independent[edit]

* Hariprasad "Hari" Trivedi, a physician and kidney specialist, ran as an independent. He announced his intentions in ads run before and after the Super Bowl.[48]

### Did not run[edit]

Names floated as possible candidates that did not run included:

* U.S. Rep. Ron Kind.[49]
* Republican Patrick O'Brien said he planned to challenge Walker in a primary. O'Brien voted for Walker in the last election, but said, "I thought he was running as a brown-bag Republican. What we were getting was a brown-shirt Republican."[50]
* Tim Sullivan, former CEO of Bucyrus International, said in mid-November that he was not interested in running. Some moderates thought he would be a good independent candidate. “I wouldn’t want to get in the middle of what is turning into one big mess now,” Sullivan said.[51]
* Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold. At a rally on November 19, Feingold signed a petition, pledged to help the effort through his PAC, but stated he would not run. “There will be a new governor in a few months, it won’t be me, but it will be somebody good,” he said.[52]
* U.S. Senator Herb Kohl.[53]
* State Sen. Tim Cullen initially was running. He stated, "I think I would be a very serious opponent for Gov. Walker to have to face, because of my record, my career, my view of how government should operate around here."[54][55] However, on February 1, 2012, Cullen said he was withdrawing from the race, citing fundraising and the negative nature of the recall.[56]
* State Rep. Peter Barca initially considered running, but announced on March 31, 2012 that he was not running, choosing instead to stay in the Assembly.[57][58]
* Wisconsin Firefighters Union President Mahlon Mitchell was suggested as a candidate. He instead chose to run for the Lt. Governor post in the recall of Rebecca Kleefisch.
* State Sen. Jon Erpenbach declined to run in early April, endorsing Tom Barrett.[59][60]
* Former U.S. Representative Dave Obey was thought to be interested in the race but did not run, choosing instead to endorse Tom Barrett.[61][62]
* Republican Michael Mangan filed to run but did not have enough valid signatures to get on the ballot.[63]

## Legal issues[edit]

### Joint recall for governor and lieutenant governor[edit]

An opinion issued November 3, 2011 by Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen found that, although they ran on the same ticket, a recall targeting the governor would not automatically include the lieutenant governor. In order to recall both officials, separate petitions would have to be submitted, with separate recall elections held. Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate said they still planned to target both.[64]

### Walker lawsuit[edit]

On December 15, Walker's campaign and the state Republican Party director filed suit against the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) in Waukesha County Circuit Court. The lawsuit asked that a judge require the GAB to search for and strike duplicate signatures, fake names and illegible addresses.

Stephan Thompson, executive director of the state Republican Party, stated, "The decision of one individual who chooses to sign a recall petition should not carry more weight than the decision of another who chooses not to sign. This lawsuit seeks to protect the Wisconsin electors whose voices have been trumped by those purposefully signing multiple petitions."[65]

The GAB typically reviews signatures to ensure there are enough to trigger a recall and verify they include a Wisconsin address and are dated during the recall period. It is up to challengers to point out potential issues with signatures.[66]

On December 20, the Recall Walker Committee, as well as the committees to recall Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three Republican state senators, filed a motion asking a judge to dismiss the suit. They argued that the suit was designed to create uncertainty, disruptions and expenses in the recall process.[67] At a hearing on December 29, Judge Mac Davis, a former Republican state Senator, denied the motion to intervene, citing the need for speed and desire to avoid possible "chaos" that could come if new parties were allowed in the case.[68]

Davis issued a ruling on January 5, 2012, stating that GAB must take "reasonable" actions to eliminate duplicate and illegal signatures from recall petitions. However, he gave them discretion to decide how to achieve that, noting that requiring such action "is limited by the resources and ability they have or are reasonably able to obtain." GAB Director Kevin Kennedy said they had to discuss the decision in order to determine what procedures needed to change.[69]

On February 3, the Fourth District Court of Appeals in Madison overturned the ruling that denied recall organizers from joining the suit, stating that they had a valid interest to join. The ruling also threw out Judge Davis' decision that the GAB had to actively seek to strike fake and duplicate signatures. The case then went back to Davis.[70]

## Cost of recall[edit]

"The Value of a Signature" video by Kleefisch, released the day the recall campaign began

In a video posted on November 15, 2011, called "The Value of a Signature," Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch stated a statewide recall election would cost "$7.7 million -- $7.7 million that may already be allocated to merit raises for teachers or health care for the poor or school books for your kids."[71]

A PolitiFact analysis released November 23, 2011, rated Kleefisch's claim as "Half True." The $7.7 million figure was reached by taking the estimated $2.1 million it cost for the nine state senate recalls in the summer of 2011 and applying it to all 33 Senate districts. PolitiFact stated, "Kleefisch’s basic math is accurate -- and her estimate might even be low." They noted, however, that she stated the number as fact rather than an estimate. PolitiFact said Kleefisch provided no evidence for the second half of her claim -- that money would be used from funds already designated for school or health care. However, they noted that money for the election could potentially come from funds designated for other programs.[71]

According to data released by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) on January 6, 2012, a recall against Walker would cost at least $9 million. The GAB asked election clerks around the state to estimate the costs of a possible recall election based on November 2010 and April 2011 elections. The 72 county clerks reported an estimate at $2.35 million, while municipal clerks reported $5.82 million. The GAB estimated its costs at $841,349.[72]

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate acknowledged the estimate, stating, “the $9 million cost of a statewide recall election is great, but the cost of doing nothing is far greater. This undertaking is the biggest investment in the future of our state and families we can make.”[73]

The estimates were requested by Rep. Robin Vos (R) who was seeking to limit recall elections. Vos criticized the recalls as a waste of taxpayer money, stating, "It's about time taxpayers learned the cost of these unnecessary recall elections. The citizens of Wisconsin should have known the estimated cost on local governments before a single petition was circulated. Is this how they want their valuable taxpayer dollars spent?"[74]

## Polling[edit]

### Pre-primary[edit]

* Mid-November 2011: A Wisconsin Public Radio-St. Norbert College poll showed 58 percent in favor of recall, up from 47 percent in April.[75]

* January 2012: A Marquette Law School poll had Walker leading all possible opponents who were included in the poll. He led Tom Barrett 50-44 percent, Kathleen Falk 49-42 percent, David Obey 49-43 percent and Tim Cullen 50-40 percent.[76]

* February 16-19: A Marquette University poll saw 47 percent approving Walker's performance and 47 percent disapproving. A total of 716 residents were polled.[77]

* February 23-26: A Public Policy Polling survey of 900 people saw 52 percent disapproved of Walker's job performance, while 47 percent approved. In a head-to-head match-up, challenger Kathleen Falk led Walker 48 percent to 47 percent, while Tom Barrett led Walker 49 to 46 percent.[78]

* February 27: A Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of 500 likely voters found 52 percent approved at least somewhat of Walker's job performance, with 46 percent at least somewhat disapproving.[79]

* March 22-25: A Marquette Law School poll of 370 voters likely to vote in the Democratic primary showed Walker ahead of Barrett 47 to 45 percent and ahead of Falk 49 to 45 percent, both within the 5.2 percent margin of error.[80]

* April 13-15: Public Policy Polling of 1,136 likely voters found Walker leading all of the four Democratic challengers. Head-to-head matchups found Walker leading Barrett 50-45 percent, leading Falk 50-43, leading La Follette 51-40 and leading Vinehout 50-38.[81]

### Post-primary[edit]

* May 9-12: A Marquette Law School poll of 704 registered voters found Walker leading Barrett 50-44 percent, with 3 percent undecided. The margin of error was +/-3.8.[82]
* May 22-24: A Democratic Governors Association poll of 600 likely voters found Walker leading Barrett 49-46 percent. The margin of error was +/-4.0[83]
* May 23-26: A Marquette law school poll of 600 likely voters found Walker leading Barrett 52-45 percent. The margin of error was +/-4.1[84]

## Money in the race[edit]

### Campaign contributions[edit]

On December 15, 2011, Walker's campaign released the first campaign finance report since the beginning of the recall. It shows he raised $5.1 million, spent nearly $4 million, and had $3 million on hand.[85]

According to an Associated Press analysis, 61 percent of the $4.1 million Walker raised during the five-week reporting period that ended in January 2012 came from out-of-state donors. Large donations included $250,000 from Texas financier Bob Perry, and three donations from Missouri that totaled $750,000.[86]

Friends of Scott Walker Campaign Finance Reports (GAB ID No. 0102575)

Report  | Date Filed  | Beginning Balance  | Total Contributions  | (Expenditures)  | Cash on Hand
Special Pre-Primary 2012 report[87] | April 30, 2012  | $2,688,601.77  | $13,164,310.34  | $(10,988,910.66)  | $4,864,001.45
Recall 60 day report[88] | January 23, 2012  | $1,601,582.43  | $2,545,041.06  | $(1,458,021.72)  | $2,688,601.77
January Continuing report[89] | January 23, 2012  | $3,016,472.61  | $2,011,390.78  | $(3,426,280.96)  | $1,601,582.43
Recall 30 day report[90] | December 15, 2011  | $1,876,026.65  | $5,111,478.05  | $(3,969,630.09)  | $3,017,874.61

### Union involvement[edit]

Questions arose surrounding the group Wisconsin for Falk, that bought $1.6 million in TV time during March 2012 to run ads in support of Kathleen Falk's candidacy. Left-leaning publication Mother Jones described the organization as "a shadowy Wisconsin political group with a post-office box address" that "did not disclose its funders or who started the group." Wisconsin for Falk spokesman Michael Vaughn disagreed, saying the group was "a straightforward and transparent community and labor partnership."

The group received money and support from the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Some Wisconsin for Falk staff previously worked for We Are Wisconsin, the organization that led the 2011 recalls against Republican state senators.[91]

## Ads relating to the campaign[edit]

See also: Advertisements from the Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin (2012) and FactCheck.org, "The Whole Truth in Wisconsin Air Wars - Sorting out the facts in the recall election for governor"

Visit this page for embedded videos of ads relating to the recall.

## Noteworthy events[edit]

### Lack of civility[edit]

The recall campaign against Walker was reportedly rife with conflict. On December 1, 2011, officials of the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) and the Justice Department met with district attorneys from throughout the state to discuss how to handle all of the complaints.[92]

Here is a partial list of incidents from the recall drive:

* On November 15, a rock with an anti-recall message was thrown through a window of the Victory Cafe in Madison that had a "Recall Walker" sign in it.[93]
* An anonymous Facebook group called "Operation Burn Notice" was set up as a coordinated effort to destroy recall petitions.[94]
* Madison resident and recall volunteer Tom Peer received an anonymous death threat.[95]
* United Wisconsin recall worker Heather DuBois Bourenane received an anonymous phone call threatening her life.[96]
* United Education Profession in Brookfield received several threatening phone calls.[97]
* A person tore up a petition on the Edgewood College campus.[98]
* Petition volunteers in Eau Claire claimed a clipboard with signatures on it was stolen.[99]
* A Wauwatosa resident who allowed his front yard to be used to collect signatures was threatened with vandalism of his home.[100]
* Caldonia police received two complaints about vandalized "Recall Walker" signs.[101]
* On December 4, a 30-year-old man was arrested in West Bend for defacing petitions.[102] He was charged with felony election fraud, punishable by up to 1 1/2 years in prison, two years extended supervision and a $10,000 fine.[103]
* After appearing in a pro-Walker TV ad, teacher Kristi LaCroix received numerous threatening phone calls and emails.[104]
* In early December, a 68-year-old woman was arrested for tearing up a Recall Walker sign.[105]
* On December 21, the GAB referred a group named "Mines for Wisconsin" to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office for investigation. The group distributed fliers encouraging people to sign petitions as "Adolf Hitler." The flier states, "Hitler was willing to destroy Germany in order to get his ideals in place. This is similar to what the recall people are doing in Wisconsin."[106]
* A woman was arrested in River Falls in December for allegedly tipping over a table used to collect signatures, throwing it and spitting at a worker.[107]
* Donald Rindo was ticketed for disorderly conduct and destruction of property after a confrontation with recall signature collectors on December 26. Rindo allegedly approached the recall supporters, tore up two of their signs and tried to pick a fight.[108]

The severe partisan divide in the state led to the creation of at least one organization seeking to restore civility to state politics.[109] Reach Out Wisconsin described itself as "a nonpartisan organization dedicated to fostering respect and understanding in Wisconsin politics."[110]

## Additional reading[edit]

* Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The Walker recall fight: marching off into the political unknown," October 15, 2011
* Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker recall effort kicks off," November 15, 2011
* Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Madison recall rally draws thousands," November 19, 2011
* The Chippewa Herald, "Our View: Recalls unnecessary despite anger," November 19, 2011
* Washington Post, "Wisconsin governor begins campaigning to keep job as recall effort sees early success," November 27, 2011
* The Nation, "Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Was for Recalls Before He Was Against Them," December 3, 2011
* NBC 15, "One Year In: Governor Walker Answers Your Questions," December 23, 2011
* Governors Journal, "Governor Of The Year – Scott Walker," December 23, 2011
* The Northwestern, "Newsmaker of the Year: All eyes on Governor Scott Walker," December 24, 2011
* LaCrosse Tribune, "Year in review: Walker reforms top story of 2011," December 31, 2011
* Recall Elections, "Wisconsin: No Roger, No Rerun, No Recall? Barrett and the unusual nature of the recall Rematch/Rerun," January 3, 2012
* Appleton Post-Crescent, "Wisconsin recall effort proves as divisive as Gov. Scott Walker's collective bargaining changes," January 4, 2012
* NBC Politics, "Will GOP's 2011 star survive recall in 2012?" January 5, 2012
* Appleton Post Crescent, "Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says he's not afraid to lose recall," January 6, 2012
* Governing, "Walker, Undaunted by Recall, Urges Governors to Slash State Budgets Boldly," January 6, 2012
* WISN, "Supporters Of Gov. Walker Rally Against Recall," January 7, 2012
* Fond du Lac Reporter, "Love him or hate him: Gov. Walker inspires deep disagreement," January 9, 2012
* Huffington Post, "Six things you didn't know about Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker," January 11, 2012
* WBAY, "The Effort to Recall Governor Scott Walker in Review," January 15, 2012
* WTMJ, "Walker recall organizers readying submission of signatures to GAB," January 16, 2012
* WBAY, "Recall Petition Database to Launch Online," March 7, 2012
* Politico, "Scott Walker on recall: This is ‘Waterloo’," March 20, 2012

### PolitiFact stories[edit]

* PolitiFact, "Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch says Kathleen Falk raised taxes by millions every year as Dane County executive," February 12, 2012
* PolitiFact, "Recall candidate Kathleen Falk says Governor Scott Walker enacted "the biggest cuts to education in our state's history,"" February 19, 2012
* PolitiFact, "Dem candidate for Wisconsin governor says 85 percent of newly employed Wisconsin residents got jobs in other states," February 26, 2012
* PolitiFact, "Dem candidate for Wisconsin governor says GOP Gov. Scott Walker keeps schedule secret," March 8, 2012
* PolitiFact, "Digging into the claims in new Walker ad," March 9, 2012

### Official documents[edit]

* Close Friends to Recall Walker campaign registration statement
* Committee to Recall Walker campaign registration statement
* All recall petitions against Walker

## See also[edit]

* Judge denies Governor Walker's extension request
* Recall campaigns in Wisconsin
* Political recall efforts, 2011
* Political recall efforts, 2012
* Laws governing recall in Wisconsin
* Scott Walker
* Rebecca Kleefisch recall, Wisconsin (2012)
* Defending Wisconsin PAC
* Van Wanggaard recall, Wisconsin State Senate (2012)
* Terry Moulton recall, Wisconsin State Senate (2012)
* Pam Galloway recall, Wisconsin State Senate (2012)
* Scott Fitzgerald recall, Wisconsin State Senate (2012)
* Recall of Wisconsin State Senators (2011)

## External links[edit]

* United Wisconsin to Recall Walker
* Recall Scott Walker
* Recall Scott Walker Facebook page
* Wisconsin Democratic Party - Recall Scott Walker Headquarters
* Scott Walker Watch
* Wisconsin GOP - Recall Integrity Center
* GAB - Committee to Recall Walker
* GAB - Close Friends to Recall Walker
* GAB - Wisconsin Common Sense Citizens for Accountability and Recall aka Recall Walker PAC

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ CBS News, "Scott Walker wins Wisconsin recall election," June 6, 2012
2. ↑ CNN, "Walker's Wisconsin win big blow to unions, smaller one to Obama," June 6, 2012
3. ↑ BusinessWeek, "Recall effort against Wisconsin Gov. Walker begins," November 15, 2011
4. ↑ BusinessWeek, "Wisconsin Officials Get More Time to Study Recall Petitions," March 13, 2012
5. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Recall votes set for May 8 and June 5," March 14, 2012
6. ↑ WTAQ, "Recall elections officially ordered against Gov. Walker, 5 other GOP lawmakers," March 30, 2012
7. ↑ WISN, "May 8 Wisconsin recall primary election results," May 8, 2012
8. ↑ Associated Press/C-SPAN, "Campaign 2012 - Wisconsin Election Results," June 5, 2012
9. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Spending on state recalls exceeds $125 million, group says," June 7, 2012
10. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Recall race cost record $80.9 million, final tally shows," July 25, 2012
11. ↑ Washington Post, "Scott Walker: The mechanics of a Wisconsin governor recall," November 16, 2011
12. ↑ State Historical Society of North Dakota, "Lynn J. Frazier," accessed November 16, 2015
13. ↑ The Daily Cardinal, "Scott Walker recall underway: Democrats critical of petition filed by Republican donor," November 7, 2011
14. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Committee to Recall Walker," accessed November 16, 2011
15. ↑ Muskego Patch, "Muskego Man Ends Recall Effort," January 5, 2012
16. ↑ WIFR, "Organizer: 50,000 Signatures to Recall Wis. Gov," November 17, 2011
17. ↑ The Nation, "40,000 Rally, More Than 100,000 Sign Petitions, to Say 'Recall Walker'," November 20, 2011
18. ↑ Washington Post, "Effort to recall Wis. Gov. Scott Walker says it has more than half of needed signatures," November 28, 2011
19. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Third recall filed against Walker," November 18, 2011
20. ↑ Channel 3000, "Second Recall Group Filed against Walker," November 19, 2011
21. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker ads slap back at recall effort," December 2, 2011
22. ↑ Appleton Post Crescent, "Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker recall effort hits 90 percent, group says," December 16, 2011
23. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Groups file signatures to recall governor," January 17, 2012
24. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "GAB sets historic recall elections for Walker, Kleefisch," March 30, 2012
25. ↑ Green Bay Press Gazette, "Judge extends recall verification period," January 25, 2012
26. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Software for recall petition database needs human assistance," January 21, 2012
27. ↑ News 8000, "Webcam set up for Walker recall signature review," January 10, 2012
28. ↑ The Republic, "Digital copies of recall petitions delivered to Walker's campaign for review," January 27, 2012
29. ↑ ABC 7, "Judge gives Wis. gov more time to challenge recall," January 25, 2012
30. ↑ The Republic, "Wisconsin Gov. Walker seeks 2 more weeks to review signatures on recall petitions," February 15, 2012
31. ↑ Reuters, "Judge denies Wisconsin governor's bid to delay recall," February 17, 2012
32. ↑ Madison.com, "Wis. governor to not challenge recall signatures," February 27, 2012 (dead link)
33. ↑ WisPolitics, "Walker wants third-party review of recall petitions considered," February 27, 2012
34. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "GAB delays release of recall petitions over privacy worries," January 30, 2012
35. ↑ Politico, "Scott Walker recall petition release delayed," January 31, 2012
36. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Officials post recall petitions online Tuesday night," January 31, 2012
37. ↑ WTMJ, "Agitator gets enough signatures to force Walker into recall primary," April 11, 2012
38. ↑ The Northwestern, "Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, a Democrat, announces she's running for governor; Walker says he's ready," January 18, 2012
39. ↑ Winona Daily News, "State Sen. Vinehout mulls run against Walker in recall," January 27, 2012
40. ↑ WTAQ, "Dem State Sen. Vinehout announces bid for Governor in possible recall," February 8, 2012
41. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Democratic Secretary of State Doug LaFollette considering running against Walker," December 22, 2011
42. ↑ WTAQ, "La Follette enters recall race," March 29, 2012
43. ↑ Channel 3000, "La Follette Files Papers For Gubernatorial Run," accessed February 23, 2012
44. ↑ Bellingham Herald, "Milwaukee mayor throws hat in ring with upcoming recall election of governor," March 31, 2012
45. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "2 unions discourage Barrett from running in a recall," December 23, 2011
46. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Barrett 'seriously considering' recall bid," December 30, 2011
47. ↑ Caledonia Patch, "'Fake Democrats' Names Released for Governor, Lt. Governor Recalls," April 5, 2012
48. ↑ The Badger Herald, "Independent announces run for governor," February 6, 2012
49. ↑ Green Bay Press Gazette, "Walker opponent has not been named yet," November 27, 2011
50. ↑ Twin Cities, "Wisconsin state elections officials seek more time to review Walker recall petitions," February 29, 2012
51. ↑ The Business Journal, "Sullivan rules out run for Wisconsin governor in recall election," November 18, 2011
52. ↑ WisPolitics, "More than 25,000 gather at Capitol rally to recall Walker, Feingold reiterates he won't run against guv," November 19, 2011
53. ↑ WTAQ, "Obey won't rule out recall run; says Barrett, Kohl are strongest opponents to run against Walker," January 19, 2012
54. ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "On Politics: Sen. Cullen mulls a recall run against Gov. Walker," December 2, 2011
55. ↑ LaCrosse Tribune, "Janesville Democrat in governor’s race if recall succeeds," January 6, 2012
56. ↑ The Cap Times, "Capitol Report: Sen. Cullen says he won't run for governor," February 1, 2012
57. ↑ WTMJ, "Barca not ruling out running against Gov. Walker in recall election," January 17, 2012
58. ↑ Channel 3000, "Rep. Barca Says He Won't Run For Governor," April 1, 2012
59. ↑ FOX 6 Now, "Political Lowe-down: Who would run against Walker should recall election occur?" November 17, 2011
60. ↑ Rockford Register Star, "Wisconsin state senator not running in recall, endorses Barrett," April 2, 2012
61. ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Wisconsin Dems Kicking Off Walker Recall Effort Tuesday," November 14, 2011
62. ↑ FOX 11, "Obey endorses Barrett in governor recall," April 9, 2012
63. ↑ WAOW, "5 recall candidates don't have enough names," April 11, 2012
64. ↑ Post-Crescent, "Wisconsin governor, lieutenant governor recalls must be separate, attorney general says," November 3, 2011
65. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker, GOP sue state elections and ethics agency over recall effort," December 15, 2011
66. ↑ Appleton Post Crescent, "Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker recall effort hits 90 percent, group says," December 16, 2011
67. ↑ The Republic, "Recall Walker backers ask court to dismiss lawsuit," December 20, 2011
68. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Court rules out intervention by recall groups," December 29, 2011
69. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "General Accountability Board ordered to boost vetting of recall petitions," January 6, 2012
70. ↑ The Republic, "Wis. appeals court vacates ruling on how state elections board must review recall signatures," February 3, 2012
71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 Politifact, "Rebecca Kleefisch says recall election would cost $7.7 million that could already be allocated to teacher raises, health care for poor," accessed November 17, 2015
72. ↑ BusinessWeek, "Survey: Wis. gov recall will cost $9 million," January 6, 2012
73. ↑ Wisconsin Radio Network, "Raising questions about recall costs," January 10, 2012
74. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker recall cost estimated at $9 million," January 6, 2012
75. ↑ NBC 26, "Gov. Walker Reacts to Poll and Recall," November 16, 2011
76. ↑ Washington Post, "Scott Walker leads in Wisconsin recall poll," January 25, 2012
77. ↑ Twin Cities, "Wisconsin: Scott Walker approval rating evenly split, poll finds," February 22, 2012
78. ↑ Politico, "Poll: Scott Walker recall too close to call," February 28, 2012
79. ↑ Rasmussen Reports, "54% in Wisconsin Oppose Recall of GOP Governor Walker," February 29, 2012
80. ↑ Leader Telegram, "Barrett leads Falk in recall poll," March 28, 2012
81. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker leads Dems in new poll; Barrett tops Falk in primary," April 16, 2012
82. ↑ Chippewa Herald, "Walker widening lead in latest polls," May 16, 2012
83. ↑ WisPolitics, "DGA poll:Walker 49, Barrett 46," May 25, 2012
84. ↑ BusinessWeek, "Wisconsin’s Walker Leads Barrett 52%-45% in Recall Race Poll," May 30, 2012
85. ↑ WisPolitics, "Walker reports raising $5.1 million," December 15, 2011
86. ↑ Governing, "Wisconsin Governor Fights Recall with Out-of-State Cash," January 24, 2012
87. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Friends of Scott Walker - Special Pre-Primary 2012," April 30, 2012
88. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT: STATE OF WISCONSIN: Recall 60 day report: Friends of Scott Walker," January 23, 2012
89. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT: STATE OF WISCONSIN: GAB-2: Friends of Scott Walker," January 23, 2012
90. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT: STATE OF WISCONSIN: GAB-2: Friends of Scott Walker," December 15, 2011
91. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Pro-Falk group being led by out-of-state operatives," March 25, 2012
92. ↑ WTAQ, "GAB, DOJ team up to handle recall petition complaints," December 2, 2011
93. ↑ WHBL, ""Recall Walker" rock thrown through Madison cafe window," November 16, 2011
94. ↑ Caledonia Patch, "Pro-Recall Group Outs Facebook Page That Boasts About Destroying Signatures," November 22, 2011
95. ↑ Channel 3000, "Walker Opponents Plagued By Threats, Thefts," November 21, 2011
96. ↑ The Badger Herald, "Recall organizer faces death threat," November 21, 2011
97. ↑ Brookfield Patch, "Threats Made to National Teachers Unions Firm in Brookfield," November 21, 2011
98. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Recall petition destroyed on Edgewood College campus," November 22, 2011
99. ↑ WQOW, "Volunteers claim someone stole petition," November 22, 2011
100. ↑ Wauwatosa Now, "Recall supporter threatened with vandalism," November 23, 2011
101. ↑ The Journal Times, "Recall allegations abound — Signs damaged, threats reported," November 29, 2011
102. ↑ WTAQ, "Man jailed after getting caught defacing recall petitions," December 5, 2011
103. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Man charged with defacing Walker recall petition," December 8, 2011
104. ↑ WISN, "Kenosha Teacher Receives Threats Over Walker Ad Involvement," December 5, 2011
105. ↑ Wausau Daily Herald, "Woman arrested after tearing up Walker recall sign," December 5, 2011
106. ↑ Stevens Point Journal, "State pursues 'Hitler' group protesting recall," December 21, 2011
107. ↑ Duluth News Tribune, "Another person arrested for spitting on worker collecting Walker recall signatures," December 21, 2011
108. ↑ WQOW, "Man ticketed for recall confrontation in Hudson," December 29, 2011
109. ↑ Examiner, "Reach Out Wisonsin [sic] Aims to Bring Civility to Wisconsin Politics," December 20, 2011
110. ↑ Reach Out Wisconsin, "Homepage," accessed December 24, 2011

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