Kloppenburg Concedes, GAB Okays 3 Recall Elections

    In news today, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg has officially conceded the Wisconsin Supreme Court election to Incumbent David Prosser at a Madison news conference.  A statewide recount showed her losing the election by 7,006 votes.  She also stated that she would not challenge the election in court, noting: "It would serve no purpose to bring a suit with insufficient legal basis. That is not the kind of lawyer that I am."
     In another part of Madison, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board was approved recall elections against three senators, while delaying a decision on three others.  Sens, Rob Cowles (R-Allouez), Alberta Darling (R- River Hills), and Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) will face recall elections on July 12, 2011.  If there are multiple entrants, then the July 12th date will become the primary with the general election on August 9.  Working over the Memorial Day weekend, the GAB was able to dismiss concerns and complaints against the three petitions in time for their meeting today.
     The same was not true in the case of the petitions agains Sens. Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie), Jim Holperin (D-Conover), and Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay).  The GAB stated that their recall petitions were challenged under different grounds and that they just didn't have the manpower to adequately dismiss all the claims against the petitions.  The GAB is working under a court-ordered extension to set the dates for all recall elections by this coming Friday, June 3, 2011.  They plan to return to the court to ask for more time.  Their proposed timetable for elections for any of the three whose dates haven't been set would be a July 19th primary and August 16th general election.  Once the recall election dates are certified, the offical who is being recalled has seven days to appeal to the courts.  It is unclear at this time if any of the senators facing recalls will do so.