In an unexpected move Wednesday night, Republicans in charge of the Wisconsin Senate attempted to force a vote on removing the state’s impartial top elections official before the 2024 presidential election.
The Senate opted to hold a public hearing and, eventually, a confirmation vote on Megan Wolfe’s reappointment for a second term monitoring elections in the presidential battleground state at a later date. Democrats marched out of the Senate floor before the vote, protesting to putting the unplanned resolution to a vote at 9:30 p.m. on a day when the state budget was supposed to be passed.
The Republican maneuver was an attempt to circumvent Democrats on the Wisconsin Elections Commission who had sought to prevent the Senate from voting on Wolfe’s confirmation the day before. Democrats are concerned that the Senate would deny her nomination, thus firing her.
The three Democrats on the elections commission voted against reappointing Wolfe on Tuesday. The three Republicans who voted in support did so.
The Senate overlooked the tie vote and stated in the resolution it enacted Wednesday night that the 3-0 vote with three abstentions was a show of unanimous support for Wolfe. Wolfe must be reappointed with four votes, according to state law.
Republicans are just breaking the law to obtain what they want, according to Democratic elections commission member Ann Jacobs.
“Apparently, Meagan Wolfe is living rent-free in the heads of the Senate delegation, and they live in mortal fear that she will continue to run free and fair elections in Wisconsin,” Jacobs added.
Another Democratic elections commissioner, Mark Thomsen, stated that he trusts the courts and “not this current Senate leadership” to resolve the issue.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the Senate was obeying the law by considering Wolfe’s reappointment because his term expires on Friday. He charged Democrats on the elections commission with “diminishing faith in our elections” through their “antics.”
