County politics is alot more partisan than city politics, and there, they actually have Republicans on the board! Let’s take a look see at where the organizational endorsements are lining up. I’ll use Blaska’s color scheme for talking about the candidates. I couldn’t find the AFSCME endorsements on line to verify, so I didn’t include them. Here’s links to the others: Dane Dems, Deputies, Realtors, Chamber of Commerce
CONTESTED RACES
DISTRICT 1
Scott McDonell (I) – Dane Dems
Dennis Amadeus de Nure
DISTRICT 3
Elaine DeSmidt (I) – Dane Dems
Donald Imhoff – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 4
Brett Hulsey (I) – Dane Dems
Greg Hull – Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 5
Analiese Eicher – Dane Dems, Chamber of Commerce
Michael Johnson – Progressive Dane, Deputies
DISTRICT 7
Matt Veldran (I) – Dane Dems, Deputies
Mike Thomsen – Realtors
DISTRICT 12
Paul Rusk(I) – Dane Dems, Chamber of Commerce
Rick Raulin – Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 15
Ronn Ferrell (I) – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
Barbara H. McKinney – Dane Dems
DISTRICT 16
Dave de Felice (I) – Dane Dems, Deputies
Ryan Jennissen – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors
DISTRICT 18
Melissa Sargent – Dane Dems, Chamber of Commerce
Nancy Wild – Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 19
Steve Schwartzer – Realtors, Deputies
Bill Clausius – Realtors
DISTRICT 20
Duane Gau (I) – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
Gordon Shea – Dane Dems
DISTRICT 21
David Wiganowsky (I) – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
Harvey Potter
DISTRICT 24
Robin Schmidt (I) – Dane Dems
Pat Barry – Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 26
Joshua Gamer – Realtors
Sharon Corrigan – Dane Dems, Chamber of Commerce, Realtors
DISTRICT 27
Kyle Richmond (I) – Dane Dems, Progressive Dane
Jeffrey Kritch – Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 28
Kurt Schlicht (I) – Realtors, Deputies
Bob Green
DISTRICT 30
Patrick Downing (I) – Dane Dems, Deputies
Donald Steinhauer – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors
DISTRICT 33
Jack Martz (I) – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
Sam Cooke – Dane Dems
DISTRICT 34
Patrick Miles (I) – Dane Dems, Chamber of Commerce
Spencer Zimmerman – Deputies
DISTRICT 35
Denise Duranczyk (I) – Dane Dems
Dave Siitari – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
So, how’d the groups do on the Blaska scale?
Dane Dems 17, 0
Deputies 4, 14
Realtors 0, 18
Chamber of Commerce 5, 8
Progressive Dane 2, 0
Greens 0, 0
Total Candidates 21, 19
UNCONTESTED RACES
DISTRICT 2
Barbara Vedder (I) Progressive Dane, Greens
DISTRICT 6
John Hendrick (I) Progressive Dane, Greens
DISTRICT 8
Carousel Andrea Bayrd (I) – Dane Dems
DISTRICT 9
Dianne Hesselbein (I) – Dane Dems, Chamber of Commerce, Realtors
DISTRICT 10
Jeremy Levin (I) – Dane Dems, Chamber of Commerce
DISTRICT 11
Al Matano (I) – Dane Dems, Progressive Dane
DISTRICT 13
Chuck Erickson (I) – Dane Dems, Deputies
DISTRICT 14
Melanie Hampton (I) – Dane Dems, Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 17
Tom Stoebig (I) – Dane Dems, Deputies
DISTRICT 22
Dennis O’Loughlin (I) – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 23
Shelia Stubbs (I) – Dane Dems, Deputies
DISTRICT 25
Eileen Bruskewitz (I) – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 29
Dave Ripp (I) – Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 31
Gerald Jensen (I) – Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 32
Mike Willett (I) – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 36
Cynda Solberg (I) – Realtors, Deputies
DISTRICT 37
Bob Salov (I) – Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, Deputies
So, how’d the groups do on the Blaska scale?
Dane Dems 8, 0
Deputies 4, 7
Realtors 2, 7
Chamber of Commerce 2, 4
Progressive Dane 3, 0
Greens 2, 0
Total Candidates 10, 7
SUMMARY
Here’s the total on the Blaska scale.
Dane Dems 25, 0
Deputies 8, 21
Realtors 2, 25
Chamber of Commerce 7, 12
Progressive Dane 5, 0
Greens 2, 0
Total 31 Candidates, 26 Candidates
The oddest thing is with the Chamber, they have had one issue before the Board this year, that was the RTA, but look at 9 of their 19 endorsements make no sense, look at how they people they endorsed or endorsed against voted:
District 3 – Don Imhoff (portions of Madison’s Eastside) against Elaine Desmidt who voted for the RTA.
District 15 – Ronn Ferrell (I) (portions of Madison’s Westside) Voted against the RTA
District 16 – Ryan Jennissen (portions of Madison’s Eastside and Blooming Grove) against Dave Defelice who voted for the RTA
District 20 – Duane Gau (I) (portions of Sun Prairie and Bristol) Voted against the RTA in committee (was absent for the vote)
District 21 – Dave Wiganowsky (I) (portions of Madison’s Eastside, Burke, Cottage Grove and Windsor) Voted against the RTA
District 22 – Dennis O’Loughlin (I) (DeForest and Windsor) Voted against the RTA
District 25 – Eileen Bruskewitz (I) (Waunakee and Westport) Voted against the RTA
District 33 – Jack Martz (I) (portions of Fitchburg) Voted against the RTA
District 37 – Bob Salov (I) (Far east Dane County) Voted against the RTA
It seems to me that they just endorsed the conservatives/Republicans no matter how they voted. I’m not surprised given their joint scare tactic mailing they did with the Realtors. Add it all up and it sure fits the stereotypes of the Chamber just being a front group for the Republicans, even here in liberal Madison. I guess someone should go down and check those campaign finance reports! Too bad the county doesn’t have them on line like the city does.
