The big Dem field is a sign of enthusiasm — and an obstacle
Primary winner likely won’t have much money
OSHKOSH - The sheer size of the field running for governor is one of the clearest signs of enthusiasm for Wisconsin Democrats, but it also could be one of their most challenging obstacles in their effort to take out Gov. Scott Walker.
They’re hoping the crop of 10 candidates isn’t too big to fail.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan reminded attendees at the Democratic Party’s state convention at the Best Western Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center this weekend that a year ago Republicans were mocking Democrats for having trouble finding candidates. Pocan told them then that there would be a strong challenge to Walker.
“I didn’t underpromise, but I may have overdelivered a little bit,” said Pocan, of rural Dane County.
Convention-goer Carol Wolcott of Milwaukee said she was excited to see so many candidates running but knew it would require voters to do their homework. She said she didn’t think the large number of candidates would hurt Democrats’ chance of winning.
“I think we’re seeing so many people running for governor because of Scott Walker,” she said. “I think he probably would sell his mother for another year in office. … I think people are saying, ‘We’ve had enough of him.’ ”
At a stop at a Republican Party office in Oshkosh, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch said Democrats “are pretty fractured right now.”
“They have faction after faction after faction at that Democrat state convention,” she said. “And they’re not uniting around a single candidate. I don’t know how you tell them apart, but they’re going to break off into little groups.”
The huge field makes it difficult for candidates to raise money and get attention. The winner of the Aug. 14 primary likely won’t have any money at that stage, opening an opportunity for
Walker and his allies to bombard the airwaves with negative ads to define the Democrat.
“I think it’s a problem because there’s no clear frontrunner,” Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report said of the Democratic field.
“It’s a problem because none of these candidates are well-known — none of them. It’s a problem because the primary is so late. Walker has something of a free ride.”
That could change if this year’s election develops into a wave election, she said. Democratic enthusiasm has been high for months and Walker has been warning his supporters of a potential “blue wave” after GOP losses this year in a state Supreme Court race and state Senate special election.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee told convention attendees that the large field shouldn’t worry them.
“We’ve got so many candidates for governor,” she said. “That’s a good problem to have because any generic Democrat can beat sorry Scott Walker.”
On Friday — the deadline for submitting paperwork to get on the ballot — the 10 candidates got a chance to make their cases to the grass roots at the convention.
They did what they could to draw attention to themselves. State Schools Superintendent Tony Evers said he was “goddamn sick and tired” of Walker’s policies. Madison Mayor Paul Soglin questioned why Walker dropped out of college. Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik framed himself as an outsider. Liberal activist Mike McCabe preached like a populist.
“It’s a tough decision,” said Larry Ford of Spooner. “They’ve got so many to choose from and they all seem good.”
State Rep. Dana Wachs of Eau Claire said when he got in the race for governor in August he thought there would likely be four or five candidates. He said the large field shows Democrats are energized, but he acknowledged it makes it hard to tell what the political ramifications will be.
“I don’t know that we’ve heard of anything with this many people, so it’s hard to do the calculus,” he said.
Also running are former state party chairman Matt Flynn, firefighters union president Mahlon Mitchell, Kenosha attorney Josh Pade, former state Rep. Kelda Roys of Madison and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout of Alma.
Convention-goer Will Green of Wauwatosa said he didn’t think the big field would hurt Democrats’ chances this fall.
“It’s going to be a tough race because of the money, but there are things with Scott Walker that I see as very unpopular,” Green said, citing transportation and the incentive package for Foxconn Technology Group that will give the technology company as much as $4 billion in state and local taxpayer funds.
Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said it was not a surprise there were so many candidates, given that no major figure got in the race to clear the field.
“The Democrats have been wiped out in Wisconsin in a lot of ways,” he said. “The only thing to do was to be Darwinian — let the strongest survive.”
There are risks to having such a crowded primary, he said.
“It’s the excess of success,” he said. “They could end up knocking one another out instead of Walker.”
Walker is a canny politician and better
Democratic enthusiasm has been high for months and Walker has been warning his supporters of a potential “blue wave” after GOP losses this year in a state Supreme Court race and state Senate special election.
suited to survive a wave than most Republicans, Sabato said. But voters like to see change, he said, adding that Walker’s two terms felt like three in some ways because he had won a recall election early in his first term.
“Do they say, when they get to the fall, ‘It’s time for change. I want someone other than Scott Walker?’ If they do that, they may elect even an unknown Democrat,” Sabato said.
The Democratic Governors Association has developed a plan to help the primary winner pivot quickly to the general election and have funding available to combat spending by Republicans.
Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.