Gronik, Flynn likely to appear first on ballot

Research points to advantage for candidates who get top billing

MADISON - Andy Gronik and Matt Flynn are on track to get the coveted first spots on the ballot for the Democratic primary for governor.

David Canon, professor and chair of the political science department at the University of WisconsinMadison, said research suggests there is an advantage to being higher on the ballot — particularly in such a large field.

“There is definitely work I’ve seen that says that being first is definitely an advantage to being second,” he said.

The state Elections Commission will meet Monday to finalize the Aug. 14 ballot and consider challenges that could knock some candidates off the

ballot. The primary winner will face GOP Gov. Scott Walker on Nov. 6.

Commission staff randomly selected the order of the candidates for governor.

The preliminary order for the field, which is the largest in a generation, is:

❚ Gronik, a Milwaukee buisnessman.

❚ Flynn, the former chairman of the state Democratic Party.

❚ Tony Evers, the state schools superintendent.

❚ Josh Pade, a Kenosha attorney.

❚ Mike McCabe, a campaign finance reform activist.

❚ Mahlon Mitchell, the president of a firefighters union.

❚ Kelda Roys, a former state representative from Madison.

❚ Paul Soglin, the Madison mayor.

❚ Kathleen Vinehout, a state senator from Alma.

❚ Dana Wachs, a state representative from Eau Claire.

Canon cited a peer-reviewed article that found that candidates listed first had a greater advantage than other candidates and that the effects were even greater in elections with more candidates. He added that Wisconsin’s process of randomly selecting the order is the most fair.

That order will hold unless the commission removes one or more candidates from the ballot.

Candidates must submit 2,000 signatures to get on the ballot, but the state Republican Party contends some of Gronik's are invalid because they were gathered by people who were ineligible to vote because they were felons.

In its response, the Gronik campaign said those people were eligible to vote and collect signatures because they had completed their sentences.

Wachs is accused of compiling signatures that lack necessary information, such as a printed name or residential address.

The campaign called the evidence insufficient to remove Wachs from the ballot.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson faces a challenge that argues that more than 2,700 of his signatures are invalid because they were gathered by people who live out of the state.

In a response, Nicholson’s team cited a 2003 state Supreme Court ruling that found that the statutes requiring those gathering signatures to be residents of Wisconsin was a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.

Nicholson's main opponent for the GOP nomination is state Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield), but three other candidates are also running.

If Nicholson withstands his challenge, the candidates will appear in this order:

❚ George Lucia.

❚ Vukmir.

❚ Griffin Jones.

❚ Nicholson.

❚ Charles Barman.

The primary winner will go up against Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the fall.

The commission will also address a challenge against Charisse Daniels, a Democratic Assembly candidate from Watertown who is accused of forging signatures to get on the ballot.

The complaint includes affidavits from 15 people who say they did not sign nomination papers. Daniels did not issue a response to her challenge and her attorney has issued no comment on the allegation.

The Watertown Police Department is investigating the alleged election fraud. According to state statutes, falsifying nomination papers is a felony.

If Daniels is removed, Rep. John Jagler (R-Watertown) would be all but assured victory because his name would be the only one on the ballot.