A University of Wisconsin student and College Republican, along with at least 15 other GOP activists, helped collect more than 3,000 signatures to get Ralph Nader on Wisconsin’s ballots while posing as supporters for the Independent candidates.
UW student Matt Holsen came to a Students for Nader meeting to hand over the stack of papers with signatures supporting Nader’s cause to get on Wisconsin ballots Nov. 2, campus coordinator for the group Paul Heideman said.
“I was there when he came to one of our meetings,” Heideman said, adding that the group of Nader supporters started to ask where the signatures came from at the early September meeting. “He just ran away when we started to ask him questions … We told him we knew who he was and we didn’t want his help. We all frankly want nothing to do with the Republican Party.”
Holsen, who personally collected nearly 600 signatures did not return phone calls, and his mother told the Badger Herald, “I doubt he will call you back.”
Under Wisconsin law, Nader needed at least 2,000 signatures to earn a spot on the ballot, and, after a brief state Supreme Court battle, received the nod to go in as an Independent candidate. However, petitioners and petition circulators trying to get signatures must sign a statement stating they support the candidate they are recruiting voters for. The form adds that if it is found out someone collecting signatures does not support said candidate, they may be guilty of a felony.
Nicole Marklein, chair of the College Republicans, personally collected 11 signatures and has openly supported President George W. Bush’s re-election campaign.
UW political science major James Block, a College Republican member who is also running for Wisconsin’s 70th district Assembly seat, said he did not know Holsen, and questions the ethical standings of someone who would pretend to support another candidate to draw votes away from Democratic nominee John Kerry.
“It’s one thing if he if he believes in the candidate,” Block said, adding that Democrats and Independents are helping to run his campaign. Block said he believes Nader has had trouble getting on ballots, and if someone wants to help his cause, “more power to him.”
“But, if he’s supporting Bush, that’s wrong.”
However, Block, who defines himself as a moderate, did add it is encouraging to see college-aged voters get involved with the electoral process.
“A student participating in politics, that’s a great thing.”
UW student and College Democrats chair Liz Sanger said she is shocked by her partisan counterparts’ actions.
“I’m just shocked that a student is involved in this,” Sanger said. “This will not sit well with any voter on this campus.”
Sanger added that this just solidifies her belief that Republicans do not think Bush is a strong enough candidate to win the election by himself.
Sanger said she has a “lot of faith in this generation as a whole,” politically, but said she had to rethink her views after finding out the extent of the College Republican involvement.
–Associated Press contributed to this report
