The Republican Party nomination for governor turned out as predicted, with Gov. Scott McCallum easily winning the party’s endorsement.
McCallum was declared an early winner by several news services after just 103 precincts — only 3 percent — of the state’s votes were tallied.
“The governor is celebrating in West Allis with a group of supporters,” Darrin Schmitz, campaign manager for McCallum, said at McCallum’s victory party Tuesday night. “He is eagerly looking forward to the general election.”
Schmitz said the governor will not take time off from campaigning but will spend the day leading the state’s Sept. 11 events.
“The governor has a strong message . . . to lower taxes . . . and to create higher-paying jobs so students across the state who are graduating will want to stay and work here,” he said.
“[The governor] is looking forward to the upcoming debates and to the general elections,” Schmitz said.
He said McCallum was confident he would be successful in the primaries but watched the poll numbers closely, taking the election seriously.
At press time, with more than 98 percent of the votes tallied, McCallum had 86 percent of the votes while Bill Lorge had 8 percent and George Pobuda trailed behind with 5 percent.
But despite his confidence and easy win in the Republican primaries, in recent polls when McCallum was paired in head-to-head match-ups with all Democratic candidates, he came up behind.
McCallum became governor after Gov. Tommy Thompson resigned to work for President Bush as a cabinet member. The 52-year-old governor entered Wisconsin government by serving as an aide to a U.S. representative, then being elected to the state Senate in 1976 before becoming lieutenant governor.
Since being sworn in to his current office, McCallum has faced difficulty balancing the state budget; decreased funds have effectively raised tuition throughout the University of Wisconsin System.
Libertarian candidate Ed Thompson, who was looking to win 6 percent of the votes to be eligible for more than $200,000 in state funds, was not included in the AP polls and will not know results until later.
“There haven’t been any published poll numbers, but it doesn’t look too promising that we will get the 6 percent,” said Josh Morby, spokesman for Thompson.
Greer over Alfonsi in congressional primary
Rev. Ron Greer defeated Phil Alfonsi in Tuesday’s Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional District, in which the University of Wisconsin is situated.
Greer will be pitted against incumbent Rep. Tammy Baldwin in the Nov. 5 election. Greer, a black minister, referred to Baldwin as a “left-wing lesbian” in 1998, when he came in second place in the GOP primary. He has not made an issue of her sexual orientation since.
Baldwin is seeking a third term. She said she is looking forward to a race based on issues, such as Social Security and prescription drug coverage for seniors.
“If my opponent fails to address these issues, it’s to his own detriment,” she said Tuesday night.
In the race for the Democratic nomination for the congressional district south of Madison, Jeffrey Thomas defeated Dale Moore in the 1st Congressional District Democratic primary, setting up a rematch with Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, in the general election.
