Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, received the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor and will now face Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in the June 5 recall election.
According to the Associated Press, based on preliminary election results, Mitchell received 52 percent of the vote. Isaac Weix, who ran as a placeholder candidate to ensure a primary election, received 26 percent. Ira Robins, a Milwaukee private investigator, received 22 percent.
“I am humbled, honored and privileged to win this thing,” Mitchell said, telling supporters at Moe’s Tavern in Madison he could not have done this without them. “There was no way in – I’ve got to stop cursing – no way in hell, heck all, that I thought I would be standing up here before you talking about lieutenant governor.”
Mitchell said he looked at the upcoming recall election as the National Football League playoffs and that he has made it past the first and second round. He said the Super Bowl is coming June 5.
He told supporters the primary victory means nothing if the Democrats do not win the recall election. He said his supporters have to get their message out there and to keep up the pressure so he and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who will face Gov. Scott Walker, “can give them hell.”
Gubernatorial candidate and Secretary of State Doug La Follette also spoke to the crowd and told supporters it will be a tough election as the Democrats are facing millions of dollars of out-of-state money.
“But we’ve got the people, and we’ve got the right, and you’ve got a great candidate here to help,” La Follette said.
In a statement following Mitchell’s win, Kleefisch said she first ran for the office two years ago to help balance the state’s budget and put the state’s economy back to work.
“Working together, we have balanced the budget and laid the foundation for moving Wisconsin’s economy forward,” Kleefisch said in the statement. “We can’t afford to turn back now to the job-killing tax increases embraced by Barrett and Mitchell. Wisconsin needs to keep moving forward.”
Robins said in an interview with The Badger Herald nothing will change if Barrett and Mitchell are elected and said the “same old” politics will continue.
According to Robins’ website, he ran a campaign without accepting or requesting donations. His plan for the state would have allowed elected officials to still receive contributions but would have prohibited them from participating in any matter involving any person or entity who contributed to their campaign.
“The citizens of the state of Wisconsin got exactly what they’re entitled to: nothing. And it’s too bad, but with Barrett and with Mahlon Mitchell, nothing will change, if they’re elected,” Robins said. “I really could’ve done a nice job for the citizens, and they would have been happy, and I would’ve been honored to work for them. But now there will not be any changes at all with the crap that goes on in our government.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
