Capitol Notes

The investigation into the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin is heating up. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos hired former conservative state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman to lead the probe.

Republican state lawmakers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a redistricting lawsuit that Democrats brought, which asks a federal court to draw the political boundaries in Wisconsin for the next decade. The request came after the Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed to directly take a redistricting case brought by a conservative group.

Former Wisconsin Commerce Secretary Bill McCoshen has decided not to seek the Republican nomination for governor next year. That leaves former GOP Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch as the lone Republican so far to formally challenge Democratic incumbent Tony Evers in 2022.

Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman wants the Wisconsin Elections Commission to preserve all 2020 presidential election evidence. Gableman is leading a GOP-requested investigation into the election. He sent a letter to commissioners last week, urging them to tell local clerks to preserve “any and all” voting records, so he can use them to determine whether any alleged fraud occurred in the state.

It appears former Republican Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch is going to formally announce her bid for governor on Thursday. She sent a notice to supporters that she’ll make a “special announcement” in Waukesha County.

Sparks flew last week between Interim UW System President and former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson and GOP leaders in the state Legislature. Republican Sen. Steve Nass, who co-chairs the Rules Committee, threatened to file a lawsuit if Thompson doesn’t first get permission from the panel to enact any COVID-19 mandates on the campuses. Thompson rebuffed Nass' demand.

Longtime Democratic Congressman Ron Kind of La Crosse shocked Wisconsin’s political world last week when he announced he won’t seek reelection next year. In this week’s “Capitol Notes” conversation, WUWM’s Marti Mikkelson asks JR Ross of wispolitics.com what he thinks are the chances of the GOP flipping this seat now that Kind has bowed out.

Democratic state Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee has dropped out of the race for U.S. Senate. In this week’s Capitol Notes conversation, Marti Mikkelson asks JR Ross of wispolitics.com if he was surprised by the development.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has made it official — he’s in the race for Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate seat next November. Barnes has the highest political profile so far and joins a crowded field of Democrats who have either announced they are running or are thinking of running.

Campaign finance reports are out, and they show Republican Sen. Ron Johnson raised more money between April and June than any of the Democrats who would want to run against him. But at least one potential Democratic challenger is close behind. Johnson hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll seek a third term next November.