2006 COULD PROVE TO BE WATERSHED ELECTION FOR DEMOCRATS

JEFF MAYERS

new year usu- challenger Mark Aally brings Neumann. reflection, new Meanwhile, hope, and new fears. Democratic U.S. So it is with politics in Senator after the easily won reelection fierce 2006 elections. to a fourth term with The campaigning sur- a landslide victory rounding Election over an opponent 2006 was the most most Republicans negative in memory didn't know or didn't and set record spend- help. Kohl spent $6.3 ing that smashed sta- million over the past tus quo thinking in two years in getting Wisconsin, the region reelected with 67 per- ,and the country cent of the vote over Reflection Robert Gerald Lorge. Looking back Kagen’s victory years from now, 2006 might be seen as one of means that Democrats have a 5-3 edge in the those watershed election years in Wisconsin, eight-member congressional delegation, plus the region, and across the country. If both U.S. Senate seats (Kohl and U.S. Senator Democrats don't mess up the opportunity, it , who just got reelected to could all lead to the election of a Democratic another six-year term in 2004). president in 2008, some analysts say. In the governor’s race, Democratic incum- Let's recount the record. bent Jim Doyle beat Republican Congressman Mark Green of Green Bay by eight percentage Political newcomer Steve Kagen, a wealthy points. Doyle preserved his unbeaten record in allergist from Appleton, beat Assembly Speaker statewide elections, dating back to 1990 when to snag the Republican-leaning 8th he first won the attorney general's race, and Congressional District in northeastern Wisconsin, became the first Democratic governor re- typifying the Democratic trend up and down the elected since Pat Lucey won a second term in ballot. Kagen and Gard spent a combined $6 mil- 1974. Doyle only won 45 percent of the vote in lion. The previous spending record for congres- 2002 when he beat GOP Governor Scott sional candidates in Wisconsin was the $2.8 mil- McCallum and Libertarian Ed Thompson. As lion spent in 1994 in competition for southeastern Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District by Democratic Representative Peter Barca and GOP Jeff Mayers is the President of WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.

Wisconsin Interest 23 of October 23, Doyle and Green had spent a Republicans who were tossed include combined total of $14.2 million (Doyle’s $8 incumbents Mark Pettis, R-Hertel; Debi million to Green’s $6.2 million)—already a Towns, R-Janesville; Gabe Loeffelholz, R- record, even though spending totals from the Platteville; Stephen Freese, R-Dodgeville; Judy last weeks of the campaign wouldn’t be known Krawczyk, R-Green Bay; and Rob Kreibich, R- until early in 2007. According to the Wisconsin Eau Claire. Democracy Campaign’s accounting of final Mike Huebsch, the majority leader under 2002 campaign totals, McCallum spent $7.7 Gard, won the speakership—pushing aside a million in a losing effort in 2002 while Doyle challenge from former Joint Finance spent $5.9 million. Committee Co-Chairman Dean Kaufert. And those figures don’t include millions of Analysts were uncertain how Huebsch, R-West dollars in spending by a host of Republican- Salem, a longtime conservative legislator, oriented and Democratic-leaning groups. would fare in the Democratic-dominated Capitol at a time when Republicans were seen Democrats swept four competitive Senate as on the defensive. seats and took control of that body for the first time since they lost control after the charges On local spending issues, voters around against former Senate Majority Leader Chuck the state approved roughly $322 million in Chvala, D-Madison, going into the 2002 elec- additional school spending through referen- tions. This time Republicans lost seats in the dums, while shooting down just $61.8 million Eau Claire, Racine, and areas to fall in requests. Voters in 21 districts approved 29 into minority status. The losers: Dave Zien, R- referendums, while 12 referendums in nine Eau Claire, lost his seat to Pat Kreitlow; Ron districts failed. Brown, R-Eau Claire lost his seat to Kathleen And on local war referendums, anti-war Vinehout; Tom Reynolds, R-West Allis, lost his voters prevailed, passing "bring our troops seat to Jim Sullivan; and Republican Bill home” ballot initiatives in all 10 communities McReynolds lost his race for an open seat to where the referendums appeared on ballots. Representative John Lehman, D-Racine. McReynolds, the Racine County executive, Republicans even lost the low-key state was trying to hold the seat being vacated by treasurer post, when Jack Voight of Appleton Republican incumbent Cathy Stepp. got bumped off by little-known Dawn Marie Sass of Milwaukee; evidence to analysts that a Republicans, who went from a 19-14 national Democratic wave had washed down majority to an 18-15 minority, also lost control through the ballot. of committees and a score of Republican staffers lost their jobs. In one of the few bright spots for Republicans, J.B. Van Hollen, a former federal Democrats elected Judy Robson, a former and county prosecutor with ties to the old nurse from Beloit who had been minority Thompson administration, upset Doyle leader, to the post of majority leader. Fred favorite Kathleen Falk, the Dane County exec- Risser, D-Madison, the longest-serving state utive, to become the first Republican attorney legislator, got back his coveted Senate presi- general since Don Hanaway lost the post in dent post. 1990. Doyle beat Hanaway to begin the latest In the Assembly, Democrats came within Democratic streak in that important statewide three seats of capturing the majority, winning post. Falk, to the consternation of many union eight seats that tossed six incumbents and members and women, had successfully chal- replaced two retiring Republicans with lenged Peg Lautenschlager, a former lawmaker Democrats. The partisan split going into 2007 and prosecutor at the county and federal lev- was 52 Republican, 47 Democrat. els, who had been weakened by a drunken dri- ving arrest and other missteps. Van Hollen

24 Winter 2007 was aided by a simple message (translated: I Republican themes and proposals, and often have prosecuted criminals; she hasn't); appar- governed through vetoes and end-arounds on ent backlash on Falk for challenging the Legislature. Lautenschlager (she polled behind Doyle in Going into 2007, many Democrats saw an her home county by 11,154 votes—enough tal- opportunity to do big things that had been lies for her to have beaten Van Hollen); and shut down by Republicans or shelved by real- millions of dollars worth of negative advertis- ists. Could election 2006 translate into sweep- ing from Wisconsin Manufacturers and ing Democratic reform in the areas of cam- Commerce and allied groups against Falk. paign finance reform, health care, and prop- Conservatives also secured passage of a erty taxes? constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil Some of that post-election enthusiasm unions despite a multi-million-dollar opposi- dimmed as Doyle came out of the election con- tion campaign led by Fair Wisconsin. tinuing to send centrist signals—distancing But overall, it was a big Democratic year in himself from tax increases (except for a possi- Wisconsin. ble cigarette tax boost) and from a tax-shifting plan that would close And on the national sales tax loopholes to gen- scene, Democrats won Doyle's early re-shaping erate money for school back control of both aids and provide prop- houses of Congress (bar- of his administration erty tax relief. ring unforeseen events in the narrowly-divided also sent signals that Doyle's early re-shap- Senate) and revved up ing of his administration their presidential cam- term No. 2 for Doyle also sent signals that term paigns in the wake of a No. 2 for Doyle might not divisive Iraq War might not be the last but be the last but more of the reassessment on the more of the same in same in preparation for a Republican side. Analysts possible third term. Doyle saw the elections as hav- preparation for a appointed low-key ing some of the feel of a Milwaukeean Mike presidential election year, possible third term. Morgan, the Revenue sec- with many casual, inde- retary, to be his pendent-minded voters Department of coming out to voice their displeasure on Iraq Administration chief, replacing friend Steve and other matters. Bablitch who had come on before election time in place of Marc Marotta. Susan Goodwin, his Many conservatives declared that the loyal chief of staff and top aide for many years, Newt Gingrich-led revolution of 1994 had run stayed on. Katie Boyce, a former lobbyist who its course and glumly concluded that has been the governor's legislative director and Wisconsin is a Democratic state. then campaign fundraiser, became deputy chief New hopes of staff. Election 2006 spawned new hopes for At this writing in early December it was Democrats going into 2007. unclear exactly what Doyle would do with this mandate—whether he would attempt sweep- Doyle and Democrats had been on the ing change as a way of building his legacy in defensive during the 2005-06 legislative ses- his second and last term, whether he'd engage sion as Republicans held healthy margins in in the same kind of middle-of-the-road piece- both the Senate and the Assembly. Doyle meal governing that characterized his first steered a centrist course, sometimes co-opting term and work toward a possible reelection in

Wisconsin Interest 25 2010, or some combination of both. He turned year spending plan—probably in February. 61 on November 23, so he'd be 64 in his next Doyle and his new Department of reelection year. Administration secretary, Morgan, will have to present a balanced plan that started $1.6 billion Some Capitol insiders suggested Doyle out of whack due to a variety of state agency would be aiming for reelection, or at least hint- wish lists. ing that he would run for reelection four years from now. Even if he decided in the end not to But Democrats might cull their wish lists if run, taking the posture of a reelection run they sensed it would lead to more victories. would allow him to avoid lame-duck status Doyle's image as a cautious, competent leader and naked politicking by would-be successors. is comforting to many in the business commu- Others suggest what Doyle would really like is nity, and if it leads to more victories and a pro- for a Democratic president to be elected in longed time in the majority, that could temper 2008; that way he might be tempted by a possi- Democrats' yearning for big change. ble appointment to a federal judgeship. New fears A Doyle slip of the tongue in a budget While Democrats were hopeful town hall meeting in early December may Republicans were fearful. have not been so accidental. “I'm really excited and looking forward to another four terms— They came out of the election with J.B. Van excuse me, I mean another four years,” Doyle Hollen, a newly-elected and largely untested said to applause. attorney general, as their most obvious leader. In the meantime, Doyle will enjoy a more Some Republicans fear they could be at the hospitable legislative environment. The beginning of a trend that will put them in the Democratic upswing in the Legislature could wilderness for years to come. What if '08 is engender more compromise than in the first another Democratic year, and Democrats four years of his governorship, when he retake the state Assembly and elect a presi- vetoed prominent Republican agenda items dent, too? and often was in a war of words with Business community leaders, meanwhile, Republican leaders who were seeking to were fearful of new taxes, fewer tax breaks, weaken the governor and beat him. and higher fees plus possible retribution from But Democrats aren't always kind to their the Doyle administration for their endorse- own, and senators can be notoriously indepen- ments and activism on behalf of Mark Green. dent—no matter who their governor. So it will While Doyle seemed to be signaling be up to the new Senate majority leader, Judy Wisconsin’s tax climate wouldn’t worsen in a Robson, to unify her caucus in the face of likely second term, some Democrats were signaling monkey wrenching by new Senate Minority that “tax fairness” could lead to corporations Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau. In the paying more taxes. Robson, speaking in early Assembly, Kenosha's Jim Kreuser and his December, talked about “loopholes” that Democrats will be the ones trying to monkey enable some businesses to pay little or no wrench the plans of new Assembly Speaker taxes. Mike Huebsch. I don't think that businesses are trying not The first big test of how it all works will be to pay their fair share, but somebody was the budget. And some are predicting plenty of able to find some loopholes. . . . I think that 8-8 votes in the newly split Joint Finance we need to have a much more transparent Committee (JFC), which will convene in the tax system. spring under the leadership of Democratic What's it all mean? Senate Co-Chair Russ Decker and Republican Assembly Co-Chair Kitty Rhoades. JFC pro- The fallout from election 2006 is still sort- ceedings will come after Doyle unveils a two- ing out. 26 Winter 2007 In early December, the exact impact of that The 2006 results mean that Democrats fallout could not be fully assessed. But it was have an extra edge going into the presidential evident that Democrats were rising and election cycle, controlling the bureaucracy of Republicans were falling going into a crucial crucial presidential swing states in the upper presidential election cycle. Midwest. Analysts noted that in the upper Midwest, Election 2006 may turn out to be a precur- which not that long ago had featured a pha- sor of things to come in 2008. But political par- lanx of strong Republican governors, the situa- ties and their candidates have squandered tion had changed in favor of the Democrats. such opportunity before. Republicans held the Minnesota governorship. How national and state Democrats act in But Democrats held governorships in the first few months of 2007—and how the Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois (despite rela- electorate reacts—will set the tone for 2008. tive weak incumbents at the beginning of 2006) and won open seats in Ohio and Iowa. Republican Mitch Daniels of Indiana is up for reelection in 2008.

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