(The Center Square) – The people who want to oust Wisconsin’s assembly speaker are not giving up.
The now-called Racine Recall organizers said they are launching another recall effort against Speaker Robin Vos.
“In our pursuit of accountability and representation, we wish to clarify that our efforts to recall Robin ‘CCP’ Vos remain undeterred and more focused than ever,” the group said in a statement.
The first recall effort failed because organizers did not collect enough signatures – partially because the majority of the recall signatures came from Vos’ old district and partially because of allegations of signature fraud.
Recall organizers said this new recall effort will focus on Vos’ new district and say while they fell well short of Wisconsin’s recall requirements, they did find plenty of dissatisfaction with Vos.
“Contrary to any misunderstanding, the original petition for recall, which Vos has conceded has more than 6,300 in district and authentic signatures, has not been withdrawn. Recall Vos stands firm, awaiting a decisive court ruling concerning mapping issues and related challenges,” organizers said. “In an empowering response to the community’s call, a new effort spearheaded by the Racine Recall Committee has been launched. This concurrent petition drive is not a diversion but a reinforcement of our collective mission. It is a strategic endeavor to ensure that no voice from Racine County goes unheard.”
Vos has called the recall organizers “whack jobs” and “morons,” and said the entire effort is a personal grudge against him.
Recall organizers say Vos has not done enough to oust Wisconsin’s Elections Commission administrator, and the organizers continue to be unhappy with Vos’ lack of support for former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election.
Prosecutors in Racine have opened an investigation into the Recall Vos effort. The district attorney’s office says it’s received dozens of complaints from people who say their signatures were forged on recall petitions.
Recall Vos organizers have always denied any wrongdoing, but said they are planning to avoid any challenges with this new recall effort.
“Reflecting on our initial recall petition, it’s clear that while our resolve was strong, the path was fraught with unexpected challenges. Learning from this, the Racine Recall Committee is committed to implementing stringent quality control measures. Our goal is to fortify the integrity of the recall process, ensuring that each step we take is marked by precision, transparency, and trust,” organizers added.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission has said the original Recall Vos effort is short on signatures, and a Dane County judge has yet to decide which district will be used in any recall effort.
Vos has yet to see an opponent in the August primary or a possible Democratic opponent for November.
