For Immediate Release
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Contact: Brad Bainum, bradb@wisdems.org
Amid Campaign Meltdown, Nicholson Relies On Out-Of-State Circulators to Get on the Ballot
Nicholson’s need for out-of-state signature circulators to get on the ballot underscores Wisconsinites’ lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy
MADISON — Less than a week after GOP U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson’s “outsider” narrative was debunked and he was exposed as a deceitful opportunist, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today reports that Nicholson does have some “outsider” credentials, after all.
In addition to Nicholson’s reliance on millions in financial support from Illinois billionaire Dick Uihlein, Nicholson counted on seven “paid” (according to his campaign) out-of-state circulators to secure more than 70% of the signatures that he needs to get on to the ballot.
This report comes a month after Nicholson lost the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s endorsement, after earning just 28% of the vote, and two weeks after Nicholson gave his second campaign manager of the past eight months the boot.
At some point, Nicholson should stop firing staff and start thinking about whether he’s the real problem.
By Bill Glauber, 6/5/18
In his campaign to claim the Republican Party nomination for U.S. Senate, Kevin Nicholson has been the beneficiary of immense out-of-state support.
National groups back him and an Illinois businessman, Richard Uihlein, has thrown millions into the race to get Nicholson elected.
Well, it turns out there’s even an out-of-state angle to getting Nicholson on the ballot.
Nearly three-quarters of the signatures turned in by the Nicholson campaign were gathered by seven people who don’t live in the state.
In all, the Nicholson campaign turned in 3,906 valid signatures. Of those, 2,791 signatures were gathered by seven out-of-state circulators.
…
“It’s not surprising given that much of Nicholson’s support and his endorsements have come from out-of-state, that his signature gatherers would as well,” said Jess Ward, campaign manager for Vukmir.
…
Richard Strohm, a conservative activist who has endorsed Vukmir, filed a complaint Monday with the state Elections Commission alleging all the signatures gathered by the out-of-state residents should be thrown out because they didn’t live in the state and weren’t qualified to vote here.
Read more from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
