In Madison, Wisconsin, the effort to recall Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos faced another setback, as the Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court’s decision. The recall attempt, led by supporters of former President Donald Trump, was denied a revival by the state’s highest court without providing a reason for their decision. To move forward, the case must now be taken up by a state appeals court.
The initiative to recall Vos was thwarted when Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke ruled in July that the signatures gathered on petitions to recall Vos were invalid as they were collected within legislative boundary lines that are no longer valid for elections. The Wisconsin Elections Commission had also dismissed the petition.
Supporters of Donald Trump aimed to recall Vos due to his refusal to decertify President Joe Biden’s narrowly won election in Wisconsin. Despite recounts, lawsuits, audits, and reviews affirming Biden’s victory, Vos remained firm in his stance. Trump supporters were additionally displeased when Vos did not endorse a motion to impeach Meagan Wolfe, the state’s top elections official.
Originally intending to trigger an election in August, a mere week before the primary, the recall organizers sought a swift resolution. Any successful recall would have only impacted Vos’s term for the remainder of the year. The timing of a potential election remains uncertain pending the outcome of the court proceedings.
Vos secured victory in the primary election in August after the other Republican candidate withdrew from the race. He is set to face Democrat Alan Kupsik in the upcoming November 5 election, with the winner commencing a two-year term starting in January. Despite multiple attempts, neither the legal representatives of the recall organizers nor Vos have commented on the recent developments at this time.
Robin Vos, holding the title of the longest-serving Assembly speaker in Wisconsin history since 2013, continues to navigate the legal and political challenges presented by the recall effort.
