By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter

MADISON — Days before the deadline to turn in petitions, organizers of four state Senate recall campaigns say they’re confident they’ll have the needed numbers.

And while the Republican Party of Wisconsin has all but conceded recall elections are coming, a party official and one targeted senator predict voters will push back what they see as a “selfish,” politically driven campaign that could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Recall petitions are due at the Government Accountability Board, or GAB, by Jan. 17.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin and United Wisconsin, a liberal political action committee, have spearheaded the statewide recall campaign against Gov. Scott Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.

Organizers in mid-December announced the drive had collected more than a half-million signatures, although those numbers cannot be independently verified. They said they would not disclose updated information until the petitions are filed with GAB next week. The campaign, Democratic Party officials have said, is shooting for some 720,000 signatures to ensure there are more than enough valid names to go around.

Individual campaigns are targeting Republican senators Pam Galloway, of Wausau, Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls, Van Wanggaard of Racine, each freshman senators, and Scott Fitzgerald, Senate majority leader from Juneau.

War of words in 21st Senate District

On Tuesday, leaders of the recall committees wouldn’t disclose figures, but each said they would hit the threshold of required signatures to trigger recall elections in their respective Senate districts.

“We are still collecting, but I am very confident we will be well over the amount to recall (Sen.) Van Wanggaard,” said Randolph Brandt, treasurer of the Committee to Recall Wanggaard.

The committee needs 15,353 valid signatures to force a recall.

Brandt, former editor of the Journal Times in Racine, has been a particularly staunch critic of Wanggaard, blasting the senator’s support of Act 10, the GOP-driven bill – now law – that ended most collective bargaining for most public employees.

In a recent column in the newspaper, Brandt took aim at the Republican-controlled Legislature’s disputed redistricting plan, which changes legislative district boundaries, including altering Wanggaard’s 21st Senate District. The changes would remove from the boundaries the city of Racine, a traditionally Democratic stronghold, placing the city in another district.

“Basically, he’ll desert us, the citizens of Racine, leaving us to suffer for his poor decisions,” Brandt wrote.

The deployment of the new maps — in November for the general election or for any recall elections that may come up earlier — is yet to be settled in court.

Wanggaard countered that he represents his district, Racine and all of Wisconsin in the Legislature, and that the recall campaign against him is an “attempt at a second kick at the cat” by people who were not happy with the election results of November 2010. The senator said the recall efforts are a waste of taxpayer money that could be going to serve the needs of communities like Racine.

He said he will be vindicated at the polls, should he be recalled.

“I’m confident the silent majority is going to come out and vote,” he said. “They’ll see what we’re doing, that we’re on the right track here.”

The other senators facing recall either did not return Wisconsin Reporter phone calls seeking comment or referred calls to the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Presumption of recall

Ben Sparks, Wisconsin GOP spokesman, reiterated the recall campaigns are a “baseless effort, not about moving Wisconsin forward but simply pushing an expensive recall effort on Wisconsin families.”

In a survey issued last week, the GAB estimated the cost of administering statewide recall petition signatures and elections could top $9 million. It could climb many more millions if there are primaries and multiple elections.

Sparks said the GOP has opened 10 field offices across the state, with “many more” expected to open soon, to battle the recall initiatives.

“Right now we are operating under the presumption there will be a recall,” Sparks said. “We are focusing on signature verification and ensuring that Wisconsin electors are not disenfranchised.”

Lori Compas, treasurer of the Committee to Recall Scott Fitzgerald, on Tuesday estimated the campaign was at 95 percent of its goal. What that target is however, Compas wouldn’t say. The committee needs 16,742 valid signatures to recall Fitzgerald, and Compas said she wants a good buffer in case some signatures are ruled invalid.

Earlier this week, the campaign sent urgent requests through social networks for volunteers and petition signers.

Compas said she was in a “more comfortable place” late Tuesday.

“I’m confident we’ll get there and that in turn has turned out volunteers in droves,” she said.

Rita Pachal, treasurer for the Committee to Recall Senator Pam Galloway, sounded as confident that the campaign would collect the required 15,647 signatures.

Pachal said there has been sustained interest despite reported lulls in each of the recall campaigns.

“People are still very anxious to have this recall happen,” she said.

Mother Nature has given the campaigns an assist.

John Kidd, treasurer for the Committee to Recall (Sen. Terry) Moulton, said he went door-to-door Tuesday in temperatures approaching 50 degrees – unheard of for early January in northwestern Wisconsin.

“We couldn’t ask for better weather,” said Kidd, of Chippewa Falls. “People weren’t tied to their houses at 20 below and a foot of snow on the ground.”

Kidd said even the Green Bay Packers helped out last weekend, with the NFL football team taking Sunday off thanks to a playoff bye. That meant fewer voters huddled around their TVs.

The recall campaign needs 14,958, and Kidd said the committee will hit its mark.