Meet the People Who Really Vote in Wisconsin: The Electors

Wisconsin Democrats who make up the Electoral College slate will finalize Joe Biden’s victory here, even as court cases linger.

[Editor’s Note: The original article was published Oct. 9. On Dec. 14, it is expected that the Democratic electors will meet at the state Capitol to formally elect Joe Biden not far from the state Supreme Court chambers where President Donald Trump’s last-ditch appeal is being considered.]

Democrats, Republicans, and the Constitution Party met Tuesday [Oct. 9] in Madison to officially pick their electors for the presidential election.

Wisconsin will send 10 electors—one for each of the state’s Congressional members—to cast votes in the Electoral College following the election. Under state law, each party with a presidential candidate on the ballot selects its electors, and the electors for whichever party wins the state in the general election go to the Electoral College.

The Republican candidate is President Donald Trump, the Democratic candidate is former Vice President Joe Biden, and the Constitution Party candidate is Don Blankenship, a former CEO of coal company Massey Energy who was convicted of conspiring to willfully violate safety standards after 29 Massey employees died in a mine explosion in 2010.

Also: Democratic lawmakers ditch Republican-led ‘sham’ election hearing

Before Democrats picked their electors, Ben Wikler, chairman of the state Democratic Party, addressed concerns about a recent report in The Atlantic magazine that detailed how Trump’s campaign is working on contingency plans to bypass the election results. One of those plans would have been to have lawmakers in Republican-controlled state legislatures send Trump loyalists to the Electoral College, rather than electors who would vote for the popular vote winner.

In Wisconsin, however, state law would prohibit Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) from carrying out such a plan. Wikler channeled that fact to others in attendance, saying Democrats need not be concerned.

“It would require changing state law to subvert the electoral process,” Wikler said. “And there’s no way Gov. Evers would sign a law that lets Republicans subvert the election.”

These are the Democratic electors:

• 1st Congressional District: Meg Andrietsch, chairwoman of the Racine County Democratic Party and secretary for the state Democratic Party
• 2nd Congressional District: State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison)
• 3rd Congressional District: Ron Martin, president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council
• 4th Congressional District: Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes
• 5th Congressional District: Khary Penebaker, Wisconsin representative in the Democratic National Committee, former Democratic Congressional candidate, and board member of Everytown for Gun Safety 
• 6th Congressional District: Mary Arnold, chairwoman of the Columbia County Democratic Party 
• 7th Congressional District: State Sen. Patty Schachtner (D-Somerset)
• 8th Congressional District: Shannon Holsey, president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Council
• At-Large: Gov. Tony Evers
• At-Large: Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

These are the Republican electors:

• 1st Congressional District: Carol Brunner, chairwoman of the 1st Congressional District GOP and chairwoman of the Southwest Suburban branch of the Milwaukee County Republican Party
• 2nd Congressional District: Scott Grabins, chairman of the Dane County Republican Party
• 3rd Congressional District: Bill Feehan, chairman of the La Crosse County Republican Party and former state Senate candidate
• 4th Congressional District: Robert Spindell, Republican member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission
• 5th Congressional District: Tom Schreibel, Wisconsin representative for the Republican National Committee and a 2016 RNC delegate
• 6th Congressional District: Darryl Carlson, former Republican Assembly candidate and former Sheboygan alderman
• 7th Congressional District: Pam Travis, an alternate 2016 RNC delegate for Wisconsin
• 8th Congressional District: Kelly Ruh, De Pere alderwoman and 2016 RNC delegate
• At-Large: Andrew Hitt, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin
• At-Large: Mary Buestrin, co-chairwoman for the 2012 RNC, vice chairwoman for the RNC Midwestern region, and member of the state Republican Party’s executive committee

These are the Constitution Party electors:

• 1st Congressional District: Nigel Brown, secretary of the Constitution Party of Wisconsin
• 2nd Congressional District: Dan Herro, member of the Beloit Board of Ethics
• 3rd Congressional District: Matthew Kloskowski, owner of a synthetic motor oil shop in Wisconsin Rapids
• 4th Congressional District: Colin Hudson, former Constitution Party Assembly and Congressional candidate who was twice previously convicted of blocking the entrance to abortion clinics, a federal crime
• 5th Congressional District: Thomas Harland, former Constitution Party Assembly candidate
• 6th Congressional District: Andrew Zuelke, a two-time Constitution Party candidate for Wisconsin Treasurer 
• 7th Congressional District: Elizabeth Lindee, Deer Park resident and wife of former Congressional candidate Douglas Lindee
• 8th Congressional District: Josh Young, former Republican Assembly candidate
• At-Large: Glenn Petroski, Constitution Party of Wisconsin state committee member
• At-Large: Lorraine Decker,  Constitution Party of Wisconsin state committee member