Wisconsinites are heading to the polls August 9 for the 2022 partisan primary election. On the ballot are primary races for governor, senator and congress as well as some county-wide races. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Follow along here for live coverage all day.
East side Milwaukee polling place has been ‘steady, with little pockets of busy’
Mario Johnson with the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has been a poll worker at the Riverview Apartments, 1300 E Kane Pl., on Milwaukee’s east side for five years. He says turnout Tuesday has been about the same for previous elections, saying traffic has been “steady, with little pockets of busy” since 7 a.m.
One voter, Ashley Wiesmann, said she had to register to vote, which “took a little bit of time, but not bad,” adding that the most important issue to her is women’s reproductive rights. She said she will be returning to the polls in November.
— Drake Bentley
Barnes poised for victory party at The Cooperage
It should be an early night for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who will officially gain the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
With his three top rivals pulling out of the race in the last week of July and endorsing his candidacy, Barnes won’t have to wait long to be declared the winner after the polls close at 8 p.m.
And Barnes is likely to take the stage quickly at his victory party at The Cooperage in Walker’s Point.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is expected to introduce Barnes, who will quickly plunge into the fall campaign against Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.
The Barnes-Johnson race is among the most closely watched this fall, with control of the U.S. Senate at stake.
Earlier Tuesday, Barnes voted at GreenTree Preparatory Academy and then spent several hours at the Wisconsin State Fair.
— Bill Glauber
Turnout at Brookfield East a ‘little heavier than expected’
Afternoon practice for marching band and football are in full swing at Brookfield East High School. Inside, one administrator said that turnout has been robust.
Stacey Buerosse and her husband, both of Brookfield, voted in the Democratic primary. There are fewer marquee primary races on the Democratic ballot, but Buerosse said supporting public education was her top issue.
— Isaac Yu
New Berlin sees steady stream of voters
More than 1,200 ballots have already been cast at New Berlin Public Library by mid-afternoon, about on-par with previous primaries. In a change from last year, mail-in ballots are being processed here and at each of six other polling sites in this Republican-friendly suburb, rather than at a central location.
Linda Szolwinski of New Berlin showed up at the library to vote for Michels, citing his business background and ability to self-finance his campaign. She said she believes Michels would be the most competitive candidate to face Evers in November.
— Isaac Yu
Kleefisch, Michels weigh in on FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago
Wisconsin Republican governor candidates Rebecca Kleefisch and Tim Michels expressed anger over news Monday that FBI agents searched the residence of former President Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago.
In an interview with reporters after voting Tuesday, Kleefisch said she found the search “shocking and unprecedented.”
“I’m following it the same as you all this morning,” Kleefisch said. “I have not seen any new developments. I remain shocked by what I saw and what I’m hearing. I sure hope the president and his family are OK.”
Michels, who was endorsed by Trump, said in a tweet Monday night, that the search was a “political witch hunt.”
“Republicans in Wisconsin are far too familiar with overzealous prosecutors. Elections have consequences. Vote.”
Michels tweeted again Tuesday after voting.
“We woke up this morning to stakes even higher than we ever thought. Do we want a government of the people or a government targeting the people? Your vote today is the first step in fighting back. That’s what I just did.”
— Corrinne Hess
Some Wauwatosa voters…
Read More: Milwaukee sees ‘little pockets of busy’