Barnes’ Senate bid may ride on Milwaukee’s Black turnout
Black Milwaukee voters will decide the fate of U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold as he tries to unseat U.S. Rep. Mark Green.
And as in the past, many of them will not show up for the April 7 primary election.
This year’s turnout will skew heavily Democratic. Black voters make up nearly 65 percent of the Democratic primary vote and are expected to be a factor in the battle to succeed former U.S. Sen. Paulineobjector to Barack Obama.
The turnout question will have even more impact on Milwaukee’s March 17 special election for the newly created Statehouse District 3 for the seat that is now held by Democratic Rep. Ron Kind, who was elected to Congress in November.
Democratic Party leaders expect more Democratic votes to help Green get elected to a third term as state Supreme Court justice; Feingold will be trying to unseat him.
“I had no idea the impact of the elections on the day after the elections until I checked the polls after the election on the night of the election,” said Green’s campaign manager, Patrick Morrisey. “This is a very unusual place for a special election. It’s been a little over two years since all of the candidates were nominated and on the ballot, and now there’s a change.”
Green said he would support Feingold, who is seeking a second term in the U.S. Senate. The Democratic senatorial candidate and U.S. senator are running for a two-year term starting in January.
“In a short time, I will have worked as an election law attorney, an assistant U.S. attorney, a member of the state Election Commission and a Democratic State Senate leader,” Green said.
Feingold spent most of the previous two years in the U.S. Senate, where he served as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee.
“I will work to advance Wisconsin’s environmental and public health policies,” Feingold said. “With the election on the