The Wisconsin Elections Commission rejected an effort by backers of former President Donald Trump to recall the state’s Republican Assembly speaker.
The recall effort was rejected due to insufficient signatures, despite frustration with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos among some of the former president’s supporters. The concern stemmed from Mr. Vos’s refusal to decertify President Joe Biden’s narrow win in 2020.
The fact that Mr. Vos did not support a plan to impeach Meagan Wolfe, the state’s chief elections official, also frustrated Trump supporters. This week, President Trump also reiterated his criticism of Mr. Vos and Ms.Wolfe.
Mr. Vos previously deemed the petitioners to be “whack jobs and morons” and declared the endeavor a failure after contesting the authenticity of thousands of signatures.
On Thursday, the Wisconsin Elections Commission formally denied the recall effort for Mr. Vos on the grounds that insufficient legitimate signatures had been collected.
The commission’s staff stated in a memo published on Wednesday that, according to their assessment, insufficient legitimate signatures were collected for the initiative.
The determination of which district should be utilized for any recall election proved to be a complex issue in the case, considering the implementation of new boundary lines in November.
However, the staff assessment determined that the recall failed to collect sufficient signatures regardless of which district was utilized—the one Mr. Vos was elected to serve in 2022 or either of the two new districts comprised of portions of the old district.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court denied the elections commission’s request for clarification regarding the district lines that ought to be utilized in recall proceedings last week.
Mr. Vos holds the most influence in the Republican-controlled legislature. Since 2013, he has presided over the state Assembly as the longest-serving speaker; he was elected for the first time in 2004.
Recognizing that their initial recall effort likely fell short of the required number of signatures, organizers initiated a second recall effort a month ago.
Tuesday, during an interview on The Regular Joe Radio Show, President Trump continued to criticize Mr. Vos and reiterated his demand for Ms. Wolfe’s removal.
“I’ve heard so much about Meagan Wolfe, and it’s like unanimous, she shouldn’t be there,” President Trump said. “And Robin Vos, who’s a Republican, is allowing her to be there. I don’t understand it. I can’t imagine it.”
Ms. Wolfe is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most well-respected election officials. Assisting states in maintaining accurate voter records, she has served as president of the National Association of State Election Directors and chair of the bipartisan Electronic Registration Information Center.
Mr. Vos blocked the impeachment of Ms. Wolfe by five Republicans in the Assembly. In September, Senate Republicans cast a vote to remove Ms. Wolfe from her position, disregarding opposition from Democrats and nonpartisan attorneys representing the Legislature.
These individuals contended that the Senate lacked the authority to vote at that juncture due to Ms. Wolfe’s status as a holdover who had not been reappointed.
Democrat Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit challenging that vote, and Republican legislative leaders later recanted in court documents, claiming their vote to terminate Ms. Wolfe was “symbolic” and had no legal force.
Later, a judge determined that Ms. Wolfe should be permitted to hold her position.
