Governor Walker schedules special elections for June 12

MADISON -- Gov. Scott Walker is scheduling special elections for June.

The governor issued an executive order Thursday setting elections to fill vacancies in the 42nd Assembly District and the 1st Senate District for June 12. Primaries for both seats will be held May 15 if needed.

Candidates can begin circulating nomination papers Thursday. They must file the papers with the state Elections Commission by 5 p.m. on April 17.

Rep. Keith Ripp and Sen. Frank Lasee resigned in December, creating the vacancies. Walker had refused to order elections to fill their seats. A Madison judge last week ordered him to schedule the elections by noon Thursday.

Republican lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit special elections after the spring elections in a year with regular fall elections. The bill would ensure that neither seat is filled until January.

After being rejected by three courts, Gov. Walker on Thursday, March 29 sent six tweets on the topic: