Democratic candidates file petitions for recall elections

(MADISON) Democrats Tom Barrett, Kathleen Falk, Doug La Follette and Kathleen Vinehout filed nominating petitions Tuesday to run for governor in the upcoming recall election. And while most are watching Barrett and Falk, La Follette and Vinehout insist it's anyone's race to win.

Recent polls have shown Secretary of State Doug La Follette or state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout trailing significantly in a hypothetical Democratic primary matchup with Barrett and Falk. And yet you wouldn't know it from listening to Vinehout talk to reporters with a small crowd of enthusiastic supporters backing her up.

"I would say that if we look at who starts a race as the way that horse is going to finish a race, there wouldn't be any sport in horse racing,” she said.

Vinehout is a former college instructor who likes to talk health care finance and audits. She says she understands the way government works in a way that other candidates don't.

"Remember--this new governor is going to take over 10 days after the election is called. This governor has to hit the ground running,” she said. “The governor has to know where to go and how to get started to fix what I believe are massive problems in the management of state government."

La Follette says his campaign is more reflective of the citizen-driven petition drive that prompted this recall. He says he'll differentiate himself from the other candidates by the way he runs this race--namely, without a lot of big campaign contributions.

"We did have thousands of people in the streets working for this election. So they don't want to be told how to vote by big out-of-state PAC money. And they're ready to do it a better way,” La Follette said. “And that's what I'm ready to be a leader in. And we'll see if it happens. I hope it will."

Neither La Follette nor Vinehout have much time to make up ground on Barrett or Falk. The Democratic primary is May 8, with the recall election on June 5.

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