Candidate Asks City Clerk to Recuse Himself in Election

A central Wisconsin state Senate candidate is asking a city clerk to recuse himself in the upcoming general election because he is married to the candidate’s opponent.

The request came in an October 4 forum in Wisconsin Rapids for the candidates for the 24th state Senate seat. Republican Scott Noble issued a demand that Stevens Point City Clerk John Moe step down from his post for the upcoming election because he is married to the incumbent state Senator, Democrat Julie Lassa, “I don’t want someone that spends their weekends wearing my opponents t-shirt and handing out Packers schedules, when they come in at 8:00 Monday morning working on our votes. And it doesn’t just apply in this race. It would apply in the presidential race. My opponent has done rallies for the President, and her husband is going to count the votes in the presidential election in Stevens Point.”

Lassa called Noble’s request a sign of desperation, “These municipal clerks are elected. Which means, guess what, they oversee their own elections! There are strict, strict security laws and statutes on the books to make sure there is ballot protection and integrity.”

According to published reports, Stevens Point city clerk John Moe will not recuse himself. There is no state law that prohibits a clerk from overseeing an election in which a family member is a candidate.