Farrow decides not to run against Feingold

Waukesha Freeman ^ | June 27, 2003 | Dennis A. Shook

[JohnnyZ]

Former lieutenant governor sees other strong candidates

CITY OF PEWAUKEE - Former Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow said today she will not be a candidate for the Republican Party nomination for U.S. Senate. At the recent GOP convention, Farrow won a straw poll on who would be the best candidate to face incumbent U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.

Farrow told the Freeman this morning she is going to dedicate her time to employment in either the private or nonprofit sector.

"After 27 years in politics, this race is basically not what I should be doing right now," said Farrow, 68.

She was a state senator from 1989 until 2001, when then Gov. Scott McCallum pegged her to succeed him as lieutenant governor. She was the first woman to hold the post.

Farrow also was in the state Assembly from 1986 to 1989, after beginning her career in local government as trustee and president of the Elm Grove Village Board from 1981 to 1987.

Farrow denied she was declining to run because she had her sights on any other political position. Many supporters have said she should run for governor in 2006.

"This would mean a year and a half behind the wheel of a car in a campaign," she said. Farrow just completed nearly a year of campaigning for re-election with McCallum. "It would also mean spending six years in Washington, D.C."

Farrow said she believes she can work best on issues that concern her while living in Wisconsin.

"I believe we have plenty of qualified candidates," Farrow said. She acknowledged among those are Waukesha County Executive Daniel Finley, businessman Tim Michels, and state Sen. Robert Welch, R-Redgranite.

"Russ Feingold is beatable and should be beaten," said Farrow, a former state Senate colleague with the junior U.S. senator. "His stands on issues like opposing a ban on partial birth abortion and being against anti-terrorism measures are out of step with the voters in Wisconsin.

"I am very confident we will find a strong candidate," she said.

[JohnnyZ]

So let's see who's left: Waukesha County Executive Daniel Finley, businessman Tim Michels, and state Sen. Robert Welch, R-Redgranite, all mentioned in the article. Plus radio magnate David Magnum.

[JohnnyZ]

Daniel M. Finley was elected Waukesha County's first County Executive in April, 1991. In this capacity, he serves as the County's Chief Executive Officer, administering 1300 employees with an annual budget of more than $195 million. He is also an adjunct lecturer in Political Science at Carroll College. Previously, Finley served on the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors from 1984-1991, leading as Chairman from 1988- 1991. Prior to his election in Waukesha County he worked as the Director of Development at Carroll College and as the Assistant Executive Director of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Leukemia Society.

Finley, a Waukesha native, graduated from Waukesha South High School in 1976. In 1980, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Economics and Urban Geography and was the recipient of the 4-year Evans Scholarship. He then proceeded into a Masters Degree Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Urban Affairs. Finley lives in Pewaukee with his wife Jenifer and children Chad, Katie and David.

[JohnnyZ]

We're down to this guy (Dan Finley, who'd probably be good) and a few others in Wisconsin vs. Feingold

[JohnnyZ]

Mark Belling, Greater Milwaukee Today editorial

I remain convinced that Waukesha County Executive Daniel Finley is the strongest potential opponent to U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold in next year’s election. Finley is as telegenic as Feingold but is a lot closer to the values of the average Wisconsinite than the ultra-liberal Feingold. But the White House apparently has another candidate in mind for anointment.

Tim Michels, a businessman from Brownsville in central Wisconsin, is ready to spend up to $2 million of his own money to unseat Feingold. It’s a similar scenario to the one in 1998 when Mark Neumann popped for a big chunk of his own change and almost unseated Feingold. The Bush people like the fact that Michels, an ex-soldier whose family owns a pipeline company, is a non-politician and that he can seed his own campaign with cash. (That frees up other Republican money for Bush’s Wisconsin campaign.)

Here’s the problem. Michels has run for office before and was creamed. He opposed state Sen. Scott Fitzgerald in a Republican primary in their district, which includes northwest Waukesha County and parts of Jefferson, Dodge and Columbia counties. Fitzgerald annihilated Michels by a margin of 70 percent to 30 percent. Losing a state Senate primary by a nearly 3-to-1 margin is hardly a normal steppingstone to unseating an incumbent U.S. senator.

Feingold is ripe to be plucked. The way to beat him is with a candidate who can hold the Republican base while attracting centrists turned off by Feingold’s opposition to the war on terror and his other leftist tendencies. But you also need a candidate with credibility to discuss national and international issues. That seems a lot more like Daniel Finley than Tim Michels.

Footnote: Potential Feingold challenger Margaret Farrow will likely announce soon she’s not running while state Sen. Bob Welch is probably in even if the White House gives its blessing to Michels.

Mark Belling, Greater Milwaukee Today editorial

[TheBigB]

Why not Scott McCallum himself? His race with Doyle was pretty close, wasn't it?

[Dan from Michigan]

Interesting.

Tim Michels needs to go for a local office IMO.

The only hesitation I have right now with Finley is the jump from County Exec(similar to a mayor) to US Senate us huge. The only time that happened here was when Carl Lenin went from Detroit City Council to Senate.

Where is Waukesha County? By the voting numbers, it sounds similar to Kent County, MI sizewise(Grand Rapids area).

Is it also in Milwaukee's Media Market? Madison too?

[JohnnyZ]

Waukesha is right outside Milwaukee.

[JohnnyZ]

Waukesha is the 3rd highest voting county in the state, overwhelmingly Republican (2-1), after Milwaukee and Kane. Finley represents about 9% of the likely voting population, just a little less than a Congressman.

[JohnnyZ]

Kane is often referred to by the locals as "Dane", for some reason.

[Dan from Michigan]

It sounds like Waukesha is the outer burbs.(Which are about 60% GOP here)

Where's "Rock" and "Douglas" Counties? Gore crushed Bush there.

[Dan from Michigan]

Forgot to add on. It's not as big of a jump then if that many people know him.

[Trust but Verify]

Rock is just south of Dane. Douglas County is far northwest. Superior is in Douglas County.

[Dan from Michigan]

Thanks. I know Madison(Dane) is Ann Arbor's sister City. I don't understand why that Lake Superior region is so dem though. Marquette, Duluth, Ironwood, Superior.

[JohnnyZ]

I don't understand why that Lake Superior region is so dem though. Marquette, Duluth, Ironwood, Superior.

I am guessing that is the Iron Range then. Traditional Democrat worker stronghold but culturally conservative and 'bout fed up with the DFL.

[JohnnyZ]

--Tim Michels, a possible U.S. Senate candidate, came to Stevens Point and met with top Republican officials from the Republican National Committee and the White House. Buzz about Michels was growing throughout the night. He even got a boost from Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, who once beat Michels in a Republican primary for state Senate. Fitzgerald said he had the right profile – and money – for the race. Michels is a multi-millionaire from Brownsville who’s part of the Michels Pipeline fortune. GOP officials rate him as a ``top tier’’ candidate to challenge Feingold.

For Immediate Release
June 27, 2003
Contact: Ted Kanavas
Statement of State Senator Ted Kanavas on Senator Bob Welch

“It certainly is great news that Bob Welch is considering running for the U.S. Senate. Russ Feingold does not represent the views of most Wisconsinites and he has been obstructing the President’s agenda for America. The U.S. Senate should be helping President Bush move the country forward and Bob Welch would be a great partner in that effort.”

[Trust but Verify]

I'm underwhelmed by all of the aforementioned candidates. Paul Ryan or Mark Green would be much better.

[JohnnyZ]

Paul Ryan or Mark Green would be much better.

Well duh but those ships have sailed, or rather haven't and won't.

Finley sounds good to me.

[Trust but Verify]

Well duh but those ships have sailed, or rather haven't and won't. Why, has some deadline passed?

[JohnnyZ]

They've said pretty emphatically that they won't run. I suppose they could change their mind, as could Tommy Thompson, but it's not a good idea to make a liar out of yourself, especially in politics, and especially when you don't "have" to.

They say they're not running, so might as well move on in the land of reality.

[Trust but Verify]

I'll vote for whomever runs against Feingold since he is such a diasaster, but I just don't see any of these unknown candidates being able to unseat him. If you don't have anyone with statewide name recognition. or at least a high office under their belt, how are you going to educate voters about the new guy on the block? Someone with a bigger name needs to step up.