Deadline looms for DPI, court candidates

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Those hoping to run for state schools superintendent or a position on the state Supreme Court are making a final push to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot.

State Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Tony Evers and state Supreme Court Justice Patience Roggensack are both up for re-election this spring. Evers, Roggensack and anyone looking to challenge them must submit nomination papers with at least 2,000 valid signatures to the state Government Accountability Board by the close of business on Jan. 2 to get on the ballot.

Evers said his campaign has gathered somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 signatures, the maximum amount candidates can submit. His challenger, state Rep. Don Pridemore, R-Hartford, didn't immediately return a telephone message Wednesday. No one else has registered with GAB to run against Evers.

Brandon Scholz, a Roggensack campaign adviser, said their volunteers have collected more than 4,000 signatures and campaign workers plan to spend the next few days vetting them.

"We are way over the top," Scholz said. "We want to make sure there's no problems. Each line we'll go through so we know that they comply."

Lemon law attorney Vince Megna and Marquette University law professor Ed Fallone have both registered with GAB to challenge Roggensack.

Megna caused a stir earlier this month when he declared he was a Democrat and demanded that other candidates in the race declare their political affiliations. Supreme Court races are officially nonpartisan, however Republicans and Democrats have tended to back their chosen candidates in years past.

Megna said Wednesday he's about 300 signatures short of 2,000, but that his volunteers are still working and he expects to have enough names by the deadline.

"It's just tremendous fun getting these (signatures), but it has to be done," Megna said.

Fallone would say only that he was confident he'll have at least 2,000 signatures by Jan. 2.

GAB officials have scheduled a primary for Feb. 19. The general election will follow on April 2.