MILWAUKEE — Republicans are seeking a supermajority in the Wisconsin state legislature, which would mean winning two-thirds majorities in both the senate and the assembly.
That outcome is possible during the midterm election on Tuesday if Republicans can pick up five assembly seats and one senate seat from Democrats.
If Republicans are able to attain a supermajority, they would be able to overrule a governor's vetoes, essentially stripping the power away from that position.
That power might not make a difference if Republican candidate Tim Michels is elected. But, it will certainly have an impact if Governor Evers is re-elected.
"There's a lot of things that we've passed that Governor Evers has vetoed," said District 32 Republican Representative Tyler August.
Rep. August said Republicans in the state legislature have a long list of bills that were vetoed that would plan to pass in the next session if they win the supermajority and Evers stays in the governor position.
Governor Evers has issued more than 120 vetoes since taking office. A Republican supermajority would all but clear the way for Republicans to push through their agenda.
Republicans are confident about gaining at least one senate seat. Rep. August said the assembly seats will be harder to gain.
District 13, which includes Elm Grove and parts of Brookfield and Wauwatosa, will be a key race.
"Our candidate there, Tim Michalski, is awesome. He's going to do a great job, he's going to be a great member of our caucus," Rep. August said.
On the other side of the race for the 13th district is Democrat Sarah Harrison. She said the high stakes of the race energize her.
"If the Republicans get a supermajority, the Tony Evers' veto pen goes away. And Tony has vetoed some very important things for use in his time in office, things from election laws to educational regulations and reproductive freedom issues. We really need that safeguard at that level," Harrison said.
She points a finger at the newly redrawn district maps, which she calls gerrymandered, for making the district 13 race harder for a Democrat to win.
"It's definitely a district that's redrawn intentionally to try and recapture that district," Harrison said. "I like to say that I'm cautiously neutral because being neutral is being optimistic when you're in a gerrymandered district."
A few of the other assembly district Republicans are looking to turn red include the 73rd and 74th in Northern Wisconsin and the 64th in Kenosha.
