MILWAUKEE — A group of business leaders from across the state released a letter today addressed to Administrator Meagan Wolfe and the Wisconsin Elections Commission staff, thanking them and expressing support ahead of the 2022 elections. The letter was released by the Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy Coalition, organized by a group of Milwaukee-based industry leaders in 2021. Similar thank you letters were also sent to over 1,800 municipal election clerks across the state.
Signatories to both letters include: Elizabeth F. Brenner (Former President & Publisher of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel); Peter Feigin (President of Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum); Tom Florsheim Jr. (Chairman & CEO of Weyco Group); Matthew S. Levatich (Former President & CEO of Harley-Davidson Motor Company); David Lubar (President & CEO of Lubar & Co.); Cory Nettles (Founder & Managing Director of Generation Capital Growth); Sachin Shivaram (CEO of Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry).
This letter comes after election officials nationwide have faced threats of violence and harassment following the 2020 election, culminating in calls to replace the Wisconsin Elections Commission with partisan control of elections – an idea which election experts say could lead to a contested election down the road.
The letter states: “Since the creation of the WEC in 2016, each of you has upheld our state’s tradition of nonpartisan, expert election administration. In 2020, you enabled over 3.2 million voices from Wisconsin to be heard in the midst of a global health crisis. You also supported and trained over 1,800 local election officials across the state. As the support of your colleagues across the country make clear, your commitment and integrity are a model for election administrators nationwide. We write to voice our support and to thank you for your courageous work and dedication.”
“Nonpartisan election administration is a fundamental pillar of our democracy, and the WEC has been a linchpin in running successful elections for years,” says Tom Florsheim. “It’s critical that in the leadup to a new election cycle, the Wisconsin business community speaks out to ensure election administration does not become a partisan act.”
“The WEC and election administrators statewide have faced relentless threats over the past year just for doing their jobs. We hope this letter serves to remind them of how crucial their work is, and lets them know that the Wisconsin business community is behind them,” says David Lubar. “The bottom line is strong democratic processes, in Wisconsin and nationwide, underpin the economic success of our businesses. There is no thriving business environment without a fully-functioning democracy. And ultimately that’s why we all joined this effort.”
View the letter here.
