MUSKEGO, WI — Pete Karas filed his nomination papers to run for Wisconsin Secretary of State as a Green Party candidate. Today, someone hired a law firm to make sure you never get to vote for him.
A verified challenge was filed this morning with the Wisconsin Elections Commission targeting Karas’s nomination papers. The legal work was done by Halling & Cayo, S.C., a Milwaukee firm. The grounds? A technicality — circulator certification language tied to 2025 Wisconsin Act 126, a law that has already been challenged in federal court as unconstitutional.
Karas isn’t surprised.
“This is the playbook,” he said. “When the two-party system can’t beat you on the issues, they try to make sure you’re never on the ballot in the first place. Democrats talk about protecting democracy. What they mean is protecting their own power.”
The challenge will be heard by the Wisconsin Elections Commission on June 9, 2026. Karas plans to file a full verified response and show up to defend his candidacy in person.
“I collected those signatures. Real people signed those papers because they want a choice that isn’t a Democrat or a Republican. I’m going to fight for every one of those signatures — and I’m going to be on that ballot in November.”
Karas is running on a platform of government transparency, expanded public records access, ranked-choice voting, and breaking down the barriers that keep independent and third-party candidates off the ballot. He notes the particular absurdity of the moment: a candidate being sued off the ballot for advocating better ballot access.
“They just made my point for me,” he said.
Pete Karas is the Wisconsin Green Party candidate for Secretary of State. Learn more at PeteKaras.com.
Paid for by Pete for Wisconsin.
