Throughout the first term of President Donald Trump, the Democratic Party repeatedly claimed President Trump was a 'threat to democracy.'
It's an accusation that persisted after the 2020 election and throughout Joe Biden's term in office. On September 1, 2022, President Biden gave his "Soul of the Nation" speech in Philadelphia, where he said, "Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic." Throughout the 2024 election, Biden continued to call President Trump (and his voters) an "existential threat to democracy."
Applying that logic, Democrats should be the ones pushing for free and fair elections. Of course, they're not. They installed Kamala Harris as the 2024 nominee without her receiving a single primary vote, laying to rest the argument that they're the "defenders of democracy."
So it's not really a surprise that Wisconsin's Dane County Board, comprised of 37 members in a deeply blue county, has decided to do away with special elections to fill any mid-term vacancies.
EXCLUSIVE: The left-wing Dane County Board (which has an astounding 37 members) is moving forward with a plan to eliminate special elections to fill vacancies because, you know, they love Democracy so much. pic.twitter.com/Yif7UxX7r0
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) September 5, 2025
Here is the text of the propsed amendment:
2025 OA-008
AMENDING CHAPTER 6 OF THE DANE COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, REGARDING FILLING SUPERVISORY VACANCIES
The County Board of Supervisors of the County of Dane does ordain as follows:
ARTICLE 1. Unless otherwise expressly stated herein, all references to section and chapter numbers are to those of the Dane County Code of Ordinances.
ARTICLE 2. Section 6.07 is amended to read as follows:
6.07 FILLING OF VACANCIES OCCURRING WITHIN A TERM.
(1) Any vacancy in the office of county supervisor occurring between the commencement of a term and November 15 of an even numbered year shall be filled by a temporary appointment by the county board chairperson within one month of the vacancy subject to confirmation by the county board. A person so appointed shall serve until his or her successor is elected and qualified at a special election to be held concurrently with succeeding spring election.
(32) Any vacancy in the office of county supervisor occurring after November 15 of an even-numbered year shall be filled by temporary appointment by the county board chairperson within one month, subject to confirmation by the county board. A person so appointed shall serve the remainder of the expired term.
(43) Any person interested in being appointed to a vacant office under sub. (1) or (32) shall submit nomination papers signed by at least 25 electors residing in the supervisory district in which the vacancy occurs. The signatures on the nomination papers may only be solicited by the person seeking the appointment. Prior to such appointment, the county clerk shall publicly announce a two-week solicitation period for submission of nomination papers and the declaration of candidacy from interested residents of the district. After the close of the application period, a public hearing shall be held in the supervisory district in which the vacancy occurs, and persons interested in being appointed shall attend. The chairperson and county board shall then fill the vacancy by public hearing. A person so appointed and confirmed shall hold office until a successor is elected and qualified at the next regular election.[EXPLANATION: This amendment revises the procedure for filing supervisory vacancies.]
Recommended
This amendment removes the mandatory requirement that special elections be held when there is a mid-term vacancy.
As the text says, any vacancies would be filled by the members of the county board. While the board is, on paper, non-partisan, the 37 members are a mix of Democrats and progressives, including those endorsed by Progressive Dane.
Ironically, Progressive Dane's website says it's committed to "[improving] our local government by making it open, easier to understand, and accessible for all citizens of Dane County. We are working to achieve positive policy change by electing accountable progressive officials and mobilizing citizen action."
As of today, there is nothing on the Progressive Dane website referring to the proposed special election changes.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member