Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022
Did a member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission say she was a partisan appointee?
Ann Jacobs, a commissioner on the Wisconsin Elections Commission, stated in a tweet that she is a partisan appointee to the commission, in response to conservative radio show host Dan O'Donnell. O'Donnell had tweeted that Jacobs' criticism of GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels put into question whether the commission could "be fair to Republicans."
As designed by the Republican-run Legislature in 2015, the WEC has three Democratic appointees, three Republican appointees and a nonpartisan administrator. The WEC says the appointees are there to represent their respective parties. All appointments are subject to confirmation in the state Senate. Bewley was appointed by Democratic Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley.
The WEC has increasingly reached stalemates along party lines, with both Democratic and Republican members often taking cues from their party leaders before voting on issues, as Wisconsin Watch reported in October 2020.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Ann Jacobs Tweet from October 17, 2022
- State of Wisconsin About the Wisconsin Elections Commission
- State of Wisconsin Wisconsin Elections Commission members and administrator
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Was a World Trade Center building destroyed on 9/11 by ‘controlled demolition’?
Wednesday, Apr. 23, 2025
Does Canada impose 200% tariffs on US dairy products?
Wednesday, Apr. 23, 2025
Did billionaire George Soros spend $100 million on the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race?
Thursday, Apr. 3, 2025