Democrats' fight to save Evers' veto begins with primary

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democrats' effort to “Save the Veto” begins with Tuesday's legislative primaries, races that will set the stage for November contests that will determine whether Republicans gain enough seats that they can override Gov. Tony Evers' vetoes and largely remove the governor from the political equation for at least the next two years.

Also on tap are two closely watched Republican primaries for congressional races, including that to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who has represented the reliably conservative suburban Milwaukee 5th District since 1979.

Republicans in the Legislature head into the fall elections with comfortable majorities in both the Assembly and Senate, thanks largely to favorable district boundaries the GOP drew up in 2011. The GOP's goal now is to flip three Democratic seats in each chamber, giving them veto-proof majorities for redistricting next year that will establish maps for the next decade and the ability to write state law without worrying about Evers blocking them.

But first, the primaries. There are 28 legislative primaries on Tuesday, including eight in the Senate and 20 in the Assembly. Fifteen primaries will determine or almost certainly determine the winner either because there is no challenger from the other party in November or because the district is so heavily skewed for the controlling party.

Six Senate primaries are for open seats, including two that have been held by Republicans and four by Democrats. The GOP wants to flip two of those seats.

One of them is on the western side of the state, where former state Agriculture Secretary Brad Pfaff is locked in a three-way Democratic primary for former Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling’s seat in the 32nd District. Pfaff decided to run for the Legislature after the...