Sheriff David Clarke wins re-election by 4% despite major campaign spending by Bloomberg and other left wing groups

Michael Bloomberg put $150,000 into the Milwaukee Sheriff's race.  In response, former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson urged Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary.  Well, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, David Clarke was beating Chris Moews by 52 to 48 percent.  As someone who respects Clarke, this is great news.

It looks like Thompson's request worked.  The Milwaukee Sheriff Democratic Primary had 108,955 votes while Milwaukee Treasurer Democratic Primary had just 68,181 votes.  It could be that the difference in vote totals is simply due to the fact this was a much more contested race.  However, before those who support Clarke's policies celebrate too much, they should realize that there is a less sanguine explanation for this 40,774 vote difference between the two races.  If it was due to Republicans voting (assuming that some of the Republicans didn't also vote in the treasurer race), Clarke would have been crushed if only Democrats had voted. Indeed, if that were the case, Clarke would have lost 76 to 24 percent.  That is quite a reversal from Clarke's previous win in the Democratic primary 4 years ago when he won by 6 percentage points without the benefit of Republican cross overs.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discusses the vote breakdown in the city of Milwaukee, which is just a part of the county:

. . . In Milwaukee, Clarke won with a razor-thin margin over Moews, just 1% in Milwaukee wards, yielding him 50.4%, according to unofficial returns. Four years ago, Clarke rolled up almost 57%. 

In the city, Clarke did particularly well in predominantly African-American wards in Milwaukee that traditionally have voted heavily Democratic. There, Clarke ran up a 23% lead over Moews, our review of returns from areas with at least 66% black voting population showed. . . .

From Fox News:

The money from Bloomberg’s Independence USA super PAC was more than what Clarke and Moews spent on their entire campaigns combined. . . .

The city of Milwaukee had 599,164 people in 2013 and the county had 956,023.  However, it is slightly less lopsided than that as the city has a larger portion of its population under age 18.

The bottom line of all this is that people will be making a mistake to think that Bloomberg and others didn't make this a much tougher race than it should have been.  


Fox & Friends has this: "Pro-gun rights Milwaukee sheriff: 'Bloomberg made a huge miscalculation'"

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Michael Bloomberg and other gun control groups target Milwaukee's Sheriff David Clarke

I have met Sheriff Clarke and I have had the chance to be interviewed by him on his radio show.  If Bloomberg's money makes a difference in this race, it is something that we will hear a lot about.  From Fox News:

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg - who through his political group has publicly committed to spending $50 million on gun-control politics in 2014 – has paid $150,000 to air a series of television ads targeting Clarke’s conservative pro-gun policies.
The money from Bloomberg’s Independence USA super PAC is more than what Clarke and Moews have spent on their entire campaigns combined.
Bloomberg spokesman Howard Wolfson told the Wall Street Journal on Monday that he decided to get involved in the sheriff’s race because it allowed him to shape policy on a local level.
“The issue of guns is one that (Bloomberg) cares an awful lot about and there’s a very clear contrast on that issue in this race,” Wolfson told the newspaper.
But Bloomberg isn’t the only person pumping cash into the primary.
The Greater Wisconsin Committee spent $400,000 on its own anti-Clarke ads.
Clarke, who is running as a Democrat but regularly aligns himself with conservative Republicans, spoke at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in April. The NRA, who calls Clarke a “rising national star,” has come to Clarke’s defense, soliciting donations from its members on his behalf and buying online ads for his re-election bid. . . .

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