Journal Sentinel columnist Dan Bice is surprised that someone with as much baggage as David VanderLeest would run for State Senate in a recall election.
VanderLeest's record includes a bankruptcy, a home foreclosure, an unpaid judgment, building code violations and a misdemeanor conviction.
Maybe he was inspired by the campaign of Jim Steineke, another Green Bay area Republican Tea Partier who was elected in November despite a longer legal history than VanderLeest's.
Steineke had a record that included drunk driving, leaving the scene of an injury accident, multiple cases of driving with a suspended or revoked license, obstructing a police officer, small claims judgments and more.
His record was featured in a TV campaign for two weeks before the election, so the voters were well aware of it. Steineke was elected to the Assembly with 58% of the vote.