Kapanke Requests Recount For 32nd State Senate District Race

Dan Kapanke has decided to request a recount of the election results for the 32nd state Senate District.

Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling defeated the former senator by only 56 votes. That’s less than a tenth of a percent of the total votes cast in the election.

Kapanke Campaign Spokesman Luke Martz said Kapanke is requesting a recount because the margin was so small.

“The results were extremely close, and we feel that the recount will ensure that each and every vote that was cast is recorded correctly and fairly,” Martz said.

But La Crosse County Clerk Ginny Dankmeyer said she is not expecting the outcome of the election to change.

“Obviously, we’re going to go through all the absentee applications and absentee logs, and if something doesn’t match up, there may be the necessity of a drawn down where a ballot might be pulled out of the count,” Dankmeyer said. “Overall, the machines we use on election day are pretty sound.”

Shilling said she’s also confident the recount won’t change the results of the election.

“It is my opponent’s decision to pursue a recount at taxpayer expense that will continue to drag this out for several more weeks,” Shilling said.

Shilling first won the 32nd state Senate seat after Kapanke was recalled from office in 2011.

Dankmeyer said the recount will begin Monday and could take up to 6 days to complete.