Former Recall Candidate Ready for Republican Primary

After Jonathan Steitz lost the 2011 recall attempt against state Sen. Bob Wirch, he told supporters that he knew there was a reason not yet clear to him for why he lost.
"I know there was purpose in me not prevailing and I have a lot of confidence in that," he said then.

Maybe another run at a state senate is the answer. Steitz is expected to announce Tuesday that he is jumping back into the political fray - still as a Republican - to run for state senate in the 21st District, according to a story in The Journal Times.

Submitting nomination papers with the required number of signatures would pit Steitz against former Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, forcing a primary next August.

Wanggaard was defeated in the June 2012 recall election by Democrat John Lehman, Racine, whom Wanggaard beat in the November 2010 general election.

Steitz told the newspaper he believes he's the more conservative candidate betweeen him and Wanggaard and that Republican leaders throughout the district encouraged him to run for office again.

"(I've been) approached about running for this because there’s leaders across the state and in this district who feel we need a more conservative Senate,” he is quoted as saying.

Steitz is expected to make his announcement at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Elite Tactics and Training Center, 12721 12th St., Town of Paris in Kenosha County.

Both Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, and former Gov. Tommy Thompson have endorsed Wanggaard's run to regain his seat in the 21st District.

Lehman has not announced if he will run again in 2014.