Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson won Tuesday’s GOP Senate Primary in a four-way matchup against Eric Hovde, Mark Neumann, and Jeff Fitzgerald. Among the four Republicans, Thompson, Neumann, and Fitzgerald signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to oppose higher taxes. With Thompson’s victory, Wisconsinites are well positioned for another statewide election between two clearly contrasting candidates on the issue of higher taxes.

Americans for Tax Reform highlighted Eric Hovde’s refusal to make a written promise to Wisconsin taxpayers by publicizing Hovde’s admission that he had “no problem” with higher taxes. Hovde doubled down on his tax hike agenda by admitting that he was open to a compromise with Democrats on higher taxes.

In the weeks leading up to the primary, ATR made over one hundred thousand voter contacts. Tuesday’s results demonstrate that voters took notice of who makes promises and what it takes to get serious about cutting government spending: signing the Taxpayer protection Pledge.

“I want to congratulate Tommy Thompson on winning Tuesday’s Republican primary in Wisconsin,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Republican primary voters clearly took their displeasure with Washington to the ballot box and rewarded the candidate who took the Pledge to stand with them against a tax and spend agenda,” continued Norquist.

“Wisconsinites value the concrete written promise that is the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. When Governor Scott Walker signed it, he kept it. As a result, voters fought back against a union-led recall to give him more time to enact necessary reform. Tommy Thompson’s pledge to oppose tax hikes puts him in a good position to debate Tammy Baldwin on the merits of a genuine need to cut spending without raising taxes.”

[PDF of Press Release]

Posted by Paul Blair on Thursday, August 16, 2012 2:59 PM EDT

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