While the Supreme Court halted Wisconsin’s voter ID law from taking effect for the November elections Thursday, both candidates vying to represent Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives continue to debate the court’s decision.
The high court’s ruling comes after months of confusion regarding the law, which required voters to present valid photo identification at the polls.
State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-Campbellsport, a longtime advocate of the law and the Republican candidate for the 6th District seat, has been critical of the court’s decision.
“In an era of out-of-control decisions by our federal courts, Thursday’s Supreme Court order putting Wisconsin’s Voter ID law on hold surprised even me,” Grothman said in a statement.”One would think that when in doubt, our Supreme Court would give deference to both the Wisconsin Legislature and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.”
Democratic candidate Mark Harris, the current Winnebago County Executive, views voter ID as a “barrier that would prevent certain classes of people” from voting.
“Far right candidates like Glenn Grothman think that what is good for them is good for society,” Harris said. “I don’t know how you can discourage thousands of potential voters to deter the non-existent scenario of voter fraud.”
Harris picked up a high profile endorsement Monday for his underdog campaign from the Wisconsin State Journal. The State Journal tabbed Harris as a “whiz on tax policy and budgeting” that “should help Congress find workable solutions” to problems while labeling Grothman as too “ideologically rigid” for the position.
