As incumbent state Senate Republicans and their Democratic challengers flood TV airwaves and stuff mailboxes in the run up to the Aug. 9 recall elections, they are largely sidestepping the issue that spurred tens of thousands of Wisconsinites to sign recall petitions this spring — the elimination of many collective bargaining powers for most public-sector workers.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a single ad that’s directly about union representation issues,” said Charles Franklin, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.