Scott Newcomer spent $21.72 of his own money per vote (as of the last report). (Not $10.86 as incorrectly reported.)Fullerton and Marlow combined still fall short of beating Newcomer. However, the three candidates who least waffled on the question of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (Fullerton, Marlow and Newcomer) received a combined total of 2,384 votes, or 65% of the vote.
I'd like to say there was a surprise, but given the difference between Woods and Newcomer, 621 votes (17%), and how close Fullerton and Woods were, I'd have to say there was no suprise.
If there is a lesson in this election, it's not that money wins, but money and organization wins. Newcomer had both, and while he squandered money (I'm waiting for my souvenier Newcomer sock warmers to come in the mail any day now), he still spent enough in the right places to augment his targeted mail to win.
Update! 10:41pm Here are the corrected numbers. I've updated the above numbers accordingly.
Update! 12/15 7:13am As you may have gathered from news reports, other blogs, and the comments section here. I've updated the above numbers in the analysis section appropriately. As the Journal Sentinel helpfully notes,
The vote-counting problem is the second gaffe for the clerk's office since October, when the office sent out sample ballots to be published in newspapers for the special election for county executive between Vrakas and County Board Chairman Jim Dwyer. They were running to replace Dan Finley, who resigned to become president of the Milwaukee Public Museum.The correct results are as follows (sorry this isn't a neat graph):
Along with both candidates' names and detailed instructions on how to complete a ballot, there was a hand-drawn solid line designating a vote for Dwyer.
Nickolaus had said the gaffe occurred when her office sent some newspapers the same sample ballots that had been marked and used to test voting machines.
TROY FULLERTON 685 votes 18.68%
DAVID E. MARLOW 318 votes 8.67%
SCOTT NEWCOMER 1,381 votes 37.65%
KENT D. WOODS 760 votes 20.72%
JACK F. PERRY . 522 votes 14.23%
Waukesha County: reporting election results almost as fast as a third world country.
