Election fatigue hits Wis. in 4-way Senate primary

Poll finds nearly 1 in 5 voters hasn't settled on a nominee

MADISON, Wis. — Even with the biggest name in modern Wisconsin politics on the ballot, the Republican primary in a highly competitive U.S. Senate race appears headed for a fractious four-way battle.

Many election-weary voters in Wisconsin simply haven’t made up their minds.

The former Wisconsin governor and Cabinet secretary, Tommy Thompson, has near universal name recognition in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl.

A recent poll finds Thompson leading the GOP field, but nearly 1 in 5 voters hasn’t settled on a nominee.

Thompson had expected an uncontested run for the nomination, but the party has grown more conservative since he left the governorship in 2001.

Thompson’s three challengers — Businessman Eric Hovde, former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann and state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald — argue that they are more in touch with modern Republicans.