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The Wisconsin Recall: One of Labor’s Own Runs for Lt. Gov.

May 8, 2012

Mahlon Mitchell addressing a crowd on February 26, 2011

One of the public servants who Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker famously went after last year is fighting back.

In the June recall election in which activists will attempt to oust Walker and his executive team, Mahlon Mitchell, a labor activist and member of the firefighters union, hopes to run against Walker’s Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. But first, he must beat other Democrats in the primary on Tuesday, May 8.

Mitchell is running for the second most powerful office in the state in an election that many see as the first major battle leading up to the presidential election.

Mitchell is president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. He is also the youngest and first African American in that post. During last year’s historic fight in Wisconsin centered on Walker’s bill that that stripped away the collective bargaining rights of public employees, Mitchell led the charge for the state’s firefighters, giving rousing speeches to thousands and leading marches.

“Now is our opportunity for all hands to work together for Wisconsin,” said Mitchell in a recent article.

We must stop fighting the same old political wars of the past. By working together, we can solve these problems and restore the Wisconsin values of fairness and hard work to government.

Even though firefighters were carved out of the anti-union budget repair bill destroying collective bargaining rights for public workers, Mitchell and IAFF members from across Wisconsin were at the forefront of the protest against the bill, contributing to the amazing show of solidarity topping more than 100,000 protestors.

Said IAFF General President Harold Shaitberger:

This is truly a historic opportunity to elect one of our own in a place where an election for statewide office has national implications.

Madison, Wis., IBEW Local 2304 Business Manager Dave Poklinkoski said he is an enthusiastic Mitchell supporter:

He’s a fantastic guy. He and the firefighters played a truly inspirational role in the uprising in Wisconsin. I remember seeing them come marching up [to the statehouse] with Mahlon Mitchell at the front. It was pretty cool.

Fire Fighters for Mahlon Mitchell, an independent organization, in a 30-second ad, illustrates how the firefighter and father has put his life on the line to protect and serve the public for the past 15 years and will work to bring people together and end the division in Madison. The ad also ties Lt. Gov. Kleefisch’s record directly to the worst of Walker, highlighting the attacks on basic workers’ rights and the investigations into and indictments of Walker’s close aides.

In an endorsement statement from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Chairman Mike Tate said:

We know Mahlon will bring the ‘All Hands Working’ ethos of the fire service to the statehouse and will work to bring our state’s leaders together to create jobs, protect our schools and create opportunity for all Wisconsinites.

See Mitchell in action during the 2011 Wisconsin protests

Fire Fighters for Mahlon Mitchell set up a Facebook page, click here to connect.

Photo by Karen Hickey, used under a Creative Commons License from Flickr user wisaflcio