Pete Karas, the Wisconsin Green Party’s candidate for secretary of state, says his nomination papers have been challenged ahead of a June 9 hearing before the Wisconsin Elections Commission over what his campaign called a “technicality” tied to the state’s Act 126.
In an emailed statement Friday, Karas said a verified challenge was filed against his nomination papers and that the legal work was done by Halling & Cayo, S.C., a Milwaukee law firm. While it doesn’t provide the specific language, the campaign said the challenge concerns circulator certification language connected to 2025 Wisconsin Act 126, a law that restricts who may circulate nomination papers and recall petitions in the state, and is attributing the challenge to state Democrats.
“This is the playbook,” Karas said. “When the two-party system can’t beat you on the issues, they try to make sure you’re never on the ballot in the first place. Democrats talk about protecting democracy. What they mean is protecting their own power.”
Karas chairs the Wisconsin Green Party’s Elections Committee and represents the 5th Congressional District to the party. He helped oversee candidate recruitment for the state party this cycle, including organizing his own bid for office. To qualify for the ballot, he was required to submit between 2,000 and 4,000 valid signatures by the June 1 filing deadline. As the only Green candidate in the race, Karas would advance directly to the general election if his petitions are accepted.
Karas has also received support from outside the Green Party. The Pirate National Committee endorsed his campaign in April, followed later that month by the United States Transhumanist Party. Neither endorsement affects his ballot access efforts.
The campaign argues that Act 126 is already facing a federal challenge over its constitutionality. The law, signed earlier this year, requires circulators of nomination papers and recall petitions for most Wisconsin offices to be eligible Wisconsin voters, effectively barring most out-of-state circulators from state and local ballot access efforts. The law does not apply to presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Americans for Citizen Voting PAC, represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, filed a lawsuit challenging the law. The lawsuit argues that the circulator restriction violates the First Amendment by limiting petition circulation, which courts have treated as protected political speech. The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin has also said it voted to join a lawsuit challenging the ban.
Karas said he plans to file a verified response and appear in person before the Wisconsin Elections Commission next week.
“I collected those signatures,” Karas said. “Real people signed those papers because they want a choice that isn’t a Democrat or a Republican. I’m going to fight for every one of those signatures — and I’m going to be on that ballot in November.”
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