Spindell is no white savior to Milwaukee
GUEST COLUMN from Angela Lang of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), Nick Ramos of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, and Christine Neumann-Ortiz of Voces de la Frontera.
The Recombobulation Area is a ten-time Milwaukee Press Club award-winning weekly opinion column and online publication written, edited and published by longtime Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Learn more about it here.
This is a guest column written by Angela Lang, executive director of of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), Nick Ramos, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive Director of Voces de la Frontera
Commissioner Bob Spindell has proven time and time again that he is unqualified to serve on the Wisconsin Election Commission.
When asked to resign at this month's Wisconsin Election Commission meeting, he responded by saying, "There is no white Republican that has done more for the Black community than me, so I suggest you go back and take a look at my past record.”
This is just the latest proof that Commissioner Spindell does not care about protecting democracy.
Last January, the executive director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC) wrote a guest column for The Recombobulation Area calling for Robert Spindell’s removal from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. This was after he bragged about the coordinated effort to suppress voter turnout in the Black and Latino communities in Milwaukee.
“We can be especially proud of the City of Milwaukee (80.2% Dem Vote) casting 37,000 less votes than cast in the 2018 election with the major reduction happening in the overwhelming Black and Hispanic areas,” Spindell said in an email.
He made one thing loud and clear from his braggadocious remarks on voter suppression: He’s the one in a position of great power and he is actively choosing not to do his job. Through his words and actions, Spindell has demonstrated that he is unfit to serve as a Commissioner with the Wisconsin Election Commission.
In addition, Spindell’s comments on voter suppression that are intended to raise campaign funds ignores the fact that the Latinx vote statewide has actually grown, and people of color and multiracial youth have been a powerful voting bloc. This voting bloc, along with other progressive Wisconsinites, have been successfully challenging the politics of authoritarianism, hatred, and division.
In his role as an appointed commissioner, Spindell has the vital responsibility of upholding and administering elections across our state. The Wisconsin Elections Commission is the most powerful election oversight body in Wisconsin. Lowering voter turnout is nothing to brag about, especially given his position. Let’s not forget, too, that he served as a fake elector trying to give away Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes to Trump, directly defying the will of the Wisconsin voters — including the same Black and Brown voters he bragged about.
It was only after 35 months and a threat of a civil suit that he and the rest of the fake electors finally agreed to admit what we all knew — Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. It was only after legal threats that he did the “right thing.” His coerced admission of wrongdoing is nothing honorable. Because, if Spindell and his band of fake electors were successful in overturning our election, we would not be having this discussion right now. And yet, despite his attempts to subvert our democracy through elaborate fake elector schemes and voter suppression efforts, he is still a Commissioner.
Wisconsinites have proven over and over again that they value democracy. We expect that our elections will be free and fair. Spindell’s continued “service” on the Wisconsin Elections Commission undermines our democracy, erodes the public’s trust in the political process, and is a disservice to every pro-democracy/voting rights organization fighting for the people of Wisconsin.
We cannot afford to erode the public’s trust when it comes to our elections and our democracy. This is especially true now, as Wisconsin enters a new presidential election cycle. The fake elector scheme that Spindell participated in nearly disenfranchised 3.3 million voters in Wisconsin. Our election commissioners must be trusted stewards and protectors of our democracy.
Milwaukee does not need someone serving on the Wisconsin Elections Commission like Spindell, who instead of taking responsibility for his heinous actions, doubles down and makes statements like: "There is no white Republican that has done more for the Black community than me, so I suggest you go back and take a look at my past record" when confronted.
We ask, Mr. Spindell, with your past comments about bragging about voter suppression in our community and being a fake elector, please tell us how you’ve done so much for our community. It was a disgusting comment to make by itself, let alone during Black History Month.
Perhaps no white Republican has done more to the Black community than Spindell. Voter suppression in our community comes with painful memories. His presence on the Wisconsin Elections Commission is a constant reminder that we cannot move forward as a community until you leave the commission or you are removed.
If you want to be a man of your word and show us that you actually care about Black and Latino people, step down from the Wisconsin Elections Commission immediately. Then, we can begin to repair the damage that you caused to our community and to our democracy.
Because at the end of the day, we didn’t ask for a white savior, Bob.
This is a guest column written by Angela Lang, executive director of of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), Nick Ramos, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive Director of Voces de la Frontera
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