81st AD: Travis says WMC Backing Proved Fatal for Sanders

Dave Travis said he was pretty confident he was going to be re-elected after he learned that the state’s largest business lobby was supporting his Dem primary opponent Henry Sanders.

“Everybody in politics understands that the WMC is the financial wing of the Republican Party. They’re not your Ma and Pa corner store,” said Travis in an interview following his victory over challenger Sanders tonight.

“They’re the people that finance all of the nasty campaigns against Democrats,” Travis added.

Sanders this week put out a release saying that he had not been endorsed by WMC and that he was not a Republican in disguise.

”We are disappointed,” Sanders said tonight after learning his fate. “We need to have new blood in the party. The only way we do that is by electing new leaders.”

Travis topped Sanders 58 percent to 42 percent with most precincts reporting.

”I’m not sure what my role is going to be now,” Sanders added, saying that he intended to get some much needed rest before he goes out and helps campaign for Gov. Jim Doyle.

-- By Alec Loftus.