Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company and a vocal progressive activist known more for his hatred of Donald Trump than his beer, has failed to qualify for the Democrat primary ballot for governor after submitting nomination papers listing the wrong election date, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The error appeared on dozens of pages, listing August 11, the date of the primary election, rather than the November general election date, as required by law.
WisPolitics reporter JR Ross first reported the mistake, noting that the incorrect date could invalidate the signatures collected on those affected pages. Bangstad had filed signatures earlier in an attempt to appear on the August 11 Democratic primary ballot.
Bangstad, who has used his brewery’s platform for years to promote progressive causes and attack Republican figures, now faces the collapse of his latest political effort over what appears to be a basic administrative mistake. Democrat Party officials had not included him on the list of candidates slated to speak at the upcoming Democratic state convention.
Candidates have the opportunity to file affidavits to have signatures tossed out by the Wisconsin Elections Commission reinstated, so it remains to be seen whether Bangstad can appeal the decision and cure the incorrect sheets.
The nomination failure adds to a string of legal and financial challenges facing Bangstad. He remains the defendant in a civil lawsuit filed by Lakeland Times publishers alleging improper use of his Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC to route funds through unregistered entities.
