State Senate and Other Races Targeted with Fake News with AP Byline
A false reporting of election results for the State Senate District 26 race, as well as State Assembly District 76 and others, was posted on the 620 WTMJ website Friday, claiming to be from the Associated Press (AP). AP has confirmed that the story did not originate from them and ordered WTMJ to remove the post, and it was quickly removed from their website. A screenshot of the post was captured by the Amani for Wisconsin campaign before the story was deleted. The seven way Democratic primary election is on August 11. This race is historic because of the number of women and people of color vying for the position.
In the fake news post regarding the Senate District 26 race, all five of the candidates of color in the race are listed with four percent or less of the vote each. At first glance, the post appears to be an attempt to suppress votes for people of color and women, by showing candidates of color losing by wide margins.
Amani Latimer Burris says that, “this is a dangerous precedent, to target women and people of color with fake news that undermines their campaigns, and further undermines the democratic process itself and our ability to stand in the truth.”
Latimer Burris has called a press conference for 2:00 PM tomorrow, Saturday, August 1, and has reached out to other candidates to join her, on the Capital Square at the corner of East Mifflin St and North Pinckney St to address this affront to free and fair elections.
The winner of the August 11 primary will be the presumptive winner in the November 3 general election, since there are no Republicans on the ballot.
The race for the State Senate seat being vacated by Fred Risser, who is retiring after 58 years of service, is a 7-way race. There are 5 candidates of color running for the seat. If Latimer Burris wins the August 11 primary, she will make history as the first African-American woman elected to the State Senate from Madison.
Latimer Burris, 51, is a life-long educator and has been a small business owner. She started out her career as a journalist. In June, she left her job with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin as an Organizer in Waukesha and Milwaukee Counties to make her first run for public office.
Amani’s parents are respected figures in the Madison community. Her father, James Latimer, is Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her mother is the late Milele Chikasa Anana, Publisher Emeritus of UMOJA Magazine, and was a celebrated civil rights activist before her passing in May.
Latimer Burris decided to run for State Senate following her mother’s advice to be in the room where important decisions are made to affect change, in a positive way, for everyone.
