Klein concedes Town of Draper Chairman position to Richard Burt after election tie.

Klein concedes Town of Draper Chairman position to Richard Burt after election tie.

“The election for Town Chair resulted in a 59-59 tie vote between myself and one of the most beloved members of the town, Dick Burt. Wisconsin law states the winner is chosen via a coin toss, which I won, as it was captured on video. (If anyone would like to see it, please make an appointment with the Town Clerk). Unfortunately, allegations of fraud and conflict of interest immediately arose, which is not surprising given today’s political climate. To set the record straight, I only ran when there was nobody willing to run for chair, because the town needed someone competent to do the job.   To further set the record straight, my wife and I have been leaders of election integrity reforms across the county. We were proud to witness the diligence and dedication of Draper’s poll workers as they stayed up past midnight to count and recount the vote multiple times. Still we resulted in a tie. I can see from the other side’s perspective how they might not want to be governed by the luck of the draw, how can one govern by a coin toss? Perhaps this is a law that needs some revision. Therefore, I decided it is best for the cohesion of the Town to concede to write-in candidate Dick Burt, as he has been Chairman in the past and I have always liked Dickie. I hope that those who voted for me will give him the chance to succeed. Thank you to all of the people who believed in me and braved the weather to vote. I will still be helping the Town if needed, as that was my only goal. Let’s get the job done!”

Submitted by Chris Klein April 6, 2023