A Wisconsin Republican primary in September 2010 was decided by three votes after election officials completed a recount, according to Scott Walker’s opinion article. Tyler August, then 27, received 1,760 votes in the six-candidate race for an open state Assembly seat. Adam Gibbs received 1,757. The initial election-night count had put Gibbs ahead by four votes.
August went on to win the general election that November. Walker writes that, 16 years later, August serves as majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly. The article uses the primary result to illustrate how a narrow contest can shape who holds office and, in turn, who participates in legislative decisions.
Walker also points to Wisconsin’s recent presidential election margins. More than 3.2 million people voted in the state in 2020, when the reported margin was 20,682 votes. In 2024, more than 3.4 million Wisconsinites cast ballots, and the margin was 29,397 votes. Walker describes Wisconsin as the closest state by percentage of votes cast in that election. The article also reports that Georgia and Arizona had narrower percentage margins than Wisconsin in 2020, with reported margins of 11,779 and 10,457 votes, respectively.
The column argues that voting matters not only in presidential contests but also in state and local elections. Walker lists areas of government decision-making that can affect residents and businesses, including taxes, regulations, housing, education, infrastructure and employment rules. He contends that government policies shape the conditions in which people operate businesses, invest and pursue other economic activity.
Walker frames participation as a practical civic choice rather than an expression of political identity. He notes that every voter casts one ballot, regardless of occupation, age or past voting history. He also describes everyday reasons someone might skip voting, such as poor weather, a potentially long line or competing errands, and argues that close results make assumptions about a vote’s insignificance unreliable.
The article urges readers to check registration, locate their polling place and make a voting plan for Nov. 3. It directs readers to state or local election offices for election information and registration requirements. The supplied material does not specify the year for that Nov. 3 reference, so the date should not be treated as a current election date.
Walker’s central example remains the 2010 recount: a three-vote difference in a state legislative primary preceded August’s election to the Assembly and his later leadership role. The article does not identify individual voters responsible for the margin or provide further recount documentation; its account of the race and its broader case for participation are presented by Walker in an opinion column.
