There were many interesting races in Wisconsin last night.

Brutal primaries on both sides of the aisle in the Attorney General’s race have been resolved. Incumbent Democrat Peggy Lautenschlager lost renomination to Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. In addition to other controversies, Lautenschlager plead guilty to driving while intoxicated in 2004. A very sad end to a promising political career, but Democrats should be excited by Kathleen Falk’s experience and strong progressive record. Former U.S. Attorney J.B. Van Hollen, a hard-core Christianist who has likened abortion to pre-meditated murder, defeated immigrant-bashing Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher for the GOP nomination. Van Hollen will try to paint Falk as an out-of-touch Madison liberal with no experience as a prosecutor.

In the Green Bay-based 8th Congressional District being vacated by Mark Green to run for Governor, Dr. Steve Kagen defeated former Brown County Comissioner/ex-Republican Nancy Nussbaum and businessman Jamie Wall in the Democratic Primary. Kagen will battle Assembly Speaker John Gard, Wisconsin’s own Tom DeLay, for the seat in November. The NRCC anticipated Kagen’s victory, as they are already running sleazy, misleading attack ads against him. Kagen’s outsider message and career as an allergist and businessman should compare favorably to John Gard’s life as a career politician; Gard has never held full-time employment outside of the State Capitol’s walls. Although the district leans Republican, this is a great opportunity for Democrats to win a new House seat in November.