The recall election in Wisconsin’s 10th Senate District could be a three-way race.

Sort of.

Isaac Weix, a Republican candidate for state Assembly last year, may be entering the race as a Democrat. Republicans said Monday that they’re working on running candidates as Democrats in recall elections against Senate Republicans in order to force primaries and give incumbents more time to campaign.

“It’s absolutely nauseating,” said the state Democratic Party’s official candidate in the 10th District, Shelly Moore. “It’s about the most un-American thing I can imagine.”

Moore, a teacher at Ellsworth Community High School, has been campaigning against State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, since May. She said she heard at about noon Monday that Weix would enter the campaign as a Democrat.

Two Democratic candidates would turn the currently scheduled July 12 recall election into a primary election, postponing the general election to Aug. 9.

“We need an opportunity to heal and move past this and all this does is further extend the process and deny people’s right to democracy,” Moore said.

Constituents of Harsdorf and eight other state senators launched petitions to force recall elections after contentious battles in Madison in February and March over Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to limit collective bargaining rights.

The state Republican Party said in a statement Monday that Republican recall targets are at a disadvantage in the coming elections because they have been busy working on state budget issues while Democratic challengers have been campaigning.

“Because of this disadvantage, and the outrageous nature of elected officials facing recall for standing up for a balanced budget, the Republican Party of Wisconsin has advocated that protest candidates run in Democratic primaries to ensure that Republican legislators have ample time to communicate with voters throughout their districts after the state budget is approved,” said Stephan Thompson, the state party’s executive director, in a statement.

Harsdorf, however, does not support the party’s tactic and had nothing to do with Weix entering the race, said her campaign spokesman, Nathan Duerkop.

Weix, who could not be reached for comment Monday, has created nomination papers but has not yet filed as a candidate, said Jesse Garza, chair of the St. Croix County Republican Party.

“It’s a protest campaign,” Garza said of Weix’ motivations. “He’s not coming out as saying he’s a Democrat.”

Weix ran last year for the Wisconsin Assembly’s District 93 seat – which covers parts of Pierce, Dunn, Pepin and Eau Claire counties – and finished third in the Republican primary. The primary winner, Warren Petryk, went on to win the general election.

Garza added that he does not believe it’s Weix’s intent to beat Moore in a primary, but “if he does, that’s great.”

The state Democratic Party on Monday called Republicans’ efforts to force primaries “dirty tricks to derail democracy.”

“The purpose is clear – delay elections, create confusion and chaos, and ultimately avoid being judged by the voters in the recall elections,” said Democratic Senate Leader Mark Miller.

“These dirty Nixonion tactics have no place in Wisconsin,” Miller said. “And we don’t need to waste taxpayer money on phony elections to help these Republicans duck the voters and needlessly delay these elections.”

More than 23,000 people this spring signed a petition to recall Harsdorf, who was first elected in 2000 and won 56 percent of the vote in 2008. Her district covers St. Croix County and parts of Burnett, Dunn, Pierce and Polk counties.

Five other state Senate Republicans and three Democrats also face recall elections this summer. Their challengers have until June 14 to file nomination petitions to be included on the ballots.

In addition to primary elections, there is a possibility that court actions also could delay the July 12 election date.

Fourteen Democratic senators fled the state in February to try to stop a vote on Walker’s budget-repair bill, which would limit public employees’ collective-bargaining rights. The bill was eventually passed by the Legislature and signed by Walker, but is currently tied up in the courts.

Andy Rathbun can be reached at 651-228-2121.