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“The decisive ingredient in my two Senate race victories was our strong Wisconsin Republican Party grassroots structure in communities all across the state. I know firsthand what happens when you are able to earn the trust of the grassroots party faithful at the Republican state convention – you can receive their crucial endorsement.
“That’s why, in my role as Chairman of the Grassroots Endorsement Process, I am calling on all Republicans who run for U.S. Senate in 2018 to pledge their support of our grassroots endorsement process and the eventual nominee in August. Wisconsin needs a person of integrity supported by the good folks of our state to help advance conservative reform and take on Washington’s professional political class. That person will need Wisconsin’s conservative grassroots to win.
“The stakes are simply too high to let national outsiders meddle with our proven record of success. We must always remember that we are fighting for our freedom, and it is a fight we absolutely must win.”
- Grassroots conservative voters from communities across Wisconsin will gather later this year at the Republican Party of Wisconsin state convention to consider whether to endorse any Republican candidate for U.S. Senate ahead of the eventual August primary. The grassroots endorsement procedure at the RPW state convention has been in place under its current structure since 2009.
- Senator Johnson will serve as Chairman of the Grassroots Endorsement Process after having most recently served as Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s state convention last year.
- The unity pledge and associated agreements were approved unanimously in early December of 2017 after consideration throughout the fall by elected grassroots leaders on the Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Committee, who represent the local grassroots Republican party faithful across Wisconsin.
- All candidates running will be asked to sign a pledge to conduct a campaign focused on defeating Senator Baldwin and displaying mutual respect for their Republican competitors. They will also be asked to acknowledge the existing rules and rules process for convention and agree to pursue the grassroots endorsement at state convention in a manner compliant with that process, and to support the eventual Republican nominee after the Republican primary in August.
- In return for signing the pledge, candidates will have access to RPW infrastructure, including lists that will be crucial to earning the support of grassroots conservatives at convention. You can read the pledge provided to U.S. Senate candidates here.
- Johnson won both of his elections in 2010 and 2016 as a political outsider backed by the party’s grassroots. This included a contested 2010 primary in which he won the endorsement of the conservative grassroots at the Republican Party of Wisconsin state convention ahead of the primary election.