June 28, 2021

Contact: WisDems Communications (press@wisdems.org)

 

GOP Convention Goes off the Rails with Threats to Primary Robin Vos and Hiring of Conservative Justice for Partisan Election Review

 

With the Wisconsin GOP Divided Over Loyalty to Trump’s Election Lies, GOP Leaders Need to Pick a Side

MADISON, Wis. — All aboard the hot mess express. This weekend, the Republican Party of Wisconsin Convention descended into chaos when disgraced former President Donald Trump chastised Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, Senate Majority Leader Devin LaMahieu, and state Sen. Chris Kapenga for not doing enough to promote the Big Lie in Wisconsin.

 

It’s not for lack of trying – Vos has already hired former cops and election conspiracy theorists to investigate the election; several legislators trekked out west to observe the GOP’s ridiculous operation in Arizona; and at the convention, Vos announced the hiring of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman to oversee the WI GOP’s election review. Gableman has already said, at a Trump rally no less, that he believes the election was rigged.

 

All of this still isn’t Trumpy enough for the Wisconsin GOP – Republicans at the convention tried to censure Vos, while Trump threatened to recruit a primary challenger against him. Likely GOP gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch said in advance of the convention that Trump’s “policy legacy” would be on the ballot in 2022. This convention chaos makes it clear that Trump is still popular with GOP voters in Wisconsin, and any candidate in 2022 who doesn’t help promote false claims of election fraud risks losing their GOP political career.

 

While false claims of election fraud and attempts to avoid insulting Donald Trump’s ego took center stage at this weekend’s convention, Wisconsin’s economic recovery and ways to help working families were on the backburner. The WI GOP brushed off Governor Evers’ Badger Bounceback agenda, celebrated the underfunding of schools, and failed to offer any path forward for helping Wisconsin bounce back better from the pandemic.

 

Rebecca Kleefisch, Mike Gallagher, Ron Johnson, and all the other GOP politicians who will likely be running for office in 2022 need to let Wisconsinites know which side they are on – Donald Trump’s or Wisconsin’s.

 

“Donald Trump was certainly the elephant not in the room this weekend – the Wisconsin GOP did nothing to assure Wisconsinites they would prioritize their needs, but everything to assure Trump and his allies that they would continue pushing lies about our democracy,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Kayla Anderson. “When you talk more about false election fraud than affordable health care and education, you’ve got the wrong priorities. Any GOP candidate running for office in 2022 needs to pick a side: Wisconsin or Donald Trump and his lies?”

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