MADISON, Wis. — In a new ad for Tim Michels, Tommy Thompson wants Wisconsinites to believe he’s “never seen Madison quite this bad.” But Thompson’s election-year criticism is a complete reversal from his long record of praising Gov. Evers’ leadership:
- Thompson has previously said that Gov. Evers is “an outstanding Governor” who “is doing a wonderful job for the State of Wisconsin.”
- Thompson has praised Gov. Evers’ commitment to funding the University of Wisconsin System, saying “I had requested $110 million for the University increase and he gave me $190. That’s never happened!” Thompson went on to say: “Truly, Governor Evers, you’re a very pleasant person to be around and I’m just delighted to have this privilege to introduce you to the reporters and to the people here, and to thank you for being our partner at the University, and thank you for your leadership.”
- After Gov. Evers released his 2021-2023 budget proposal, Thompson issued a statement saying, “Gov. Evers’ budget for the UW System will allow us to tackle some of Wisconsin’s most pressing challenges: expanding online education to meet market demands, tackling prison recidivism to save taxpayer money, leveraging our freshwater resources for economic and environmental gain, expanding opportunity for our neediest students.”
- In 2018, Thompson commended Gov. Evers willingness to work with Republicans. “He said he wanted to work with the (Republicans) and he wanted me to help him,” said Thompson. “I think that’s wonderful.”
“Tommy Thompson said it best himself: Gov. Evers is ‘an outstanding Governor’ who ‘is doing a wonderful job for the State of Wisconsin,’” said Tony for Wisconsin Spokesperson Kayla Anderson. “While Republicans like Tommy Thompson and Tim Michels are guided by partisan politics, Gov. Evers is focused on bringing people together to deliver results for working families. No cheap political ad can change Thompson’s long record of praising Gov. Evers for his bipartisanship and efforts to do the right thing for our state.”
