[Waukesha, Wis.] — In case you missed it, Tim Michels’ campaign is lying to conservative voters by touting an endorsement from the National Rifle Association that does not exist. A mail piece sent by the campaign alleged Michels was endorsed by the NRA. The NRA stated on record that they had made no endorsements in the Wisconsin governor’s race.
As a sportsman herself, Rebecca Kleefisch is a proven, trusted advocate for gun owners and 2nd Amendment rights. She is proud to have an A rating from the NRA.
Read news coverage about this story below.
Associated Press: Michels’ campaign sent out a flyer that landed in mailboxes Saturday that claimed the gun advocacy group had endorsed him. Scott Meyer, a Wisconsin lobbyist who has done work for the NRA, said the group hasn’t endorsed anyone in the GOP primary and doesn’t plan to do so.
“All this came out of the blue,” Meyer said of the flyer. “Stunned is the best word to describe it. I’ve never seen this before.”
Wisconsin Right Now: Was Michels endorsed by the NRA, as he claims in the direct mail piece? The answer is no, according to the NRA.
We contacted the national NRA press office on July 17 and were given this response, from Scott Jones, NRA Wisconsin state director: “The NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) has not made any endorsements for the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial primary.”
Michels’ flyer says he was endorsed by the “NRA-ILA,” however the NRA told us that the NRA-ILA doesn’t make endorsements ever; the NRA-PVF does, and it has not made an endorsement in the Wisconsin governor’s primary, as noted.
“All grades and endorsements go through NRA-PVF,” the NRA told Wisconsin Right Now.
Conservative voters care about gun rights and NRA endorsements so we felt that readers had a right to know this information.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Michels’ campaign mailer included a photo of Michels in hunting gear with a buck and said Michels was “standing up for our gun rights.” It promoted an endorsement from the NRA at the bottom of the mailer…. Scott Jones, NRA Wisconsin’s state director, said in a statement the NRA Political Victory Fund has not made any endorsements for the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial primary.
