MADISON, Wis. — The blaze of the dumpster fire primary is expected to get a boost this Sunday night during the primetime GOP gubernatorial debate. Rebecca Kleefish and Tim Michels have been vying for the crown of the most radical candidate in order to pander to the ultra-MAGA right. Here is a round up of their extreme positions and comments:
Abortion:
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Rebecca Kleefisch: Wants to see a total ban on abortion in Wisconsin that goes beyond the 1849 legislation, and once agreed that rape victims should “turn lemons to lemonade” by carrying a pregnancy resulting from their assault.
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Tim Michels: Michels said the 1849 ban on abortion that doesn’t include exceptions for rape or incest is “an exact mirror” of his position and previously said it was “not unreasonable” for the government to force rape victims to give birth.
Gun Safety:
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Rebecca Kleefisch: Opposes common sense gun safety measures like expanded background checks and red flag laws and backs permitless concealed carry without any training and recently touted her “A” rating from the guns-everywhere extremists at the NRA. In the wake of the Uvalde Elementary School shooting, Kleefisch lauded efforts to make some Wisconsin communities “second amendment sanctuaries” rather than finding ways to keep kids safe at school.
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Tim Michels: Tim Michels has pledged to lift restrictions on firearms, opposes an assault weapons ban, and said he will not support “red flag” laws backed by 81% of Wisconsin voters. Recently he even said he “did not have an answer” on expanded background checks. Michels also suggested he opposed the bipartisan gun reform passed by the US Congress, which included a provision to make it harder for domestic abusers to purchase guns.
LGBTQ+ Rights:
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Rebecca Kleefisch: Will no longer fly the Pride Flag above the Capitol if she becomes governor and in the past has said that same-sex marriage is a slippery slope that could lead to people “marry[ing] dogs.”
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Tim Michels: Opposes marriage equality, still says marriage is only “between a man and woman,” and in the past has said that he doesn’t believe that LGTBQ+ people should “bring it out of [the] house.” Michels also supported an amendment to US constitution banning gay marriage.
Elections:
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Rebecca Kleefisch: Called the 2020 election in Wisconsin “rigged” and refused to say whether she would have certified the 2020 presidential election had she been governor.
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Tim Michels: Said that “maybe” the 2020 election was stolen, and that “President Trump probably would be president right now if we had election integrity.” Michels also minimized the deadly January 6th insurrection as merely people experiencing “frustration over the election results.” Most recently said that he wouldn’t rule out signing a bill to overturn Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential election results. He also will not commit to letting the people of Wisconsin’s choice for president count in 2024 if he is governor.
“No matter who comes out a ‘winner’ in Sunday’s debate, it will be clear that both Rebecca Kleefisch and Tim Michels are too radical for Wisconsin and out of step with the concerns of Wisconsinites,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Hannah Menchhoff. “While Republicans continue to divide their party and our state, Governor Evers is focused on bringing people together and solving the problems that matter most to Wisconsinites.”
