Johnson, Barnes exchange personal barbs in final debate

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Dem challenger Mandela Barnes exchanged a series of personal barbs on Thursday as the GOP incumbent referred to the lieutenant governor as a performer.

Barnes fired back that Johnson’s biggest achievement in business was “saying I do,” suggesting the senator’s in-laws set the stage for the business he once owned.

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Elections Commission rejects GOP proposal for new guidance on observers

The state Elections Commission rejected a GOP effort to provide new guidance on what observers can do at the polls next month as Dems complained the proposal went beyond what’s allowed under state law. That leaves local clerks with no new directions on observer standards for the November election as the agency goes through the process of writing more detailed permanent rules on the topic.

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Johnson, Barnes spar over cash bail, crime in first debate

MILWAUKEE — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson on Friday slammed Dem rival Mandela Barnes for supporting an end to cash bail, accusing him of seeking to defund the police and making Wisconsin less safe.

Barnes fired back that Johnson had abandoned the officers trying to protect the U.S. Capitol during a violent protest on Jan. 6, 2021, accusing him of supporting the insurrection.

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Rewind: Your Week in Review for Oct. 7

On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and CBS 58’s Emilee Fannon discuss Dems’ focus on abortion, a judge’s ruling blocking voters from spoiling and recasting absentee ballots, themes to watch for in the first U.S. Senate debate and more.

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Johnson, NRSC teaming up in new ads

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has teamed up with the National Republican Senatorial Committee to run nearly $5.6 million in TV ads from Sept. 1 through Thursday. That includes a series of ads in recent weeks that paint Dem rival Mandela

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Barnes reports more than $20M raised in 3rd quarter

Dem U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes raised more than $20.1 million during the third quarter, his campaign said, a dramatic rise in fundraising after he secured the party’s nomination to face GOP incumbent Ron Johnson. By comparison, Barnes had raised

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Johnson, Barnes exchange personal barbs in final debate

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Dem challenger Mandela Barnes exchanged a series of personal barbs on Thursday as the GOP incumbent referred to the lieutenant governor as a performer.

Barnes fired back that Johnson’s biggest achievement in business was “saying I do,” suggesting the senator’s in-laws set the stage for the business he once owned.

Read More »

3rd CD moved to ‘likely Republican’ in Crystal Ball rating

The University of Virginia’s “Crystal Ball” has moved western Wisconsin’s 3rd CD to “likely Republican” from “lean Republican.” It was one of three House races where the organization changed its rating. In its reasoning, “Crystal Ball” cited reporting in Axios over the weekend that the House Majority PAC was likely

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Evers talks shared revenue, abortion during Milwaukee luncheon

Gov. Tony Evers today said increasing shared revenue, especially for Milwaukee, will be his top priority. He also said he won’t sign an abortion bill with rape and incest exceptions if he wins reelection. The Dem guv at a Rotary Club of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Press Club and WisPolitics.com luncheon said

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Elections Commission rejects GOP proposal for new guidance on observers

The state Elections Commission rejected a GOP effort to provide new guidance on what observers can do at the polls next month as Dems complained the proposal went beyond what’s allowed under state law. That leaves local clerks with no new directions on observer standards for the November election as the agency goes through the process of writing more detailed permanent rules on the topic.

Read More »

Johnson, Barnes spar over cash bail, crime in first debate

MILWAUKEE — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson on Friday slammed Dem rival Mandela Barnes for supporting an end to cash bail, accusing him of seeking to defund the police and making Wisconsin less safe.

Barnes fired back that Johnson had abandoned the officers trying to protect the U.S. Capitol during a violent protest on Jan. 6, 2021, accusing him of supporting the insurrection.

Read More »

Rewind: Your Week in Review for Oct. 7

On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and CBS 58’s Emilee Fannon discuss Dems’ focus on abortion, a judge’s ruling blocking voters from spoiling and recasting absentee ballots, themes to watch for in the first U.S. Senate debate and more.

Read More »

Johnson, Barnes to meet in first debate tonight

GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Dem rival Mandela Barnes will meet tonight in the first of two debates. The event, sponsored by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, is set to kick off at 7 p.m. Some 70 stations will air the debate live, as will C-SPAN and WisconsinEye. The debate

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Johnson, NRSC teaming up in new ads

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has teamed up with the National Republican Senatorial Committee to run nearly $5.6 million in TV ads from Sept. 1 through Thursday. That includes a series of ads in recent weeks that paint Dem rival Mandela Barnes as a “radical leftist” who’s “dangerously liberal on crime.”

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Republicans seek to have absentee ballot lawsuit moved to Waukesha

Republicans who sued to prevent local clerks from adding missing information from witness addresses on absentee ballots want a Dane County lawsuit over what constitutes a complete address moved to Waukesha County. Rise Inc. and a fourth-year UW-Madison student who works for the organization last month filed the suit seeking

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Waukesha County judge rules voters can’t recast absentee ballots

A Waukesha County judge has granted a temporary injunction requested by those seeking to block voters from recasting their absentee ballots if they change their minds, according to online court records. Judge Brad Schimel, the former GOP attorney general, ordered his injunction to take effect at 4 p.m. tomorrow. During

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Barnes reports more than $20M raised in 3rd quarter

Dem U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes raised more than $20.1 million during the third quarter, his campaign said, a dramatic rise in fundraising after he secured the party’s nomination to face GOP incumbent Ron Johnson. By comparison, Barnes had raised nearly $6.1 million for his campaign between his announcement in

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