Trump-backed Tim Michels wins Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial primary
Former President Donald Trump scored another proxy victory over former Vice President Mike Pence Tuesday, as the onetime commander-in-chief’s pick won Wisconsin’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
Trump threw his support behind Tim Michels, a construction magnate who sank $12 million into his own campaign, while Pence endorsed Rebecca Kleefisch, the former lieutenant governor under Trump’s 2016 campaign rival, Scott Walker.
With more than 98% of the expected ballots counted, Michels led Kleefisch by more than 335,000 votes. The Associated Press called the race at 10:35 p.m. Central Time.
Trump congratulated Michels late Monday on his “win against a wonderful and highly-competitive opponent, Rebecca Kleefisch,” adding in a post on Truth Social “I know both sides will come together and defeat one of the worst Governors in the Country, Tony Evers.”
In his victory speech, Michels said he would concentrate on the issues of concern to working-class residents of the Badger State.
“That’s what this race has always been about, and that’s what the general election race is going to be about as well, standing up for the hard-working people of Wisconsin,” he said. “They’ve been left behind by the Democratic Party that just wants to focus on the social issues. From my first day in office to my very last day as governor, jobs and the economy are arguably my number one priority.”
Evers’ campaign, looking forward to the general election, called the Republican “the most extreme and divisive nominee possible, one that will tell Donald Trump anything just to keep his endorsement.”
“While Tim Michels wants to divide our communities, Gov. Evers is committed to bringing people together and working to address rising costs, help small businesses, expand high-speed internet, and give our kids the education they need to thrive,” their statement added.
Both Michels and Kleefisch backed Trump’s assertion that the 2020 presidential election was stolen due to voter fraud, but Kleefisch had said decertifying the results was “not constitutional,” while Michels said “everything is on the table.”
President Biden narrowly defeated Trump in Wisconsin two years ago by a little more than 20,000 votes, but the former president has insisted that the results should be decertified.
Michels, who appeared with Trump at a rally in Waukesha last week, has said he wants to get rid of the state’s election commission – a position also supported by Kleefisch.
Both candidates also said they would support prohibitions on voters having someone else turn in their absentee ballots, as well as ballot drop boxes located anywhere other than staffed clerk offices.
“I am going to get election integrity back in Wisconsin. We are going to stop the ‘Zuckerbucks,’ out-of-state billionaires coming into our state and taking control of our election process. It won’t happen anymore,” Michels said.
Michels and Kleefisch have been neck-and-neck in recent polls, with the winner taking on incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November.
Trump and Pence also backed opposing GOP gubernatorial candidates in Arizona — where Trump pick Kari Lake won the primary — and Georgia, where Pence’s choice of incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp won in a blowout over Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes won the Democratic nomination to face Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, in a race that will help determine control of the 50-50 Senate.
The state’s most powerful Republican, state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, held off Trump-backed challenger Adam Steen after Vos rejected the former president’s pressure to decertify the 2020 results. Vos said his victory showed “you don’t have to be a lapdog to whatever Donald Trump says.”
With Post wires
