A Weekly Roundup of the Hot Mess That Is the Republican Primary for Governor
MADISON, Wis. — Welcome to “Knives Out”— Rebecca Kleefisch’s favorite phrase and a weekly roundup of the infighting between the radical Republicans running for Wisconsin governor.
The GOP is locked in a heated and brutal primary for governor, where Rebecca Kleefisch, Kevin Nicholson, and Tim Ramthun are each trying to prove they are the most divisive candidate in the race. What’s going on in the Republican Party is so outrageous, it’s hard to keep track of all of their blunders — so here is a roundup:
Who Said It?
Can you guess who said the following?
“And I’ll say this about those governors in those states in Florida and Virginia, and you look at who they are and where they came from. Well, all of them came from the private sector. Glenn Youngkin worked in McKinsey, I worked at McKinsey. We have mutual friends and a bit of a parallel path. And then Ron and I both served our country, and we both, I would say — all three of those people come from outside of the political class and they showed a willingness to do things materially different.”
Scroll to the end of this newsletter for the answer.
Two More Candidates Say No Thank You
Bye Tommy Thompson and Eric Hovde. It’s official, they won’t be joining the dumpster fire…
Those two looked at how divisive and radical the GOP has become and knew they couldn’t compete in a primary.
A moment of silence for their campaigns. 
Tim Michels: “The Panic Candidate”
It’s been clear that members of the Republican Party are not happy with a Rebecca Kleefisch nomination. Party leaders and Donald Trump himself have spent months recruiting anyone but Kleefisch to run.
According to Wisconsin conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell, Republicans are so scared of running against popular incumbent Gov. Tony Evers that they have recruited a “panic candidate” – ultra-wealthy, conservative Tim Michels, who has floated a possible run and has reportedly already made the pilgrimage to kiss the ring at Mar-a-Lago.
There’s no way Tim Michels can unofficially start his campaign for governor at Mar-A-Lago and avoid the divisive politics that have consumed Wisconsin Republicans in this primary. He has significant ties to Rebecca Kleefisch’s extreme policies as a member of the Advisory Board of her 1848 Project and a member of the board of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the far-right group that endorsed Kleefisch.
One of her longtime supporters running against her must be very embarrassing for Kleefisch.
Rebecca Kleefisch and Kellyann Conway Invite Donors to the Worst Coffee Ever
Next week, donors can join Rebecca Kleefisch and Kellyann Conway for the worst coffee meeting ever.
This seems to be Kleefisch’s most recent effort to beg for Trump voters and appear as the most radical candidate, since she can’t seem to garner the endorsement of Trump himself. Sad!
Trump, who most recently seems to have encouraged Tommy Thompson to run, has been silent on his meetings with acolytes.
With the threat of a new candidate joining the dumpster fire primary this week, Rebecca Kleefisch desperately needs to stand out.
“Who Said It” Answer Revealed
Kevin Nicholson at an event for The Physicians For Freedom.
Another day, another event where Kevin Nicholson reminds voters that no one loves Kevin more than he does. Leave it to Kevin Nicholson to not only speak about himself in the third person, but also to remind everyone how radical he is by comparing himself to Glenn Youngkin and Ron DeSantis. Really interesting choice to proudly associate yourself with the man who is so divisive that he’s declaring war on… Walt Disney World.
While Kevin Nicholson, the founder of an organization that tactically impedes people’s access to abortion, received a recent endorsement from Pro-Life Wisconsin’s Victory Fund PAC, he still has a long way to stand out from the crowd. Sorry Kevin, having some mutual friends with Glenn Youngkin isn’t going to hand you the primary win.
