Well, it’s Wisconsin spring elections season and that means voters will choose from a whole slate of non-partisan local government races like city councils and school boards. Sure, non-partisan sounds good, but, as the last few years have taught us, there is no such thing as a non-partisan race. This has never been more true than it is today.
Over the years, the left pushed for ‘non-partisan’ local races in order to have a place to hide and stalk their ideological prey. Then they slowly came out of the weeds leaving once purple cities like Wauwatosa, for example, with hyper-leftist social justice warrior majorities on the City Council and on the School Board.
As Wauwatosa has been seeing firsthand over the years, it only takes one vociferous hyper-partisan social justice warrior to push leftist ideology, under the guise of ‘good intentions’ and leave the rest of our elected officials either fully supporting or quietly cowering in fear of being ‘canceled.’ Of course, I am referring to a former disgraced alderman Heather Kuhl.
In just a short few months on the city council, Wauwatosa saw several extreme WOKE proposals. Things like making Wauwatosa a sanctuary city, making the ‘equity’ committee a sanctioned committee, or demonizing the Wauwatosa police chief and officers. Of course, she hid her extremist ideology behind fluffy names like calling her sanctuary city proposal a ‘safe city’ proposal. How WOKE of her.
Sadly, Wauwatosa is NOT alone. This is everywhere, Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, Waukesha, EVERYWHERE.
Wisconsin Spring Elections
Now, back to the Wisconsin spring elections. How are extreme local government officials even elected? Well, as I said before, they hide behind the ‘non-partisan’ label. Clearly, they do not campaign on their ‘wokeness,’ they act like they are just ‘concerned’ citizens just looking to serve while hiding who they really were.
However, liberal incumbents throughout the state know their days in office may be numbered because of an absolute groundswell of people saying they have had enough of the extremist ideology in local government and our schools.
As we have seen with the massive overreach by the fringes over the past few years, they are desperate to pass anything they can while they struggle to keep their stranglehold on power.
What does all this mean?
It means there are droves of extremist left-wing liberals who are seeking to head this off by running for office to prevent a continued tsunami of ordinary people from winning ‘their’ seats.
What concerns me is not that they are running; surely it’s their right. The concern is that they will successfully hide behind the ‘non-partisan’ label and keep our city councils and school boards under their totalitarian grip, or regain the boards they lost.
As I said, people like this get elected because voters are not making informed decisions. Sure, the candidates seem nice enough, until they get elected. Then, they bite!
My goal here is not to tell you who to vote for but to help you make an informed decision.
You see, a conservative is proud because conservative ideas are common-sense ideas. Liberals, on the other hand, hide what they believe because they know that most people would disagree with them if they were honest.
The backlash against leftist ideology in recent months is living proof of this.
Over the next several days, you will get that knock on the door. And when the ‘nice’ person on the other side tells you that they are running for office and would like your vote, ask them about their party or ideology. Trust me on this.
A conservative will usually tell you proudly: They are conservative; of course this depends on where you live. In some places, Conservatives are fearful of the fierce cancel culture out there. On the flip side, a liberal will ALWAYS divert the conversation and tell you that they are ‘non-partisan,’ and it’s a ‘non-partisan’ race.
So, when you hear the word ‘non-partisan,’ they are likely that extremist wolf in sheep’s clothing and, as we have seen, their bite will hurt us all.
The plot thickens. After a mere four days on the ‘job’ (illegitimately), Secretary of State appointee, Sarah Godlewski was in Green Bay being very public while stumping for Ultra-Liberal extremist Mayor Eric Genrich. Of course, since Democrats have no original ideas, Godlewski’s focus was abortion. For a Mayor’s race. But, that’s a different subject.
As I reported recently, Gov. Tony Evers apparently fulfilled a pre-planned ‘Quid Pro Quo’ obligation and appointed Godlewski to fill the seat just vacated by recently re-elected Secretary of State, Doug La Follette. It’s becoming beyond evident that this was the going price for Godlweski to step out of the Senate race last Fall. Once again, she was the last to drop out.
The Democrats are not idiots and are always plotting their next move while the Republicans are busy trying to figure out what they did last time.
The first thing that needed to happen was to clear the field for Mandela Barnes. Knowing that Godewski badly wants to run for office, getting the Secretary of State job was key for any future aspirations, as it gives her strength by giving her the ‘bully pulpit’ of being an incumbent.
No surprises there. But the sudden, very public, appearance in a hotly contested race like Green Bay Mayor makes me wonder, what is she running for already? Certainly, it cannot be for Governor in 2026 or US Senate in 2028. As Rebecca Kleefisch recently showed, campaigning for several years does not give an advantage.
This could mean only one thing. TAMMY BALDWIN IS NOT RUNNING AGAIN FOR US SENATE, AND DEMOCRAT LEADERS KNOW IT! She is up for re-election in 2024, in just 20 months. Or, there’s also the possibility that there may be something for her in the Biden Administration. Everyone knows Kamala Harris is on ‘thin ice’ with Democratic leadership.
Sure this is all speculation, but the pieces fit eerily close together. From what I’ve heard about Godlewski, the Secretary of State role is ‘beneath her.’ This makes even more sense that this is likely the final piece of the Quid Pro Quo engineered by Gov Evers to allow Godlewski to hit the ground running for something bigger.
She is the ONLY Democrat uniquely positioned to ramp up quickly. There is absolutely nothing else that would warrant such a public appearance this early in the game.
Oh Governor Evers, say it isn’t so, it looks like you’ve just been caught in a quid pro quo.
Here we are in the middle of a must-win Supreme Court election and now a short 90 days after being RE-elected for yet another four-year term, Wisconsin Secretary of State, Doug La Follette has just resigned.
The timing is suspect for sure because La Follette doesn’t appear to be sick or unable to fulfill the duties of his office. So was this part of a backroom deal to get Godlewski to dropout out of the US Senate race last summer and pave the way for Evers Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes to get the nomination? Remember, Godlewski was the last Democrat to drop out and waited several days after Thomas Nelson and Alex Lasry dropped out.
This suspicion has nothing to do with using the incumbent strength of the La Follette name occupying the Secretary of State office for decades. That is actually normal. What is suspect, is Evers appointing former State Treasurer and Senate Candidate, Sarah Godlewski with nearly all of 4-year term remaining.
State law says the Governor has the authority to call a special election in circumstances like this, or he could appoint a replacement. The right thing to do with so much time remaining on LaFollette’s term is call a special election. Let the voters decide who they want to fill that seat for the next 4 years. Governor Tony Evers has instead, immediately bypassed the voters and has appointed Sarah Godlewski.
This was clearly a QUID PRO QUO by fulfilling an agreement to get Godlewski to drop out of the US Senate race. This didn’t just happen. LaFollette didn’t get sick or become unable to perform his duties in such a short period of time. This was a cooked deal last fall and Republican were wise to call Evers on it. The GOP majorities have proffered a Joint Resolution calling on the Governor to call for a special election to fill this seat. Granted, the office doesn’t have many duties, but it is a statewide platform – and that is exactly how Sarah Godlewski intends to use it as she prepares to run for US Senate again in 2028.
I know the focus of the grassroots should be on the Supreme Court race for the next two weeks, rightfully so, but every Republican should be repeating what Senator Devin LeMahieu said on Friday regarding the Secretary of State vacancy that Governor Evers filled with Sarah Godlewski: This seat should be filled by a special election. The Governor has the authority under Wis. Stat. 8.50(4)(c) to call a special election to fill this seat.
Also, Wisconsin GOP Chairman, Brian Schimming, should immediately get lawyers ready. This breach of protocol by Governor Evers MUST NOT STAND.
I know Secretary of State is basically a symbolic position in Wisconsin, but it is one that is elected by the people, not an Evers Cabinet position. This also brings to bigger light the fact that Dan Knodle must win in order to keep the Senate Super Majority.
Since this will likely come before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, I cannot express yet another reason to bust our behinds to get Dan Kelly elected. Call your Senators and State Representatives and make your voices heard.
Here is the full text of 2023 Senate Joint Resolution 21:
March 20, 2023 – Introduced by Senators LeMahieu and Kapenga, cosponsored by Representatives August and Vos. Referred to Committee on Senate Organization.
1Relating to: calling on the governor to call a special election to fill a vacancy in the 2Office of Secretary of State.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This joint resolution calls on the governor to call a special election to fill a vacancy in the Office of Secretary of State.
3Whereas, Secretary of State Douglas J. La Follette resigned the Office of 4Secretary of State on March 17, 2023, thereby creating a vacancy; and
5Whereas, the Office of Secretary of State is responsible for recording official acts 6of the executive branch, affixing the state’s great seal to official documents, having 7custody of books and records of state government, maintaining and compiling 8enrolled laws and resolutions, and preserving and keeping deeds, conveyances, 9abstracts of title, and options and leases of land belonging to this state; and
10Whereas, the voters of Wisconsin expect, deserve, and are entitled to select 11their state constitutional officers, including the secretary of state; now, therefore, be 12it
1Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the Wisconsin 2State Legislature calls on Governor Tony Evers to exercise his powers under section 38.50 (4) (c) of the Wisconsin Statutes and call an immediate special election to fill the 4vacancy in the Office of Secretary of State.
Even with the changing political landscape throughout Wisconsin, Waukesha County has remained the largest concentration of Conservative votes that essentially offset the Liberal haven of Dane County. This has continued, in large part, due to the competent leadership of Waukesha County GOP Chairman, Terry Dittrich and the rest of his leadership team.
Under Dittrich’s leadership, using successful ‘outside-the-box’ tactics like the WisRed Initiative, Waukesha County Conservatives have thrived and have been able to win 252 out of 272 Municipal races. On top of that, Waukesha County state legislative representatives are now ALL Republican. THIS WORK NEEDS TO BE REPLICATED STATEWIDE.
Waukesha County is incredibly important to our Legislative majorities and to winning statewide elections. In a climate where Republicans and Conservatives have lost 19 statewide races lately, Waukesha County has still been our biggest ‘silver lining.’
Sadly, some people teamed up and decided to challenge Terry Dittrich. Certainly, it was their prerogative to challenge and I fully support the rights of ANYONE to challenge Republican leadership at any level, at any time.
As you may already know, I am no stranger to taking on Republican Party leadership when necessary. I fully supported efforts to change leadership in Dane and Milwaukee Counties because of pathetic track records. Those much-needed challenges were welcome.
After a ‘procedural’ delay, because WISGOP was behind schedule on approving the new Waukesha County GOP Constitution, the 2023 Caucus was finally held. This was the moment where members would choose to continue and grow the unswerving Republican success of Waukesha County or to effectively derail most of the successful gains of the past few years.
Throughout the night, emotions were high and there were some heated exchanges. Unfortunately, there were also some over-the-top comments from people, on both sides. I really felt for Rep. Scott Allen, who did an awesome job of ‘herding cats’ and eventually, the arguments stopped and voting proceeded.
Thankfully, the members at Caucus voted in favor of continued success and Terry Dittrich DECISEVELY won re-election with an astonishing 190-41 vote count. I’d say the members spoke LOUDLY.
Terry Dittrich had not only displayed incredible leadership but when faced with a challenger, he conducted himself ethically and with humility. At no point did he act like he was beyond contestation. Nobody was publically chastised for challenging his leadership, nobody had their memberships canceled, and they were ALL allowed to participate at Caucus.
Just look at how other party leaders behaved when they were faced with challenges. Leaders in Dane, Milwaukee, and Racine Counties acted like spoiled, entitled ‘aristocrats’ when challenged.
In his speech, Dittrich talked about the successful track record and also praised the efforts of many others, including praising some Young Republicans who were openly against him. That showed class.
Even though many of the ‘Young Republicans are indeed hard workers, I must call out the contingent of Young Republicans who did something truely classless at caucus.
Most of them refused to stand during an ovation for Judge Jennifer Dorow when she was praised for her positive campaign and for IMMEDIATELY ENDORSING and supporting Dan Kelly. It’s sad that they acted like spoiled, entitled children even when their chosen candidate won. But that’s a whole other topic.
Perhaps they should learn from Dan Kelly’s example, he went to Jennifer Dorow and cordially shook her hand and said hello. It was a refreshing exchange after a hard fought Primary and I am glad it happened. It’s what adults do. He gets it, why don’t they?
In the end, we must acknowledge there are a few people who clearly have some concerns and I hope that Terry Dittrich extends the opportunity to listen and find a way to work together so we can focus on the cause of winning elections. Knowing Terry Dittrich, I have no doubt he will.
This is not about ‘spiking the ball’ or bragging, it’s about staying on this successful trajectory. In the end, WINNING is all that matters, fragile ego’s do not. There is simply too much at stake and we need EVERYONE involved. It’s ALL HANDS ON DECK!
Congratulations to Terry Dittrich, Chris Slinker, and the rest of the leadership team for working hard to win, I have no doubt the hard work will continue.
Now with the virtual certainty that Waukesha County will continue to be that Conservative stronghold that the state depends on, we can shift focus on the new leadership teams in Milwaukee and Dane Counties and help them to quickly get on track after years of stagnation.
We cannot stop, the fight goes on, and the Waukesha County Republican is still ‘LEADING THE WAY.’
Here we go again. Liberals are staying true to form and desperately trying to make the Supreme Court race about Abortion. Of course, this is because they have NOTHING else to offer and, as we saw in November, this approach worked for them across the country.
Yes, it’s no mystery that I was a vociferous supporter of Judge Jennifer Dorrow in the Primary. Still, I had said from the beginning, that if Kelly advanced to the general election, I had zero issues supporting him because of his SOLID record on SCOWI. Dan Kelly won, and just like Jennifer Dorow said on election night, I am fully supporting Dan Kelly’s return to the Supreme Court.
I had my concerns that while Dan Kelly is a solid Justice, he struggles on the political battlefield. He’s not a politician, which is actually an endearing quality. Unfortunately, this is a political race, hopefully, this primary win gave Kelly momentum going into the General. Unlike in past Primaries, as far as I can see, I don’t know of a single one of Dorow’s nearly 200k voters who is not supporting Dan Kelly.
Of course, this is in large part to Jennifer Dorow’s eloquent and classy concession speech on election night:
‘First off, I want to thank all those who supported me in this campaign. I will be forever grateful and humbled by the faith you placed in me. With the primary now over, I want to reiterate what I said both last night and throughout the campaign. Those of us who believe in a fair and impartial judiciary must unite behind Daniel Kelly. The very role of a judge is on the ballot on April 4th. Like Dan, I believe that anyone who comes into a courtroom deserves a judge that is fair and impartial – who has not made up his or her mind before the case even begins. But, Judge Janet Protasiewicz has already told us that she will put her thumb on the scales of justice. We can’t let her succeed. I ask all those who volunteered, contributed and voted for me to now get behind Daniel Kelly. I look forward to helping him win on April 4th.‘
Judge Jennifer Dorow displayed total class in that statement, and her supporters have followed. I know I have. Read every word of it, because it’s ALL true. I firmly believe Conservatives are united, but that is not enough. The Liberals have millions of dollars and are fighting hard for the middle, we must also.
The ‘perfect Conservative’ rhetoric may play well in the Conservative Echo Chamber, but will not win the middle. Credentials only go so far and people need to see more of Dan Kelly’s personal side.
Unsurprisingly, the Left IMMEDIATELY turned to their ‘tried-and-true’ method of campaigning. Every Protasiewicz ad on TV or on the radio has been desperately trying to paint the blatantly FALSE narrative that Dan Kelly is somehow anti-woman because of blah blah blah abortion rhetoric blah. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
First of all, let’s state the obvious. Dan Kelly has FOUR daughters, a daughter-in-law, and a wife. There is absolutely no logical path where one could even begin to think he was anti-woman, just simply based on that. What’s more, having daughters myself, I would never support an anti-woman candidate.
But, you bet the Left will try, because once again, they have no original ideas whatsoever.
Indulge me for a moment while I take you on a personal journey, not with Dan Kelly the Supreme Court Justice, but with Dan Kelly the man. I bet that just triggered some social justice warriors, sorry, not sorry.
Back in 2019, one of my daughters was entering her senior year in high school and was planning on going to George Washington University in DC. Incidentally, I know I am not a biologist, but the Doctor did tell us we had a daughter. The audacity! Apparently, having inherited the ‘political bug’ from yours truly, she wanted to know if I would be willing to connect her with some leaders I know.
I reached out to Justice Kelly and asked if he would be willing to sit down with my daughter and have a conversation with her. Without hesitation, he was more than willing. A few days later, my daughter and I met Dan at a Starbucks off I94. Dan, being a busy guy with a big family and a sitting Supreme Court Justice at the time, I figured we would likely meet for a half hour or so and then head out.
What I thought would be a short meeting ended up being over three hours! Keep in mind, I was merely a ‘fly on the wall.’ I know, it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Sitting and watching the conversation unfold between them was very fluid like they had known each other for years.
I know the scuttlebutt out there is that ‘Dan Kelly really likes to talk.’ Well, I can tell you that he listened and was genuinely interested in her questions and what she had to say. The way Dan treated her was very respectful and showed he valued her opinion. Hardly the behavior of someone who is ‘anti-woman.’
In fact, my daughter enjoyed the interaction so much, that she voted for Dan Kelly in the 2020 Spring election. Like most young people my daughter tends to lean to the left on many things, but this made Dan the exception for her.
Face it, Dan Kelly is a Constitutional Law ‘nerd’ who loves to talk about all things Constitution. While important for the base, people also need to see the human side, the citizen, and the family man. I’m writing this to peel back the judicial robes and the ‘Conservative qualification’ rhetoric to show a personal side of Dan Kelly that I witnessed first-hand.
Does any of this really matter in a Supreme Court election? YES, all of it matters. This shows the personal character that he takes the job seriously, and also takes his ‘I work for you’ mantra seriously as well. He did not owe me or my daughter a thing to invest three hours of his time, yet he did.
I challenge any Liberal elitist like Janet Protasiewicz to say they would have done the same. The fact is, they cannot. These elitist Liberals like to think they are above us ‘serfs’ and we must kiss their feet. Sadly, this also goes for many Conservatives as well. Dan Kelly is a rare breed.
If you are on the fence or in the center and you are reading this, rest assured, Dan Kelly treats the Constitutions of the US and of Wisconsin with the same respect and dignity he treats his daughters and mine as well.
Like our daughters, our Constitution needs to be respected and protected. Dan Kelly has already proven that he would do this. Janet Protasiewicz has proven she would not, and she’s never been on the high court. That alone should give one pause.
Dan Kelly has also treated important issues that have come before the Supreme Court with balance and respect, he will continue to do so. All based on the merits of the actual case. Janet Protosiewicz has already ruled before even getting the cases. Another reason for pause.
Dan Kelly is our Conservative horse in the race, but we must also know the reality. Conservatives are being massively outspent by Millions of Eric Holder and California dollars, we MUST DO BETTER! They are desperate to make this race about Abortion, an important issue, but there is so much more. If this fundraising gap continues, THE LEFT WILL CONTINUE TO CONTROL THE NARRATIVE.
We need to do this in spite of the ground game problems and in spite of the nefarious actions the Left will take to stack the election in their favor. WE MUST SHOW UP IN SUCH NUMBERS THAT WE OVERWHELM THEM!
Remember, Supreme Court candidates CANNOT ask for money, so I am asking. Make sure to donate to his campaign. If every voter who voted for Ron Johnson donated just $10, that would equate to Millions of dollars to combat the lies.
Dig into your pockets and then dig in for the battle that is already upon us. Let’s do this for all of our daughters…and sons. Finally, let’s do it for our Constitution and everything we have worked so hard for. It’s on our hands.
A parent has sent me recently released footage showing Wauwatosa West Principal Corey Golla getting punched.
Now we know why he’s Suddenly Disgusted and Appalled. Too bad it took him getting punched in order for him to wake up enough to ‘use his words.’
This was ASSULT, pure and simple, but only ‘citations’ were issued? I certainly do not condone him getting punched, but he has to realize that consistent inaction is leading to this escalation, and the violence shows no signs of stopping.
Maybe more ‘tough talk’ will help?
This is more proof that the ‘No Suspension/No Expulsion’ rules from the WOKE school board over the past few years have led to this mess. How soon before something worse happens?
Incidentally, School Board President ‘Dr’ Eric Jessup-Anger, Ph.D. is still useless, as his silence is deafening. Maybe he’ll get Golla a Social Worker to help, or even help Golla with his pronouns. I certainly hope Wauwatosa gets motivated to prevent more WOKE Social Justice Warriors to be elected to the board. Wauwatosa Schools are falling apart. Choose wisely Wauwatosa.
Well, here we are, a little over a week past the Spring Primary, and Republicans are unified in a common cause. Right?
Apparently, not everyone is. At a time when we need all hands on deck to Elect Dan Kelly to the Supreme court, the Racine GOP is ‘unifying’ by systematically rejecting any members who dare question the infinite wisdom of Robin Vos. He and his devout followers are desperate to cling to power because they are entitled, and how dare anyone challenge them?
Robin should change his name to Greta since, HOW DARE YOU!
Because I am pretty involved in the Wisconsin political sphere, I get to be part of some very interesting email chains. Yesterday morning, I saw an email that literally made my jaw drop at the utter hypocrisy. More on that later.
Recently, I have been writing several Columns critical of the now-former leadership in Dane County and Milwaukee County. On the other hand, I have been vociferously supporting Waukesha County Republicans.
I hadn’t been paying much attention to Robin Vos’ home turf of Racine County…Until now. Ever since Adam Steen had the audacity to challenge His Royal Majesty, Robin Vos the Racine GOP has been a little chaotic. Of course, I am kidding about the ‘royal’ title, well, at least a little. You see, Robin Vos sees himself as royalty who is beyond contestation.
While I was supportive of the idea of the primary, I did not support the write-in campaign. That being said, Adam Steen had EVERY RIGHT to run and Republicans had every right to support him. Unfortunately, acting like a royal spoiled child, Vos did not share that view.
In order to keep control of his personal fiefdom in the Racine County GOP, Vos is desperately trying to keep his people in place and it looks like he is willing to do anything to hang on to power. After he barely squeaked to re-election, he cast aside any ounce of humility and made sure to set the wheels in motion to ‘purge’ the Racine GOP of any dissent.
That’s right, eliminate any opposition in order to have TOTAL CONTROL and have everyone in Racine County GOP thinking alike. Keep in mind, these are changing all the rules and fighting to keep volunteer positions. It’s ironic that the Racine GOP Website has ‘GET INVOLVED’ when they really mean ‘UNLESS YOU SUPPORTED ADAM STEEN.
A few weeks ago, I received word that Racine GOP had removed the online Join button from the website to make it harder for new people to join. That was just the beginning. Yesterday, I received an anonymous email with information showing how the Racine GOP is systematically rejecting membership of people the leadership deems ‘unfavorable.’
in other words, if you dared support Adam Steen or maybe even President Trump, you must be cast out. This is nothing new since he has been doing everything to cast out Janelle Brandtjen, including teaming up with Liz Cheney and Adam Kintzinger to defeat her in her Senate primary. But, I digress.
The Republican Party consists of many factions and levels of Conservatism, we simply cannot win without everyone unified, there’s even a place for Pelosiesque leaders like Robin Vos.
Since when did the Republican Party become devoid of independent thought? Who does Robin Vos think he is dictating who is ‘worthy’ of being allowed the honor to be involved in the Racine County GOP? His entitlement knows no bounds, and even his wife, the board treasurer’ is in on the action. Funny how that works.
Now back to the email I eluded to above. I was in an email thread where Michelle Litjens Vos chimed in literally complaining that HOT people are daring to ‘tale over’ their little cabal. Then she had the audacity to say, ‘Hard to have a unified campaign when your own so called voters to continue to drag you down.’
See it for yourself:
That’s rich coming from Mrs. Vos who is part of the ‘power couple’ doing everything to dis-unify by demonizing and casting aside their own membership. They are literally canceling members who dare have a contrary opinion. IN OTHER WORDS, ACTING JUST LIKE DEMOCRATS!
For someone who is supposed to protect and defend the Constitution, Robin Vos sure seems to be ripping it to shreds when it comes to the Racine County GOP. This is the people’s party, not Robin Vos’ personal Royal Court.
Nobody is entitled to their position, even if it’s a volunteer position. What’s more, anybody has the right to challenge leadership, and if said leader is worth their salt, they will remain. It’s not a dictatorship.
The Caucus is this Saturday, I should go ahead and congratulate the Vos Royal Court on their victory since they seem to have already set it up. Once again, just like Democrats set up elections.
With Republicans like Robin Vos, who needs Democrats? The fact of the matter is, HOT and other groups like them are here to stay and we are ON THE SAME SIDE. What is it about those groups that Robin Vos doesn’t like? Voter integrity? Liberty? What’s more, Robin is going to have to get over the fact that not everyone is going to like him and is entitled to their own opinion.
Below are images of actual rejection letters and a summary of what’s been happening that I received from an anonymous source.
The Systematic Membership Rejection Practices of the Racine County GOP
According to the Republican Party of Racine’s website, “We support traditional American values and advocate for conservative leadership in our elected officials. We encourage our diverse body of members to form a conservative coalition that ensures our representatives advocate for “We The People.” The Republican Party of Racine supports equal rights, justice, and opportunity for ALL people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or sex.” No words have ever been further from the truth. In an effort to eliminate America First Conservative Republican voices from joining the Racine County Republican Party (Racine GOP), the following tactics have been implemented by their board over the previous months.
The Racine GOP website membership sign-up/payment portal was removed in mid-January of this year. According to Racine GOP Chairman, Andrew Docksey, the issue was related to “trouble” with their website’s Bloomerang payment portal. Of note is that the very same Bloomerang payment processing feature was fully functioning on their website’s “donate to the party” link. In addition, no alternative means of membership sign-up (such as a PDF) was posted to their website nor was it published on any of their social media platforms. Interestingly enough, the week following the membership form/payment submission deadline to vote in this year’s Racine GOP County Caucus, the membership sign-up/payment portal reappeared in working order. How were existing members to renew membership? The board mailed a membership form to selected individuals on their existing membership list. How were new members to sign-up? Per the Racine GOP website, they were instructed to contact them via email or phone. According to numerous individuals, they received no response to their new membership/membership renewal inquiry.
An unfortunate choice of words added to the Bylaws pertaining to membership eligibility. For those that may be unaware, each Wisconsin county GOP organization must operate by basic rules of functioning; these rules are in the form of a Constitution (outline of the organization’s fundamental principals) and Bylaws (specific procedures for operating). According to the Racine GOP Constitution, proposed changes to the Bylaws may be altered and are immediately effective upon the Bylaw passing by a majority vote of the board. ○ In November of 2021, the following criteria for membership was added to the Bylaw pertaining to the duties and responsibilities of the board’s Membership Committee:
The subjective and ambiguous nature of the language used in the aforementioned Bylaw allows the Membership Committee carte blanche authority to decide what sort of behavior they surmise as “probability of illegal activity” or “highly unethical behavior” or “activity resulting in a conflict of interest.”
Unscrupulous reasoning provided for the rejection of new membership/membership renewal applications. It’s important to mention that the Racine GOP Constitution calls for the establishment of a Credentials Committee; in essence, this committee determines if county GOP members are in “good standing” and thus eligible to vote at the annual county caucus. The board’s Treasurer is to be appointed to this committee; in Racine’s case, the Treasurer position is held by Michelle Vos, wife of 63rd Assembly District Representative and Speaker of the House, Robin Vos. Mrs. Vos is also on the Membership Committee (discussed above). Why is this important? ■ To date, 18 people have stepped forward in frustration upon receiving a new membership/membership renewal rejection letter from the Racine GOP. ■ Of the 18, 11 people were first time member applicants. ■ Of the 18, 7 people were denied membership renewal. The majority of the 18 individuals denied new membership/membership renewal received a rejection letter highlighting the portion of the Constitution listing the reason/s for membership rejection or termination. Along with the rejection letter, their completed membership application form was returned with a handwritten note stating, “Contribution Steen” alongside the date of contribution (rejection letter and returned membership form examples are attached). The majority of the 18 individuals denied new membership/membership renewal were said to be in violation of the following: “Member is no longer considered ‘in good standing’….. if member affiliates with, supports, or declares a preference for a candidate of another party or candidate who is opposed to a candidate nominated or supported by this party.” There are several fundamental concerns with their above cited reasoning:
Adam Steen nearly won the primary election in August 2022 against career politician, Robin Vos. The message from the Racine GOP couldn’t be more clear— The application of such criteria eliminates nearly half of the conservative Republicans residing in the 63rd district who “dared” to engage in thinking and/or behavior (campaign contributions) not consistent with the party’s values. As a result, they do not belong.
How do membership standards outlined within the Racine GOP Constitution (and to some extent, the Bylaws) apply to someone who’s never been a party member? Interpretation: How dare he/she break rules they were unaware of in an organization they were not yet a member of!
The Racine GOP has been notoriously secretive about disclosing their Constitution and Bylaws. Neither document is available on their website, on social media, but perhaps most concerning is that it’s not part of standard correspondence to members (new and existing) to notify them of such organizational rules— failure to provide members these documents prevents them from understanding the structure and internal operations of their own party. How do they break rules when they are unaware such rules exist? Again, the point must be emphasized that Michelle Vos is involved in membership decisions. This is a clear conflict of interest that should be addressed. 2 In Conclusion: There are many other conduct issues counter to the proclaimed mission and vision of the Racine GOP, however the purpose of this exposé is to reveal the hurdles set forth by the Racine GOP to deter America First Conservative Republicans from becoming a part of their local Republican party. By the actions outlined above, the Racine GOP has chosen to throttle free-thinking conservatives who do not agree with the egregious decisions made by their board. What the Racine GOP fails to realize is that their actions have damaged the credibility of the Republican Party as a whole. Their behaviors have alienated grassroots conservatives, donors (current and potential), and those that disagree with the actions of the Racine GOP— in reality, the board’s juvenile conduct serves only to benefit the Democrats. The circumstances in Racine are alarming and unsettling. Ephesians 5:11 tells us, “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.” We don’t know what will occur at the upcoming March 4th Racine GOP County Caucus, but we are duty-bound by God to continue fighting both for our rights and for what is right. We strive to return Christian defined morals as well as the original intent of our U.S. Constitution to the Racine County Republican Party and reject the moral and constitutional relativism currently infecting our party’s leadership. Written by a Racine County group of free-thinking America First Conservative Republicans
After months of near-daily mayhem and brawls at Wauwatosa West High School with near-zero action from School leadership, there may be a shift. Well, probably not. Principal, Corey Golla has done nothing to address the increasing violence at Tosa West at all, so why start now?
On Tuesday, there was a SECURE situation where an adult entered Tosa West and attempted to ‘physically confront’ a student. This led to police being called and eventually citations being issued. That’s right, a student gets assaulted by an adult and gets a ‘citation.’
No surprise there, this is par for the course for Tosa Schools’ unspoken ‘zero-Tolerance’ for any real punishment. Of all the schools in the Wauwatosa Schools family, Tosa West is the worst offender, and we see the results in how violent things have become there.
What’s more, an announcement was erroneously made over the PA system that the school was in lockdown. The school was NEVER in lockdown. Just one more sign of incompetent leadership by Corey Golla. Staying true to form, Golla issued a statement with lots of ‘tough talk’ but no action.
As an alum myself, it makes me sad to see Tosa West Falling apart with no end in sight. I understand that luckily, nobody was hurt, this time. But what is in place to assure nothing worse happens? The fact the adult made it so far during the school day is a little unnerving to the parent who sent me this information.
In his statement, Golla said, ‘I am absolutely disgusted with the behavior exhibited today. It is appalling for adults to model this type of behavior for our students, and it is unacceptable that this behavior continues in our school buildings. Let me be clear: fighting of any kind is not allowed at Wauwatosa West. Further, bullying, harassment, and disrespectful behavior is prohibited. Rest assured, if you violate our school rules, you will be disciplined severely.‘
Using forceful adjectives is NOT leadership and NOT a deterrent. Saying ‘fighting of any kind is not allowed at Wauwatosa West‘ is about as useful as ‘Gun Free Zone’ signs are. This is NOTHING BUT SYMBOLISM OVER SUBSTANCE.
The fact is, kids, and now adults know NOTHING will happen to them, so things are escalating and Golla’s lack of leadership is empowering them. You see, the only time Golla actually acts on anything is if it is for some sort of WOKE virtue signaling. Just ask Menomonee Falls how hard he worked to get rid of the Indian Mascot before running away to Wauwatosa.
I guess it’s just a matter of time before he ‘works hard’ to get rid of the Trojan mascot at Tosa West because it represents the patriarchy or misogyny. An exaggeration to be sure, but not far from reality. It’s long past time for Golla to resign because Tosa West Kids are not safe under his leadership, or lack therof.
Here is his well-crafted ‘tough talk’ for you to read. Judge for yourself if actions are consistent with the fiery rhetoric.
It may be cold in Wisconsin these days, but things are clearly warming up in Dane county because they are fired up. In a seismic change of leadership, the Republican Party of Dane county (RPDC) is now set to move on a different trajectory.
A few weeks ago I wrote a column about Brandon Maly and his challenge to long time RPDC Chairman, Scott Grabins. In his original announcement, Maly had a simple message, ‘As chairman of the RPDC my goal will be to make the the reason we win elections not the reason we lose them.’
Well the message resonated, and at the Dane County Caucus, a shockwave was felt throughout the room and history was made. Brandon Maly, and all of Team Brandon were able to prevail over their opponent.
This was historic, not because they won, but because Team Brandon absolutely worked their tails off and energized their base to take action with unprecedented numbers. This caucus had the largest turnout in RPDC history, and the very well organized Team Brandon was able to empower HUNDREDS of new members to come take take over control of RPDC.
To give you an idea of how decisive this really was, here are the numbers for Chair and Vice-chair:
I am not w writing this to gloat, but to point out that people really wanted to change the RPDC trajectory, but nobody listened to them…until now. I hope leaders throughout the party learn from this, LISTEN TO YOUR PEOPLE!
Several members were amazed with how the energy in the room was absolutely contagious, and that Vice-Chair candidate, Chrissi Illgen had the best speech of the day that ‘absolutely lit the room on fire.’
I reached out and asked her for a copy because I was going to throw in a few quotes from the speech, but the speech was just so good, that I am sharing the whole thing below. Read it, it’s nothing short of amazing and we could all learn something from it. Trust me, read it!
In the end, it’s great to see such an energized RPDC. In a county like Dane, this was nothing short of miraculous. Dare I say it? LET’S GO BRANDON!
Simply put, we WILL NOT win statewide elections with numbers that low. I am not delusional enough to think that will change overnight, or even in the few short weeks before Spring Election Day. It will take time, but first, we need to stop the bleeding before we can begin to heal the wound.
Even if they can affect a gain of a couple of percentage points in April, this could translate into thousands of votes in favor of Dan Kelly.
I recognize these are all volunteer positions and the outgoing leadership team has dedicated plenty of their time and talents over the years. Thank you for that. I hope it continues, because the fight for Liberty never ends. Supreme Court Candidate Jennifer Dorow showed us all what it means to concede with class, grace and a uniting message.
I am cautiously optimistic though. Team Brandon worked tirelessly to affect a seismic change in direction in Dane. If they manage elections like they managed the RPDC takeover, we should be in great shape moving forward. This is no longer Team Brandon, it is now Team Dane! Heck, let’s be real, it’s TEAM WISCONSIN!
They have shown us all the time, dedications and work it takes to win. We can do this! Transparency, engagement and fundraising will be paramount in this endeavor.
I expect the hundreds of new members who showed up to vote at Caucus will continue to work hard and support the efforts of winning again! I know for sure, people around the state stand ready to assist in any way we can.
LET”S GO Br…um…TEAM WISCONSIN!
CHRISSI IllGEN’S SPEECH
I spoke with Eric Toney at a Pints and Politics once and I asked him how he became so comfortable speaking in public because he does it so well. He said that it takes practice but just start with the truth. So here goes.
I am the daughter of Polish immigrants – my mother came to the US as a refugee and my father came to the US alone with an empty suitcase and a 5 dollar bill. My dad worked 2-3 jobs to care for the family, attend school, and eventually become a designer of particle accelerators for national labs here in the states and overseas. That is what my dad achieved with a 5 dollar bill and the American Dream.
I attended the University of Notre Dame where I studied electrical engineering because it was the hardest major I could find. After my MS at Notre Dame, I had the unique opportunity to do work designing automation to optimize sequencing throughput for the Human Genome Project at MIT. The tech boom was just beginning and the job opportunities were various and lucrative so I took a job at a small tech startup in Cambridge, MA, where I wrote proposals for funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and honed my skills as a software engineer coding prototypes for aircraft control systems and battlefield situational awareness. I was recruited by yet another tech firm and wrote more code and designed the entire training curriculum for what would arguably become the best supply chain software available in the world at the time.
It took me all that time to figure out that I probably should have been a veterinarian but whatever.
My husband and I moved to Madison in 2000 with our 1 year old in tow. A year later we had son # 2, in order, not in preference. Somehow between then and now, I cultivated some unique hobbies to satisfy my craving for accomplishment. I am best in support mode. If I am given someone’s vision or set of blueprints, I become 100% committed to execute and complete. About 5 years ago, I literally knocked on the door of a UW Professor, whose work I followed closely, and told him I would like to help him with his research… for free. For over a year I did bench work in his lab at the UW Microbial Sciences Center. And it was great.
I’ve done a lot of volunteering. A lot. I won’t bore you with more details but I will tell you how I have operated in the background as a Conservative activist.
My first positive experience as a Republican in Dane County was meeting the late Nancy Bartlett in 2009. I helped her with some silent auction fundraisers and through her I met Ron Johnson. In 2010 I held a fundraiser at my home for Chad Lee in his first run for Congress. It was very well attended and I know some of you were there – thank you for your support.
A little over 2 years ago, in partnership with Nancy and the Republican Women’s group, I helped with two “Back the Blue” caravans to provide a needed morale boost. I know many of you participated – again, thank you for your support.
More recently, I organized a medical freedom event downtown featuring Ron Johnson, Drs. Pierre Kory and Paul Marik. This was a very well attended event – by both Republicans and Democrats – a sign that there is some common ground in Dane County.
I helped organize the “Moving WI to the Right: Candidate Forum” which was designed for voters to meet with GOP candidates for FEDERAL and STATEWIDE offices and discuss key issues impacting WISCONSIN.
I was an integral part in recruiting table sponsors for the successful Lincoln Reagan Day Dinner this past August.
The Modern Curriculum and the Future of Education was an informative session I helped organize which alerted parents to the theories of race and gender metastasizing to primary, intermediate, and secondary education.
I helped plan and organize the first RPDC/Turning Point Action candidate and activist training event in Madison. Turning Point Action helped by connecting us with nationally known experts in the fields of fundraising, donor relations, and campaign management. Turning Point Action is an incredible organization. Their forte is outreach to young Conservatives. Being that GenZ is the fastest growing voter block, we need organizations like Turning Point Action to help us save kids from the left.
Lastly, I currently serve as Co-Chair of the Public Policy Committee for RPDC.
I am asking for your vote. It is no secret that I whole-heartedly support Brandon so I ask you to vote for him as well. There is really only one path to achieving 30% total Republican votes in Dane County. I believe our platform provides the blueprint. It for sure isn’t the path we are on now. Our Supreme Court candidates received a combined total of 17.4% in the primary. This is an abysmal new low for Dane county. Let me repeat that. This is an abysmal new low for Dane County.
Everyday I have a small goal – I challenge myself to do something uncomfortable. Let me tell you, this is it for me today. Do something everyday that makes you uncomfortable. If you are wondering what that little something is for you, I will give you a hint: you are a Republican in Dane County. Hang an American flag. Put up a Dan Kelly yard sign. Talk to a left-leaning friend about how disgusted you are about drag shows for toddlers. You have myriad opportunities to do something uncomfortable. If we continue to grow the RPDC membership and we all commit to being uncomfortable yet unabashedly Conservative everyday, we can begin to loosen the stranglehold liberal ideology has on Dane County. It doesn’t get more grassroots than this.
If discussing gender-affirming surgery is a little too uncomfortable for you, let me tell you what real discomfort looks like. Try being a black male Republican assembly candidate knocking doors, solo, in a neighborhood of white liberals. Mark Pocan, Tammy Baldwin, and the well-traveled Pete Buttegieg come to campaign for your opponent. Your opponent is using money funneled in from out of state to campaign against you. You lack resources to campaign effectively. You may have a couple of volunteers and a few bucks for supplies but you still cannot compete. You need mentorship, strategy, and funding. You need better guidance on using technology and the best voter intel available.
The brutal truth is that we need many donors. My opponent launched an attack on one of Wisconsin’s largest Republican donors. As a sitting member of the RPDC Executive Committee, I would like to formally apologize to that donor. Brandon and I would love to invite you back to repair our relationship and gain back many other donors. We realize that you have had little to no return on your investments. But that’s about to change.
Imagine being one of a handful of college students who are the face of Conservatism on the UW Campus. Talk about discomfort! These kids are fighting a machine. Alone. You may assume their only opposition is groups like Antifa and the College Democratic Socialists. But the 2020 UW Voter Friendly Campus Report outlines the liberal apparatus that has seized the student body on campus. There are professional staff, paid interns, The Andrew Goodman Foundations, League of Women Voters, UW Madison School of Education. Stakeholders such as the office of student affairs, academic departments, the social justice hub, the City of Madison, the City Clerk’s office, and the infamous Zuckerbucks. AND taxpayer funding!
After almost a year on the board, I still hadn’t seen any college republican representation at our meetings. So I decided to reach out. What I found was a group of young patriots with their hands tied by unmet basic needs. They wanted stickers, pizza for outreach, and rides to events and board meetings – they are excited to work with us. Beyond meeting their minimum needs, we need to create a permanent infrastructure on campus that outlasts each graduating class. Grassroots staff could be used to train Conservative campus activists to have a more prominent role. We need to arm them with technology and data. Also, there is no reason the liberal apparatus should have first dibs on incoming freshmen. RPDC needs to be firmly and permanently embedded on campus to show kids they have a choice. As Dane County is to WI, campus is to Dane County. We need those kids.
I share Brandon’s vision for the party moving forward. I and a group of passionate volunteers, activists, former candidates, and donors are asking for your vote. We need your help to grow the Republican Party of Dane County in a way that will effectively reach more voters for the April election coming up, the Presidential election next year, and every Dane County election in the future. Let’s all become comfortable being uncomfortable yet unabashedly Conservative. Together we can break the progressive stranglehold on Dane County and make sure we never see a number like 17.4% ever again.
Look overhead, what’s that floating over the Milwaukee County Skyline? Is it a Chinese spy balloon? Nope, it’s David Karst’s overly inflated ego filled with an abundance of hot air.
Recently, News Undone broke the story that embattled Milwaukee County GOP Chairman, David Karst, announced that he’s not running for Chairman again. At last, we are saved! So why am I writing this? David Karst has a history of clinging to power with ferocity and my gut tells me that there is more to this.
Over the years, I have been very critical of the of the Milwaukee County GOP and the inept ‘leadership’ of long-time Chairman David Karst. Under his watch, the County has been hemorrhaging votes in every election cycle and has fallen into utter mediocrity, or worse.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY MATTERS.
Even though Milwaukee County is a Democrat stronghold, it is also home to the second-largest base of Republicans in the state. Only Waukesha County has more. I have always reminded people of how important Milwaukee County is in statewide elections. A one percent swing equals thousands of votes. Unless we get 35% or more in Milwaukee County, we lose the state. EVERY TIME.
David Karst has presided over one of the largest vote slides in the state, second only to maybe Dane County’s slide. Following their Chairman’s example, the Milwaukee GOP has been largely AWOL for years. Voter engagement, candidate engagement, support, and recruitment have been virtually non-existent. Karst has failed to build any real political operation in Milwaukee County and as a result, we have seen Republicans going from about 40% and winning statewide elections, to an anemic 30% and losing statewide elections.
In 2020, Karst and the Milwaukee GOP were completely invisible as usual. This led to Trump only getting about 31%, thus losing Wisconsin. We did eventually see Karst actually do something and hold an event at Serb Hall, AFTER TRUMP HAD ALREADY LOST. But wait, that was not his event, that was organized by David Clarke and Vicki McKenna. True to form, Karst was so lazy that he was just leaching off the efforts of others.
Karst’s mediocre leadership can be better described in one word, IMPOTENT.
Of course, he had the audacity to think his mediocrity should be rewarded and he ran for State Assembly. He even used his power as Chairman to get the Milwaukee GOP to give his own campaign $1,000 in early 2022. That’s right, giving his own campaign money while several Conservative Spring Election candidates throughout the County DID NOT RECEIVE A DIME. The Milwaukee County GOP was so lazy they didn’t even bother to send emails about the candidates. Is this the temperament of good leadership?
He even had the Northshore Republican Branch pimping him even though he had a primary and the Northsore is not part of the 84th District. Well thankfully, the people of the District saw through his rouse and Karst lost his primary by nearly 3-1. That speaks volumes! Karst had his ass handed to him in the Primary even though he tried to flex his power and stack the deck. Thank goodness the state was spared his impotent leadership in the Legislature.
Basically, David karst has been Milwaukee County GOP Chairman for way too long an needs to go away fast. He has served as Milwaukee GOP Chairman since 2008, with exception of 2016-2018, where he was defeated by Sam Hagedorn for one term.
Even though Karst was technically out, his ‘people’ still occupied the other leadership seats and did everything to sabotage Hagedorn at every turn. Karst was still in charge. And because David Karst is an entitled brat, the only time he has actually lifted a finger to do anything was to get his old job back. Nice to see that he works hard for a ‘volunteer position.’
I guess he just loves sitting at the head table of the annual lincoln Day dinner or if a VIP comes to Milwaukee. Lord knows, he does nothing else.
RNC National Convention.
In 2024 Milwaukee will host the RNC National Convention, and we are going to be in the national spotlight. It defiantly would be embarrassing to see Karst’s impotent leadership on display for the whole world to see. Well, there’s hope.
As I reported a few weeks ago, having lost the confidence of the grassroots and feeling pressure and a new challenge to his leadership, Karst had a temper tantrum at a meeting and abruptly announced he was not going to run for Chairman again. FINALLY, HE’S GOING AWAY
NOT SO FAST!
There is no way Karst would give up so easily, his ego clearly knows no bounds. I have been saying that Karst will likely orchestrate a floor nomination at Caucus in order to keep his fancy title. I even alluded to it in an article from a few days ago about the pathetic Milwaukee and Dane primary numbers. It was sort of tongue-in-cheek…sort of.
Surprise surprise, an entrenched vocal club in Milwaukee County is planning to nominate the failed Chairman from the floor. Alright, let’s call them out by name, the Northshore Republicans. They apparently love the mediocrity of Karst’s leadership and that his ‘talents’ are worthy of another 2-year term. What’s more they feel entitled to their stranglehold on the Milwaukee County GOP. THEY ARE WRONG.
It’s Hard to believe people like this actually exist, but they do. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. If only these people who support Karst understood basic math, they would see he’s not worthy of another term and he should have been shown the door a long time ago.
The same people pushing Karst are responsible for the Milwaukee GOP pushing out any energized activists who would like to join the party but don’t see it as a serious operation. Instead they see it as a social club of incompetent, unorganized insiders who enjoy a few Pints and Politics events and an annual Lincoln Dinner. Again, not seen as serious people.
If they do indeed nominate Karst from the floor, you can be sure there will be an aggressive pushback and will result in his failed record coming to light in front of his face. Expect Karst to be embarrassed? Probably not, but, there will be some intense discussion.
Here’s the reality, not only has Karst’s record on GOTV in Milwaukee County been a dismal failure, but the party has failed to register voters, and they have no early vote program. They cannot even manage keep the Milwaukee GOP office open more that a few hours per week.
Under David Karst and his current leadership team, the Milwaukee County GOP membership has fallen to a pathetic 200 members. Again, this is in the 2nd largest Republican county in the state. This alone should have Karst running in shame, and his leadership team as well.
It’s not enough to just unseat Karst, but e need new people IN EVERY POSITION in the Milwaukee GOP. Everyone will have a challenger.
To David Karst and those who plan to nominate him from the floor – it is not worth it. Move on Karst, find something else to do, and allow new talent to clean up the total mess we have in Milwaukee County. No, I am not delusional, I recognize that changing leadership alone will fix everything. It will take time to unravel this cluster of a mess.
We have a major election for the very balance of the State Supreme Court in a few short weeks. Dan Kelly is our candidate and it is a must-win or lose-everything situation. Getting 31% again in Milwaukee County all but guarantees a Liberal Supreme Court going forward. Is David Karst’s ego worth losing EVERYTHING we have fought for over the past two decades or longer?
Remember Einstein’s definition of insanity. We need to take MILWAUKEE COUNTY in a new direction. We need to pop that balloon.
The Milwaukee County GOP Caucus is Saturday morning. Currently 4 candidates are looking to run for Chair of the Milwaukee GOP. Their resumes and information can be found below.
