FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2022
Contact: press@wisdems.org
Kleefisch to Speak at CPAC as She Struggles With Vicious GOP Primary, Ramthun Follows Her
MADISON, Wis. – Rebecca Kleefisch will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) today, along with divisive politicians like Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Jim Jordan, Madison Cawthorn, and Ron DeSantis — a golden opportunity for her to prove she’s the most extreme candidate in the Wisconsin GOP primary for governor. Trump-wannabe gubernatorial candidate Tim Ramthun, not to be outdone by Kleefisch, left last night’s legislative session early to follow Kleefisch to CPAC. Ramthun will be the only Wisconsin Republican to win a CPAC award this year.
The primary continues to be a brutal fight between Kleefisch, Ramthun, and Kevin Nicholson, with candidates changing their views daily in order to compete to become the most radical candidate in the race.
CPAC has become a breeding ground for misinformation and lies about the 2020 election. This could give Kleefisch much-needed political reinforcement as she attempts to win over the extremists in her party — but Ramthun’s presence is certainly a hiccup in her plan. Earlier this week, she completely reversed her views on who won the 2020 election in order to position herself to the right of Nicholson, who has questioned her conservative bonafides, and Ramthun, who is on a crusade to decertify the 2020 election.
In September 2021, Kleefisch agreed President Joe Biden won the election in Wisconsin. But she now questions whether he won the race and declined to answer when asked if she would have certified 2020 election results. It’s clear that she’ll say or do anything to win this primary. More dangerously, it’s clear that if she’s elected, she cannot be counted upon to execute her legal and Constitutional duties.
While Kleefisch will use her platform to prove to national Republicans she’s the most radical candidate in this primary, we already know that the Walker-Kleefisch administration had some of the most divisive policies in state history, including:
- Cutting $800 million from public schools in 2011;
- Making the largest cut to shared revenue in over a decade, which slashed funding for critical local government services such as firefighters and police;
- Attempting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have gutted protections for the more than 2.4 million Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions;
- Negotiating the disastrous Foxconn deal, which led to lasting harm in our local communities; and
- Stripping access to reproductive health care.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released the following statement in response:
“Rebecca Kleefisch spends her time trying to prove she’s the most radical candidate instead of doing what’s right for Wisconsin. Her embrace of divisive conspiracy theories about the election and threats to obstruct democracy as governor make her the perfect candidate to speak at CPAC, but a dangerous option to lead our state. At CPAC, Kleefisch will align herself with some of the most divisive politicians in our country, putting her out of touch with the majority of Wisconsin voters.
“While we don’t have a copy of Kleefisch’s speech, her record as lieutenant governor speaks for itself. Kleefisch and Walker championed an agenda that deeply hurt Wisconsinites. From defunding public safety to undermining access to abortion to gutting funding for public education, Wisconsin was worse off in every way under the Walker-Kleefisch administration. Under Governor Evers’ leadership, our schools rose from 18th to 8th in the country, our unemployment rate is at a historic low, and our small businesses are thriving.
“Every Republican running for governor is a threat to our democracy, our economy, and our schools. Kleefisch’s divisive agenda is the last thing Wisconsin needs.”
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