Wisconsin's Republican primary testing Trump's influence in state
MILWAUKEE - At a rally last weekend in Wisconsin, former President Donald Trump continued to claim he won the state in the 2020 election. President Joe Biden, in fact, won Wisconsin.
"We won this thing by a lot. We won this state by a lot," Trump said.
Trump is backing candidates for governor and even for state assembly in Tuesday’s Republican primary election, as he still pushes to overturn Biden’s victory.
With votes being counted across Wisconsin, FOX 32’s political editor Mike Flannery has more on what's at stake.
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After stints as a TV anchor in Rockford, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Rebecca Kleefisch entered Wisconsin politics as a conservative Republican, becoming lieutenant governor. Mike Pence has endorsed her bid to become governor.
"Wisconsin and America need Rebecca Kleefisch to be the next governor of the great state of Wisconsin," Pence said.
Kleefisch has called the 2020 election rigged but opposes Trump's effort to overturn Biden's victory in Wisconsin.
Trump has endorsed businessman Tim Michels, who is open to such a move.
"Guarantee free and fair elections. Tim has always. The elections will be free and fair," Trump said.
At a rally last weekend in Waukesha, the former president claimed again and again that Wisconsin’s electoral votes were stolen from him. Repeated investigations, including by the Republican controlled Wisconsin state assembly, have not overturned Biden's 2020 victory. Wisconsin's assembly speaker Robin Vos says legal experts tell him doing so would be unconstitutional.
Trump has endorsed a primary challenger hoping to defeat the speaker in his Racine County district.
"Adam Steen is running to defeat your RINO speaker of the House, Robin Vos. Despite undeniable evidence of rigging and fraud, speaker Vos has taken no steps to hold he Wisconsin Election Commission accountable," Trump said.
The Wisconsin contests testing Trump's influence over Republican voters have enormous significance right now as he draws much closer to announcing a campaign for president in 2024.