Dept. Ag (NY), Congressional Retreat at Trump Doral, All Eyes on WI

EN ROUTE GREEN BAY TO MIAMI -As we embark on a 24-hour trip this weekend from the chilly 12-degree weather in Green Bay, WI, to the sunny 72-degree warmth of Miami, we’ll be meeting with Congressional Republicans at Trump Doral Sunday before heading back to Green Bay for our Board meeting and Pastors’ breakfast on Tuesday. Once again, all eyes are on Wisconsin as it prepares for a crucial election scheduled less than five months after the state secured Trump topping 270 Electoral Votes to win the Presidency.

ActBlue, which our team first revealed channeled billions from individuals claiming to be unemployed in this Fox News exclusive retweeted by President Trump, is backing Susan Crawford, urging voters to support her because she “took on laws that make it more difficult for Wisconsinites to vote.” However, this refers to Crawford’s efforts to eliminate Voter ID laws, which are supported by nearly 80% of Wisconsinites and Americans.

In contrast, Elon Musk recently shared Scott Presler’s post advocating for a vote for her opponent, conservative Brad Schimel, in light of the liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court recently redrawing legislative districts, aiming to eliminate as many Republican-held seats as possible by drawing new lines under Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ direction. The U.S. Supreme Court had previously struck down similar districts drawn under the Governor’s plan, which violated the principle of not adding legislative districts to counties that had lost population, like Milwaukee.

Our Green Bay Pastors’ breakfast on Tuesday is sold out, but we’ve just sent invitations to both Crawford and Schimel for other Pastors’ breakfasts around the state before the April 1 election. We will also examine their records to educate voters on how they might shape key issues on a potential 4-3 Wisconsin Supreme Court, including:

  • Crawford’s efforts to eliminate Voter ID laws
  • The gerrymandering of legislative districts
  • Act 10—the law that curbed public sector unions from using taxpayer funds to lobby for more taxpayer money (a key piece of legislation passed by Governor Scott Walker during a $3.6 billion state budget deficit)
  • The recent State Supreme Court ruling making Wisconsin’s abortion law more liberal than 45 of 47 European countries, allowing abortion up to the 22nd week.

Dept. of Ag Director and Moms for Liberty Inaugural Brunch

After the Mom’s for Liberty inaugural brunch covered in our last blog, we closed out the trip to  DC with an event at the Capitol Hill Club greeting the new Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and a counterpart from another state’s Farm Bureau, harking back to when I managed the political operation for a state Farm Bureau. This year, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau made headlines by endorsing their first Democrat in decades—Tammy Baldwin—who was leading by seven points at the time. Baldwin barely held on to win by less than one percent against Eric Hovde.

Republican candidates for President, U.S. Senate, and Governor in Wisconsin—excluding Tommy Thompson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, and Ron Johnson—have lost 23 straight races for President, US Senate or Governor in Wisconsin. Only Mark Neumann (1998 for Senate), George W. Bush (2000 for President), Tim Michels (2022 for Governor) and Eric Hovde (2024 for US Senate) have come within 3.5 points of winning.

With Stephen Vaden (center left), the nominee to serve as USDA Deputy Secretary under Brooke Rollins, the nominee for Ag Secretary who has served as the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, and Southern Ag Leaders.