We kicked off our presentation in Green County, WI, on Saturday morning by noting that Passover was just hours away—a reminder of the persecution the Jewish people have faced for over 4,000 years. We also recognized that Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week for Christians, starting with Palm Sunday. 

The religious significance of these observances—from the Jewish passage from slavery to the freedom exodus for Jews; and the Christian journey from the humiliation of Good Friday to the Resurrection of Easter—has inspired millions of smaller human stories: from a sports team rallying to win a championship after being upset in a big game, to a business leader whose breakthrough came only after being fired from the wrong job, to political movements that took off only after experiencing a painful election loss.

If you review just two post-mortems on April’s election with an eye toward breakthroughs, here’s where to start:

1. Watch the WI Faith and Freedom Coalition’s 8-minute recap by State Director Spencer LaVerde, delivered to a packed house in Green County, WI, before heading to Iowa for speeches by Congresswoman Nancy Mace and outgoing Governor Kim Reynolds at the Iowa Faith and Freedom event near Des Moines.
   Watch here: WIFFC Green County Recap
   
   
2. Read this forward-looking piece from Restoration News:
   “EXCLUSIVE: Losing Wisconsin is Proof We Need the ‘Permanent Campaign’ to Win”, highlighting breakthroughs by American Majority, Hunter Nation, and WIFFC.
   
   

In Green County, LaVerde laid out how our Church-Doors-Postcard Campaign, led by WIFFC North Woods Field Director Holly Klucarich, improved the conservative margin by 10 points—the biggest conservative swing of all 72 counties – while most of the state saw only minor changes between the 2023 and 2025 Supreme Court races. In addition to Spencer’s strategic overview, you can click here for a deeper dive with Green County GOP Chair John Fandrich, who managed the impressive feat of packing a room with energized conservatives just days after the election setback—joined by WIFFC President John Pudner.

The Restoration News story made a compelling case for matching the left’s “permanent campaign.” Author Hayden Ludwig opens with a sharp diagnosis of the problem:

“…The old-fashioned model of winning elections meant building up and tearing down campaign infrastructure … to the consultant class’s delight, until Democrats devised a better way to preserve institutional knowledge and voter data for the next election. Instead of tearing down, they just kept building…”

He then methodically outlines the long-term grassroots solution needed for conservatives to be successful going forward.

From Green County, LaVerde and Pudner traveled to their second event of the day—in a state that benefits from a Caucus system that rewards long-term grassroots organizing, unlike primary systems driven largely by big-money TV and digital ad campaigns. This model mirrors the Virginia Convention system, where Pudner achieved his first major wins, helping Republicans go from fewer than one-third of the seats in the legislature to a majority.

After years of success in Virginia, Pudner’s first presidential race was George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign, turning out faith-based voters across the country but particularly in Iowa to win the caucuses—and keeping them engaged all the way through the general election. Just four years after Bob Dole received less than 40% of the Iowa vote, Bush closed a 130,000-vote gap to just 4,000. The grassroots effort never stopped (just as Restoration News suggests now)—leading to winning Iowa in 2004 and ultimately helping Donald Trump carry the state by double digits in three consecutive elections.

Saturday night concluded with a heartfelt farewell from 700 Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition leaders to Governor Kim Reynolds, who championed and defended the heartbeat bill all the way to the Supreme Court. The day closed with a powerful keynote from Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who from Day 1 of this Congress made it clear: men would not be allowed in women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol—where numerous unisex and private restrooms are already available in every Congressional office.

Photo Highlights (from top to bottom):

• A crowd of 700 listening to Governor Reynolds
  
  
• The Restoration News image of Hunter Nation’s Brett Favre ad
  
  
• John Pudner with Rep. Nancy Mace
  
  
• (Below this written section) From left to right: WIFFC President John Pudner, RNC Chair Michael Whatley, WIFFC State Director Spencer LaVerde, IFFC Treasurer Keith Hunter, and IFFC President Steve Scheffler
  
  
• LaVerde breaking down turnout data next to a handout from Pudner’s presentation
  
  
• At the bottom: some of the amazing Green County audience who engaged with great questions for LaVerde, Fandrich, and Pudner