Former President Donald Trump rallied his supporters in Wisconsin on Friday ahead of tomorrow’s primary, touting his preferred candidate for governor, businessman Tim Michels, and engineer Adam Steen, who is taking on state Rep. Robin Vos. Trump’s continued to press Vos to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.
The governor’s race has become a proxy war of sorts between Trump and more traditional Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence and former GOP Gov. Scott Walker, who have backed former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in the race.
While Trump has continued to push his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, Michels has diverged from other Trump-backed candidates and has not directly said whether he’d attempt to overturn the 2020 results or if he would certify the 2024 election, per the Washington Post.
Michels’ comments about the 2020 election on Friday night were brief, per NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard: “If we don’t have fair and transparent elections, our entire constitutional system comes crumbling down! Was it rigged? Was it fixed? I’m going to stop it!”
Elsewhere on the campaign trail:
Colorado Senate: NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard reports that Colorado Republican Joe O’Dea told KOA radio on Friday, “As far as Trump’s concerned, I hope he doesn’t run. I don’t want to see him as president.” Hillyard notes that O’Dea did say during the GOP primary that he would ultimately vote for Trump in 2024 if he were the nominee.
Pennsylvania Senate: Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will return to the campaign trail this week, holding his first campaign rally Friday since suffering a stroke in May.
Arizona Governor: After campaigning against the eventual GOP nominee for governor, Kari Lake, Arizona GOP Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted Sunday that “it’s important for Arizona Republicans to unite behind our slate of candidates,” and noted the Republican Governors Association, which he chairs, “is already active on the airwaves supporting Kari Lake’s candidacy.” Hillyard also reports that the RGA has reserved $11 million in TV airtime in Arizona.
Michigan Governor: Reuters reports that Trump-backed Republican nominee Matthew DePerno “gained unauthorized access to voting equipment,” prompting Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office to call for a special prosecutor, per the Detroit News.
Rhode Island-02: Politico reports on the race to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin, the first quadriplegic in Congress.
Washington-04: Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of the 10 Republicans in the House who voted to impeach Trump, is projected to advance to the general election and overcome a challenger backed by the former president.
Wyoming At-Large: GOP Rep. Liz Cheney is prepared to lose her primary next week against a Trump-backed challenger, telling the New York Times, “If the cost of standing up for the Constitution is losing the House seat, then that’s a price I’m willing to pay.”
